When Apple introduced its skinny and lightweight iPhone Air, some other folks mentioned, “Who requested for a thinner telephone?” Moments later, the corporate went within the different course and introduced a somewhat thicker and bulkier iPhone 17 Professional lineup.
With this, Apple did what the ones other folks had sought after: it made a telephone with a thicker shape issue to deal with a bigger battery, main to raised efficiency. Out of the brand new iPhones, the Professional telephones gained extra iterative updates (except you rely the brand new orange colour). However individuals who purchase those telephones will nonetheless reap the advantages.
The construct
The very first thing that you simply’ll realize with the iPhone 17 Professional is the brand new unibody construct with aluminium, along a brand new digital camera bump design at the again with area for MagSafe-based equipment underneath it. I’ve gotten used to cross-body digital camera bumps like the only at the Pixel 10, so I don’t thoughts the brand new design selection from Apple
Apple mentioned that the usage of this design has made the telephone extra robust. However it has additionally made the 17 Professional Max heavier at 233 grams as in comparison to the 227 grams of the iPhone 16 Professional Max. I felt the heft of the telephone a little extra as I used to be juggling between the ultra-light iPhone Air and the 17 Professional Max.
The corporate added Ceramic Defend 2 at the entrance and the first-gen Ceramic Defend at the again, underneath the digital camera plateau. I had shattered the again of my previous iPhone 15 Professional Max, which simply had a textured glass layer, so I admire the additional coverage along side the aluminium body at the again.
I will’t skip the construct segment with out speaking about colours. I’ve were given a silver coloured unit, which I think is essentially the most dull colour out of all 3. I for my part just like the blue much more, and don’t thoughts the orange, which obviously sticks out. I most often use my new telephone with no case, however I plan to take a look at the brand new TechWoven blue case that’s made with a customized 100% recycled polyester yarn to switch the glance of the telephone.
And whilst I’ve noticed many posts and movies about how the brand new tool’s again is prone to scratches, I haven’t spotted many on my unit as of but.
Higher battery, higher efficiency
Apple has controlled to cram extra battery into the iPhone 17 Professional Max because of its unibody design. I constantly were given greater than 5 hours of display screen time, in spite of various utilization. In relation to sheer numbers, the 17 Professional Max packs a 4,823 mAh battery as in comparison to 4,685 mAh within the iPhone 16 Professional Max. For those who snag an eSIM-only model in nations the place it’s to be had, you are going to get a good larger 5,088 mAh battery, which may ultimate a little longer than the tool with the bodily SIM.
The brand new design additionally brings vapor chamber cooling to the iPhones, because of this that your telephone gets much less sizzling whilst doing resource-intensive duties equivalent to gaming. I performed Conflict Thunder at 60 FPS for a longer time period, and as in comparison to the iPhone Air, the Professional Max ran a lot cooler.
Small upgrades you’ll admire
Some other sturdy improve within the battery division is the larger charging capability.
The telephone is suitable with USB-PD 3.2 requirements. Whilst it isn’t attaining the whacky 100W+ charging capacities of one of the crucial Chinese language producers, the brand new iPhone can theoretically fee at 40W as in comparison to 30W. This implies you’ll be able to fee your telephone a lot sooner when the usage of a 40W or upper adapter.
The larger telephone additionally won strengthen for upper pace, Qi2-based wi-fi charging at 25W. In case you have an adjunct station at your paintings table with a wi-fi stand, this new peak iPhone can make the most of it.
The show dimension of the iPhone 17 Professional Max is equal to ultimate yr’s Professional Max. However the show will get an improve as it will probably reach a top brightness of three,000 nits. It additionally has a brand new anti-reflective coating, making it more straightforward to make use of in brighter stipulations. Past the iPhone, brighter presentations had been a development this yr with smartphones just like the Pixel 10 Sequence and Honor V5 Magic, and so they’re a welcome boost.
One of the vital evaluate movies display that different gadgets, such because the Samsung Galaxy S25, have a greater reflective subject material at the display screen, then again.
Let’s communicate cameras
The Professional iPhone fashions gained two notable digital camera updates this yr.
First, all 3 rear cameras now have a 48-megapixel sensor. The ultrawide had an improve ultimate yr, and this yr, it’s the telephoto lens getting a spice up. (As anyone who has 3 pets within the family, I all the time admire having higher zooming features, so I will take candid footage of them with out transferring, which may lead to a misplaced pose.)
Till ultimate yr, the Professional Max had zoom choices of 2x and 5x. This yr, the corporate has modified its focal lengths a little. So now you get 2x, 4x, and 8x (which is a 2x crop). Chances are you’ll lose some main points in an 8x shot, however the footage are usually just right even at that stage of zoom.
Telephones just like the Pixel 10 Sequence, Xiaomi 15T Professional, and the Honor Magic V5 do be offering virtual zoom augmented with generative AI to artificially enhance the image. However Apple simply gives a virtual zoom of 40x with none generative processing. The consequences aren’t anything else to jot down house about, as the photographs are noisy and don’t have main points.
Whilst the telephoto is a Professional-only replace, all iPhones were given a selfie digital camera improve with a brand new 18-megapixel sq. sensor. Aside from upgraded solution, the entrance digital camera will get a Heart Degree function, which routinely zooms out and in and adjustments the orientation in accordance with the choice of other folks within the body — with out you having to do it manually. (That is very useful within the festive season in India, whilst you meet buddies and other folks wish to cram into the body!)
Apple gave Intelligence a leave out
Regardless of great upgrades to the {hardware}, Apple Intelligence was once infrequently discussed as a part of the brand new iPhones’ free up. This was once a distinction in comparison to ultimate yr, in addition to rival telephone launches like Google’s new Pixel lineup.
The tool will obtain iOS 26 options, like the usage of the entire display screen as context to invite ChatGPT or Google questions on what’s at the display screen. However there aren’t any new Apple-native AI options.
The brand new Professional iPhones also are powered by means of A19 Professional chips, that have higher neural efficiency, Apple says. This is able to turn out to be useful for builders who’re the usage of Apple’s native AI fashions. However we could have to stay up for subsequent yr’s International Developer Convention to peer if Apple offers Siri a much-awaited AI improve.
Who is that this iPhone for?
For the previous few years, Apple has located its Professional traces of telephones to help the inventive procedure extra, with the exception of being top-notch gadgets in its lineup. With the iPhone 17 Professional Max, this is much more so the case.
With a brand new design, battery, and thermal efficiency, creators can shoot longer movies. Plus, the corporate offered new options like ProRes RAW and Log 2. It additionally has genlock, which permits creators to make use of more than one iPhones to take time-locked pictures.
For those who’re no longer a writer, iPhone 17 Professional Max is extra of an iterative replace. Similar to a large number of new telephone releases once a year, it doesn’t scream that you must replace. In case your telephone is greater than two years previous, then again, you are going to see considerable positive aspects in all departments, together with battery lifestyles, efficiency, display screen, and digital camera. B
ut when you’ve got purchased a telephone after the iPhone 15 Professional was once launched, there isn’t as a lot explanation why to replace.
