iPhone 17 Pro Max Review: Bigger Battery & Everything Else

Apple's iPhone Strategy: Balancing Thinness and Performance

The unveiling of Apple’s slim and lightweight iPhone Air prompted a question from some observers: was a thinner phone truly desired? Shortly thereafter, Apple countered this sentiment with the announcement of the iPhone 17 Pro series, featuring a marginally increased thickness and overall size.

This move directly addressed the concerns raised, as Apple prioritized a more substantial form factor. The primary goal was to create space for a larger battery, ultimately enhancing the phone’s operational capabilities.

iPhone 17 Pro: Incremental Improvements

Among the newly released iPhones, the Pro models benefited from more subtle enhancements. These updates, while not revolutionary, still provide significant advantages to users.

The introduction of a new orange color option is a notable aesthetic change. However, the core improvements lie in the internal optimizations and the extended battery life.

Benefits for Pro Users

Despite the iterative nature of the updates, purchasers of the iPhone 17 Pro will experience tangible improvements. These benefits stem from the increased battery capacity and associated performance gains.

Apple’s approach demonstrates a responsiveness to user needs, balancing the desire for sleek design with the practical requirement for extended usability. The iPhone 17 Pro lineup represents a considered evolution of the smartphone experience.

The Construction and Design

A primary observation regarding the iPhone 17 Pro is its newly implemented unibody construction, utilizing aluminum. This is accompanied by a redesigned camera module on the rear, incorporating space for accessories compatible with the MagSafe system.

Having become accustomed to diagonally aligned camera arrangements, similar to that found on the Pixel 10, the altered design approach by Apple does not present a concern.

Apple has stated that this structural design contributes to increased device durability. However, it has also resulted in a weight increase for the 17 Pro Max, now weighing 233 grams compared to the 227 grams of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

This added weight was noticeable during transitions between the exceptionally lightweight iPhone Air and the 17 Pro Max.

Ceramic Shield 2 has been applied to the front of the device, and the first generation of Ceramic Shield is featured on the rear, positioned beneath the camera area.

Given a previous experience with a shattered back panel on an iPhone 15 Pro Max – which only had a textured glass layer – the enhanced protection offered by the aluminum frame and Ceramic Shield is greatly appreciated.

The available color options are also noteworthy. The silver unit I received feels somewhat unremarkable compared to the other choices.

The blue variant is particularly appealing, and even the orange provides a distinct aesthetic. I typically prefer using new phones without a protective case.

However, I intend to experiment with a new TechWoven blue case, crafted from a custom 100% recycled polyester yarn, to alter the phone’s appearance.

Despite reports and videos suggesting the device’s rear is prone to scratching, I have not observed significant scratching on my unit thus far.

Enhanced Battery Life and Performance in the iPhone 17 Pro Max

A significant improvement in the iPhone 17 Pro Max stems from its innovative unibody construction, allowing for a larger battery capacity. During testing, screen-on time consistently exceeded five hours, even with diverse usage patterns.

Specifically, the 17 Pro Max incorporates a 4,823 mAh battery, representing an increase over the 4,685 mAh found in the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Furthermore, models configured solely for eSIM connectivity – in regions where this option is offered – feature an even more substantial 5,088 mAh battery.

This larger capacity potentially translates to extended operational duration compared to devices utilizing a physical SIM card.

Improved Thermal Management

The redesigned internal architecture also introduces vapor chamber cooling to the iPhone lineup. This technology effectively mitigates heat buildup during demanding operations.

Consequently, the phone maintains lower temperatures when executing resource-intensive applications, such as mobile gaming. For example, extended gameplay of War Thunder at 60 FPS demonstrated a noticeable temperature difference.

Compared to the iPhone Air, the Pro Max exhibited significantly cooler operation during the same gaming session.

Subtle Enhancements to Enhance Your Experience

A notable improvement has been made to the battery system, specifically with an increase in charging capabilities.

The device supports the USB-PD 3.2 protocol. Although it doesn't quite reach the extremely high charging speeds—over 100W—offered by certain Chinese brands, the latest iPhone model is capable of charging at a theoretical maximum of 40W, an increase from the previous 30W.

This translates to significantly quicker charging times when utilizing a 40W or more powerful power adapter.

The larger form factor also enables support for faster Qi2-based wireless charging, now reaching 25W. Users with wireless charging stations at their workplace can now benefit from this increased charging speed.

The screen size of the iPhone 17 Pro Max remains consistent with the prior Pro Max iteration.

However, the display itself has been upgraded to achieve a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

Furthermore, a new anti-reflective coating has been implemented, improving visibility in brightly lit environments.

Brighter displays have become increasingly common across the smartphone market this year, as evidenced by devices like the Pixel 10 Series and the Honor V5 Magic, and this upgrade is a positive development.

Some early assessments, including video reviews, suggest that competing devices, like the Samsung Galaxy S25, may employ superior screen materials for reducing reflections.

Exploring the Camera Enhancements

This year’s Pro iPhone models feature significant advancements in their camera systems. Two key updates have been implemented to elevate the photographic capabilities of these devices.

Notably, each of the three rear-facing cameras now incorporates a 48-megapixel sensor. While the ultrawide camera received a resolution boost in the previous generation, this year’s improvements focus on the telephoto lens, providing enhanced zoom functionality.

Previously, the Pro Max models offered optical zoom at 2x and 5x magnifications. This has been revised, with new focal lengths now providing 2x, 4x, and 8x zoom options (the 8x being a 2x crop). Although some detail may be lost at the highest zoom level, image quality remains commendable.

Competing smartphones, such as those in the Pixel 10 Series, Xiaomi 15T Pro, and Honor Magic V5 lineups, utilize generative AI to enhance digitally zoomed images. However, Apple provides a straightforward digital zoom up to 40x without employing such processing.

The resulting images at 40x magnification, however, are not particularly impressive, exhibiting noticeable noise and a lack of fine detail.

A selfie camera upgrade, featuring a new 18-megapixel square sensor, has been extended to all iPhone models. This upgrade includes the Center Stage feature, which dynamically adjusts zoom and framing based on the number of subjects within the scene.

Center Stage operates automatically, eliminating the need for manual adjustments – a particularly useful feature during gatherings and celebrations where multiple individuals wish to be included in a single photograph.

Key Camera Specifications

• Rear Cameras: 48-megapixel sensors across all three lenses.
• Telephoto Zoom: 2x, 4x, and 8x optical/digital zoom options.
• Digital Zoom: Up to 40x magnification.
• Front Camera: 18-megapixel sensor with Center Stage.

Apple’s Limited Focus on AI with the New iPhone Release

While the latest iPhones boast significant hardware improvements, discussion surrounding Apple Intelligence was notably minimal during the launch event. This represents a departure from previous years and contrasts with the emphasis on AI seen in competitor releases, such as Google’s recent Pixel phones.

The new devices will be compatible with features arriving in iOS 26, including the ability to utilize the entire display as contextual information for queries directed at ChatGPT or Google. However, no entirely new, natively developed AI capabilities from Apple were unveiled.

A19 Pro Chip and Potential for AI Development

The new Pro iPhone models are equipped with A19 Pro chips, which Apple states offer enhanced neural engine performance. This advancement could prove beneficial for developers leveraging Apple’s on-device AI models.

Further advancements in Apple’s AI offerings, potentially including a substantial upgrade to Siri, may be revealed at next year’s Worldwide Developer Conference.

Currently, users will be able to access AI features through third-party applications. The potential of the A19 Pro chip suggests future native AI integration is being considered.

• The new iPhones feature hardware upgrades.
• Apple Intelligence received limited attention during the launch.
• iOS 26 will bring compatibility with existing AI tools.
• A19 Pro chips offer improved neural performance.

The absence of significant AI announcements suggests Apple is taking a measured approach to integrating these technologies into its ecosystem. Future updates will likely build upon the foundation laid by the A19 Pro chip.

Target Audience: Identifying the Ideal iPhone User

Over the past several years, Apple has increasingly focused on equipping its Pro-series iPhones with features designed to enhance creative workflows, alongside their position as flagship devices.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max exemplifies this trend even further, boasting improvements in design, battery capacity, and thermal management to facilitate extended video recording sessions.

New Capabilities for Content Creators

Apple has integrated new functionalities such as ProRes RAW and Log 2, expanding the creative toolkit available to users.

Furthermore, the inclusion of genlock enables synchronized shooting across multiple iPhones, a valuable asset for professional videography.

Genlock allows for precise time-locking of footage from different devices.

Is an Upgrade Necessary?

For individuals who do not regularly engage in content creation, the iPhone 17 Pro Max represents a more incremental upgrade.

Similar to many annual smartphone releases, the need for an immediate upgrade isn't compelling.

However, users with devices older than two years should anticipate significant improvements across key areas like battery longevity, processing speed, display quality, and camera performance.

Conversely, those who recently purchased an iPhone after the iPhone 15 Pro’s launch may find less justification for an upgrade at this time.