Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Mark a Bold Step Forward…For Some

Apple’s September event always has a certain buzz and this year’s “Awe Dropping” showcase didn’t disappoint with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. These are the top of the line for 2025 and they come with a new design, a bigger chip and a camera system that feels like a filmmaker’s dream.

As soon as you pick up either model you’ll notice a big change: a new body that combines form and function in a way Apple hasn’t done before. Gone is the titanium frame of the iPhone 15 and 16 Pro models, replaced by a lightweight aluminum unibody made from aerospace-grade 7000-series alloy. This isn’t just about looks – though the deep blue, cosmic orange and silver finishes are undeniably cool. The aluminum chassis, paired with a vapor chamber cooling system, tackles heat like never before. Deionized water inside the chamber pulls heat away from the phone’s internals, so the new A19 Pro chip can run at full speed without turning the device into a hot potato. The design also makes room for a bigger battery, which combined with the A19 Pro and iOS 26’s power management delivers the longest battery life ever in an iPhone. The Pro Max can hit up to 39 hours of video playback in its eSIM only version – that’s a quiet flex for marathon users.

Speaking of the battery, Apple’s decision to go eSIM only in select markets like the US, Canada and Japan frees up internal space previously occupied by a physical SIM tray. With support from over 500 carriers worldwide, eSIM makes switching networks or grabbing a prepaid plan while traveling a breeze. If your phone gets lost or stolen the eSIM stays locked in, adding a layer of security a physical SIM can’t match. Pair it with a new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter and you’re at 50% charge in 20 minutes.

The display is where Apple has really gone big. 6.3 inches for the Pro and 6.9 inches for the Pro Max. Super Retina XDR screens are brighter than ever, up to 3000 nits for outdoor visibility that cuts through glare like a hot knife. Ceramic Shield 2 is now on both the front and back, three times better scratch resistance and four times better crack resistance than before. The new anti-reflective coating makes scrolling in sunlight feel easy and the 120Hz ProMotion makes animations silky smooth.

At the heart of the iPhone 17 Pro is the A19 Pro chip, Apple’s most powerful and efficient chip ever in a phone. With a 6-core CPU and 6-core GPU, it’s up to 40% faster than the A18 Pro. This isn’t just about speed – though being able to play AAA games like Arknights: Endfield with hardware-accelerated ray tracing is no joke. The GPU’s Neural Accelerators and a bigger 16-core Neural Engine make on-device AI tasks like running large language models or powering Apple Intelligence features feel snappy and private. A new N1 wireless chip brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread so you get faster, more reliable connections whether you’re hotspoting or AirDropping files.

The cameras though, are where these phones are magic. Three 48MP Fusion cameras – Main, Ultra Wide and a new Telephoto – turn the iPhone 17 Pro into a pocket sized photography studio. The Telephoto lens with a 56% larger sensor now has 4x optical zoom at 100mm for portraits and stretches to 8x optical zoom at 200mm, the longest ever on an iPhone. Digital zoom goes up to 40x and the updated Photonic Engine uses machine learning to sharpen details, cut noise and nail color accuracy. A new Bright Photographic Style in iOS 26 adds a pop to skin tones so your shots look lively without feeling overprocessed. The 18MP Center Stage front camera is a game changer for selfies, with a square sensor so you can shoot in portrait or landscape without flipping the phone. It even expands the field of view for group shots and stabilizes 4K HDR video for vloggers. Dual Capture which records from the front and rear cameras at the same time is a clever feature for creators who want to narrate and film at the same time.

For video pros the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are a love letter to filmmaking. ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2 and genlock – a first for smartphones – make these devices a serious tool for professional shoots. Genlock which syncs video across multiple cameras pairs with accessories like the Blackmagic Design Camera ProDock to simplify complex productions. Whether you’re shooting a short film or a YouTube vlog, 4K120 fps and Dolby Vision HDR means your footage will look cinematic. Apps like Final Cut Camera and Blackmagic Camera tap into these features and developers can access APIs to take it even further.

Prices start at $1,099 for the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro and go up to $1,999 for the Pro Max with to 2TB storage. Pre-order begin September 12, with worldwide availability starting September 19.