Design & Battery Life
A Fresh, Attention-Grabbing Look
Apple has completely rethought the aesthetic of the Pro lineup. The new camera plateau spans the entire back, giving the phone a striking identity. It’s a refreshing departure from minimalism — these phones embrace personality.
Best Battery Life Ever Tested
During testing, I was consistently impressed. Even after a full day of heavy usage, the iPhone 17 Pro Max still had 22% or more remaining. According to CNET’s testing, the iPhone 17 Pro Max now holds the title for the best smartphone battery life ever measured.
Camera Upgrades
Triple 48MP Rear Cameras
Both the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max share identical rear camera systems, each using three 48-megapixel sensors. You can shoot at 12, 24, or 48 megapixels across wide, ultrawide, and telephoto lenses.
Improved Telephoto — Now 4x
Apple made a surprising change: the telephoto lens shifts from the 16 Pro’s 5x to a shorter 4x optical zoom. However, the sensor is now 48 megapixels and 56% larger, resulting in significantly better detail and dynamic range. While the zoom is shorter, I found the 4x focal length more flattering for portraits and far more versatile in everyday shooting.
New 18MP Selfie Camera With Center Stage
The updated selfie camera jumps from 12MP to 18MP and introduces Apple’s Center Stage technology. Because of the new square sensor, you can hold the phone vertically and still capture horizontal selfies — a clever and genuinely useful upgrade.
Performance, Features & iOS 26
A Powerful, Loud Character
Compared to Apple’s new iPhone Air — thin, quiet, and minimalist — the 17 Pro models are bold, aggressive, and power-forward. Their design might draw attention, but features like improved battery life, a brighter display, a redesigned selfie camera, and iOS 26 make them worth considering.
Quality-of-Life Upgrades
Running iOS 26, the phones deliver meaningful improvements such as live translations for calls, texts, and FaceTime. Combined with a faster processor and stronger durability, the 17 Pro series feels like one of Apple’s most complete upgrades in years.
Who Should Upgrade?
Great for iPhone 14 Pro Users and Older
If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 14 Pro or earlier, the jump is substantial: improved battery life, a brighter screen, faster charging, new cameras, and a more powerful processor capable of handling intensive games and Apple Intelligence.
Not Necessary for iPhone 15 Pro Owners
If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, you won’t need the new 17 Pro models unless your current battery capacity has significantly declined. In that case, replacing the battery is still much cheaper than upgrading.
iPhone 16 Pro Users Can Skip
Unless you have a lot of disposable income, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max users can comfortably skip this generation — the improvements aren’t dramatic enough to warrant a full upgrade.
Specs & Configurations
- Screen size: 6.3 or 6.9 inches
- Processor: Apple A19 Pro
- Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 48MP (4x/8x telephoto), 18MP (selfie)
- Colors: Silver, Dark Blue, Cosmic Orange
- Prices: $1,099 (iPhone 17 Pro) / $1,199 (iPhone 17 Pro Max)
