| A19 Pro chip | Up to 37 hours of video playback | 18MP front cam with Center Stage |
| 48MP Pro Fusion Triple Camera Setup | 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display | iOS 26 |
Every year, Apple promises its newest iPhone Pro is the best yet. And most years, the upgrades are more subtle than exciting. The iPhone 17 Pro Max changes that.
I’ve spent two weeks with it, and three things stood out right away: design, performance, and battery life. These areas matter to many people, and this year, Apple seems to have finally nailed them.
Both the 17 Pro and Pro Max finally bring something fresh. The new two-tone finish gives it a nice visual break but I didn’t get the viral Orange Cosmic version that’s been all over the internet. My review unit came in Deep Blue. It’s sleek, understated, and far more subtle than the orange.
The titanium frame is gone, replaced by a new aluminum unibody that instantly feels sturdier. Aluminum also runs cooler under heavy use, and in daily use, the phone feels more solid in hand.
The extended camera plateau (as Apple calls it) is hard to miss, but it’s also more practical now. It gives your fingers a natural place to rest, and since the lenses sit slightly deeper, the phone rocks less on flat surfaces. There’s still a bit of wobble, just not as bad as before.
Some early units showed scratches on the camera module, raising durability concerns. Two weeks in, mine looks fine. There are light scuffs, but nothing out of the ordinary for a metal phone. Still, if you like keeping your phone spotless, a case is a good idea.
Speaking of which, Apple sent over its new iPhone 17 Pro Max Clear Case with MagSafe for me to try, and I’ve got mixed feelings about it. It offers solid protection and feels grippy, which I like. It’s also cleaner-looking than those old MagSafe “ring” clear cases that never quite worked for me.
What’s odd, though, is the white patch on the back. It blends well with the Silver iPhone, but clashes with the Deep Blue and Orange Cosmic models. I don’t get why Apple didn’t release versions that complement those colors.
Anyway, at 6.9 inches, this is still a big device. It’s slightly heavier than last year’s 16 Pro Max and roughly matches the 14 Pro Max in weight. You’ll feel the heft if you’re coming from a smaller iPhone. That said, the rounded edges and balanced weight distribution make it more comfortable to hold. It’s large, but it doesn’t feel like a brick anymore.
The second biggest improvement is performance. This is where the iPhone 17 Pro Max really flexes, especially when juggling multiple apps or heavy tasks.
Part of that comes down to more RAM. Apple doesn’t list the number, but reports suggest it’s around 12GB, up from 8GB last year. The new A19 Pro chip also plays a major role. It packs a 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine.
Benchmarks show a 20 percent boost in multi-core and 12 percent in single-core performance compared to the A18 Pro. On paper, that sounds incremental, but the real improvement is in everyday use.
Over the past two weeks, I tried to push it hard with the kind of stuff that made the 16 Pro Max sweat. I ran a FaceTime call, uploaded photos to iCloud, played a podcast, and scrolled through Instagram all at once. The 16 Pro Max would have heated up quickly, but the 17 Pro Max just cruised through it.
A new vapour chamber inside the 17 Pro Max also helps spread heat more evenly. I played COD Mobile for over two hours, and the phone stayed comfortable to hold. The back can get slightly warm, but I never noticed any slowdown. I also shot a few 4K 60fps clips in the sun, and the screen never dimmed or dropped frames. That’s a big deal if you’ve ever used an older iPhone that turned into a hand warmer.
The third significant upgrade on the iPhone 17 Pro Max is battery life and charging. It now supports Qi 2 wireless charging at 25W and faster wired charging at 40W.
That means you can hit 50 percent in about 20 minutes without the phone heating up or feeling stressed. Battery life is back to Pro Max legend status. On paper, it’s a small jump from 4685mAh on the 16 Pro Max to 4832mAh here, but in daily use, it feels like a much bigger leap.
It reminds me of the 13 Pro Max, the last time an iPhone truly felt like a two-day phone. Even with heavy use, I end most days with 25 to 30 percent left and about 10 hours of screen time.
Low Power Mode is smooth, too. It used to cut performance sharply on the 16 Pro Maxy, but on the 17 Pro Max, it just stretches battery life without slowing things down. If the 16 Pro Max had you reaching for the charger before dinner, this one fixes that. Apple’s battery king is finally back.
The biggest upgrade in the camera department is the new telephoto lens, joined by a refreshed 18MP Centre Stage selfie camera at the front. The other two cameras on the back remain the same — a 48MP main and a 48MP ultrawide.So, for the first time, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and 17 Pro are the only Pro models where all three rear cameras shoot at 48 megapixels.
The ultrawide and main cameras are still excellent. I found the focal lengths ideal for everyday use, and the main sensor continues to deliver sharp and detailed shots.
Of course, there are moments when Android phones edge past it. The Vivo X200 Pro takes cleaner portraits, the Galaxy S25 Ultra still owns zoom, and the Pixel 10 series nails skin tones better.
That said, I really enjoyed using the 4x optical zoom camera. On paper, it’s technically a downgrade from the 5x on the 16 Pro Max, but it’s not the letdown I expected. In fact, the new 8x zoom — even though it’s digital — is surprisingly useful.
You can argue about Apple calling it “optical-quality zoom,” but the results speak for themselves. The level of detail at 8x is genuinely impressive, and Apple’s stabilization keeps shots steady and blur-free even when you’re zoomed in that far. It’s easily my favorite part of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and honestly, the one feature that makes the $300 jump over the regular iPhone 17 feel justified.
Video is another area where these cameras really shine. Stabilization is excellent, front and back, and switching between lenses while recording is smooth. Low-light video looks cleaner too, with far less grain. Google’s Video Boost tech gets close, but not consistently.
Some of Apple’s more advanced video tools are still reserved for the Pro models. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max can record 4K Dolby Vision video at 120 frames per second and ProRes video up to 60fps.
The new Dual Capture feature is also worth noting. You can record with the front and rear cameras at the same time. Third-party apps have offered this before, and Samsung has had it on Galaxy phones for years. The iPhone 17 Pro Max just executes it better, with smoother results and higher-quality output.
Another significant upgrade is the new Centre Stage front camera. It’s available across the entire iPhone 17 lineup and features a square sensor for the first time. That small design change makes a huge difference. You no longer need to rotate the phone for portrait or landscape selfies, or stretch your arm to fit everyone into the frame. Honestly, it’s the most practical camera feature Apple has added this year.
Centre Stage also works during FaceTime calls, keeping you in the frame as you move. It feels more natural now, especially when you’re walking or holding the phone instead of placing it on a surface.
The front camera itself is sharper, too. It uses a 24MP sensor that delivers 18MP selfies, replacing the older 12MP TrueDepth system. The difference in detail and skin tones is instantly noticeable. The camera control button makes a return on all iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air. Honestly, it hasn’t changed much. It still feels a bit clunky to navigate, even after a year.
All in all, though, the 17 Pro Max offers a great camera system. The 48MP rear cameras and the 18MP Centre Stage camera on the front give you plenty of creative flexibility for photos and video. That said, most people probably aren’t upgrading from a 16 Pro just for the cameras.
The improvements are noticeable if you’re moving up from a 14 Pro or older. For iPhone 15 Pro users, the upgrade depends on whether you have a Max model and how much you value the extra zoom and camera tweaks.
All iPhone 17 models, including the 17 Pro Max, ship with iOS 26 out of the box. That means you’re greeted by Apple’s new Liquid Glass design right away. It has been a bit polarizing so far, especially when it comes to text legibility. Apple seems to know that and made several tweaks during the beta. More changes may still come in future updates.
Personally, I’ve grown to like Liquid Glass. It’s an acquired taste, but it fits the overall look of the iPhone 17 Pro Max nicely. As always, Apple’s long-term support is a big plus. Six to seven years of updates feel almost guaranteed.
I’m less excited about the ability to change the transparency of the app icons. The tinted and clear options don’t really work for me. I stuck with the default look because it still feels the most like an iPhone.
Apple Intelligence is also still finding its footing. Features like Visual Intelligence, Image Playground, Writing Tools, and AI Eraser are fun to try, but none of them feel essential yet. Compared to Android, Apple’s approach feels more like a starting point than the finished product.
Apple hasn’t really changed the display this year, but that’s okay — it was already great. The 120Hz OLED screen on the iPhone 17 Pro Max still looks beautiful. It’s big, bright, and sharp, and watching videos or scrolling through photos is a treat.
The size really stands out when you’re gaming. There’s plenty of room for controls, and everything feels smooth and easy to see.
What’s new is the brightness. The screen now peaks at 3,000 nits outdoors, up from 2,000 last year. That’s a noticeable jump. I could see everything clearly, even under harsh sunlight, which really helps when shooting photos or video outside.
The dual stereo speakers sound good too — loud and clear enough to watch a show or listen to music without reaching for earbuds.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max finally feels like a proper upgrade, and in many ways, it’s the first one in a while that truly earns the “Pro” name. Yes, it’s big, a bit heavy, and still very expensive at ₹1,49,990, but the new design, faster performance, and better battery life make it feel like a complete package.
That said, the regular iPhone 17 will still be the better pick for most people. It now has a 120Hz display and offers great value for what it costs. The Pro Max is for those who want the biggest battery, the largest screen, and plan to push the camera system to its limits — whether that’s for photography, video, or creative work.
If you want the most capable iPhone Apple makes, this is the one.