Apple has officially unveiled the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, a duo of flagship devices designed to push the boundaries of mobile technology. These models introduce significant upgrades in design, performance, and camera capabilities, solidifying their position as the ultimate tools for professionals and enthusiasts alike.
A Redesigned Unibody
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max abandon the titanium frame of their predecessors in favor of a new forged aluminum unibody design. This new aerospace-grade 7000-series aluminum alloy is not only lightweight but also has exceptional thermal conductivity. This is a crucial element for one of the Pro models’ most important new features: an integrated vapor chamber cooling system. This Apple-designed system, which is laser-welded into the chassis, efficiently moves heat away from the A19 Pro chip, allowing for sustained peak performance during intensive tasks like gaming, video editing, and recording high-resolution video.
The Pro and Pro Max models feature a new two-toned finish with a Ceramic Shield 2 back. This is a first for the iPhone and, according to Apple, provides four times better crack resistance than the back glass on previous models. The front display is also protected by Ceramic Shield 2, offering three times better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection for reduced glare.
The iPhone 17 Pro has a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a larger 6.9-inch display. Both feature ProMotion technology with an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz and an incredible 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness.
A19 Pro Chip: The Pinnacle of Mobile Performance
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are powered by the new A19 Pro chip, the most powerful and efficient chip ever in a smartphone. Built on a 3-nanometer process, the A19 Pro features a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators built into each GPU core. This combination, along with a larger cache and more memory, powers advanced AI models, stunning graphics, and console-level gaming with hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Both models come with 12GB of RAM, ensuring seamless multitasking and the ability to handle the most demanding applications.
The Ultimate Pro Camera System
The camera system on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max is a game-changer. Both models feature an identical triple 48MP Fusion camera system, a first for Apple. This includes:
- 48MP Fusion Main Camera: A new, larger sensor captures more light, resulting in incredibly detailed photos with improved low-light performance.
- 48MP Fusion Ultrawide Camera: With a 120° field of view, this camera is perfect for expansive landscape shots and macro photography.
- 48MP Fusion Telephoto Camera: The star of the show, this camera features a new tetraprism design that enables 8x optical zoom at 200mm—the longest optical reach ever on an iPhone. This allows for professional-quality portraits and the ability to capture distant subjects with stunning clarity.
The front-facing camera has also been upgraded to an 18MP Center Stage lens. This camera’s wider field of view and AI-powered framing ensure you’re always centered during video calls, and it can automatically adjust for group selfies.
For professional filmmakers, the iPhone 17 Pro series supports ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2, and genlock, which allows for precise synchronization of video from multiple cameras, making the iPhone a viable tool for professional productions. Video recording now supports up to 8K resolution.
Battery Life and Storage
Thanks to the A19 Pro’s efficiency, the new aluminum unibody design that allows for larger batteries, and the power management of iOS 26, the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers the longest battery life ever in an iPhone, with up to 39 hours of video playback. The Pro model also sees a significant battery life increase. Both models support fast charging, reaching a 50% charge in just 20 minutes with a 40W adapter.
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max start with a base storage of 256GB and go up to an impressive 2TB option for the Pro Max, catering to the needs of professional creators who work with massive video and photo files.
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are available in Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue. The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199. Pre-orders began on September 12, with general availability starting on September 19.
