iPhone 17 Pro Max Review: Apple's Most Capable Camera Phone Yet
The Verdict
The iPhone 17 Pro Max pairs a faster A19 Pro chip with a redesigned camera system and a brighter, more efficient display — at a price that keeps creeping upward.
Exceptional camera system across all three lenses
Still ships with a USB-C cable rather than anything faster
Apple's Pro Max has long been the phone we recommend to anyone who wants the best camera in their pocket without thinking too hard about it, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max extends that streak. The new 48MP ultrawide finally matches the resolution of the main and telephoto sensors, which means computational zoom between 1x and 5x looks dramatically more consistent than on last year's model. Paired with the A19 Pro, on-device features like Clean Up and Smart Reply feel instant rather than laggy.
Battery life is the other headline improvement. Apple says the more efficient display and chip combine for roughly two extra hours of everyday use, and in our testing that held up — we regularly ended long days with 25-30% remaining. The design is otherwise familiar: the same titanium frame, the same Dynamic Island, and unfortunately still a USB-C cable in the box rather than anything faster. If you're coming from an iPhone 14 or older, this is an easy recommendation; if you bought last year's Pro Max, the upgrade is far less urgent.
Pros
- Exceptional camera system across all three lenses
- A19 Pro delivers desktop-class performance
- Brighter, more efficient ProMotion display
- Six years of guaranteed software updates
Cons
- Still ships with a USB-C cable rather than anything faster
- Price increase over the previous generation
- Camera bump remains large
Specifications
Where to buy
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