When Apple announced its thin and light iPhone Air, some people said, “Who asked for a thinner phone?” Moments later, the company went in the other direction and announced a slightly thicker and bulkier iPhone 17 Pro lineup.
With this, Apple did what those people had wanted: it made a phone with a thicker form factor to accommodate a larger battery, leading to better performance. Out of the new iPhones, the Pro phones received more iterative updates (unless you count the new orange color). But people who buy these phones will still reap the benefits.
The build
The first thing that you’ll notice with the iPhone 17 Pro is the new unibody build with aluminium, alongside a new camera bump design on the back with space for MagSafe-based accessories below it. I’ve gotten used to cross-body camera bumps like the one on the Pixel 10, so I don’t mind the new design choice from Apple.
Apple said that using this design has made the phone more sturdy. But it has also made the 17 Pro Max heavier at 233 grams as compared to the 227 grams of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. I felt the heft of the phone a bit more as I was juggling between the ultra-light iPhone Air and the 17 Pro Max.
Image Credits: Ivan mehta
The company added Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and the first-gen Ceramic Shield on the back, below the camera plateau. I had shattered the back of my old iPhone 15 Pro Max, which just had a textured glass layer, so I appreciate the extra protection along with the aluminium frame on the back.
I can’t skip the build section without talking about colors. I’ve got a silver colored unit, which I feel is the most boring color out of all three. I personally like the blue a lot more, and don’t mind the orange, which clearly stands out. I usually use my new phone without a case, but I plan to try the new TechWoven blue case that’s made with a custom 100% recycled polyester yarn to change the look of the phone.
And while I’ve seen many posts and videos about how the new device’s back is susceptible to scratches, I haven’t noticed many on my unit as of yet.
Better battery, better performance
Apple has managed to cram more battery into the iPhone 17 Pro Max thanks to its unibody design. I consistently got more than five hours of screen time, despite varying usage. In terms of sheer numbers, the 17 Pro Max packs a 4,823 mAh battery as compared to 4,685 mAh in the iPhone 16 Pro Max. If you snag an eSIM-only version in countries where it is available, you will get an even bigger 5,088 mAh battery, which might last a bit longer than the device with the physical SIM.
The new design also brings vapor chamber cooling to the iPhones, which means that your phone will get less hot while doing resource-intensive tasks such as gaming. I played War Thunder at 60 FPS for an extended period of time, and as compared to the iPhone Air, the Pro Max ran much cooler.
Image Credits: Ivan Mehta
Small upgrades you’ll appreciate
Another strong upgrade in the battery department is the increased charging capacity.
The phone is compatible with USB-PD 3.2 standards. While it is not reaching the whacky 100W+ charging capacities of some of the Chinese manufacturers, the new iPhone can theoretically charge at 40W as compared to 30W. This means you can charge your phone much faster when using a 40W or higher adapter.
The bigger phone also gained support for higher speed, Qi2-based wireless charging at 25W. If you have an accessory station at your work desk with a wireless stand, this new top iPhone can take advantage of it.
The display size of the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the same as l …