The latest iteration of Apple’s top-end iPhone is here. iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max add a water cooling system, a new aluminum unibody, and Apple’s longest-ever optical zoom – while pushing battery life to new highs. The gap between iPhone Pro and the other models may be narrower than it used to be, but if you care about photography or performance, the Pro still earns its name.
It’s now the only iPhone model to come in two sizes – 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches – with bolder colorways this year including a striking cosmic orange. Let’s take a closer look.
A new design built for sustained speed
The Pro line switches to a brushed aluminum unibody with antennas integrated around the perimeter. Inside, an Apple-designed vapor chamber is laser-welded into the chassis to whisk heat away from the A19 Pro chip, keeping frame rates high and hand temperatures sane during long gaming or editing sessions. Very fancy indeed. Apple says sustained performance is up to 40% better than last year’s Pro thanks in part to this redesign.
Display and durability
Both sizes feature Super Retina XDR with ProMotion up to 120Hz, Always-On, and a 3000-nit peak outdoors — the brightest iPhone display yet, with 2x better outdoor contrast. Ceramic Shield 2 protects the front with 3x better scratch resistance and less glare, and for the first time, Ceramic Shield also covers the back for improved crack resistance. As ever, this is a fantastic display, but it’s no longer a big differentiator from the cheaper models, which rock improved screens this year.
Pro-level cameras with real reach
You get three cameras as we’ve come to expect from the Pro models, but this year all three are 48MP Fusion cameras. To be specific, you’ll get multi-purpose Main, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto camera, that Apple likens to carrying eight pro lenses once you add up all their capabilities. The new Telephoto uses a next-gen tetraprism design with a much larger sensor, delivering a classic 100mm 4x optical zoom plus a 200mm 8x optical-quality mode, the longest reach ever on iPhone. Digital zoom extends to a whopping 40x. An updated Photonic Engine leans on more machine learning to preserve detail and improve color.
Up front, the square-sensor 18MP Center Stage camera widens your field of view, stabilizes 4K HDR video, and supports Dual Capture.
Video for filmmakers
If video is your thing, this is the iPhone to buy. Alongside Dolby Vision HDR and 4K120, the Pro models add ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2, and even genlock support for syncing multiple cameras – features designed for real production workflows with Final Cut Camera and third-party gear. Apple’s launch event was shot entirely on iPhone 17 Pro.
Speed and Intelligence
A19 Pro remains the fastest iPhone chip, pairing a 6-core CPU with a 6-core GPU that bakes Neural Accelerators into each core. All that power can be used extensively without overheating
The extra thermal headroom from the vapor chamber lets those gains stick under load – useful for AAA games, on-device Apple Intelligence features, and heavy photo/video edits. The N1 wireless chip brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread, and more reliable AirDrop and Personal Hotspot.
Battery and charging
There’s a much larger battery across the line, and eSIM-only variants in certain regions use the freed-up SIM tray space to go even bigger, pushing video playback up to 39 hours on Pro Max. The other models may have improved batteries this year, but they pale in comparison to the heft of the Pro. Fast charging hits about 50% in 20 minutes with a high-watt USB-C adapter.
Price and availability
iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 with 256GB, while Pro Max starts at $1,199 and goes up to 2TB. Finishes are a bold “cosmic” orange, deep blue, and silver. Pre-orders open Friday, September 12, with availability from Friday, September 19.