Apple's flagship iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max deliver a unibody frame design for the first time, vastly improved cameras, improved battery life, and more.
For what may be the last time Apple unveils four iPhones in one event, the new iPhone 17 Air got most of the attention — but it will be the Pro models that sell out first. As ever, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the iPhone 17 Pro present the very best that Apple can make, and without compromises to achieve a thinner chassis.
"The iPhone 17 Pro design is more than just a fresh, bold, new look," claimed Greg Joswiak, senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "It also delivers a dramatic leap in performance that makes this the most powerful iPhone ever, by far."
This time the top of the range iPhones bring the new A19 Pro processor. "When A19 Pro is paired with our best ever thermal design, iPhone 17 Pro is able to deliver up to a whopping 40% better sustained than iPhone 16 Pro," continued Joswiak, "making it ideal for intensive tasks like gaming, photo and video editing, using the latest Apple intelligence features and running local large language models."
As well generally improving performance, this processor will also be a help in running Apple Intelligence features.
Then even with a faster processor, and even with Apple Intelligence being processor-intensive, Apple claims that as predicted, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has the largest-ever battery in an iPhone. Apple does not quote battery capacity figures, but claimed that it can last for up to 39 hours on a single charge — two more than on the previous model
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max also helps with performance and battery life by using vapor chamber cooling to keep the A19 Pro from overheating in heavy use.
Following rumors that Apple would abandon using the titanium, the company confirmed that it has switched to "an Apple-designed aerospace-grade aluminum alloy for its superior thermal conductivity which is 20 times greater than the titanium we previously used. "
Updated cameras
More immediately visible than the chassis change is the new camera bump arrangement. It's now a bar across the very top of the iPhone, with the LiDAR sensor and flash now offset to one side.
For video calls, the front-facing camera is now an 18-megapixel one with Center Stage. That automatically re-frames the shot as users move, or are joined by friends.
Apple's overview of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max — image credit: Apple
It also optionally takes landscape photos while the iPhone is being held in portrait. Apple argues that this means a user has a better grip on the iPhone while taking selfies.
The rear cameras are now all 48-megapixel ones, including the telephoto camera. This now offers the iPhone's longest optical-quality zoom ever, at 8x zoom at 200mm.
For video, Apple has added support for its own ProRes Raw Capture, which Joswiak claimed, "is the industry-leading Apple-developed video codec that records all of the information captured by the camera's sensor to provide unparalleled flexibility in post-production."
In one of the event's surprise moves, Apple also announced that iPhone 17 Pro now supports Genlock. This is the system that lets multicam shoots stay in sync, "without hours of manual frame-by-frame alignment."
"When using an array of cameras, Genlock enables advanced filmmaking tools and techniques like time splicing or bullet time," says Joswiak, "which allows filmmakers to change the audience perspective while freezing time."
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the largest battery ever in an iPhone — image credit: Apple
Joswiak even noted that the whole "Awe Dropping" was shot using the iPhone 17 Pro.
Pricing and availability
Preorders for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max start on Friday, September 12, 2025. First shipments will arrive on September 19, which is also when the phones will be available in Apple Stores.
As predicted, the new models are more expensive than their 2024 predecessors, but Apple has compensated by increasing the base storage in both of them. The iPhone 17 Pro now starts at $1,099, but with 256GB storage.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is now $1,199, and also starts at 256GB.
