iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Review : Apple’s Bold Leap into the Future
The iPhone 17 series was announced on September 9, 2025, and expected to be available from September 19, 2025. Through this, Apple once again redefined what a flagship phone should feel like. With cutting-edge performance, cameras designed for creators, and a display that feels like a mini cinema, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max raise the bar for premium smartphones.
Key Features of iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
Design and Build Quality
One of the biggest improvements in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max is the new aluminium alloy body. Apple has updated the titanium frame to a new heat-forged aluminium alloy unibody. Though some users may miss the premium touch of titanium, this is far better in heat management, keeping the phone cooler during heavy use.
Coupled with a laser-welded vapour chamber inside, the aluminium frame effectively draws heat away from the processor. This is a big deal for sustained performance. Both the front and back of the phone are protected by Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple claims is three times more scratch-resistant and four times more crack-resistant than its predecessor.
The most striking visual change is the new horizontal camera plateau that spans the entire width of the phone's back, a dramatic departure from the familiar square camera bump. This will provide more space for the advanced camera system and a larger battery.
Weighing 206 g, the Pro version’s dimensions are 150 x 71.9 x 8.8 mm, while the Pro Max version appears with a bigger (163.4 x 78 x 8.8 mm) and heavier (233 g) body .
Display
The displays on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are a feast for the eyes. Both feature a Super Retina XDR OLED with a 120Hz ProMotion adaptive refresh rate, ensuring buttery-smooth scrolling and a highly responsive feel. What really sets them apart is the insane brightness. With a peak outdoor brightness of 3000 nits, the screen is incredibly easy to read even in direct sunlight, and the anti-reflective coating on the Ceramic Shield 2 further reduces glare.
The iPhone 17 Pro has a 6.3-inch display, while the Pro Max goes bigger with a 6.9-inch screen, both offering stunning clarity and vibrant colours. The displays of both devices are protected by Ceramic Shield 2, Mohs level 5 with an anti-reflective coating. The new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 also takes full advantage of these displays, making the user interface feel more expressive and fluid.
Camera Performance
The almost identical camera system on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max is arguably the biggest leap forward. For the first time, all three rear cameras—the wide (f/1.6), ultrawide (f/2.2), and telephoto (f/2.8)—are 48 MP Fusion sensors. This means more detailed, sharper images across the board.
The new telephoto lens is a standout feature, offering 4x optical zoom with a next-generation tetraprism design and an incredible 8x optical-quality zoom at 200 mm, the longest on any iPhone to date. This gives you a remarkable ability to get close to your subject without losing quality.
In both the Pro and Pro Max versions, the 18 MP (f/1.9) front cameras sit at the centre near the display's top edge. It has a multi-aspect square sensor that automatically adjusts its field of view to include everyone in a group shot, and you can even take landscape selfies while holding the phone vertically.
For video, the Pro models now support ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2, and a maximum of 4K footage recording capacity at 120 fps, making them an incredible tool for professional content creators.
Processor Performance
Apple powers the latest iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max devices with the brand-new Apple A19 Pro chipset, a 3nm processor that delivers an unprecedented level of performance. Apple claims up to a 40% improvement in sustained performance compared to the previous generation, a direct result of the new vapour chamber cooling system and the aluminium frame.
This means you can push the phone to its limits for extended periods without experiencing thermal throttling. The A19 Pro’s GPU, with integrated neural accelerators in each core, is a beast for graphics-intensive tasks.
Gaming Performance
This is where the A19 Pro truly shines. The combination of the powerful GPU and the new vapour chamber cooling system ensures that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max can handle the most demanding AAA gaming titles with ease.
Games with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and high frame rates run incredibly smoothly, with no noticeable lag or overheating issues even during long gaming sessions. The phones feel like a portable gaming console, delivering a console-like experience with stunning visuals and fluid gameplay.
Battery Life
Apple has made significant strides in battery life, thanks to the new internal design that accommodates larger batteries. The iPhone 17 Pro has a battery capacity of 3,988 mAh in its Nano-SIM model and 4,252 mAh in its eSIM-only model. On the other hand, the Pro Max sports a 4,832 mAh battery in its Nano-SIM model and a whopping 5,088 mAh in its eSIM-only model, offering the best battery life on an iPhone to date. Both the Pro and Pro Max models are blessed with 25-watt wireless and 4.5-watt reverse wired charging facilities.
The iPhone 17 Pro is rated for up to 33 hours of video playback, while the Pro Max model is a true marathon runner, lasting up to 39 hours. This means you can comfortably get through a full day of heavy use, from gaming and video streaming to capturing content, without needing to reach for a charger. And when you do need a top-up, the wired PD2.0 charging gets you to 50% in just 20 minutes.
Software and User Interface
The iPhone 17 Pro series comes with iOS 26 out of the box. This new version of the OS introduces a redesigned user interface with a "Liquid Glass" theme, making the entire experience feel more polished and dynamic. A major new feature is Apple Intelligence, which brings a suite of on-device AI capabilities.
These features are designed to be effortlessly helpful, from live text and audio translation to smarter photo organisation and more. The integration of Apple Intelligence makes the iPhone feel more personal and intuitive than ever before, with most of the AI processing happening on the device for enhanced privacy and speed.
Storage Options
Apple has listened to user feedback and upped the base storage for the Pro models. The iPhone 17 Pro now starts at 256GB, with options for 512GB and 1TB. The iPhone 17 Pro Max goes even further, offering a 2TB option for those who need massive storage for high-resolution photos, 4K videos, and large app libraries. The internal storage is based on NVMe technology, ensuring lightning-fast read and write speeds for a smooth user experience.
Both the Pro and Pro Max models are equipped with 12 GB RAM for all storage variants.
Pros and Cons of iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
Pros
- Premium aluminum frame with Ceramic Shield 2
- Stunning LTPO OLED display with 120 Hz, HDR10, and Dolby Vision
- Super-powerful Apple A19 Pro chipset with 12GB RAM
- Triple 48MP rear cameras for versatile photography
- 18 MP selfie camera with OIS and HDR support
- Large battery capacity (up to 5088 mAh) with fast charging
- Wireless and reverse wired charging options
- Excellent gaming and multitasking performance
- iOS 26 with advanced security and satellite features.
Cons
- Large and heavy, especially the Pro Max
- No 3.5mm headphone jack
- Very expensive compared to rivals
- No expandable storage option
- Pro model lacks 2TB storage option (Pro Max only).
Price of iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
The price of the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to start at around BDT 135,000. On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s price range will start from approximately BDT 230,000 in Bangladesh.
Verdict
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max shine with top-tier performance, stunning cameras, and long-lasting batteries, making them perfect for power users, gamers, and creators. However, their hefty size and premium price tag may not suit casual users or those on a budget. If you are looking for iPhone 17 models with more affordable price tags, check out the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air.