Apple unveils iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max: what’s new?

At its annual fall event, Apple unveiled the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The latest models feature a refreshed design, larger batteries, and a host of other upgrades. Here’s a closer look.

Design and Build

The iPhone 17 Pro now comes in a unibody aluminum frame that improves durability and impact resistance.

Apple has moved away from titanium, opting instead for aluminum on both the sides and the back, paired with glass to maintain wireless charging.

The biggest change is on the back: the camera block now stretches across the entire width, while the LiDAR sensor, microphone, and flash are separated from the cameras. The Apple logo has also been moved lower.

Both models are available in three new finishes: deep blue, cosmic orange, and silver. Screen sizes remain 6.3" and 6.9", but thickness has increased slightly to 8.75mm due to the redesigned body and larger batteries.

Performance and Battery Life

Powered by the new 3nm A19 Pro chip from TSMC, the iPhone 17 Pro lineup delivers 40% more performance than last year’s Pro models. The chip includes 6 CPU cores, 6 GPU cores, and upgraded neural engines, designed to handle gaming and even on-device AI models.

For the first time, Apple has added vapor chamber cooling to improve heat dissipation, supported by the new chassis design. RAM has been boosted from 8GB to 12GB to handle Apple Intelligence features.

Battery life also gets a significant jump: up to 33 hours of video playback on the iPhone 17 Pro and 39 hours on the Pro Max. Wired charging now supports up to 40W, delivering 50% charge in just 20 minutes, while wireless charging speeds rise to 25W with Qi2.

Bluetooth has been upgraded from 5.3 to 6.0.

Cameras

The front-facing camera has been upgraded to 18MP from 12MP, now with support for Center Stage — a feature that keeps your face centered in the frame and tracks your movement.

All camera modules on the iPhone 17 Pro are now 48MP. Apple has significantly improved the telephoto lens, enabling long-distance shots without sacrificing quality.

The iPhone 17 Pro now offers 4x optical zoom (100mm) instead of the 5x zoom (120mm) found in the iPhone 16 Pro. Digital enhancements extend that range up to 8x, made possible by the higher resolution sensors.

There’s also a new dual-camera recording feature, supporting up to 4K at 30 FPS in Dolby Vision.

Another addition is Genlock, which allows seamless synchronization of video when shooting with multiple iPhones. It currently works with an accessory from Blackmagic, with an open API available for developers.

Pricing and Availability

Pre-orders start September 12, with general availability on September 19. Prices remain the same as last year’s lineup:

• iPhone 17 Pro — from $1,099 (256GB)
• iPhone 17 Pro Max — from $1,199 (256GB)
• iPhone 17 Pro Max (2TB) — $1,999

Apple has dropped the 128GB version of the Pro, but kept prices flat, defying expectations of a price hike.