Apple’s Pro line of iPhones gets a significant upgrade across the board. A new chip, new builds, new cameras, a new display feature, and the 17 Pro Max get a larger battery. The 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max retain their 6.3 and 6.9-inch OLED screen sizes and IP68 shells, but revert to aluminum from last year’s titanium builds on the 16 Pro models.
Like the rest of the iPhone 17 series, both iPhone 17 Pro models can hit up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. The Pro models are powered by a new A19 Pro chip for better console-level gaming, battery management, image processing, and on-device AI tasks.
Let’s talk about the obvious: the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have a redesigned rear camera bar or ‘camera plateau’ as Apple calls it , which appears inspired by the ones on Google’s flagship smartphones. The new rear-facing, triple camera system is comprised of three 48MP sensors (main, ultrawide, and now, telephoto, which is an upgrade from last year’s 12MP shooter), and gets up to 8x optical zoom. This should make the iPhone photos and videos even more spectacular. Also new is the upgrade from a 12MP selfie to a 18MP sensor with Center Stage to capture landscape selfies in portrait mode. Being Pro iPhones, Apple grants them support for ProRes RAW, Log 2, Dolby Atmos 4K, and more high-end features targeted for pro videographers. Like the iPhone 17 Air, the new Pro models add Dual Capture, which allows you to record using both front and rear cameras at the same time.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max gets a larger battery to hold the crown of the best battery on an iPhone, as Apple claims it can last up to 39 hours of video playback, while the 17 Pro is quoted at up to 33 hours. Both Pro models support Qi2.2 and offer faster MagSafe charging up to 25 W. Apple says these numbers on based on eSIM-only versions (in the US) as Pro models with physical SIMs (outside of the US) will get 2 hours less.
The Pro iPhones are $100 more this year. The 6.3-inch iPhone 17 Pro will start at $1,100 for the 256GB option, and the 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max will start at $1,200 for the 256GB storage size. Both will arrive in Dark Blue, Orange, and Silver color options. Pre-orders for both versions of the 17 Pro start on September 12th and will go on sale on September 19th.
