iPhone 17 Pro Max Review - Even BETTER Than You Think!

Dave2D

907,579 views • 1 month ago

Video Summary

The latest iPhone lineup sees substantial upgrades across performance, battery life, and camera capabilities. Notably, all models now feature 120Hz ProMotion OLED displays, with the base models finally catching up to previous Pro features. The Pro models boast a new unibody design, a significantly improved triple-camera system with 48-megapixel sensors on all lenses, and enhanced thermal management through a new vapor chamber that allows for sustained high performance. Battery life is impressive, especially on the Pro Max, and charging speeds have increased on some models. The front-facing camera also receives a significant upgrade to 18 megapixels.

The regular iPhone 17 is highlighted as a strong value, offering a solid package for $799, including 256GB of storage and the new ProMotion display. The Pro devices, while a trickier value proposition, are presented as a truly amazing year for them, with significant feature updates, excellent battery life, a complete camera system, and advanced thermal improvements leading to outstanding overall performance. The addition of 12GB of RAM on Pro models and the iPhone Air suggests future-proofing for features like on-device AI.

Short Highlights

The latest iPhone lineup features significant improvements in performance, battery life, and camera capabilities, with all models now sporting 120Hz ProMotion OLED displays.
The Pro models introduce a new unibody design, a complete triple-camera system with 48-megapixel sensors on all lenses, and a new vapor chamber for enhanced thermal management and sustained high performance.
Battery life is notably impressive, particularly on the Pro Max, and charging speeds have seen an increase on certain models. The front-facing camera has been upgraded to an 18-megapixel sensor across all new iPhones.
The regular iPhone 17 is positioned as a strong value offering at $799, including 256GB of storage and the ProMotion display.
Pro models, while a more complex value, are described as a standout year with substantial feature upgrades, a comprehensive camera system, and thermal improvements contributing to excellent overall performance.

iPhone Lineup Overhaul [00:00]

The iPhone lineup has seen a massive overhaul this year.
There are big jumps in performance, battery life, and camera capabilities.
This year is described as very stacked for Apple's iPhones.
The Pro models have boxes that showcase the backs of the devices, printed with shiny metallic ink due to the full metal unibody back.
Most devices are eSIM-only, eliminating the need for SIM tools, with only a charging cable and a paper note included.

This year's iPhone release signifies a major refresh with substantial improvements in key areas like performance and camera technology, and a shift towards eSIM across the board.

Welcome to the world of ESIMS, even up here in Canada.

New iPhone Models and Design [00:40]

Four devices are presented: the regular iPhone 17, the iPhone Air, and two Pro models.
The regular iPhone 17 maintains the aesthetic of the previous year and is called the "sleeper phone" due to its unassuming appearance.
The iPhone Air is noted as super thin and will receive its own dedicated video.
The Pro devices have a very different and unexpected shape this year, described as large and bulbous, though they grow on the reviewer over a week.
The Pro models' unibody design features a rounded bottom panel and a single piece of metal for the entire chassis, changing how they feel in hand.
The orange color is described as "super orange" and "way too loud," while the blue has grown on the reviewer, looking better in studio lighting.
All iPhone 17 devices feature Ceramic Shield 2 on the front glass, which is less reflective and more scratch-resistant than the previous year's glass, though a case and screen protector are still recommended for full protection.
A new "Tank" case from Dbrand is mentioned, featuring customizable buttons.

The new iPhone Pro models feature a distinctive, larger, and bulbous unibody design that deviates significantly from previous generations, offering a different tactile experience, while the base iPhone 17 remains aesthetically similar but is considered a strong value.

The orange color is super orange. When I saw this at the event, I was like, "This is way too loud." Getting it in studio. It's even louder.

Display Technology [01:58]

The iPhone 17 finally gets the 120Hz ProMotion panel.
The reviewer speculates this is not due to user requests but rather Apple deeming it the "right time" to stop using 60Hz panels.
All other displays are also very nice, finally featuring 120Hz ProMotion OLED, which means they have "caught up to the rest of the Android world."
This is an exciting time for iPhone users due to good screens across the entire lineup.
Displays get brighter, reaching 3,000 nits outdoors on the top end, a significant increase from the 2,000 nits of the previous generation.
However, the perceived brightness jump is not as large as the number suggests due to the logarithmic nature of light perception.

The entire iPhone 17 lineup now benefits from 120Hz ProMotion OLED displays, a significant upgrade that brings them in line with industry standards, and brightness levels have also substantially increased.

I think Apple's just like, "Ah, it's finally the right time. We're done milking our customers with their 60 Hz panels."

Battery Life and Charging [02:50]

The Pro and Pro Max models offer very impressive battery life, though it drains quickly during heavy gaming.
Without heavy GPU use, the Pro Max is estimated to last two days for many users.
Utilizing optimized battery charging (capping at 80%) still provides a day and a half of battery life due to the large battery size.
Charging is faster on some iPhone 17 models, capable of hitting 40W charging when depleted, though this speed is sustained for a short period.
The battery pack on the iPhone Air performs better than expected given its thinness, described as quite impressive.
A frustration is mentioned regarding the iPhone Air's unique battery pack, which doesn't fit properly or align magnetically with other devices, including the large iPhone 17 Pro Max, only working for proper contact on the Air itself.

The Pro models deliver excellent battery life, with the Pro Max potentially lasting two days, and even 80% charged, it offers a day and a half. Charging speeds have improved, and the iPhone Air's battery performance is surprisingly good despite its thin profile, though magnetic charging alignment is an issue.

The pack on the iPhone Air, like the battery here is way better performing than I thought it would be just because of how thin it is. It's actually quite impressive.

Performance and Thermal Management [04:01]

Each year brings a new, faster chip, with last year showing a large jump and this year an even larger step up in performance due to the A19 Pro chips.
A significant factor in performance is attributed to a new vapor chamber technology.
A vapor chamber works by taking heat and spreading it evenly and quickly across a surface.
In these phones, it pulls heat away from dense chip areas to the outer aluminum shell or body for radiation, using passive dissipation.
The effectiveness of the vapor chamber allows Apple to push the devices harder, knowing heat can be dissipated more efficiently.
The Pro phones can sustain high performance for a surprisingly long time.
The vapor chamber would be less effective in older chassis designs (like the iPhone 16 Pro) due to the less thermally conductive glass and titanium.
Pro models and the iPhone Air get 12GB of RAM, while the regular iPhone 17 gets 8GB.
The purpose of the extra RAM isn't immediately clear but is speculated to be for future-proofing, possibly for Apple Intelligence features.
It's suggested that more RAM could keep on-device language models loaded, improving Siri's responsiveness.
The Air's 12GB of RAM is not camera-related, as it has a single camera.

The new A19 Pro chips provide a substantial performance boost, significantly aided by a new vapor chamber technology that efficiently dissipates heat, allowing for sustained high performance. The Pro models and iPhone Air come with 12GB of RAM, which is likely intended for future AI capabilities and improved responsiveness.

But I think a big part of why they're performing so well is because of that new vapor chamber.

Camera System Upgrades [06:33]

On the Pro models, all three cameras now feature 48-megapixel sensors.
The telephoto lens has a 4x optical zoom, a slight decrease from last year's 5x, but with a larger sensor.
This larger sensor allows for a cropped sensor technique, technically providing an 8x optical zoom.
The Pro iPhones now offer high resolution and large sensors for improved image quality.
The 4x optical zoom is sharper than last year's 5x, and while the 8x crop-in uses a smaller portion of the sensor, it still looks good.
This is considered the most complete camera package ever on an iPhone, with all lenses described as sharp and usable.
The main and ultrawide cameras deliver good pictures, though flagship Pixel and Samsung devices are still considered slightly better for stills, especially in low light.
For video, iPhones generally outperform others, being better than Pixel's video output.
Samsung's S25 Ultra is competitive, with Samsung handling colors slightly better, but iPhones are more reliable in imperfect lighting.
Pro models can record 4K 120 frames per second video, but the iPhone Air cannot, despite having a similar chip (it has one fewer GPU core).
The front-facing camera is significantly improved, moving from a 12-megapixel sensor to an 18-megapixel one with a larger sensor.
This allows for landscape selfies without rotating the device and offers better color and lighting handling.
This front-facing camera upgrade is present on all new iPhone 17 devices, including the base model.

The Pro models feature a significantly upgraded camera system with 48-megapixel sensors across all three lenses, including a 4x optical zoom that can achieve an effective 8x zoom. While still excelling in video, Pixel and Samsung are noted as having an edge in still photography, particularly in low light. The front-facing camera receives a substantial 18-megapixel upgrade across the entire lineup.

The biggest change comes for that telephoto with its 4x optical zoom, which is technically a step down from the 5x that we saw on last year's device, but the sensor is way bigger this year, which allows Apple to do that cropped sensor thing that they like to do, which technically gives them an optical like 8x zoom.

Pricing and Value Proposition [08:38]

The regular iPhone 17 is considered a pretty decent value this year at $799.
It includes 256GB of storage, the new ProMotion display, and a greatly improved front-facing camera, making it a solid package.
The reviewer believes Apple typically doesn't offer something this good for $799.
The iPhone Air product is mentioned as a separate conversation that will have its own video.
The value proposition of the Pro devices is usually a bit tricky.
However, this year, the feature updates and upgrades on the Pro devices (awesome battery life, good triple camera system, thermal improvements, and overall performance) are highly appreciated.
The reviewer states that if someone is into technology and can't appreciate what's happening on these devices, they don't know what to say.
This is considered a really solid offering from Apple, and a really amazing year for the Pro devices.

The regular iPhone 17 is presented as an exceptional value at $799, offering substantial upgrades like 256GB of storage and a better front camera. While the Pro models' value is traditionally complex, this year's significant improvements in battery, camera, and performance make them a highly impressive and solid offering.