I'm buying a new iPhone 17 Pro Max — but only because it's orange

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

I need an orange iPhone 17 Pro Max like I need to breathe. From the moment it emerged from a pool of... something... in the launch trailer during the Awe Dropping event, I was infatuated. Aluminum, yeah, yeah, lovely. A new camera, great news, couldn't care less.

But Orange?

Sign me up.

iPhone 17 Pro Max HANDS ON: Finally! - YouTube

Watch On

Controversial color choices

iPhone 17 Pro colors — (Image credit: Apple)

The new colors haven't been entirely uncontroversial at Tom's Guide. "No Black!?" I hear my colleagues cry from across the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. "Headphone jack removal levels of gall and gumption," said assistant phones editor Richard Priday. "What is this tomfoolery?" scoffed Kelly Woo, our streaming managing editor.

Apple's iPhone 17 Pro models come in three different shades: Silver, Midnight Blue and that all-important "Cosmic Orange." Now, considering my penchant for all things dark, black, and doom-like, you might think I, too, would be mourning the loss of the iPhone that screamed "how black? None more black." But no — despite my almost entirely obsidian wardrobe, my heart lies with the iPhone that's the same color as my dad's favorite fruit.

I mean, just look at it. This is, without a doubt, the most colorful iPhone "Pro" model we've ever seen come out of the Apple factories, where gold was the most exotic color to grace the titanium/stainless steel/aluminum frames of Pro iPhones. Previously, I've owned a white iPhone 13 Pro and a purple iPhone 14 Pro Max, so I've never gone for the boring colors.

And so, as the launch rounds the corner, my wallet prepares for its annual emptying as new phones are announced — but this time I'm also going to have to prepare myself to rejoin the Apple fold.

There is more to it than color

My last phone was/is a Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold — I wanted to see what a foldable phone was all about. I've got my answer, and I've found nothing positive to write home about. It's awkwardly shaped, I never use the large inner screen, and it's more delicate than any other phone I've ever owned.

I've appreciated some of the Android features — improved Bluetooth codecs, greater customization — but it's time. I'm ready to come home, Apple. Bring me back into the iOS fold.

Reading through the other features detailed in the iPhone 17 Pro hands-on, I couldn't give a hoot about the cameras; the only thing I take photos of is me making dumb faces for my friends. I don't care about the more powerful chip on the inside; the most powerful game I play is Speed Chess. There's little point to me trying to decipher the finer performance elements of the phone; I'm computationally illiterate. Can I watch movies on it, and connect a pair of the best headphones? Yes? Great, you've got me, I'm in.

I want something with iOS, and I want something orange. And the iPhone 17 Pro Max looks to fill my few criteria with aplomb — and it's going to cost me thousands of dollars. Oh well.

My faith in Apple restored?

I was starting to lose some hope in Apple for a while. I'd left the iPhone family, and I was even looking to replace my MacBook Pro with something of the Windows persuasion. The Awe Dropping event has, somehow, reinvigorated my faith in a brand that has carried me through two college degrees and years of my life at work. I'm excited again.

The new design of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, I love. The new Liquid Glass UI, I love. The new AirPods Pro 3 and their many improvements, I love. And to think it's in part down to a new, brighter color.

The future is Orange — and I'm here for it.

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS

Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.