Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max Review: The Battery Life is Bananas

The iPhone 17 Pro Max will not be ignored. It sports a love-it-or-hate-it design that takes the camera bar across the entire back of the phone, and it comes in a Cosmic Orange color you can see from space.

But this flagship brings more to the party than just a bold new look. That ultrawide camera bar houses a powerful new 48MP telephoto lens for better zoom shots. And Apple delivers better sustained performance, thanks to a new vapor chamber cooling system that enables the blazing A19 Pro chip to keep going strong when you’re playing intense games.

iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max REVIEW: The Good, The Bad, The Surprising - YouTube

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Add in a bigger battery, a less reflective display and a tougher design on the front and back — plus a nifty new selfie experience — and you have one of the best phones money can buy. But I have some pretty big complaints, too. Here’s my iPhone 17 Pro Max pros and cons.

iPhone 17 Pro Max review: Price and release date

The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,199/ £1,199 / AU$2,149 for 256GB of storage, and that price goes all the way up to $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,799 for 2TB of storage. This is the first time Apple is offering 2TB in an iPhone.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is available for pre-order now and the release date is September 19.

Here’s a full breakdown of the pricing.

iPhone 17 Pro Max review: Design and colors

Apple took a risk with the iPhone 17 Pro Max redesign, and I actually think it pays off. What was just a camera bump in the top left corner is now a mammoth camera bar that Apple calls the plateau. Some may not like it, but to me, it actually feels more Pro.

And this area houses more components than before so Apple could give the Pro Max a larger battery.

Apple also ditched the titanium band for an aluminum unibody design because aluminum is lighter and 20x more thermally conductive. And that means the iPhone 17 Pro Max should feel cooler in your hand.

The rounded edges of the phone have a soft-touch feel to them, making the phone less slippery to hold than the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is made tougher, too. The 6.9-inch display is protected by Ceramic Shield 2, which has 3x better scratch resistance, and there’s Ceramic Shield on the back that’s 4x more resistant to cracks than the previous glass.

This Ceramic Shield back gives the Pro Max a two-tone design, which I really like. And it’s more pronounced on the Cosmic Orange model than the Deep Blue model I tested. And you can also choose Silver but Apple oddly omitted Black from this year’s color options.

Unfortunately, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is thicker and heavier than the 16 Pro Max. It measures 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.34 inches and weighs 8.22 ounces, compared to 6.42 x 3.06 x 0.32 inches and 7.99 ounces. By comparison, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is 6.41 x 3.06 x 0.32 inches and just 7.69 ounces.

iPhone 17 Pro Max review: Display

The new iPhone 17 Pro Max is ready for bright sunny days thanks to a brighter 6.9-inch OLED panel that’s rated for 3,000 nits of peak brightness, up from 2,000 on the 16 Pro Max.

There’s also an improved anti-reflection layer, which means you’ll get less glare on the panel when you’re watching movies or surfing the web. When I held the iPhone 17 Pro Max and 16 Pro Max in my hand and turned the phones in direct sunlight, I noticed less reflections on the newer iPhone.

When I put the iPhone 17 Pro Max next to the Galaxy S25 Ultra to play the “One Battle After Another Trailer,” Samsung’s phone looked a bit brighter but suffered from slightly more glare.

In our labs, the iPhone 17 Pro Max reached a slightly higher 1,899 nits compared to the Samsung’s 1,860. But the Pixel 10 Pro XL blew them both away with 2,555 nits.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max also fell behind the Galaxy and Pixel in color reproduction, reaching just 77.6% in the DCI-3 color space test. And its colors aren’t as accurate as what you’d get on either the S25 Ultra or Pixel 10 Pro XL.

iPhone 17 Pro Max review: Cameras

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is now a triple threat, with three 48MP cameras, including a telephoto zoom with a sensor that’s 56% larger that can deliver up to 8x “optical quality” zoom. And you get an 18MP Center Stage front camera that can do a very neat trick.

I put the zoom lens to the test against the Galaxy S25 Ultra with the Bryant Park statue. At 2x, the iPhone 17 Pro Max delivered a darker image, but it had a bit more detail in the cape and the stone at the base.

At 10x, the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts to lose some definition, and the image is overly warm. And at 40x, Samsung wins hands down with a more detailed face.

I saw similar results when I took this photo of a street sign from across 6th Avenue. Samsung’s pic gives you more detail in the numbers. The S25 Ultra can go all the way up to 100x, but 40x is the limit for the Pro Max.

At 2x zoom, I took this shot of a storefront with harvest decorations. The iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers a vibrant orange in the pumpkin and rich blue sky, but I give the edge to the Samsung for its sharpness and slightly better contrast.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max took a better photo of this produce stand, with more realistic colors and better definition. The red peppers look like a blobby mess in the Samsung shot.

The 17 Pro Max’s 48MP ultrawide camera is quite capable, as it took an impressive photo of this beach scene with clouds reflecting off the water. Samsung’s image is a bit more inviting with a bluer sky, but I kind of like the moodiness of the darker clouds in the iPhone’s pic.

How about macros? I prefer the brightness of the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s close-up of a zinnia flower. The red pops more. But Samsung wins for more detail in the yellow disk florets on the inside.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max does a good job capturing plenty of detail in my shirt and face in this portrait shot, and I pop a bit more from the background versus the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Samsung provides a more even exposure, but it looks like the stripes on my shirt are painted on.

In low light, the iPhone 17 Pro Max blew away the Galaxy in this shot of a skull on top of some books. Samsung’s image is a lot blurrier and it’s hard to make out the text.

The 18MP Center Stage front camera does something no other phone can. It can tell when there’s multiple people in the frame and automatically capture a landscape shot — without you having to turn the phone in your hand. That’s because the camera relies on a square sensor and can fit in more subjects when you need to. You can also choose to go landscape manually.

In terms of the quality, I was impressed with the level of detail in my shirt (including dog hair from my puppy). Samsung’s phone pumps up the colors more, which is a matter of personal preference.

iPhone 17 Pro Max review: Video

The iPhone 17 Pro Max packs in a bunch of upgrades for creative pros who shoot video, including support for ProRes RAW — a first for smartphones. Another first is Genlock support, which allows for precise syncing across multiple cameras.

For a non-Pro like me, I was impressed with two things: Dual Capture and better stabilization through the front Center Stage camera. With Dual Capture, you can record using the front and rear cameras at the same time, and it’s a great way to show your reaction to whatever you’re filming.

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Dual Capture - YouTube

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Yes, you’ve been able to do this with third-party apps before, but I’m glad the functionality is now built in to Apple’s phone. I captured smooth looking footage as I panned around this reservoir with me in the background facing a visitor center.

Speaking of smooth, the Center Stage camera allows you to capture steady video even while you’re in motion. I found the iPhone 17 Pro Max to be steadier when I filmed myself jogging up a hill; the S25 Ultra footage looked a bit shaky.

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Video sample - YouTube

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Galaxy S25 Ultra: Video sample - YouTube

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To test the video quality I shot this 4K clip by the water and zoomed in on a boat at 24x. The iPhone 17 Pro Max does a better job exposing some of the trees in the shadows and its zoom motion is less stuttery than Samsung. But the S25 Ultra is crisper when you zoom all the way in.

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Video sample - YouTube

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Galaxy S25 Ultra: Video sample - YouTube

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iPhone 17 Pro Max: Performance & Cooling

The last couple of iPhone Pros have faced criticism for overheating or just not offering great speeds over long periods. But the iPhone 17 Pro Max answers the call with a claimed 40% better sustained performance with its A19 Pro chip, which is made possible by a new vapor cooling system.

The A19 Pro packs a 6-core CPU and 6-core GPU, complete with neural accelerators for each core. The idea is to give you better performance when doing things like generating AI images. Sure enough, I found that Image Playground generated images 3 to 4 seconds faster on the iPhone 17 Pro Max versus 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max flies through demanding games like Destiny Rising. The action remained fluid with multiple enemies on screen, and the graphics and lighting effects look stunning.

On Geekbench, which measures overall performance, the iPhone 17 Pro Max beat the Galaxy S25 Ultra on the single- and multi-core portions of the test. The new iPhone also finished our video transcoding test 30 seconds faster than Samsung’s device.

Most impressively, the iPhone 17 Pro Max beat the S25 Ultra in our graphics testing, after Samsung had pulled ahead over the last couple of years. On 3DMark Solar Bay Unlimited, we saw a frame rate of 46.6, compared to 42.4 fps for the Samsung. That’s a big jump from 28.1 fps for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

But what about sustained performance? The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses a vapor chamber cooling system that is designed to minimize heat and keep it away from key components.

To test sustained performance we ran the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, which includes 20 runs of the same demanding graphics test. And then we ran it again to see the results after 40 minutes.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max turned in a stability score of 68.4%, which is 16 points higher than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The new iPhone also outperformed the iPhone 16 Pro Max, though we strangely saw a bigger delta after the first 20 minutes.

We also measured the temperature of the phones using a laser thermometer, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max and S25 Ultra were about the same.

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Battery life & charging

The iPhone 17 Pro Max promises to deliver the longest battery life in a phone yet, and our first round of testing seems to back up that claim.

After streaming a YouTube video for 5 hours at 50% screen brightness at over Wi-Fi, the iPhone 17 Pro Max was at 88% battery. That’s better than the iPhone 16 Pro (80%) and way better than the Galaxy S25 Ultra (75%).

On the Tom’s Guide Battery test, which involves web surfing at 150 nits of screen brightness, the iPhone 17 Pro Max lasted an epic 17 hours and 54 minutes. That’s the longest lasting iPhone we’ve ever tested and puts Apple near the top of our best phone battery life list. It also beats the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 14:17, as well as the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 14:27 in the same conditions.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is rated to get to 50% charge in 20 minutes with Apple’s new 40W charger. (Yes, you have to buy that separately). And in our testing we did see an improvement. The phone got to 64% in 30 minutes, better than the 55% for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The wireless charging speeds via MagSafe remain the same at 25W with a 30W adapter.

iPhone 17 Pro Max: iOS 26 & Apple Intelligence

As you’ll see in our iOS 26 review, Apple’s new software update has plenty of upgrades, including a sleek Liquid Glass design. But I’m more impressed with features that make your life easier, such as Call Screening and Hold Assist in the Phone app.

I also like that iOS 26 is more personal. You can set custom backgrounds in the Messages app, as well as send polls to family and friends.

In terms of Apple Intelligence, Visual Intelligence gets an upgrade as you can now ask questions about whatever’s on your screen. You can either search via Google or ask questions via ChatGPT.

However, Apple is behind Gemini Live here as Google’s AI can analyze your screen live and you can ask Google’s assistant questions in real time. With Apple you have to take a screenshot first, and Siri doesn’t answer you. ChatGPT does via text.

There’s other noteworthy Apple Intelligence upgrades, including Live Translation in Messages, Phone and FaceTime, smarter Shortcuts and a more capable Image Playground now with better support for expressions and better ChatGPT integration.

Overall, though, without the new full-fledged Siri on board — which is not coming until 2026 — the iPhone 17 Pro Max lacks that true wow AI feature. Some good examples are cross-app actions on the S25 Ultra and being able to make edits to photos using just your voice on the Pixel 10 series.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone Air

Some might be wondering if the iPhone Air is for them given that Apple’s two phones not that far away in price. There are some benefits from going with the $999 Air. At just 5.64 mm thick, it’s way thinner than the iPhone 17 Pro Max (8.75 mm) And the Air is much lighter, too, at 5.8 ounces versus 8.2 ounces.

For me, it’s the difference between being able to easily slip a phone in your front pocket versus chucking it in your back pocket. The Air’s display is pretty great, too, at 6.5 inches and the same rated brightness as the 17 Pro Max, although the Pro Max offers a more expansive 6.9 inches.

The reasons to go for the Pro Max are more cameras. You get a true telephoto zoom (8x versus 2x) and an ultrawide camera that can also do macros. The Air can’t do that.

Plus, the iPhone 17 Pro Max lasted more than 5 hours longer on our battery test. And even though the iPhone Air has a similar A19 Pro chip, it offers one less GPU core and you’ll get worse sustained performance without vapor chamber cooling.

iPhone 17 Pro Max review: Verdict

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is the phone to get if you love iOS and you want a big screen and the longest battery life possible. The iPhone 17 Pro is also great, though, if you prefer a design that’s more compact.

I would personally not upgrade if you have an iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16 Pro Max. The enhancements aren’t compelling enough. But if you’re coming from an older iPhone 14 Pro Max, I could definitely recommend stepping up to the new iPhone.

You’ll enjoy a larger and brighter 6.9-inch display on Apple’s newer phone, considerably faster performance, a tougher design, longer battery life, a better and smarter Center Stage front camera and other perks like Audio Mix for your videos. And even though there’s no true killer Apple Intelligence feature yet, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is in line to get the new and improved Siri when it’s finally ready.

Is the iPhone 17 Pro Max the best phone overall? I’d argue that the Galaxy S25 Ultra is better in some ways, including its AI features and zoom camera. But if you’re in the Apple ecosystem the iPhone 17 Pro Max will make you happy — extra-large camera bar and all.