IPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Are Here: New Chips and More Powerful Zoom

Apple unveiled the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max at its “stunning” event today. They were the last two phones to be unveiled at the event, and the biggest changes were to the cameras and battery life. Apple said the iPhone 17 Pro Max has the best battery life of any iPhone, and that both models feature 48-megapixel sensors across all three rear cameras, which is also a significant improvement. Additionally, the iPhone 17 Pro series features improved vapor chamber heat dissipation, which allows the phones to maintain high performance for longer thanks to the new A19 Pro chip, Apple said. Here’s everything new in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

iPhone 17 Pro Case and Display

The iPhone 17 Pro no longer has glass on the back, but instead uses “Ceramic Shield.” According to Apple, Ceramic Shield is four times more resistant to cracks than glass. The iPhone 17 Pro display also features a Ceramic Shield 2 front panel, which Apple says is three times more scratch-resistant than the previous model.

Both iPhone 17 Pro models feature a 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display, which supports ProMotion technology with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, Always-On Display, and an improved anti-reflective coating to reduce glare. The display has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits outdoors, which should make the iPhone 17 Pro easier to see in bright sunlight.

Apple says the iPhone 17 Pro series features a new aluminum unibody design that delivers “the best thermal performance ever in a smartphone.” As someone who lives in a hot, humid city (Mumbai, India), that’s the part of the announcement that caught my attention. Apple also says that for improved performance, the perimeter antennas are integrated, meaning the iPhone 17 Pro should spend less power searching for a cellular signal. Finally, for cooling, these models feature a vapor chamber design that improves heat dissipation. With these improvements, Apple promises that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will be able to deliver consistently high performance while still feeling comfortable in your hand.

New A19 Pro chip for iPhone 17 Pro

The iPhone 17 Pro series features the new A19 Pro chip with improved thermals. This should help with battery life, and it appears the company has used all the available space to help the iPhone 17 Pro last longer between charges. Moving the cameras to the raised bezel (which Apple calls the “plateau”) frees up space for the battery, and Apple even claims that the eSIM-only models of the phone will get two hours more battery life thanks to an even larger battery. Both iPhone 17 Pro models charge from zero to 50 percent in 20 minutes, the company says.

In terms of power, the A19 Pro chip features a six-core CPU and six-core GPU. Apple has also built neural accelerators into each GPU core, and says the GPU works with a new 16-core neural engine to support AI models and deliver better graphics in games. The real benefit is that this happens without overheating, which is what Apple seems to be promising. The iPhone 17 Pro line also features a new N1 chip for wireless connectivity, which brings support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, which is useful as accessories start to use these new connectivity protocols. Apple says the N1 chip also improves the reliability of AirDrop and your iPhone’s hotspot features.

iPhone 17 Pro Cameras

Let’s start with the front-facing camera. It features an improved 18-megapixel sensor that Apple calls Center Stage. The camera’s name comes from its support for multiple aspect ratios, meaning you no longer have to rotate your iPhone to take landscape selfies. Apple also says the iPhone 17 Pro uses artificial intelligence to automatically widen the field of view for group selfies, which could reduce the need for the person with the longest arms to take such photos. As for video, Center Stage can shoot ultra-stabilized 4K HDR video, and it also lets you record video on both the front and rear cameras at the same time with the new Dual Capture mode.

The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max feature three rear cameras with 48-megapixel sensors. The upgraded camera is a 48-megapixel telephoto lens that now supports 8x optical zoom, a significant increase from the 5x that came with the iPhone 16 Pro. This will provide sharper shots of distant objects like birds or other animals that don’t always get close. There’s also 40x digital zoom, which is nice in a pinch, but starts to limit resolution after a certain point. The other two cameras are the main camera and the ultra-wide lens. Essentially, this means the iPhone 17 Pro can shoot from macro and 0.5x ultra-wide all the way up to 8x, which is an impressive range.

These phones also upgraded their video recording capabilities, adding support for ProRes RAW. This format is currently supported by the Final Cut Camera and Blackmagic Camera apps. The iPhone 17 Pro series also supports genlock, which allows you to accurately sync video from multiple cameras and sources. Professional videographers use genlock to avoid wasting time manually aligning video from different sources. Apple says that genlock is supported by the new Blackmagic Design Camera ProDock accessory, which is sold separately.

iPhone 17 Pro Price and Availability

The iPhone 17 Pro series is available in three colors: midnight blue, space orange, and silver. Prices for all iPhone 17 Pro models:

• iPhone 17 Pro 256GB: $1,099

• iPhone 17 Pro 512GB: $1,299

• iPhone 17 Pro 1TB: $1,499

• iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB: $1,199

• iPhone 17 Pro Max 512GB: $1,399

• iPhone 17 Pro Max 1TB: $1,599

• iPhone 17 Pro Max 2TB: $1,999

Pre-orders for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will begin on Friday, September 12. Both phones will go on sale a week later, on September 19. Other regions will be offered with an eSIM and a physical SIM slot (or a physical SIM only in the case of China), while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available as eSIM-only models in the following regions:

• Bahrain

• Canada

• Guam

• Japan

• Kuwait

• Mexico

• Oman

• Qatar

• Saudi Arabia

• UAE

• United States

• US Virgin Islands

Accessories for iPhone 17 Pro

Apple has also released a number of accessories for the iPhone 17 Pro series, including a new “TechWoven” case. It replaces the much-criticized FineWoven case , which has since been discontinued. Apple claims that TechWoven is more resistant to scratches and stains, but I’ll wait for reviews before I believe that. The TechWoven case with MagSafe will cost $59.

The company also released clear cases ($49), silicone cases with MagSafe ($49), and a Crossbody Strap ($59) that lets you wear your iPhone around your neck. The strap is compatible with TechWoven cases.

Separately, Apple has promised to sell a 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with a maximum output of 60W for $39 and a 25W Qi2-certified MagSafe charger for $39 (1 meter long) and $49 (2 meters long).

More…