Apple’s iPhone 17 models have been out for a week now, so we thought we’d do a longer-term review of the flagship iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max now that we’ve been able to spend more time with them.
MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has a Silver iPhone 17 Pro and a Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max, and despite a lot of concern over scratches and the state of iPhone 17 Pro models in Apple Stores, they remain in pristine condition with caseless home use. iPhones may be scratching in stores, but that appears to be less common in daily use at this point.
Apple used Ceramic Shield 2 for the front of the iPhone 17 Pro models, and made some big claims about its scratch resistance. So far, the iPhone 17 Pro’s display is holding up. Dan’s been testing the display with keys, coins, and other common pocket items, but there isn’t a single scratch. With past iPhones, sticking a key in your pocket was a sure way to cause damage.
The display is supposed to have an anti-reflective layer, but it’s hard to notice a difference compared to the iPhone 16 Pro. It’s definitely a subtle change and not a major selling point.
Dan has already seen major improvements with the updated vapor chamber cooling system and aluminum frame for thermal management. Unlike the iPhone 16 Pro models, the iPhone 17 Pro models barely get warm.
There’s been time for more substantial battery life testing a week in, and both the 17 Pro and Pro Max have impressive gains. The 17 Pro Max in particular can last for hours longer than the 16 Pro Max, but it’s definitely heavier and thicker than before.
The front camera is a major improvement in terms of quality, and selfies look much better than before. The option to take a wider-angle landscape selfie is great for group shots. As for the new Telephoto lens that supports up to 8x optical zoom, as long as you have solid lighting, your 8x shots will look great. Low-light performance isn’t as solid, but the 4x lens still performs well in poorer lighting.
If you’re still on the fence about upgrading from an older phone to one of the iPhone 17 Pro models, it’s potentially worth it. The thermal changes make a huge difference, Apple’s claims about scratch resistance seem to be true, and battery life will be night and day. If you already have an iPhone 17 Pro, let us know what you think of it in the comments below.
