Apple iPhone 17 Pro: Two-minute review

The time when you had to make a tradeoff between the full-featured iPhone Pro Max and the iPhone Pro has long since passed. Today, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the iPhone 17 Pro I'm reviewing here are fundamentally the same phone with only a few differences, and all of them relate to the size.

There's a smaller screen and therefore fewer pixels (but not a lower resolution). The battery on the iPhone 17 Pro is smaller, so you get fewer hours per charge. Finally, the storage options on the Pro top out at 1TB, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max goes up to 2TB.

With that in mind, virtually everything I say in my review of the iPhone 17 Pro Max is also true of this iPhone 17 Pro, right down to the fantastic camera system.

This update is an inside-out refashioning, with a powerful new A19 Processor supported by a heat-wicking system in the form of a vapor chamber. I'm not sure it would have been as effective though, if not for the new aluminum unibody design, which helps distribute the heat throughout the chassis.

A reorganization of the components left more room for a larger battery, and that, in concert with the heat management system and new body, promises better battery life than before.

Inside, the A19 Pro makes every operation a breeze, as it easily handles everything from simple web browsing to 4K video editing and local AI operations.

We now get three 48MP cameras, including a stellar 4x optical zoom that's capable of an 8x optical sensor crop which also produces fantastic results.

The fact that you get all this in a more affordable and pocketable 6.3-inch package could make the iPhone 17 Pro the best choice for most who operate at a pro level.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro review: Price and availability

• Starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,999
• Pre-orders opened on September 12, shipping from September 19

Apple announced the iPhone 17 Pro at its 'Awe Dropping' event on September 9. iPhone 17 Pro pre-orders began on September 12, and the new phone ships on September 19.

The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,999 for the model with 256GB of storage, with that price rising to $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,399 for 512GB of storage, and $1,499 / £1,499 / AU$2,799 for 1TB of storage. If you need a 2TB device, look at the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

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• Value score: 5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17 Pro review: Specs

Apple iPhone 17 Pro review: Design

• A redesign that works
• New materials bring new color and cooling possibilities
• Control and Action Buttons didn't get a rethink

Apple's iPhone 17 Pro (and the 17 Pro Max) is instantly recognizable as an iPhone, but I still contend that this is the most significant redesign in ages. The bold, nearly full-width plateau (time to stop calling it a "camera bump") is distinctive and more attractive than I expected.

Honestly, who needs a phone that can lie flat on its back anymore? I'd argue that consumers (yes, people like me) are more interested in performance and possibilities than balance.

I was curious about the switch from titanium (a light and sturdy material) to aluminum (an even lighter and perhaps more pliable one), but I'm now convinced that this was a good swap with some obvious benefits.

The first of those is the color choices. You have silver (not that exciting), the wonderful Deep Blue of the phone I tested, and the new Cosmic Orange of my iPhone 17 Pro Max test unit. I love the latter two colors, and don't think they would have been possible without the anodization process.

Because the iPhone body is carved out of aluminum means the iPhone 17 Pro has smoother corners, making the entire phone feel more comfortable in my hands. This smaller phone will be especially appealing to those with smaller hands.

On the back is a large rectangular cutout for the Ceramic Shield back (the screen gets Ceramic Shield 2). This creates a sort of two-tone look that I rather like. It almost seems a shame to cover it with Apple's new Tech Woven cases.

After a couple of generations of getting used to new iPhone buttons, the iPhone 17 Pro holds fast on the two volume buttons and the Action Button on one side, and the Power/Sleep/Siri button and Camera Control button on the other. There's no new functionality there, but some may still find the customizable Action button and instant access to photography and controls through Camera Control useful. Of the two, I use the Camera Control most for instant access to the camera and, sometimes, as a physical shutter button.

Like the iPhone 16 Pro before it, the iPhone 17 Pro is IP68 rated for exposure to dust and water. Drop it in the toilet or, as I did, run it under water, and it will survive.

There are a few other minor differences, like an antenna cutout on the top edge and a larger speaker grill on one side of the base. Perhaps that's why the audio can get so loud and resonant and sound just as good in a voice call as it does streaming Better Call Saul on Netflix.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17 Pro review: Display

• Super Retina XDR display still excellent
• Brighter than ever
• Possibly more resilient

While Apple took pains to remake the look and lines of the iPhone 17 Pro (and 17 Pro Max), it more or less left well enough alone with the Super Retina XDR display. This is not a problem since the OLED screen resolution, at 2622 x 1206 pixels, is still sharp and spectacular in almost every scenario.

Photos and videos look splendid on the screen thanks in part to its 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and wide color gamut. It's a great platform for stills and for fast action of AAA games, where the 120Hz screen refresh keeps gameplay butter smooth.

The ProMotion technology not only provides that rapid refresh rate but can slow all the way down to 1Hz to support the always-on display, where I can see the time and my notifications on the sleep/lock screen.

This is a brighter screen, achieving 3,000 nits in direct sunlight. That combination with a new anti-reflective coating helped it beat the iPhone 16 Pro in my outdoor, direct-sunlight Netflix streaming tests.

As for the new Ceramic Sheiled 2 screen covering, I'm hesitant to rub any keys on it, but I will be curious to see what the display looks like two months from now.

The 6.3-inch display still features the Dynamic Island cutout, which provides space for the Face ID sensors and new Center Stage Camera. It's still larger than I'd like and appears in some games and videos as a black, pill-shaped cutout. If, like me, you appreciate the live information (like MLB scores) that space can provide, I doubt you'll be bothered by its existence.

• Display score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17 Pro review: Cameras

• Three excellent rear 48MP cameras
• Zoom is finally where I need it to be
• Front-facing Center Stage Camera changes the selfie game

Apple has rewarded my fixation on photography with the three best 48MP lenses I have ever seen on an iPhone (plus an excellent new selfie camera). The list of lenses is identical across the Pro-line, which makes them no less desirable. FWIW, Camera performance on the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max appears identical. Here's the list of physical lenses.

• Main: 48MP ƒ/1.78
• Ultra-wide: 48MP ƒ/2.2
• Telephoto: 48MP (4x optical) ƒ/2.8
• Selfie camera: 18MP (not called "Fusion")

The main camera defaults to shooting at 24MP, but you can shoot at full resolution or as a 2x optical sensor crop, which takes the best 12MP from the full 48MP for the final image.

The ultrawide also defaults to 24MP, while the same lens will shoot macro images at 12MP.

For me, though, the most exciting addition is the new 48MP 4x optical zoom lens that shoots 24MP, 100mm-equivalent photos and can, with another optical sensor crop, also shoot 12MP, 8x zoom photos. Even though the latter is not a true 8x optical zoom lens, it captures images like one.

I was consistently impressed with the detail I could capture. In my experience, the best lens of the bunch is the 4x optical. It's great for portraits and still life.

The image quality across the multiple lenses and shooting styles owes credit, in part, to Apple's fantastic image pipeline. It gathers and processes so much information, but never turns an image into AI mush or an approximation. Images offer true colors and exquisite detail.

Portrait mode photography looks better than ever. I was especially impressed with how the cameras handled hair and lens frames. Every shot looked pro-quality.

The other major photographic highlight is the new Center Stage Selfie camera. Where the True Depth Camera was an able 12MP system, the Center Stage Camera is backed by a square 18MP sensor. It uses those extra pixels to automatically put groups in frame by zooming out a bit.

Better yet, this is the first smartphone selfie camera in my experience to let you turn from a portrait to a landscape mode selfie without turning the phone 90 degrees. Instead, you just tap a software button, and, yes, it works with photos and video. It's brilliant and I expect other smartphone competitors to follow suit.

I shot in all kinds of lighting conditions, from bright and sunny to cloudy, rainy, and even nighttime darkness. Night photography is even better than ever. This was the phone I used to capture the 9-11 Memorial Lights (the city is 50 miles away). It was a feat I could not reproduce with the iPhone 16 Pro.

You can shoot video in 4K (up to 120fps). It looks good, especially because the sensor shift optical image stabilization handles even the roughest road.

During my first day with the phone, there was a huge rainshower, which I took as my cue to retry Audio Mix, Apple's AI-based audio cleanup tool. The rain shower was so loud that it pretty much overwhelmed my baseline video. All I had to do was select one of the options (In-Frame, Studio, Cinematic), and the iPhone 17 Pro did an excellent job of elevating my voice over the din. It does sound a bit processed, but also usable, which is not something I can say of the original video.

One other new feature that you might enjoy (or wonder why it's there) is Dual Camera. As the name suggests, this slightly hidden feature lets you shoot video with both the front and rear cameras. Your selfie video view appears as a small, movable window on top of the main video, presumably so you can offer commentary on the action. I used it at a wedding and found it fun, if not super useful.

The new camera app is so different that it might, at first, confuse people. A lot of what you would normally see when first opening the app is hidden. But, for instance, a touch and slide on the word "Photo" quickly reveals how you can slide to find all your main photography options.

In short, you will get used to it.

As a package, this is by far the best camera array (including the front camera) Apple has ever produced. It shoots fantastic images that will make you the envy of all your friends. Plus, with its 4K Dolby Vision, it's a pro-level video platform.

If I needed any more proof that this is a pro-videoographer tool, I got it when I tested out Genlock support, which lets you capture and automatically sync multiple video streams.

To test this, I hooked up the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max video via a wireless connection to an iPad Pro 13. The iPad was running a FlightTest version of Final Cut Pro for iPad, and the phones were running Tesflight versions of Final Cut Cameras.

Final Cut on the iPad presented me with a single record button, and when I hit it, both cameras started to record. I was capturing two angles at once, and Final Cut presented them as two linked streams that I could edit to create a very nice pro-level, multicam video.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro camera samples

• Camera score: 5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17 Pro review: Software and Apple Intelligence

• iOS 26
• Apple Intelligence adds some new features
• The ultimate Siri still MIA

There may never be a more beautiful iOS than iOS 26. Liquid Glass, which glistens from almost every virtual surface, looks both polished and exciting. It's quite the programming feat to make pixels look like glass, giving unexpected substance to, for instance, buttons and widgets.

Generally, I am a fan, except for the times where Liquid Glass's fundamental translucency makes for a cluttered image. If you can see what's behind a text-entry box when you're trying to type in it, it can get a little confusing. I'm certain Apple can offer some Liquid Glass transparency adjustment in a future update.

Last year's star, Apple Intelligence, gets a few updates, like a better Image Playground and upgraded Visual Intelligence, which can instantly take info gleaned from an image and add it to your calendar.

Clean Up remains an impressive image editing tool. In one instance, I used it to remove a rope from in front of a horse. I drew one glowing line over the thin white fabric, then tapped the screen, and it disappeared, leaving the horse unscathed (and his face filled in) behind.

But Apple Intelligence's capabilities still pale in comparison to what I can get with Google Gemini or from partner OpenAI (and ChatGPT). I await the day Siri becomes as conversational and system-aware as these other platforms.

• Software score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17 Pro review: Performance

• A19 Pro is Apple's most powerful mobile CPU
• 12GB is the memory you need

Going by by specs alone, the A19 Pro is a bit of a beast:

• 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores
• 6-core GPU, each with its own Neural Accelerator
• 16-Core Neural Engine

Performance scores are, based on Future Labs benchmarks, unsurprisingly, considerably better than the A18 Pro. In fact, the SoC maxed out some of our frame rate tests.

These numbers are on display in every operation the phone performs. It's an able console-grade gamer, playing Destiny: Rising with impressive levels of shading, reflections, fog, and fire. The A19 Pro's hardware-accelerated Ray Tracing surely has a hand in this.

There's now 12GB of RAM on board, which means there's likely more than enough headroom for ever-larger AI models. After all, Apple's preference is to do things like AI-assisted Live Translation locally.

This is an SoC that's completely comfortable both shooting and editing 4K video. It's a little powerhouse.

It's more, though, than just a workhorse. Apple's added a vapor chamber system that, along with the now more heat-efficient aluminum frame, helps capture heat off the chip and spread it throughout the iPhone 17 Pro body so there's no longer a hot spot.

In reality, this is one area where the smaller iPhone 17 Pro differs a bit from iPhone 17 Pro Max. I'm not sure if it's because there's more room in the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but it felt cooler in my tests than the iPhone 17 Pro, which got slightly warm to the touch during an intense Asphalt 9 Legends round.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17 Pro review: Battery

• Battery life upgrade
• Qi 2 support
• No adapter included

All that efficiency and Apple reengineering the interior for a larger battery mean that this iPhone 17 Pro might have the best battery for an iPhone ever, leaving aside the larger iPhone 17 Pro Max, which is now flirting with 2-day battery range.

In my anecdotal tests, the iPhone 17 Pro gave me between 25 and 30 hours of battery life. Applw rates it for about 30 hours if you do nothing but stream video. Mixed use, especially lots of gameplay play will shorten the charge duration. Even so, this is the best batter life I've ever seen on a base Pro model. The combination of a more efficient CPU, a bigger battery, and the energy-saving heat management appears to be paying real dividends.

This is a Qi 2- compatible system, which means it charges faster on a Qi2-ready charge pad. The phone doesn't ship with a charging adapter, just the USB-C woven cable, but if you buy the new, optionL, Dynamic 40W (up to 60W) charger ($39), you can also expect faster wired charging speeds. When I tried it, I was able to charge to 50% in 20 minutes.

• Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Apple iPhone 17 Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Apple iPhone 17 Pro review: Also consider

Apple's latest Pro iPhone not exciting you? Here are a few alternatives from the Android frontier.

How I tested the Apple iPhone 17 Pro

• Review test period: I received the phone on September 9 and tested it through September 16.
• Testing included: everyday use, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback, and testing Apple Intelligence
• Tools used: Geekbench 6, Geekbench AI, 3DMark

I tested the iPhone 17 Pro (and iPhone 17 Pro Max) alongside my iPhone 16 Pro Max. I took it with me everywhere and tried to use it as I would my own phone.

I've been testing smartphones for over 20 years, and I've been writing about the iPhone since it launched. I've also been tracking and writing about AI since the dawn of consumer-grade experiences more than a decade ago, and I've been covering technology for 39 years.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2025