The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max have arrived with a striking new design and powerful performance enhancements. Apple unveiled the new iPhones at its annual September event on September 9, 2025. Pre-orders began on September 12, and the devices will be available starting September 19.
Unibody Design and Build
The iPhone 17 Pro models feature a new heat-forged aluminum unibody design. This design maximizes performance, increases battery capacity, and enhances durability. The aluminum alloy is lightweight and has exceptional thermal conductivity. The new design incorporates a vapor chamber that uses deionized water to move heat away from the A19 Pro chip, allowing for higher sustained performance. Ceramic Shield 2 protects both the front and back of the phone, providing 3x better scratch resistance on the front and 4x better crack resistance on the back. The aluminum frame covers almost all of the iPhone, including the sides, camera area, and back, with a cutout for MagSafe charging. The devices are available in deep blue, cosmic orange, and silver finishes.
Enhanced Camera Plateau
The camera area, now referred to as the "camera plateau," is a horizontal, pill-shaped raised area that spans nearly the entire rear of the iPhone. This plateau houses a three-lens camera setup and the LiDAR scanner and flash. All three rear cameras are 48MP Fusion cameras. The telephoto lens has a next-generation tetraprism design with a 56% larger sensor than previous models. The new 48MP telephoto lens supports 8x optical zoom, equivalent to a 200mm lens. The front camera has been updated to an 18MP Center Stage camera with a square sensor. This allows for taking selfies and videos in portrait or landscape mode without rotating the phone.
Performance and Battery
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are equipped with the A19 Pro chip. The A19 Pro delivers up to 40% faster sustained performance than the A18 Pro. The unibody design creates additional battery capacity, providing up to 31 hours of video playback. The iPhone 17 Pro battery lasts up to 33 hours for video playback, while the Pro Max lasts up to 39 hours. Both models can charge up to 50% in 20 minutes with an optional high-wattage USB-C power adapter.
Other Features
Both models feature a 6.3-inch (iPhone 17 Pro) or 6.9-inch (iPhone 17 Pro Max) Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion up to 120Hz. The display supports 3000 nits peak brightness outdoors and has a new anti-reflective coating. The devices also include a new Camera Control button. The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1099 for the 256GB model, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1199. The iPhone 17 Pro is available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max is available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB options.
