Apple has officially launched the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, showcasing a new design alongside an upgraded camera system. The devices are powered by the new A19 Pro chipset and feature a larger battery, with eSIM-only models boasting a slightly bigger battery compared to Pro models that utilize physical SIMs.
The latest Pro models have transitioned from a titanium to an aluminium unibody design. Apple has also introduced a new vapor chamber thermal system to enhance performance, complemented by ceramic shield 2 protection on the front and the previous generation ceramic shield on the back.
A key upgrade is the telephoto camera, which has been enhanced from a 12-megapixel sensor to a 48-megapixel sensor, enabling an impressive 8x optical zoom—one of the highest capacities available, rivaling the Vivo X200’s 8.7x optical zoom with its periscope kit. Additionally, Apple offers a 40x digital zoom, though this is lower than the 100x offered by competitors like Google and Samsung, and it remains unclear if Apple employs digital regeneration via AI.
The new rectangular camera bar, referred to as the “plateau,” spans the entire width of the iPhone’s back, housing these advanced camera features.
The selfie camera has also received an upgrade, moving from a 12-megapixel sensor to an 18-megapixel sensor, and now allows for simultaneous video recording from both the front and rear cameras.
The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max begins at $1,199. Pre-orders open on Friday, with availability set for September 19. Both models feature 256GB as the base storage option, with a 2TB variant available for the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
