Apple iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max: New design, huge battery, powerful cameras

Apple's new iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are here.

The new phones were officially unveiled at the Cupertino-based tech giant's Sept. 9 "Awe Dropping" event.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max announced at Apple event 2025

Apple took its time unveiling the new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, instead showcasing the iPhone 17 and the iPhone Air first.

But worry not; the "Pro" models are still Apple's most powerful phones. They run on Apple's new A19 Pro, which the company calls "the fastest CPU in any smartphone."

They also have a new design, with the first "iPhone Unibody," a rigid aluminum enclosure that allowed Apple to give these phones the biggest battery ever seen in an iPhone. These new iPhones should also be very durable, thanks to Apple using Ceramic Shield on both front and back.

Apple barely mentioned it during the presentation, but the size of the Pro models hasn't changed; the iPhone 17 Pro has a 6.3-inch display, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch display.

As is tradition, Apple didn't say how big the batteries in these phones are. The official spec sheet, however, says the iPhone 17 Pro can do up to 33 hours of video playback, while the Pro Max achieves 6 hours more.

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max: The cameras

The camera system is new, too, and so is the massive camera bump (or "plateau" as Apple calls it) that hosts the three rear cameras. And yes, just as the rumors predicted, all three now have a 48-megapixel sensor.

Highlights include 12-megapixel "optical-quality" 8x telephoto shots, with digital zoom up to 40x, as well as sharper and more detailed images all around. On the front, there's the 18-megapixel Center Stage camera, apparently the same one seen on the other new iPhones.

The flash is also further away from the cameras, which may present a learning curve.

What else is new?

There's also the all-new thermal management, with a vapor chamber that dissipates heat away from the key components. This is where the new aluminum frame comes in, as it has far better (20 times better, Apple claims) thermal conductivity than titanium, which is what Apple used for iPhone 16.

Other highlights include an entirely new, Apple-designed wireless chip called N1, which takes care of wireless tech such as WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. The new iPhones Pro charge faster than before — you can expect a 50 percent charge in 20 minutes if you use the (optional) high-wattage USB-C power adapter. And yes, as expected, the FineWoven cases have been replaced with TechWoven, a techy new fabric that should be better at resisting scratches and stains.

How to preorder the new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max

The new flagship iPhone 17 smartphones are available for pre-order now at the Apple store. As more retailers start opening pre-orders, we'll update this story.

The prices are the same as before: The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199. Pre-orders for these models start on Friday, Sept. 12, and availability starts on Sept. 19.

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For more Apple event coverage, follow Mashable's live blog and get real-time updates on the iPhone 17, Apple Watch Series 11, and AirPods Pro 3 launch.