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🙌 Reviews of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are now live
🔋 The phone’s impressive battery life has been a constant point of praise
📸 The iPhone 17 Pro’s cameras are also widely regarded as being excellent
🤷♂️ However, those with more recent iPhone models may not need to upgrade
The iPhone Pro line has cemented itself as the phone of choice for photography enthusiasts. However, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max also bring best-in-class battery life to the mix, as well as excellent gaming performance.
With its September 19 release just days away and a $1,099 price tag, does the iPhone 17 Pro do enough to warrant an upgrade? Or is it simply more of the same?
Here’s what critics made of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Wired gave the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max a 9/10, praising the battery life, bright 120Hz screen, and excellent thermal management. However, it’s not an essential upgrade for most people.
“No one with an iPhone 15 and newer needs to upgrade (iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 owners might be fine if your device is performing OK, but the switch to USB-C might be warranted). Better heat management delivers better sustained performance. Better battery life means less charging, maximizing your battery health. And the improved cameras keep it at the top of the smartphone camera rankings. What's not to love? And I didn't even have to say “Apple Intelligence” once.”
CNET awarded the iPhone 17 Pro a score of 9.2/10 and said its best-in-class battery life and superb cameras will convince enough people to go Pro.
“Whether you upgrade to the iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max comes down to many of the similar considerations of prior Pro models. Is your current phone on its last legs? Can you get a great deal on the new Pro iPhones? And will the battery get through a day for you? Even if you don't choose a 17 Pro in the highly visible orange option, getting a phone that solves those problems is punk, too.”
Engadget was also a fan of the iPhone 17 Pro, though the existence of the Air has caused a conundrum. They’d still opt for the iPhone 17 Pro over Apple’s slimmer phone, though.
“This year’s iPhone lineup is forcing me to re-think the idea of a Pro phone. Is it one that looks and feels expensive or is it one that’s slightly more durable and maybe doesn’t appear as stylish? I’ve seen some discourse online about how the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max don’t look as classy as before and that the iPhone Air seems to be the more premium of the family. And while I agree that the Air is a shinier, more attractive device, for my needs the iPhone 17 Pro is still the way to go.”
Tom’s Guide said the iPhone 17 Pro features the “biggest upgrades in years” in its 4/5 review, but mentioned that the Google Pixel 10 Pro could be the better option for some.
“I’m really torn this year mainly because of the price increase given to the iPhone 17 Pro. Yes, I’m in love with the new redesign, how much more flexible it is shooting selfies with its Center Stage camera, the strong performance out of its A19 Pro chip, and how it gets double the storage capacity. It certainly has tough competition with phones like the Pixel 10 Pro. That phone is $100 less than the iPhone 17 Pro, and despite having only 128GB of starting storage, its slew of AI features and AI-enhancing telephoto camera make it a compelling package.”
There’s no doubt that iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are worthy successors to last year’s iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. However, they’re by no means an essential upgrade, and the biggest draw may be the phone’s excellent battery life this time around.
Up next: iPhone Air review roundup: 'the star of Apple's latest show'
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.
