The new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max feature Apple’s fastest and most efficient mobile processor, the A19 Pro, a new camera system and an Apple-designed vapour chamber that is laser-welded into a strong, light, and thermally conductive aluminium unibody.
All that comes together to make a smartphone with fast performance that won’t burn your hand.
Cameras
The rear bump, which Apple calls a plateau, holds three 48MP Fusion cameras: Main, Ultra Wide, and an all-new Telephoto. This gives what Apple says is the equivalent of eight lenses, including 8x optical-quality zoom.
The 18MP Center Stage front camera has a square front camera sensor with a wider field of view and higher resolution. It can shoot landscape selfies even when the phone is held vertically and it uses AI to expand the field of view. The front camera can shoot ultra-stabilised video in 4K HDR and, like the lower-cost iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air, it supports Dual Capture so you can shoot a selfie and everything around you at the same time.
Pro filmmakers and content creators get support for ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2, and genlock so they can use the iPhone in different production settings.
Build and materials
The iPhone 17 Pro has a new brushed aluminium unibody design is crafted with a lightweight aerospace-grade 7000-series aluminium alloy. The plateau creates additional space for internal components including a larger battery. With Apple saying the iPhone 17 Pro supports up to 30 hours of video playback. Both the iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max both models can charge to 50% in 20 minutes with an optional high-wattage USB-C power adapter.
The antennas are integrated around the perimeter for the highest-performing antenna system ever in an iPhone.to deliver the best-ever thermal performance in an iPhone.
Those who recall when Steve Jobs announced that Apple was shifting from the PowerPC architecture on the Mac to Intel, much of the focus was on the need to balance increased processor performance with the generation and dissipation of heat. The same challenges still exist today.
Apple has adopted a new vapour chamber that, it says, enhances heat dissipation and performance. Here’s what Apple says:
Deionised water is sealed inside the vapour chamber, which is laser-welded into the aluminium chassis to move heat away from the powerful A19 Pro, allowing it to operate at even higher performance levels. The heat is carried into the forged aluminium unibody, where it is distributed evenly through the system, managing power and surface temperatures to deliver incredible performance while remaining comfortable to hold.
Display
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max come in 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch sizes respectively. Like the other new models announced by Apple at the ‘Awe dropping’ event, the displays are protected by Ceramic Shield 2, feature ProMotion up to 120Hz, Always-On, and 3000 nits of peak outdoor brightness and 2x better outdoor contrast.
Ceramic Shield protects the back of the devices, delivering 4x better resistance to cracks than the back glass on previous models.
Apple’s bag of chips deliver power and energy efficiency
Apple’s investment in designing its own chips is paying off. Almost every significant police of silicon in the new iPhones is designed by Apple.
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, like the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air, have an Apple designed System on a Chip that integrates the CPUs, GPUs and neural engines. The C1X chip covers off cellular comms while the new N1 chip delvers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Thread. By designing all these chips, Apple can maximise integration and power efficiency. It also means that Apple can dictate the physical design of the chips which enables it to minimise their size so it can increase battery sizes.
The A19 Pro system chip has a 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators built into each GPU core, a larger cache, and more memory than A18 Pro. The GPU works in tandem with the new 16-core Neural Engine to power Al models, graphics and AAA gaming
Pricing and Availability for the iPhone 17 and accessories
The iPhone 17 Pro will be available in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB options. The iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and for the first time, 2TB storage capacities. They come in three colours: cosmic orange, deep blue, and silver.
iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,999 and iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $2,199.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max beginning at 10pm AEST 12 September 2025 with availability beginning Friday, 19 September.
A TechWoven Case with MagSafe will be available for $99 i, a Clear Case will be available for $79, a Silicone Case with MagSafe will be available for $79, and a Crossbody Strap will be available for $99. A FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe will also be available for $99 in black, navy, midnight, purple, fox orange, and moss.
The Qi2 25W-certified MagSafe Charger will be available in a 1-metre length for $69 or a 2-metre length for $89.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.