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I just got back from the Apple Store, and I completely agree with you here.
I like the Cosmic Orange (my pre-order), but there's no question, the 17 Pro feels thick and utilitarian, no longer premium.Blue and Silver specially look dull, and the two-tone finish really ruins the design.

The Air looks far more stylish and premium.

Now I’m torn: keep my Pro Max pre-order or switch to the Air? it’s only the camera keeping me from choosing the Air.
Personally I think the blue Pro looked the nicest, however in the store it was noticeably the most scratched up. And that’s day one!
 
That’s the launch day hype talking. The PM is anything but lightweight.
I was literally just going to post that it feels lighter than my 15 Pro Max.

Yes, I know the 17 Pro Max is heavier by 12g but it feels lighter to hold. Maybe it's more top heavy with the "camera plateau".

I don't know what it is but it feels better to hold for me. Not that I had any problem with the weight of the 15 Pro Max.
 
I just got back from the Apple Store, and I completely agree with you here.
I like the Cosmic Orange (my pre-order), but there's no question, the 17 Pro feels thick and utilitarian, no longer premium.Blue and Silver specially look dull, and the two-tone finish really ruins the design.

The Air looks far more stylish and premium.

Now I’m torn: keep my Pro Max pre-order or switch to the Air? it’s only the camera keeping me from choosing the Air.
My Cloud White Air arrives today. My only hesitation was the camera, so I went through and looked at the metadata of the last year’s worth of photos on my phone. 95+% were on the main camera, with just a small number on the wide angle and telephoto. Of those, none were really keepers; the wide angle shots are almost all too distorted, and the telephoto doesn’t have enough reach optically for how I use it, so those were mostly digitally zoomed (terrible). We’ll see, but in my case I believe I’ll be fine with the single camera. I’m choosing to think of it as a prime lens on my DSLR—embrace the constraints, zoom with your feet, etc.
 
I just picked one up in the store and was surprised about how light it is. It really does not feel bulky and heavy to me at all. Maybe it's because I'm stil using a 14 Pro Max, which seems to feel a lot heavier. In comparison the 17PM feels lightweight, almost like a base iPhone.
To me choosing an Air with all those compromises look completely foolish.
Hmm…

iPhone 14 Pro Max 240 grams
iPhone 15 Pro Max 221 grams
iPhone 16 Pro Max 227 grams
iPhone 17 Pro Max 233 grams
iPhone Air 165 grams

Perhaps not that foolish… lol.
 
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Now I’m torn: keep my Pro Max pre-order or switch to the Air? it’s only the camera keeping me from choosing the Air.

I'm in the same boat. I really don't like any of the color options for the 17 Pro, but I need to do something as I've been having issues with my 14. So I pre-ordered the silver and figured I could get a case that covers it up enough so that I don't really notice how they don't have black this year.

Then it came this morning and this thing is noticeably more chunky than my 14 Pro Max in the hand. I don't really get it because the specs say the older phone weighs more, but that's not how it feels when you hold it. And just not that great of a design. So I'm considering sending it back for an Air, but I'm with you.....the camera is an issue. Honestly even the regular iPhone 17 is something I'm considering as a middle ground.
 
Finally set up my 17 Pro Max coming from a 15 Pro Max. My first impressions:

  • love the new rear two/tone design with "camera plateau". considering not using a case at all... it feels wrong to put a case on it. it feels and looks so good "naked" lol.
  • i don't mind the aluminium. in fact, i prefer it. it might be "cheaper" and less durable than Titanium but it feels better to me.
  • it feels lighter even if it's 12g heavier than the 15 Pro Max. could be just a bit more top heavy.
  • before i saw the phones in person at the Apple Store my rating of colours was: silver > orange > blue. now it's silver > blue > orange. the blue looked almost black in the Apple Store while the Orange looked too shiny/metallic and cheap.
  • side by side it is a little bigger than i expected over the 15 Pro Max. bezels are noticeably slimmer too which is good. with a case on it doesn't feel any different.
  • the dynamic island seems to be placed lower.
  • the camera control button is annoying. too awkward to use but i do like having a dedicated camera button. maybe it's just my case but swiping between settings is too much hassle.
  • if the 17 Pro Max has any performance improvement over the 15 Pro Max it's very minor. the 17 is maybe a tiny bit smoother but nothing crazy.
  • the camera bump is larger than expected. again maybe it's my case. another reason to consider not using one with this phone....
 
Any early reports of dust under the lens or dead pixels?
Yeah i guess i'm the first one to report:

Huge ass spec of dust right in middle of the tele lens. (The picture was taken without any extra light sources, no flashlight needed)
 

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My Cloud White Air arrives today. My only hesitation was the camera, so I went through and looked at the metadata of the last year’s worth of photos on my phone. 95+% were on the main camera, with just a small number on the wide angle and telephoto. Of those, none were really keepers; the wide angle shots are almost all too distorted, and the telephoto doesn’t have enough reach optically for how I use it, so those were mostly digitally zoomed (terrible). We’ll see, but in my case I believe I’ll be fine with the single camera. I’m choosing to think of it as a prime lens on my DSLR—embrace the constraints, zoom with your feet, etc.
Sadly — and I say sadly because I really prefer the Air’s design and form factor over the Pro Max — I take a lot of macro and telephoto photos. Not so much wide shots, but I’ll definitely miss the zoom and macro capabilities! That said, I reallydon’t like the thickness and aluminium body of these Pros; aesthetically, it’s a weak design, no question.
 
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Sadly — and I say sadly because I really prefer the Air’s design and form factor over the Pro Max — I take a lot of macro and telephoto photos. Not so much wide shots, but I’ll definitely miss the zoom and macro capabilities! That said, I reallydon’t like the thickness and aluminium body of these Pros; aesthetically, it’s a weak design, no question.
It’s a tough decision. I guess there are always trade-offs. I hope I don’t end up regretting trading in my perfect-condition, 100% battery, black 16PM. 😅
 
I'm in the same boat. I really don't like any of the color options for the 17 Pro, but I need to do something as I've been having issues with my 14. So I pre-ordered the silver and figured I could get a case that covers it up enough so that I don't really notice how they don't have black this year.

Then it came this morning and this thing is noticeably more chunky than my 14 Pro Max in the hand. I don't really get it because the specs say the older phone weighs more, but that's not how it feels when you hold it. And just not that great of a design. So I'm considering sending it back for an Air, but I'm with you.....the camera is an issue. Honestly even the regular iPhone 17 is something I'm considering as a middle ground.
Yeah, it’s not really about the colors or even the undeniably unattractive two-tone finish.
It’s the round corners, extra thick body and aluminium feel that make it almost like a soap bar. not a pretty design at all. Compared to the 16 Pro Max (or any other Pro from the 12 and up), this design is an instant disappointment.

The Air is in a league of its own, oozing premium style and modernity. It’s just the camera that’s making the decision so hard for me.
 
Loved the look of the air in store but went with the 17 Pro as use the camera so much as it’ll throttle with gaming again like previous models of the pro due to lack of good thermals (vapour chamber seems much better now) Still disappointed you can’t get an eSIM only model in the UK for the pro for that extra battery life.
 
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just picked up my silver 17 Pro Max. yeah the white glass part isn’t great.

since i run my phones caseless, i will be interested in like a sticker that covers that part and looks more like the silver of the aluminum. hopefully doesn’t feel too weird

guess we will see
 
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just picked up my silver 17 Pro Max. yeah the white glass part isn’t great.

since i run my phones caseless, i will be interested in like a sticker that covers that part and looks more like the silver of the aluminum. hopefully doesn’t feel too weird

guess we will see

I’m on my way to pickup my silver 17 Pro Max as well. Since it’s anodized aluminum I had to go with silver since the other darker colors would easily pick up noticeable scratches.
 
It’s a tough decision. I guess there are always trade-offs. I hope I don’t end up regretting trading in my perfect-condition, 100% battery, black 16PM. 😅
It really is tough! I’m even starting to think maybe I should skip the upgrade altogether and just keep my 16 Pro Max.

There were never trade-offs before.you’d upgrade to the new Pro/Max and still get the same premium design, maybe even refined with new colors, plus better battery life and an improved camera. And in the case of the iPhone X, you got a whole new premium class of device with high-end specs and cameras.

The fact that Apple’s trade-in where I live only offers 600 (down from 1200) for a mint condition, 10-month-old 16 Pro Max makes it even harder to accept — either the not-so-great design of the 17 Pro or the basic camera setup on the Air.
 
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It really is tough! I’m even starting to think maybe I should skip the upgrade altogether and just keep my 16 Pro Max.

There were never trade-offs before.you’d upgrade to the new Pro/Max and still get the same premium design, maybe even refined with new colors, plus better battery life and an improved camera. And in the case of the iPhone X, you got a whole new premium class of device with high-end specs and cameras.

The fact that Apple’s trade-in where I live only offers 600 (down from 1200) for a mint condition, 10-month-old 16 Pro Max makes it even harder to accept — either the not-so-great design of the 17 Pro or the basic camera setup on the Air.
I’m on the Upgrade Program, so I’m essentially leasing my phone. It makes more sense to upgrade every year than to not. I should probably go back to a buy-sell, 2-3 year cycle, but I’ve been doing yearly upgrades for so long that I would probably regret missing out on the excitement of new cases, etc.
 
I was in my local Apple store earlier - it was packed!

Everyone wanted to play with the orange phones. Sure, that doesn't mean they're all going to buy one, but I expect - especially as they do stand out - it's going to seem like they're everywhere in a few weeks' time.

The silver, whilst the most boring looking, would be the easiest to buy cases for.

The blue looked the best, but it's hard to get a case for as it looks almost black, but not black enough imo.
 
I received my blue Pro Max 256gb at about 11am UK time today...and I have marked it for return.

I was upgrading from a 15 Pro Max, mainly for the camera improvements, but having spent the day trying the camera I don't find it much of an upgrade. I find the 4x lens quite soft, and the main 24mm camera is more or less identical to my 15 Pro Max. Raw capture is quicker than my 15 Pro Max, and I like the slightly larger screen, but those are not a major enough upgrade for £800 (if I sold my Pro Max).

So i'll wait another year or so, maybe two, but I'll hold off until they can increase the sensor size of the main camera.

Also, I though the camera control button was very disappointing; the focus box is too wide (still) to make focus hold as useful as it could be, and the button should be on the opposite edge ideally, swapping for the action button.

So it's a nice phone, clearly very fast, but not yet a major enough upgrade for me.
 
I notice no one is really talking about the anti reflective coating, I guess its not too noticeable?
didn't even notice it. as soon as i checked for dead pixels i slapped a screen protector on it as i always do with any new phone.

i don't care about a new coating or "ceramic shield 2". it's still gonna get scratched and i'd rather a £3 bit of glass gets damaged than the glass of my phone. i've never had any problems with reflections on my iphones so the new coating doesn't interest me.
 
I was in my local Apple store earlier - it was packed!
my store was really busy. it was a bit silly actually. don't remember it being that "chaotic" in all the times i've been there.

there was queue system which has never happened before as far as i can remember. at least not from the iPhone 4/4S days.

i had to speak to SIX different people and it took EIGHT staff to go through the whole process.

1. security guard pulled me back as soon as i walked in and told me to join the queue
2. a girl asked if i had a reservation.
3. second girl took my barcodes
4. guy took my barcodes
5. third girl took me from the guy to a fourth girl
6. fourth girl was the one who actually took me to a table to wait on someone bringing my watch/airpods and then someone else to bring my iPhone. the girl serving me she seemed new as she was so nervous and looked lost and confused.
 
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Got it in silver and it looks and feels amazing. Held the Air and it’s not for me, the sound was trash and im a heavy user so battery is everything for me. Battery sips away so slowly on the Pro Max.

Got the Ultra 3, feels like the Ultra 2. Battery I don’t know yet.

Airpods 3 are worth the upgrade from the 2s, they sound fantastic. Again.. the battery life is big for me.
att.O7JlfMl5J9YGMWNOywM9uSo2ZCanK3yu58yapIKZZYY.jpeg
 
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