iPhone 17 Pro Max iPhone 17 Pro Max Looking Better and Better

[Biro]

With all the talk in recent weeks about Apple’s price increases and the likelihood of the company rising prices on iPhones when the 18 Pro/Pro Max line is introduced, the 17 Pro/Pro Max has been looking more attractive. At least to me.

But now, with news that the U.S. versions of the new Pros are likely to stick with the same Qualcomm X80 modem, I’m thinking the 17 Pro and Pro Max are looking like a no-brainer. I’m sure the new A20 chips will bring certain functional advantages and improve battery life a bit more. But the C2 modem was also supposed to be a big part of the power picture.

I’m thinking a $200 price premium for an 18 Pro or Max over an equivalent 17 Pro or Max is looking like wasted money - especially if I keep Siri and AI turned off. And this doesn’t even factor in a likely $200 drop in the value of my current phone as a trade-in that is likely to occur if I wait for the 18 line. Am I alone in my thinking here? I’m happy to hear other opinions.

 

[Le_Chiffre]

Just picked up two iPhone 17 pro max 2tb a couple of weeks ago.

Orange for my partner and the deep blue for me. Couldn’t be happier, coming from a 14 pro max.

 

[Hal~9000]

Sometimes you get lucky and upgrade on a particular year to a model that you are happy to stick with a LONG time.

Before the 17 Pro Max I had the 13 Pro Max for 4 years without any issues. It had a great amount of battery and RAM for the time, as well as the 120hz display and good cameras.

The 17 Pro Max feels very similar to me. Amazing battery life, great screen, really fast processor, 12gb RAM, and awesome cameras.

With Apple raising their prices so much, I’m more than happy to stick with the 17 Pro Max for a long time. The fact that they raised the prices so much on their other products just turns me off of giving them any additional $$$ simply for a “17S” type of upgrade.

I’ll see what the smartphone landscape looks like in 4-5 years. Who knows, maybe by then customers have revolted enough that Apple learns its lesson and lowers prices to reasonable levels (who am I kidding?), or maybe the AI bubble pops and RAM prices fall. Save your money and put it in an investment that grows over time, rather than lining Apple executives pockets who don’t give a damn about you.

No matter what new hardware comes out, the truth is that all that matters is the 3rd party apps on your phone. Even if you upgrade to the folding iPhone, YouTube is still going to simply play the same videos, AI chatbots will still run the exact same way, and any new hardware you get you will simply get used to or bored of within 6 months.

 

[JUCJ85]

Just picked up two iPhone 17 pro max 2tb a couple of weeks ago.

Orange for my partner and the deep blue for me. Couldn’t be happier, coming from a 14 pro max.

I got my silver 2TB 17 Pro Max last November and love it, so happy I upgraded from my 13 Pro Max to this

 

[Ahiqar]

Got a 17 pro last weekend with the exact same rationale as the OP.

 

[The Game 161]

generally i think most who have 17 pro max will last them a long time if thats the route they want to go down

 

[Ungibbed]

I'm quite happy with the 17 Pro Max in deep blue, it still feels like a great purchase.

 

[jz0309]

With all the talk in recent weeks about Apple’s price increases and the likelihood of the company rising prices on iPhones when the 18 Pro/Pro Max line is introduced, the 17 Pro/Pro Max has been looking more attractive. At least to me.

But now, with news that the U.S. versions of the new Pros are likely to stick with the same Qualcomm X80 modem, I’m thinking the 17 Pro and Pro Max are looking like a no-brainer. I’m sure the new A20 chips will bring certain functional advantages and improve battery life a bit more. But the C2 modem was also supposed to be a big part of the power picture.

I’m thinking a $200 price premium for an 18 Pro or Max over an equivalent 17 Pro or Max is looking like wasted money - especially if I keep Siri and AI turned off. And this doesn’t even factor in a likely $200 drop in the value of my current phone as a trade-in that is likely to occur if I wait for the 18 line. Am I alone in my thinking here? I’m happy to hear other opinions.

I saw this coming so I got my 17PM at launch 😱 😛

Seriously, it depends what phone you're coming from, mine was a 13PM 512 and as I was using somewhere around 200GB I decided to get the 256 version, deleted some stuff and am still ~ 155GB, so I saved myself $200. I'm just keeping an eye on storage and delete photos/videos more than I used to. I also do not pay for an iCloud nor any other cloud service, my photos/videos are sync'd with my Mac and that's how I do backup.
So, if you're willing to, you can "downsize" on storage and avoid the anticipated price increase to some degree.

The 17PM is a great phone and should last me at least the same 4 years that my 13PM did or me.

What iPhone do you currently have?

 

[Neo11111]

I had 16 Pro Max 512gb but I’m run out storage space. My dad’s iPhone 15 was dying so i pick up silver 17 Pro Max 1 TB and gave my dad iPhone 16 Pro Max with pristine condition and 99% battery health condition. My plan was waiting for 18 Pro Max but i was scared of price hikes. In Europe price hikes of MacBooks and iPads was massive … So iPhone 18 Pro Max 1TB might be very expensive.. compared to price iPhone 17 Pro Max.

 

[triumvirate]

The 17PM is a wonderful phone and I would hate to wait and have to pay $200 more this fall. I upgraded last year from a 14 Pro and I still love this phone & battery life. I normally get bored with phones but this one still keeps my interest, and with the price hikes I feel it will hold my interest for many years to come.

 

[conmee]

I’d been upgrading every 2 years but starting with my 14 Pro decided to try going 3 years between phones and upgraded to the 17 Pro in October. Cameras and battery life are great. Still don’t like the overall design, camera plateau, or aluminum. But I have no complaints about its performance. If I stick to my plan, I’ll upgrade in 2028 to the 20S/XXS after Apple works out any issues that may crop up with the 20th/XX anniversary iPhone.

 

[Parowdy]

I’m very fortunate that I am going to upgrade from my current natural titanium 15 Pro to the silver 17 Pro this week together with unlimited data thanks to a genius family member working out ridiculously good contracts with Telekom.
I’ve been looking forward to buying a used 17 Pro once the 18 Pro comes out so I can give my mom who uses my old 11 Pro a worthwhile smartphone again.
Had it not been for this stellar opportunity to upgrade I’d still be waiting since the 15 Pro is a really good phone, excellent hardware with recent software support and, compared to the 11 Pro, still most of its life ahead.
The 17 Pro offers only minor improvements but for the price I pay more than enough. Double the battery life, double the storage, 48MP on all back side cameras (and no dust in the cameras 🤞🏻), a wider selfie cam, the camera button for faster and still-in-pocket camera access, brighter screen, more RAM aaaand, well, that’s it.
Really the biggest upgrade is that my mom has a recent phone running recent software without dying in 2 hours. But considering the contracts are made, the fees are fixed and the phone will not be subject to any price increases, plus it’s brand new and straight from Apple/Telekom and not pre-owned, I am very much looking forward to upgrading now instead of later.

Not that anyone asked.

 

[Biro]

Okay, I went back to the Apple Store today and played with (and weighed) the latest phones in my hands… and walked out with an iPhone 17 Pro. The Pro Max is great and its battery life is epic. But the Pro feels best in my hands these days. Plus, I don’t see or hear anyone complaining about battery life in the smaller, lighter 17 Pro.

So I’m set for a few years - certainly until the worst of the AI crisis is in the rearview mirror. BTW… Apple’s TechWoven cases are a HUGE improvement over the FineWoven cases. I have a dark blue one on my new dark blue phone.

 

[Zwhaler]

17 Pro has always been very good. The price situation makes it a no brainer for a solid 2-4 year excellent phone.

 

[JM]

Searching through forums exactly for this thread.

I think the 17 Pro Max checks all the boxes especially considering the looming price increases. (Unknown as they may be)

I have 14pro, and would like:
- larger screen (for typing accuracy with larger wider keyboard, watching videos, and more screen real estate in general)
- 8x camera
- camera control button
- PWM toggle
- vapor chanber cooling
- and whatever other surprises come with a 3-year improvement.

But then again… I've been saving, and whats another $200 added on to an already $1200 device, to get the newest iPhone in September?

The colors on 18 Pros are so enticing 😩

If the 17pro was prettier this decision would be a lot easier.

AND this is also to say that the Air 2 in 2028 might be a very attractive device to buy! (But could always trade in the 17pro max for it)

Sigh. Apple is not making this purchasing decision easy, so hope to hear more of others’ thoughts as well!

(Last thought: i remember being SO happy with the 14pro purchase. White/silver was like the 4s i never got to have, or the silver 5s that I was jealous I didnt get instead of the black. These 17pro colors are just so BLAH. Though, its mostly because of the aluminum unibody. Dark blue is nice. The silver should reflect sunlight better though to help the phone stay cooler)

Thanks for listening. And thanks for sharing all your thoughts already.

 

[uacd]

Pro Max is okay. It has great battery life, better cooling thanks to larger chassis, and this modem would be just enough for your needs. I don’t know why people make such a big deal out of which modem or WiFi chip is installed, you won’t feel the benefits anyway because infrastructure is different everywhere, as well as reception, natural obstacles to signal and so on. It is enough for fast downloads and staying connected, that’s it. Mostly speed is regulated by server bandwidth and not by your modem.

Buy it if you like it. But if you are doing it because of economic reasons you might as well consider regular 17 or Air

 

[Biro]

Pro Max is okay. It has great battery life, better cooling thanks to larger chassis, and this modem would be just enough for your needs. I don’t know why people make such a big deal out of which modem or WiFi chip is installed, you won’t feel the benefits anyway because infrastructure is different everywhere, as well as reception, natural obstacles to signal and so on. It is enough for fast downloads and staying connected, that’s it. Mostly speed is regulated by server bandwidth and not by your modem.

Buy it if you like it. But if you are doing it because of economic reasons you might as well consider regular 17 or Air

My interest in which modem is onboard my phone was triggered by the limitations of the Qualcomm X71 modem in my old phone. It’s not speed that I was worried about. It was signal reliability at the edge of cell reception. The X80 in my new Pro is supposed to be a marked improvement in that area. If we knew the X85 modem was coming in the 18 Pro I might have waited and paid the expected higher price. Even more so if it was the Apple C2 modem (assuming it had mmWave ability which apparently it does not). I really like the current Air. But its C1X modem also doesn’t provide mmWave service - which my carrier relies on heavily.

 

[JM]

Well took an hour to play around with a pro max in the apple store. And the camera control is nice but on-screen control I prefer.

Also, ill just get used to spelling mistakes.

I just cant bring myself to part with the 14pro and pay around $1000 after tax and after trade in.

If my carrier gave any kind of deals i might spring for it, but i dont.

I also felt a grwat deal of releif when i went back to 14pro to compare the experience of taking phoota and tyoing. The smaller size was very nuce.

(If you cant tell, i find turning iff autocorrect is less annoying than dealing witg stupid corrections)

The miney will continue to burn a hole in my pocket. Le sigh.

Im pretty i terested in the Air2 now though.

And its goijg to be a fin game to see how high in price the 18proa will be 🤣

My buddy has an iPhone X still. What a phone that was! Just imagine an X with todays specs and screen wuakity. Wow.

 

[UnifiedMelody]

Yeah i was debating picking a 17 Pro Max 256GB [or 512GB] && then giving my mom my 16 Max 256GB lol because frankly she doesn't want to buy a new phone because she just wants something simple but i couldn't fathom giving her an android pos.

 

[keksikuningas]

Got a 17PM as well because of the rumours. Dad needed to upgrade his XR so I thought giving him my 16P and getting a 17 for myself was a no brainer

 

[TallyBeach]

With all the talk in recent weeks about Apple’s price increases and the likelihood of the company rising prices on iPhones when the 18 Pro/Pro Max line is introduced, the 17 Pro/Pro Max has been looking more attractive. At least to me.

But now, with news that the U.S. versions of the new Pros are likely to stick with the same Qualcomm X80 modem, I’m thinking the 17 Pro and Pro Max are looking like a no-brainer. I’m sure the new A20 chips will bring certain functional advantages and improve battery life a bit more. But the C2 modem was also supposed to be a big part of the power picture.

I’m thinking a $200 price premium for an 18 Pro or Max over an equivalent 17 Pro or Max is looking like wasted money - especially if I keep Siri and AI turned off. And this doesn’t even factor in a likely $200 drop in the value of my current phone as a trade-in that is likely to occur if I wait for the 18 line. Am I alone in my thinking here? I’m happy to hear other opinions.

I tend to agree with you. On the other hand, when you're spending this much money, an extra $200 doesn't break the bank.

 

[Biro]

I tend to agree with you. On the other hand, when you're spending this much money, an extra $200 doesn't break the bank.

I’ll pay for what I want and need. But paying an extra $200-$400 for no real benefit is just silly. The A20 chip and adjustable camera aperture aren’t enough for me. But a new Apple modem that works with mmWave might have tipped the equation.

 

[JM]

Such a fickle person am I. 😐

I processed all of my thoughts, and used AI to help me wade through eveyrthing, and I landed (with help of course) on buying a 17 pro max as a tool that will make my day to life better.

That's it. No feelings of real joy or excitement like I did with the 14pro... this was a purely utilitarian purchase and it was time to move into the future with a larger phone. I'm not confident the 18promax would offer much of anything new or exciting, other than colors that likely would not be worth the extra $100-$300.

And the silver still is the safest and most appropriate color choice for me (which the 18 pro max would have anyway), so getting the 17pro max now in silver was the most logical, and rational choice I could make right now.

Not looking for confirmation or support for the decision... just felt like updating everyone in the thread with my ultimate decision (which very much seems like a reoccuring post throughout the forums).

I feel relieved that I don't have to mull over the decision to buy/notbuy anymore.

Time to update my Sig!

 

[Tsepz]

With all the talk in recent weeks about Apple’s price increases and the likelihood of the company rising prices on iPhones when the 18 Pro/Pro Max line is introduced, the 17 Pro/Pro Max has been looking more attractive. At least to me.

But now, with news that the U.S. versions of the new Pros are likely to stick with the same Qualcomm X80 modem, I’m thinking the 17 Pro and Pro Max are looking like a no-brainer. I’m sure the new A20 chips will bring certain functional advantages and improve battery life a bit more. But the C2 modem was also supposed to be a big part of the power picture.

I’m thinking a $200 price premium for an 18 Pro or Max over an equivalent 17 Pro or Max is looking like wasted money - especially if I keep Siri and AI turned off. And this doesn’t even factor in a likely $200 drop in the value of my current phone as a trade-in that is likely to occur if I wait for the 18 line. Am I alone in my thinking here? I’m happy to hear other opinions.

In all honesty I have always disliked the idea of allowing rumours to make my mind up, the 18 Pro rumours keep changing certain details, but if all of this does come true then yep I agree you made the right decision.
Rumours of 18 Pro aside, the 17 Pro/Pro Max are great devices on their own, the moment it was confirmed after launch that the 17 Pro Max has 12GB of RAM I just knew it was the upgrade I needed to get and I have been very happy with it, it will be even sweeter if the 18 Pro Max arrives with the same amount of RAM.

Sometimes you get lucky and upgrade on a particular year to a model that you are happy to stick with a LONG time.

Before the 17 Pro Max I had the 13 Pro Max for 4 years without any issues. It had a great amount of battery and RAM for the time, as well as the 120hz display and good cameras.

The 17 Pro Max feels very similar to me. Amazing battery life, great screen, really fast processor, 12gb RAM, and awesome cameras.

With Apple raising their prices so much, I’m more than happy to stick with the 17 Pro Max for a long time. The fact that they raised the prices so much on their other products just turns me off of giving them any additional $$$ simply for a “17S” type of upgrade.

I’ll see what the smartphone landscape looks like in 4-5 years. Who knows, maybe by then customers have revolted enough that Apple learns its lesson and lowers prices to reasonable levels (who am I kidding?), or maybe the AI bubble pops and RAM prices fall. Save your money and put it in an investment that grows over time, rather than lining Apple executives pockets who don’t give a damn about you.

No matter what new hardware comes out, the truth is that all that matters is the 3rd party apps on your phone. Even if you upgrade to the folding iPhone, YouTube is still going to simply play the same videos, AI chatbots will still run the exact same way, and any new hardware you get you will simply get used to or bored of within 6 months.

Agreed.
I have always felt that when Apple upgrade the RAM that’s when it’s worth jumping to the next iPhone, I went from 11 Pro Max (4GB RAM) to 13 Pro Max (6GB RAM + 120hz screen) to 15 Pro Max (8GB RAM) and now 17 Pro Max (12GB RAM).

 

[Antaris]

With all the talk in recent weeks about Apple’s price increases and the likelihood of the company rising prices on iPhones when the 18 Pro/Pro Max line is introduced, the 17 Pro/Pro Max has been looking more attractive. At least to me.

But now, with news that the U.S. versions of the new Pros are likely to stick with the same Qualcomm X80 modem, I’m thinking the 17 Pro and Pro Max are looking like a no-brainer. I’m sure the new A20 chips will bring certain functional advantages and improve battery life a bit more. But the C2 modem was also supposed to be a big part of the power picture.

I’m thinking a $200 price premium for an 18 Pro or Max over an equivalent 17 Pro or Max is looking like wasted money - especially if I keep Siri and AI turned off. And this doesn’t even factor in a likely $200 drop in the value of my current phone as a trade-in that is likely to occur if I wait for the 18 line. Am I alone in my thinking here? I’m happy to hear other opinions.

The only other big variable is the camera revamp; if the 18PM has the physical variable aperture, better sensors to capture even more light, detail and color, and front camera for those times you want to do a selfie or more practical needs, then it might still be a tipping point in its favor...?

A shame that the C2 isn't coming over, but aren't there numerous hurdles preventing it in the US with availability, licensing, carrier infrastructure in compliance, etc? (I'm a bit rusty in this area...) Plus, lack of mmWave, UW, or whatever it's called, despite lack of availability or reliability, would surely be deemed a step backward? (Imagine the adverts right now, like "Come get our new phone, it doesn't have mmHoobiedoobie feature like last year's model but few can really make use of it")