Review: A Week With the iPhone 17 Pro

[Allen_Wentz]

I have only had the 17 PM in hand for a day now. So far so good. I thought I would hate the bright white ceramic back, which I do, but I never see it because the back side of the phone is always facing away from me. I would never dream of using a case on such a tough well-made phone.

Already I have just adjusted to where the 17 PM is just the phone in my pocket like there has always been a phone in my pocket for years. However, it will take me a long time to get accustomed to the new iOS.

 

[stealthytolkien]

Does the 17PM screen stay at full brightness (like when outdoors in full sun) longer than previous versions?

This. Thermal dimming happens pretty quickly on my 15 PM in a case and with a glass guard on. I’d love to know this too.

This might be the reason why Apple releases phones when summer is over lol

 

[Daguerratype]

To your point about when the vapor chamber "kicks in"... it doesn't. Vapor chambers are a purely physical process, there's no "on" or "off". When the liquid inside gets hot enough it evaporates. Due to pressure differences the steam naturally flows through the chamber to cooler areas. when it gets cool enough again it condenses back into liquid.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

The scratches on the backs of several of the new iPhone models has nothing to do with aluminum vs titanium. The backs of the corresponding previous models weren't titanium, they were glass, and in those previous models, they seemed to have had their color applied to the inside surface of the glass that you can't touch, and so you can't scratch it. The backs on the corresponding new models are partly glass, but the color seems to have been applied to the top surface of the glass, and partly aluminum, but the anodization process for the aluminum is performing as if it wasn't as high a grade of anodization as it should have been. It's a short matter of time before similar scratches start to appear on the other anodized areas of the housing. While the Deep Blue model seems to be scratching more, the Cosmic Orange models are also scratching somewhat.

Apple says the scratches on the backs of the store display iPhones have been caused by the Magsafe charger stands that the display models in the stores are placed on. I looked carefully at those charger stands in my local store, and as usual, the circumference of the charging/mounting puck doesn't have unusually sharp edges, and it's chamfered (beveled?). It's apparently aluminum though, and being a metal edge, it's conceivable that it could be scratching the backs of the store display models, especially when customers don't place the iPhones back onto these pucks carefully but instead scrub them around until the magnets stick. In my local Apple Store, I found there was something weird about many of these display stands that, as careful as I was, still often forced me to have to do this scrubbing action before the magnets would lock in. It seemed that sometimes this was because some of the new iPhones are so long that their bottom end would hit the base of the display stand as I was trying to place the phone back onto the stand, and this prevented me from easily moving some of these iPhones back onto the puck.

Maybe these are display stands designed for earlier iPhone models with different dimensions? Most non-Apple charging stands I've seen, though there are plenty of exceptions, aren't just a circular puck with its circumference exposed, but more of a puck embedded in a larger surface, usually a square, and maybe this design will prevent scratching from these chargers. Maybe this is what Apple should adopt in their stores.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Title should say Pro Max, but always enjoy your reviews!

 

[FatLouie]

So did you get no scratches on yours over the last week? Absolutely none?

The only thing that causes scratches is Apple chargers.

 

[raybo]

I got my 17 PM on September 19. Absolutely amazing, clear case went on immediately as with all my phones. The Orange looks spectacular in any light. I may even be able to find it without using my watch!

 

[raybo]

I have only had the 17 PM in hand for a day now. So far so good. I thought I would hate the bright white ceramic back, which I do, but I never see it because the back side of the phone is always facing away from me. I would never dream of using a case on such a tough well-made phone.

Already I have just adjusted to where the 17 PM is just the phone in my pocket like there has always been a phone in my pocket for years. However, it will take me a long time to get accustomed to the new iOS.

I would never think of going without a protective case on a phone that cost me $1500, a phone I plan to keep for at least 5 years. The clear case allows me to enjoy the beautiful orange without worrying about dents and shatters.

 

[punitnaker]

Returned my Cosmic Orange Pro Max today for Silver. Its first phone I’ve ever returned as the color feels like the way to go in principle but just didn’t feel like something I could live with for a couple of years.

 

[victorvictoria]

I recently got the iPhone 16 Pro, since the 256GB model was on sale for $899. As yet, I've seen nothing to convince me to upgrade. My wife as an iPHone 11 (not the pro, but with 256GB), and she's been complaining about the camera since seeing some of the photos I can take with mine. But I think we've decided to buy her a 17 Pro when the iPhone 18 comes out. The savings are significant, and even the 16 has features neither of us use.

 

[Newbee2025]

Keep seeing posts saying iPhone pro users would not buy the iPhone air. After going pro since the first iPhone pro the air has been a welcomed breath of fresh air and incredibly innovative. Feels like new tech for once. I find it super boring to keep going pro with heavier and larger bulk each year and would dare say many of you would be pleasantly surprised by going iPhone air instead of pro specially if also been a pro user for years like myself.

 

[bLackjackj]

iPhones may be scratching in stores, but that appears to be

Completely wrong! There are reports everywhere of scratching of phones in daily use! Just because

Dan has handled his with kit gloves at home, does not make this real world testing Lol

 

[Red 2]

A week on with my launch day 17 PM Deep Blue, bought direct from Apple.
Coming from a 15PM, I must confess I don't really notice the increase in weight when holding one handed, the design team got the weight distribution pretty well spot on. Longer battery life, 8x telephoto and lack of overheating are all very real day to day benefits that I use and really appreciate.
Elephant in the room? The risk of scratches to the rather lovely finish had me concerned as soon as online reporting started. Had a little buyer's wobble, should I swap to silver?
So, on the basis it could be returned and swapped, did a short real life test. Fitted a screen protector but used it caseless for the working week. It got shoved in trouser pockets that, as sadly in real life, mistakenly had keys in them , rucksacks , laid on desks, car cubby holes etc. and charged using my Apple MagSafe chargers. Astonished that genuinely no scratches to the blue finish. Now, not naive enough to think this is a miracle finish resistant to a couple of years of abuse so, as is normal for my iPhones, a case will be going on (that will also protect the high risk otherwise exposed corners of the camera plateau) but I'm much happier now on durability, especially for the residual exposed flat camera plateau.
Overall, very pleased with the 17PM. Many more real benefits to me than the 15PM upgrade was and this one feels like a keeper.
And I'll stick with the Deep Blue. Life on the edge!

 

[CATiNTHESTORE]

Is this a reference to the matrix? Red or blue pill?

 

[CATiNTHESTORE]

a week in here too. No scratches. No issues. Camera is *excellent*.

Sample images attached (Warsaw + London)


View attachment 2559514


View attachment 2559519


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First photo gives me vibe from City 17, half-life 2

 

[SSDGUY]

While I totally respect your opinion and most people who shoot casually will absolutely love iPhone 17 Pro cameras, I feel like HDR came way too far, and Apple doing nothing about it.

Imagine if you walk into sunset and from a distance you look like a shadow, due to how light works. And then iPhone decides to use SmartHDR, Deep Fusion and Photonic Engine all at once to get you out of this shadow. And I am not even making this up at this point! It happened to me even with such an ancient device as 11 Pro, but on it at least I can disable HDR whenever I want to, I do still have that toggle in camera settings! Also the burst shutter trick works to avoid this.

But what truly makes all iPhone photos look same and “stand out” in a bad sense is this, stole that example from Reddit but I guess everyone got that:

View attachment 2559461

I mean, what is that? All iPhones since 12 shoot sunsets like this. I have never ever seen similar sunsets in real life, this is not how it actually looks.

I am pretty sure older iPhones had more balanced photo output.

And sunsets is the only one example, it happens everywhere: when shooting buildings, daytime landscapes, even greenery and trees. I think Apple should give way to opt out of this cheap-looking AI stuff on new phones

For a while now iphone camera color rendering have been whacked. I really notice it hypes yellow and greens into nearly fluorescent tones. Grrrr! If I want that look, just let me use a filter after shooting.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

I have the 17 Pro and it’s been great. I charge only every other day.

 

[Esko4040]

Apple's iPhone 17 models have been out for a week now, so we thought we'd do a longer-term review of the flagship iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max now that we've been able to spend more time with them.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has a Silver iPhone 17 Pro and a Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max, and despite a lot of concern over scratches and the state of iPhone 17 Pro models in Apple Stores, they remain in pristine condition with caseless home use. iPhones may be scratching in stores, but that appears to be less common in daily use at this point.

Apple used Ceramic Shield 2 for the front of the iPhone 17 Pro models, and made some big claims about its scratch resistance. So far, the iPhone 17 Pro's display is holding up. Dan's been testing the display with keys, coins, and other common pocket items, but there isn't a single scratch. With past iPhones, sticking a key in your pocket was a sure way to cause damage.

The display is supposed to have an anti-reflective layer, but it's hard to notice a difference compared to the iPhone 16 Pro. It's definitely a subtle change and not a major selling point.

Dan has already seen major improvements with the updated vapor chamber cooling system and aluminum frame for thermal management. Unlike the iPhone 16 Pro models, the iPhone 17 Pro models barely get warm.

There's been time for more substantial battery life testing a week in, and both the 17 Pro and Pro Max have impressive gains. The 17 Pro Max in particular can last for hours longer than the 16 Pro Max, but it's definitely heavier and thicker than before.

The front camera is a major improvement in terms of quality, and selfies look much better than before. The option to take a wider-angle landscape selfie is great for group shots. As for the new Telephoto lens that supports up to 8x optical zoom, as long as you have solid lighting, your 8x shots will look great. Low-light performance isn't as solid, but the 4x lens still performs well in poorer lighting.

If you're still on the fence about upgrading from an older phone to one of the iPhone 17 Pro models, it's potentially worth it. The thermal changes make a huge difference, Apple's claims about scratch resistance seem to be true, and battery life will be night and day. If you already have an iPhone 17 Pro, let us know what you think of it in the comments below.

Article Link: Review: A Week With the iPhone 17 Pro

Hey could we get those wallpapers. They look really good

 

[svish]

Good video. Eagerly waiting for my 17 Pro Max to be delivered. Went and saw the new colors in store and love the orange. Looking forward to using it soon.

 

[MLVC]

Haven't used a case since I got it, just normal everyday use and no scratches at all. Not sure why some people find that so hard to believe.

Second the request for the wallpapers, make it normal to just share those things.

 

[Ramchi]

I think iPhone Cameras are always great and one do not have to upgrade the iPhones for Cameras. Scratching is not an issue for me since I apply screen guard and case from the first moment I take it out of the box. I owned iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro Max and now iPhone 15 Pro Max (since 20 months or so). I do not see any great reason to buy 17 Pro Max at this point. There is no compelling reasons even with vapour chamber (I do not face any heating problems with my 15PM), increased RAM etc…I am bit concerned about the downgrading the housing to Aluminium. The price is also very very high in my place (1 TB 17PM is $2400) which is also discouraging me from buying iPhones. I may upgrade to iPhone 19 or 20 if they really change the material to Titanium.

 

[UltimaKilo]

If you have a 12 or older, this is the year to upgrade. However, given how much more dramatic the iPhone 18 Pro line is gearing up to be (based on early rumors), if you can wait an extra year, you should, especially with an iPhone 13/14 Pro or newer.

Heck, if the rumors are correct, I could see even many iPhone 15 Pro users upgrading next year.

 

[Sputman99]

Excellent UI that you can’t actually see properly - who did this? Who passed this UI - it breaks every rule of a good UI

 

[A1423]

We need a Review of a week on the Apple Watch Ultra 3. I know my experience is that its smoother, faster, and the battery life is WOW. Been off the charger for 48 hour and still at 47% battery life. Maybe 3 nights of wearing it in a row. Way better then the Ultra 1st gen that needed charged every other night.

I’m at 24ish hours and I’m at 64%. The day before I was at like 75% for the same timeframe.

I just can’t not charge the thing when I SSS. By the time I’m done with everything, it’s at 100%. But it’s nice knowing that if I can’t for whatever reason, I’ll be good.

 

[roncron]

Preordered a silver 17 Pro for launch day arrival, so I’ve been using it now for a full week.

Killer battery life. 12-15 hours of active use on a single charge. Better than my 15 Pro Max when it was new.

The cameras are all better - bigger sensors, more detail, better low light performance. I prefer the 4x/8x zoom to the 5x zoom on the 15PM (though the 5x zoom was phenomenal compared to previous iPhones with shorter zooms).

The “regular” iPhone 17 now with promotion always on display and 6.3” display is the first non pro phone I seriously considered. In the end, though, I’m glad I went with the Pro.

Usually use in a case, but no screen protector and no scratches on the display.