Apple today introduced iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max with a striking new design that delivers a dramatic leap in performance. Both models feature A19 Pro, the most powerful and efficient chip for iPhone yet, enabling the advanced camera systems, next-level mobile gaming, and Apple Intelligence. Built with an Apple-designed vapor chamber that is laser-welded into a strong, light, and thermally conductive aluminum unibody, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max deliver Apple’s best-ever performance and an enormous leap in battery life. Three 48MP Fusion cameras — Main, Ultra Wide, and an all-new Telephoto — offer the equivalent of eight lenses, including the longest optical-quality zoom ever on iPhone at 8x, and the innovative 18MP Center Stage front camera takes selfies to the next level. With new industry-first video features built for pro filmmakers and content creators, including ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2, and genlock, iPhone integrates even more seamlessly into the largest and smallest of productions. Both models feature the Ceramic Shield 2 front cover with 3x better scratch resistance, and for the first time, Ceramic Shield protects the back of iPhone.
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are available in three beautiful new finishes — deep blue, cosmic orange, and silver. Pre-orders begin Friday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 19.
“iPhone 17 Pro is by far the most powerful iPhone we’ve ever made, with a stunning new design rebuilt from the inside out to maximize performance and deliver an enormous leap in battery life,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, in a statement. “With three 48MP Fusion cameras, a new Center Stage front camera experience, and pro-level video features, the creative opportunities are endless. iPhone 17 Pro sets a new standard for the smartphone industry and is a massive upgrade for our most demanding users.”
A New Design for Higher Sustained Performance
The new brushed aluminum unibody design is crafted with a lightweight aerospace-grade 7000-series aluminum alloy to deliver the best-ever thermal performance in an iPhone. On the back, the plateau creates additional space for internal components — making room for a larger battery. The antennas are integrated around the perimeter for the highest-performing antenna system ever in an iPhone.
The forged plateau creates extra space for components — making room for a larger battery.
The new internal architecture features an Apple-designed vapor chamber to enhance heat dissipation and performance. Deionized water is sealed inside the vapor chamber, which is laser-welded into the aluminum 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 aluminum unibody, where it is distributed evenly through the system, managing power and surface temperatures to deliver incredible performance while remaining comfortable to hold. The unibody design creates space for a larger battery, and with the efficiency of A19 Pro and advanced power management of iOS 26, iPhone 17 Pro Max offers the best battery life ever in an iPhone. And, both models can charge 50 percent in 20 minutes with an optional high-wattage USB-C power adapter like Apple’s new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max.
A Gorgeous Display and Industry-Leading Durability
Available in 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch sizes, the Super Retina XDR display is protected by Ceramic Shield 2, tougher than any smartphone glass or glass-ceramic, with a new Apple-designed coating for 3x better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection to reduce glare. The gorgeous displays feature ProMotion up to 120Hz, Always-On, and 3000 nits of peak outdoor brightness — the highest ever on iPhone — and 2x better outdoor contrast. For the first time, Ceramic Shield protects the back of the devices, delivering 4x better resistance to cracks than the back glass on previous models.
For the first time, Ceramic Shield protects the back of iPhone, and Ceramic Shield 2 has a new Apple-designed coating for 3x better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection to reduce glare.
A19 Pro: The Most Powerful and Efficient iPhone Chip Ever
A19 Pro is Apple’s most capable iPhone chip yet. When paired with the Apple-designed vapor chamber, A19 Pro enables iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max to deliver up to 40 percent better sustained performance than the previous generation — ideal for gaming, video editing, and running large local language models. The 6-core CPU is the fastest CPU in any smartphone, and the 6-core GPU architecture includes 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, stunning graphics, and AAA gaming titles like Arknights: Endfield, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and higher frame rates.
The iPhone 17 lineup also introduces N1, a new Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. In addition to powering the latest generation of wireless technologies, N1 improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.
A Pro Camera System for More Creative Possibilities
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max feature Apple’s best-ever camera systems with higher-resolution sensors front and back — equivalent to having eight pro lenses in a user’s pocket. Three 48MP Fusion cameras capture sharper and more detailed images. A new 48MP Telephoto camera has a next-generation tetraprism design with a sensor that is 56 percent larger than the previous generation to improve sharpness in bright light and bring more detail to darker shots. The new 4x optical zoom at 100mm offers a classic lens for portraiture, while the 8x optical zoom at 200mm, the longest ever on iPhone, provides longer reach and more creative choice. With the updated Photonic Engine, the image pipeline uses more machine learning to preserve natural detail, reduce noise, and provide significantly improved color accuracy. Digital zoom also increases up to 40x for photos, and users have even more options for customizing their photos with next-generation Photographic Styles, including a new Bright style available in iOS 26 that brightens skin tones and applies a pop of vibrance across the image.
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max introduce a brand-new Center Stage front camera that advances the photo and video experience. The Center Stage front camera features the first square front camera sensor on iPhone, offering a wider field of view and higher resolution — up to 18MP for photos — to capture more detail. Users can now take photos and videos in portrait or landscape while holding their iPhone vertically. For group selfies, Center Stage for photos uses AI to automatically expand the field of view and can rotate from portrait to landscape to include everyone in the frame. The Center Stage front camera also enables ultra-stabilized video in 4K HDR, and users can now record on the front and rear cameras simultaneously with Dual Capture — perfect for speaking directly to camera while documenting behind-the-scenes action. During calls over FaceTime or third-party apps, Center Stage for video calls keeps users stable and positioned in frame.
The Center Stage front camera features a larger, square sensor that allows for high-resolution photos and videos in any orientation — users no longer have to rotate their iPhone to take a landscape selfie.
Industry-Leading Video Capabilities
With powerful features like Dolby Vision HDR recording, 4K120 fps, ProRes Log, and support for ACES, iPhone already leads the industry in smartphone video capture. iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max unlock even more creative possibilities as the first smartphones to support ProRes RAW, Log 2, and genlock, a technique used to precisely synchronize video across multiple cameras and inputs. This helps creatives achieve accurate, professional-looking transitions and advanced creative techniques without hours of manual frame-by-frame alignment. Genlock is supported by the new Blackmagic Design Camera ProDock, and ProRes RAW is supported by Final Cut Camera and Blackmagic Camera, with APIs available to developers.
eSIM: A Flexible, Convenient, and Secure Connection
eSIM is a digital SIM that offers greater flexibility, better security, and seamless connectivity compared to traditional physical SIM cards. An industry standard, eSIM is supported by over 500 carriers worldwide, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and more. eSIM-only models of iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available in Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the U.S., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These models feature an even larger battery, taking advantage of the space formerly occupied by the physical SIM to provide two additional hours of video playback, getting up to 39 hours. eSIM also makes staying connected while traveling even more convenient, allowing continued connectivity through affordable international roaming plans from users’ home carriers or local prepaid options available with more than 200 carriers. For better security, eSIM cannot be physically removed if an iPhone is lost or stolen, and managing travel eSIMs is even easier with a new streamlined setup in iOS 26.
Featuring iOS 26 with New Apple Intelligence Capabilities
iOS 26 elevates the iPhone experience with a beautiful new design, powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities, and meaningful improvements to the apps users rely on every day. The new design with Liquid Glass makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful, bringing greater focus to content while keeping iOS instantly familiar. Apple Intelligence now translates text and audio on the go with Live Translation, helping users communicate across languages in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. Updates to visual intelligence allow users to capture a screenshot and easily search or take action on anything they are viewing on their iPhone screen. The on-device foundation model at the core of Apple Intelligence is available to all developers, with apps already offering new intelligent, privacy-protected experiences that can even be used when offline. New screening tools for calls and messages help eliminate distractions so users can focus on the conversations that matter most. iOS 26 also introduces new features in CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet, as well as Apple Games, a brand-new app that gives players a single destination for all their games.
Beautiful New Accessories
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max introduce new accessories:
• The TechWoven Case has a new technical woven fabric that uses multiple colored yarns, creating a dimensional texture and rich depth of color, while a protective coating provides resistance to scratches and stains. TechWoven cases will be available in five colors: black, blue, purple, sienna, and green.
• The iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case with MagSafe is crafted with a blend of clear polycarbonate and flexible materials with scratch-resistant coating on the interior and exterior.
• The Silicone Case with MagSafe will be available in six beautiful colors: orange, terra cotta, neon yellow, purple fog, midnight, and black.
• The new Crossbody Strap can be paired with the TechWoven Case and Silicone Case, giving users a hands-free way to wear iPhone. Crafted from 100 percent recycled yarn, the smooth strap drapes comfortably, with embedded flexible magnets and stainless steel sliding mechanisms to easily adjust the length and keep both straps securely aligned. The Crossbody Strap will be available in 10 colors: black, light gray, blue, light blue, purple, sienna, green, neon yellow, tan, and orange.
iPhone 17 Pro and the Environment
Apple 2030 is the company’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are made with 30 percent recycled content, including 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery and 100 percent recycled gold plating in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards. Both models are manufactured with 40 percent renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the supply chain. They are also designed to be durable, repairable, and offer industry-leading software support, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safe chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.
Pricing and Availability
• iPhone 17 Pro will be available in double the entry storage, 256GB, as well as 512GB and 1TB. iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and for the first time, 2TB storage capacities. Available in cosmic orange, deep blue, and silver, iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 (U.S.) or $45.79 (U.S.) per month, and iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 (U.S.) or $49.95 (U.S.) per month.
• Apple offers great ways to save and upgrade to the latest iPhone models. With Apple Trade In, customers can get $200 to $700 (U.S.) in credits when they trade in iPhone 13 or newer. Apple also partners with select carriers to offer incredible deals, and customers can get up to $1,100 (U.S.) in credits when they trade in iPhone 13 or newer — in any condition — to put toward iPhone 17 Pro. Customers can take advantage of carrier deals by visiting the Apple Store online or an Apple Store location. For carrier deal eligibility requirements and more details, see apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/carrier-offers. To see what their device is worth and for trade-in terms and conditions, customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in.
• Customers in more than 63 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, the U.S., and Vietnam, will be able to pre-order iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max beginning at 5 a.m. PDT this Friday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 19. iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will be available in 22 other countries and regions beginning Friday, September 26.
• iOS 26 will be available as a free software update on Monday, September 15. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.
• Apple Intelligence is available in beta with support for these languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Japanese, and Korean. More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
• Apple is extending free access to satellite features for an additional year for existing iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users. The free trial will be extended for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users who have activated their device in a country that supports Apple’s satellite features prior to 12 a.m. PT on September 9, 2025. For satellite feature availability, visit support.apple.com/en-us/105097.
• A TechWoven Case with MagSafe will be available for $59 (U.S.), a Clear Case will be available for $49 (U.S.), a Silicone Case with MagSafe will be available for $49 (U.S.), and a Crossbody Strap will be available for $59 (U.S.). A FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe will also be available for $59 (U.S.) in black, navy, midnight, purple, fox orange, and moss.
• The Apple-designed 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max will be available for $39 (U.S.), and a Qi2 25W-certified MagSafe Charger will be available in a 1-meter length for $39 (U.S.) or a 2-meter length for $49 (U.S.).
• AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new iPhone, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple Experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
• iCloud+ plans start at just $0.99 (U.S.) per month, providing additional storage to keep photos, videos, files, and more safe in the cloud and accessible across devices. iCloud+ also gives access to premium features such as event creation in the Apple Invites app, as well as Private Relay, Hide My Email, Custom Email Domains, and HomeKit Secure Video. With Family Sharing, users can share their subscription with five other family members at no extra cost.
• Customers who purchase iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max may receive three free months of Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple News+, and Apple TV+ with a new subscription. Offer and services availability varies by region. See apple.com/promo for details.
MacDailyNews Note: An iPhone 17 Pro Max with 2TB storage costs $1999.
MacDailyNews Take: We’ll be ordering iPhone 17 Pro Max units, but not with 2TB storage!
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
2nd year, 4th Apple keynote in a row with disappointment ; (
This show was supposed to be the first real not virtual, first exciting “one more thing” show in at least 3 years and with iStevesque innovation, but yet again, and amidst wide fan/analyst negativity on Apple being mere iterations updater with zero innovation/mojo anymore, Tim Cook again does not give a shhh to respect Apple’s DNA?!
The iPhone 17 PRo & Pro Max: the first time they have barely any difference?! Just the space (2TB) & size (6.9 vs 6.3”), with not even a different web page for Max.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max vs 16 Pro Max is barely different, except for:
A19 Pro chip now + triple 48MP vs 2×48+12 + 12GB RAM vs 8 + 3000 nits vs 2000 + periscope cam 4x & 8x digital zoom vs 5x + now anti-reflective coating, that’s it, that’s all
Here the comparison:
https://www.phonearena.com/reviews/iphone-17-pro-max-vs-iphone-16-pro-max_id7209
As for rest of keynote vs expectations:
not Live, still virtual since C19 2020
iPhone 17 Pro Max afterthought, despite unibody alu vs tit
iWatch Ultra 3 like 2, no big change
no iPad Pro (bigger than 13”, since 2015!)
no new AppleTV
No new Apple screen
no AirTag 2
no SmartHome product or robot arm
no HomePod 3
no Generative ai strategy
no acquisition of Perplexity or Mistral
This is not how Apple will survive without a Blackberry Moment, not how iSteve will rest in peace…WTF 🍎🍏⁉️😳🤨🤯
Many more new products will come within a year, I wish Siri was better already but it’s coming. The one stat from the show everyone should remember is that 50 billion selfies were taken with iPhones last year. Apple will be just fine for many years to come. For all the AI hype no one is even close to Apple when it comes to consumer hardware sales. Commoditized AI software will continue coming to iPhones because that’s where the money is, it has nowhere else to go to get into the hands of high-end customers.
Clearly you don’t understand Apple.
If by “ Apple will be just fine for many years to come” you mean they will make lots of money and sell lots of products, then yes, they will be fine. If you mean that Apple will be a driving force in tech innovation and development, then no. Apple has had no market transforming, jump the curve technology advancement since the original iPhone and iPad.
Have they made some interesting products since iPad? Yes. But nothing transformative. Not to mention they have done very little to keep their software a draw for new customers. Their ecosystem, once the envy of the world, is a disaster. And, Apple is no longer committed to controlling their products top to bottom. Because the can’t fix things like Siri which was release 24 years ago, they are now buying their R&D from others companies.
If you think that’s Apple being just fine, then you really don’t understand Apple.
Ho-hum! The only reason I upgraded from my iPhone Pro 12 was because it was getting hard to charge it. I bought a 16 pro. Now if they would offer a holigraphic display or 14 day battery life I might be interested. I did like the iPadOS 26 windowing, I was surprised they did that. Maybe they should talk to Elon about the new Aluminum ion batteries.
Watching Tim Cook is about as exciting as watching paint dry.
We all know Apple likes to slow roll items out throughout the month of September. If they release everything, then some things won’t get any spotlight. Been this way for years.
These over-produced pre-recorded presentations have to end. During COVID, we understood. But in 2025 it just looks bad. Recognizing that Tim has about as much personality as toilet paper, I get it. But get the other guys and girls out there. Hell, if Cook invited Trump to talk about investing in the US, he’d have the most watched presentation ever. (And perhaps the longest… LOL)
I am the only “Apple person” who just isn’t all that interested anymore?
I used to be. Now I look at my iPhone 13 Pro Max and my Apple Watch 6 and think…. Can I just change the batteries?
I’d like a new Apple TV, but would I care once I got it? Are Snoopy screen savers worth it?
I do appreciate my iPad Pro 13 M4 for the great screen. That’s the only reason I got it. I watch a lot of tv/videos on it.
Commodities aren’t usually that exciting.
It’s getting REALLY painful to sit back and watch Tim Cook just destroy Apple, year after year!
1 – Where is the MINI! TONS of people want/need a NEW MINI!
2 – Where is an update to PRO market – MacPro and Display? 800+ days since updated
3 – Apple TV – over 1,000 days since updated…
4 – HomePod – almost 1,000 days…
These events are terrible! Go back to LIVE events, with an audience.
Announce, Release and Show Financials in ONE/SAME quarter, so metrics are accurate.
“Available Today” – gets you tons of excitement and TONS of free press, showing popularity and demand – something Steve Jobs understood and Tim Cook does not!
Make sure you manufacture enough supply to meet the demand, in the holiday timeframe.
Fix all the terrible software, that just keeps getting worse and worse. “Music” (iTunes( is terrible!
Poor acquisitions – Beats was embarrassing! Steve would have our R&D them and made a better product for less, and then our marketed them. Tim doesn’t have the vision and balls to do that.
Speaking of acquisitions, Apple SHOULD have purchased ChatGBT, Adobe and Avid. Those would make WAY more sense to serve the ecosystem.
When you do these events, and gather attention, release ALL of your products. Don’t waste peoples time on jerking around for various releases on various weeks.
It’s beyond time for Tim Cook to retire and step aside!
A more general perspective:
Jobs regularly created product excitement/anticipation by highlighting what one could do…being creative/productive.
Cook’s AAPL highlights; weights, colors, materials new cooling, juicier photos or (inconsequential) iPh straps…essentially speeds/feeds noise of early oughts.
Inclusion of the human’s part is way more enduring and magnetic. Wooden is boring and gets passed by higher tech tomorrow.
Jobs valued Cook’s operational genius but recognized he wasn’t driven by product vision or design in the way Jobs himself was.
In Walter Isaacson’s biography Steve Jobs (2011), Jobs is quoted as saying:
“Tim’s not a product person, per se.”
He went on to say that while Cook was extremely capable in operations, he wasn’t the one to bet on for creative product breakthroughs.
Cook himself has openly acknowledged this difference. In interviews, he’s described Jobs as “the ultimate product person,” whereas Cook sees his strengths in leadership, efficiency, and bringing teams together to execute.
I’ll echo the comments by others that Apple needs to stop with these canned presentations. There are a large number of things wrong with them. A partial list (out of many) is…
Stop it with the music interludes at 6 dB or more louder than any presenter. I had to turn the sound on my computer down then up many, many times in order to not have my ears blasted by the music then increase it to hear what presenters are saying.
Cut down on the number of presenters. Apple does not need a different presenter for each and every nuance of each and every product. Get people to present that know about the details of the products and have a passion for it.
Have Tim Cook open things up and return at the end to close things out — but otherwise disappear. Cook has never, ever had stage presence.
The presentations need to be made in front of live audiences. Why did they build that big theater anyway? Seeing the live feedback of the audience will cause an instant reaction to each and every presenter. That reaction will be observable — and if, as I’m sure Apple hopes, the live audience feedback is very positive then the emotional contagion will show up in the presenter too. Jobs took great advantage of that in his presentations!
Bring major partners to the stage to tell the live audience what those partners are doing with this new item that no one could ever do before. This all by itself will cause developers to step up and do new things. Apple is not, and never will be, the best and sole source for all things that run on Apple devices.
The list could go on and on and on. Apple needs to get back to presentations of 20 or more years ago that used to wow people and had them either lining up to buy new devices or overloading the pre-orders so initial wait times for devices were many, many weeks.