iPhone 17 Pro Max
Verdict
Apple's flagship at $1,199 — the best video capture on a phone, inside a deliberately closed system.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Best-in-class video capture, including ProRes
- On-device Apple Intelligence with no cloud round trip
- Industry-leading sustained performance and battery life
Cons
- Most new features deepen ecosystem lock-in rather than standing alone
- Slow adoption of open formats
- Heavy and expensive, with iterative external design
Specifications
| Key Features | 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, A19 Pro chip, 48MP Triple Camera system, 12GB RAM |
|---|
Editorial note
If you shoot video on a phone, the argument ends here: ProRes capture, the colour consistency across lenses, and the stabilisation are ahead of anything Android offers, and the gap widens the more demanding the shot. Apple Intelligence running on-device is fast and private in a way cloud assistants are not. The uncomfortable part of the review is what the innovation is actually optimised for. Most of what is new deepens the reasons to stay rather than the reasons to arrive — features that work beautifully between Apple devices and degrade or disappear outside them, and a continued reluctance to adopt open formats where a proprietary one keeps the ecosystem tighter. That is a defensible business strategy and a real cost to you if you own anything that is not Apple. It is also large, heavy, and expensive.
In-Depth Review
If you shoot video on a phone, the argument is short: ProRes capture, colour consistency across the lenses, and stabilisation are ahead of anything Android offers, and the gap widens as the shot gets harder. The A19 Pro and 12GB of RAM hold sustained performance where rivals throttle, and Apple Intelligence runs on-device — fast, and private in a way a cloud assistant is not.
The uncomfortable part of the review
Most of what is new deepens the reasons to stay in Apple's ecosystem rather than the reasons to arrive. Features work beautifully between Apple devices and degrade or vanish outside them, and Apple remains slow to adopt open formats where a proprietary one keeps the ecosystem tighter. That is a defensible business strategy and a genuine cost to you if you own anything that is not Apple.
The trade-offs
| For | Against |
|---|---|
| Best-in-class video, including ProRes | New features assume you are all-in on Apple |
| On-device AI, no cloud round trip | Slow to adopt open standards |
| Class-leading battery and sustained speed | Heavy, expensive, iterative exterior |
Who should buy
Video creators working on a phone, and people already invested across Apple hardware who will use the handoff. If openness or cross-platform flexibility matters to you, this is the wrong direction and an expensive one.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Alternatives to consider
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