Apple finally took the wraps off the iPhone 17 Pro at its September event. The phones run iOS 26, feature a new A19 Pro chip, bigger batteries, and camera upgrades, plus Apple Intelligence, the company’s AI rival to Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Pricing starts at $1,099 for the iPhone 17 Pro with 256GB, and $1,199 for the Pro Max. That looks like a jump from last year’s $999 iPhone 16 Pro.
But in reality, Apple is giving double the storage for the same price as the previous 256GB model. Any fears of tariffs driving up prices appear overblown.
The biggest design change is on the back. The camera array now stretches across the top, giving more room for the upgraded telephoto lens and a bigger battery.
Lenses remain clustered in the corner, but the aluminum unibody replaces titanium, which Apple says improves durability and heat dissipation.
The Ceramic Shield glass is three times more scratch-resistant, and Dynamic Island remains the only front display interruption.
New colors, including a surprisingly bright orange, inject some personality into a Pro line usually dominated by muted tones.
Cameras are more capable than ever. Optical zoom doubles to 8x for a 200mm equivalent focal length.
The main sensor is 56 percent larger, which should improve low-light performance and reduce reliance on sharpening. All three rear cameras shoot 48 megapixels, while the front offers 18 megapixels.
Video shooters get ProRes Raw support, giving more post-processing flexibility than standard ProRes—a serious upgrade for mobile creators.
Performance comes from the A19 Pro chip, which Apple says is 40 percent faster than the iPhone 16 Pro.
A new vapor chamber cooling system and aluminum frame help keep temperatures in check. iOS 26 adds “Liquid Glass,” a subtle transparency refresh across menus and notifications.
It doesn’t reinvent the interface, which should make it easy for existing users to adapt while keeping the OS feeling fresh.
Apple claims the iPhone 17 Pro has its largest battery yet, delivering the longest battery life ever on an iPhone, though testing will tell if that holds up in the real world.
The iPhone 17 Pro joins a broader Apple lineup, including the base iPhone 17, the iPhone Air, AirPods Pro 3 with live translation, and new Apple Watches, including Series 11, SE 3, and Watch Ultra 3.
