Apple has officially launched the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max at its highly anticipated “Awe Dropping” event on September 9, 2025. These two flagship smartphones mark a major leap in Apple’s iPhone lineup, debuting significant performance enhancements, design refinements, and massive camera upgrades. Alongside the standard iPhone 17 and the all-new iPhone Air, the Pro models highlight Apple’s continued push into AI-powered smartphones with Apple Intelligence baked into iOS 26.

Price and Availability

Apple has positioned the Pro models at the premium end of its portfolio:

iPhone 17 Pro: Starting at $1,099 (₹1,34,900 in India) for the 256GB variant.

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Starting at $1,199 (₹1,49,900 in India) for the 256GB variant.

Both devices will be available in Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, and Silver color options.

Pre-orders open: September 12, 2025

Global sales begin: September 19, 2025

Design and Build

Unlike last year’s titanium-clad Pro models, Apple has returned to an aluminum unibody design for the iPhone 17 Pro series. The shift to aluminum doesn’t compromise premium aesthetics, thanks to a “full-width camera plateau” at the rear, which blends seamlessly into the back panel.

Interestingly, while the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max feature aluminum builds, the new iPhone Air opts for titanium, creating a distinct design separation between Apple’s Pro and Air lineups.

Display Upgrades

Both Pro models feature brighter, smoother, and more durable displays:

iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED

iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED

Key display features include:

ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz

Peak brightness of 3,000 nits, ensuring top-tier outdoor visibility

Ceramic Shield 2 protection with Apple’s new coating, claimed to offer 3x better scratch resistance compared to previous models

Performance: A19 Pro with Vapour Chamber Cooling

At the heart of the iPhone 17 Pro series lies the A19 Pro chip, Apple’s most advanced processor yet. Key highlights include:

6-core CPU and 6-core GPU, each GPU core integrated with neural accelerators

Up to 40% better sustained performance compared to the A18 Pro

Optimized for AI-driven tasks under Apple Intelligence

For the first time, Apple introduces a vapour chamber cooling system in its iPhones. This new thermal design ensures higher sustained performance during demanding workloads such as high-end gaming, AR applications, and professional video editing.

Camera: Triple 48MP Imaging System

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max mark a historic first for Apple’s camera system—all three rear cameras now feature 48MP sensors:

48MP Primary Wide (f/1.6, OIS, advanced low-light performance)

48MP Ultra-Wide (wider field of view, improved edge correction)

48MP Telephoto (major upgrade from 12MP predecessor, now with 8x optical zoom and up to 40x digital zoom)

The telephoto camera is 56% larger, delivering sharper detail, better low-light results, and industry-leading zoom capabilities.

On the front, Apple has equipped the devices with an 18MP Centre Stage camera, intelligently reframing selfies and video calls with AI-based subject tracking.

Software and Apple Intelligence Integration

Both Pro models run on iOS 26, fully optimized for Apple Intelligence—Apple’s proprietary AI suite. Features include:

Smarter Siri with contextual awareness

AI-powered photo and video editing

On-device text generation and summarization

Enhanced privacy features thanks to on-device AI processing

Conclusion

The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are more than just incremental upgrades—they represent Apple’s commitment to performance, AI integration, and camera innovation. With the A19 Pro chip, vapour chamber cooling, triple 48MP cameras, and super-bright displays, these devices set a new benchmark for flagship smartphones.

For users seeking cutting-edge power, next-level photography, and the smoothest iOS experience yet, the iPhone 17 Pro series is shaping up to be Apple’s most compelling Pro lineup to date.