I don’t generally update my phone every year, but last year I opted to do the AT&T Up Next Anytime thing for $10/month. I figured I might as well get my money’s worth. I did not do the Up Next Anytime thing this year, and I plan on going back to my usual two year phone cycle.

I waited a bit to write this up, because I wanted to give myself time to forget the marketing spin around new features announced in the keynote.

Unboxing

Initial impression

Honestly, coming from the 16 Pro Max, it wasn’t a lot different. The orange color is pretty cool, though. I will say that the feel of the phone is different. Makes sense, since the 17 uses a different case material.

I do like the camera bump on the back going all the way across. It’s just a personal preference, but the previous design looked unbalanced to me.

Photography

The camera aspect of any new iPhone is usually the main selling point for me. This time around, they did make some changes.

The square sensor in the front camera is more useful than I initially thought. I’ve found myself using the landscape option quite a bit, but I’ve always manually set it. So far I haven’t seen the phone automatically adjust to fit everyone in frame.

48MP RAW is a nice touch. It only seems to work on the 1x and 4x cameras, but I appreciate it if I’m editing in Lightroom later. I’m still not a huge fan of the photo styles when shooting in HEIC, but maybe that’s because I never found one that really resonated with me.

The 8x zoom is really just a crop, but I’ve found use for it when I don’t have binoculars with me. Once in a while I’ll use it for a photo, but more often I use it when shooting video. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done.

The dedicated camera button was a game-changer for me when it arrived on the 16, and it’s just as welcome now. I don’t use it to adjust camera settings or as a trigger—only as a quick way to open the camera app.

Low light performance seems to have a slight boost over the 16, but it’s still no replacement for a DSLR on a tripod. Still, it’s handy to have when it’s the only camera you have with you. I typically use it at night to see if the auroras are out. If they are, I grab my big camera to shoot them.

I find myself using the iPhone camera more than I have in the past. I have a small Canon M6 that I typically use for general snapshots, but it’s been staying at home more. Just the telephoto options alone are worth choosing the iPhone instead. The only thing the iPhone can’t beat the Canon on is genuine depth of field. I’ve never been a fan of the artificial depth provided by the portrait option.

Videography

Video performance was one of the things I was most excited about when I upgraded to the 17. I have other camera options when capturing video, but much like the still cameras, those options stay at home more often.

I’m generally just capturing clips for Reels or other short form video, so it makes sense to just grab my phone. But even if I’m shooting something a little more formal, the iPhone does a solid job.

Stabilization on the 16 was excellent, and the 17 _feels_ like a slight improvement in that area. Everything just feels smooth, even if I’m walking while filming. The native camera app still has its limitations, so it’s worth checking out Black Magic Camera or another app that lets you get a little more granular with the settings. I use Final Cut Camera quite a bit, especially if I’m planning on editing a quick reel in Final Cut Pro on the iPad. It doesn’t quite give you as many options as the Black Magic app does, though.

I have experimented with shooting ProRes RAW open gate in Final Cut Camera, but it requires an external drive and it’s way more than I need for what I’m typically shooting. It’s nice to know it’s there though, if I ever actually need it.

I recently ordered a Moment case to go along with their VND filter. The case arrived a few weeks ago, but the VND won’t get here until next week. Once it arrives, I’m looking forward to being able to shoot 24fps at a 1/48 shutter speed.

Dual video capture options are interesting, but so far I haven’t found a use case for them in what I’m recording.

iPhone 17 Pro Max Samples

Other things

AI seems to run a little faster on the 17, but it’s barely noticeable. The addition of AI models in Shortcuts is awesome, but that’s an iOS 26 thing that I don’t think is specific to the 17.

I can’t speak to durability. Mostly because I’ve only had the phone for a month, but also because I’ve never actually dropped or otherwise damaged a phone (knock on wood.)

Battery life is solid. I rarely have to charge throughout the day. I just charge at night while I’m sleeping. If I’m shooting a lot of video, or if I spend the day playing AB Bounce, I do notice it’s a little lower when I plug it in at night. Otherwise, zero complaints on the battery.

Final thoughts

Like I said in the beginning, it’s not a huge upgrade from the iPhone 16. But if you’re still rocking an iPhone 12, it’s worth checking out.

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