thoughts on 17 pro max

By Dennis Long, 10 January, 2026

Forum
Apple Hardware and Compatible Accessories

Hi, from people that have the iPhone 17 pro max
what are your thoughts?
What do you like and dislike about it?
How is your battery life?
What are your favorite features of it?
What are your least favorite features of it?
Note I'm looking from people that have the product if you don't have it you don't have experience with it. :)

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Comments

By Geovanni Bahena on Saturday, January 10, 2026 - 18:28

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Battery is by far, the main reason why I always get the pro max models.
After commute to work 5 days a week, using teams, outlook, and phone calls during breaks, most days, before going to bed, I am still at 60%.

I realize that may not b as important for everyone, but that is for me, at the top of the list.
Screen size:
Dictation is something i use offten, but there are times depending on situations, that simply is not practicle. Having a larger screen, makes me more affective when I need to type.

By Gar on Saturday, January 10, 2026 - 18:32

Hi,
In the past, I wouldn't have considered the Pro Max series, but after my 15 Pro bit the dust I wanted something with the highest level of battery possible. The 17 Pro Max has been great in that respect.
Feature-wise it's not remarkable, having come from the 15 Pro. The better things are obviously things like the camera system which I wouldn't notice, so I can't comment there.
The only exception is the thermal cooling which I literally noticed immediately during setup. My 15 Pro was blowing smoke out of its ears while the 17 Pro Max was barely sweating. When it does get warm, the 17 Pro Max cools down super quickly.
Hope this helps!

By Dennis Long on Saturday, January 10, 2026 - 19:15

These are the sort of things I'm looking for so thank you. Others who have this phone please feel free to chime in.

By Gar on Saturday, January 10, 2026 - 19:28

It's not necessarily a feature, but I would also draw attention to the phone's size. I would consider my hands to be fairly large and even then, the 17 Pro Max definitely shows its size. I can sort of operate it one-handed, but I imagine most people wouldn't be able to. I wouldn't say it's something that bothers me, and it can still fit in my pocket, but I would definitely recommend playing one in an Apple Store to get a sense of if you think it'd be too large for you or not.

By Dennis Long on Saturday, January 10, 2026 - 19:39

I don't have an apple store close by.