Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year.
As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:
- iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch display
Given the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and longer battery life. Nothing new.
It has been rumored that the Pro Max model will go one step further this year, though.
In March, it was rumored that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be approximately 5% thicker than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, likely in order to accommodate a larger battery. This would result in the iPhone 17 Pro Max having even longer battery life compared to the iPhone 17 Pro, which is not expected to be any thicker than the iPhone 16 Pro.
It was recently rumored that the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s battery capacity will reach the 5,000 mAh mark, up from 4,676 mAh for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The thickness rumor originated from Ice Universe, an account with more than 1.5 million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has previously shared accurate information about future Apple products.
In some years, the Pro Max gets some camera features before the Pro, but that is not expected to be the case this year. Both the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to be equipped with a trio of 48-megapixel rear cameras, along with an upgraded 24-megapixel front camera. No camera differences have been rumored yet.
It was initially rumored that the iPhone 17 Pro Max might have a smaller Dynamic Island compared to the iPhone 17 Pro and earlier models, but it was later reported that such a change might not be happening until next year. Even if it does happen this year, one source said the smaller Dynamic Island would be on all iPhone 17 models.
All in all, the iPhone 17 Pro Max might be pretty similar to the iPhone 17 Pro, beyond its larger screen and even bigger lead in battery life.