This Year, Apple Has Significantly Redesigned The iPhone 17 Pro Series. After Using Titanium For The Past Two Years, Apple Has Switched To A Unibody Aluminum Chassis, Paired With A Partial Ceramic Shield Glass Back.

By Integrating Metal And Glass Through A Hybrid Panel Design, The New iPhone 17 Pro Line Achieves Improved Heat Dissipation While Ensuring Wireless Charging Performance Is Not Compromised.

In Addition, Apple Has Incorporated Network Antennas Into The Raised Rear Camera Module, Further Enhancing Overall Signal Reception And Connectivity Performance.

Since The iPhone 17 Pro Series No Longer Uses A Titanium Frame, Both The iPhone 17 Pro And iPhone 17 Pro Max Are About 5g Heavier Than Their Predecessors. While The Numbers Do Show A Slight Increase, The Difference Is Barely Noticeable In Everyday Use. Interestingly, When Compared With The iPhone 14 Pro Series, This Year’s iPhone 17 Pro Is Actually 2g Lighter, And The iPhone 17 Pro Max Is Even 9g Lighter Than Before.

However, When Comparing The iPhone 17 Pro And The iPhone 17 Pro Max Directly, The Weight Difference Reaches As Much As 27g—Nearly Equivalent To The Weight Of A Silicone Protective Case. If Screen Size Is Not Your Top Priority, Commuters May Want To Opt For The Lighter iPhone 17 Pro, Which Is Also Better Suited For One-Handed Use. On The Other Hand, If You Mostly Use Your Phone Indoors, At A Fixed Spot, Or Frequently With A Phone Stand, Choosing The Larger iPhone 17 Pro Max Is Also A Perfectly Reasonable Option.

Aside From Sharing The Same Body Materials, Exterior Design, And Protection Features, The iPhone 17 Pro And iPhone 17 Pro Max Are Also Available In Exactly The Same Color Options For The Taiwan Market. These Include The Signature Color Of The Year, “Cosmic Orange,” Along With “Silver” And “Deep Blue.” You May Have Noticed That The iPhone 17 Pro Series Does Not Offer Black Or Space Gray This Year. If You Prefer Darker Tones, We Recommend Choosing The “Deep Blue” Variant And Pairing It With A Black Protective Case For A Sleek Look.

The Main Difference Between The iPhone 17 Pro And The iPhone 17 Pro Max This Year Lies In Screen Size. The iPhone 17 Pro Features A 6.3-Inch OLED Display, While The iPhone 17 Pro Max Comes With A Larger 6.9-Inch OLED Display. For Everyday Use, The 6.3-Inch iPhone 17 Pro Is More Suitable For One-Handed Operation And Feels More Secure To Hold Without Worrying About The Phone Being Too Large. If You Mainly Watch Videos Or Play Games On An iPad Or Computer, And Rarely Use Your Phone For Work Tasks Or Email Management, The iPhone 17 Pro Would Be The Better Choice For You.

Although The 6.9-Inch iPhone 17 Pro Max Is Less Convenient For One-Handed Use, If You Don’t Own Other Devices Such As A Tablet Or Computer And Your Smartphone Is Your Only Digital Device, Choosing The Larger-Screen iPhone 17 Pro Max Is Highly Recommended, As It Offers A More Comfortable Viewing Experience For Your Eyes. In Addition, If You Enjoy Playing Open-World Exploration RPGs Or Other Action-Oriented AAA Games, The Larger Display Of The iPhone 17 Pro Max Is Strongly Recommended, As It Can Significantly Enhance Your Overall Gaming Experience.

Aside From Screen Size, There Is No Difference In Display Quality Between The iPhone 17 Pro And The iPhone 17 Pro Max. Both Models Feature A Super Retina XDR Display And Support ProMotion Technology With An Adaptive Refresh Rate Of Up To 120Hz. They Also Support Always-On Display On The Lock Screen And Can Reach A Minimum Brightness Of Just 1 nit. Other Display Specifications, Including Up To 1,000 nits Of Typical Maximum Brightness, 1,600 nits Peak HDR Brightness, And 3,000 nits Peak Outdoor Brightness, Are Identical On Both Devices. Even The Front Ceramic Shield Glass Panel Used On Both Models Is Exactly The Same.

Both Models Are Powered By The Full-Performance A19 Pro Chip, Which This Year Also Features A Neural Engine Accelerator For The GPU, Promising Even Better Gaming Performance. As For The Often-Discussed Heat Management, Larger Pro Max Models Were Traditionally Recommended Due To Their Bigger Chassis, Which Naturally Helps With Cooling. However, The iPhone 17 Pro Series Utilizes A Unibody Aluminum Frame And Incorporates A VC (Vapor Chamber) Heat Dissipation Design, Making It Likely The Best-Cooled iPhone Ever.

From A Gamer’s Perspective, Since There Is Essentially No Performance Difference Between The iPhone 17 Pro And The iPhone 17 Pro Max, Either Choice Will Deliver Top-Tier Gaming Performance. We Recommend Selecting Based On Personal Feel And Comfort—Whether You Prefer The 6.3-Inch iPhone 17 Pro Or The 6.9-Inch iPhone 17 Pro Max (Personally, I Lean Toward The Larger-Screen Gaming Experience). If Battery Life Is A Consideration, The Pro Max Version With Its Larger Battery May Offer A Slight Advantage.

In Terms Of Video Playback Battery Life, Apple States That The iPhone 17 Pro Can Last Up To 31 Hours Of Local Video Playback And Up To 28 Hours Of Streaming Video. The iPhone 17 Pro Max, On The Other Hand, Offers Up To 37 Hours Of Local Video Playback—6 Hours More Than The Pro—And Up To 33 Hours Of Streaming Video, Which Is 5 Hours Longer Than The iPhone 17 Pro. Both Models Also Support 40W Wired Fast Charging And 30W MagSafe Fast Charging.

Since The iPhone 17 Pro And iPhone 17 Pro Max Share Identical Camera Configurations, Their Actual Photography Results Are Essentially The Same. However, In Terms Of Shooting Experience, The Smaller iPhone 17 Pro Is More Suitable For Travel And Street Photography. When Shooting On The Go, Simplicity And Portability Are Key. Especially For Creators Recording Vlogs, If You Were To Shoot An Entire Afternoon, Choosing The iPhone 17 Pro Would Definitely Be Easier On Your Wrists.

Although For General Photography I’d Recommend The iPhone 17 Pro, If You Plan To Edit Videos Or Create Various Visual Content On Your Phone, The Larger iPhone 17 Pro Max Naturally Offers An Advantage. With Its 6.9-Inch Display, Video Editing Feels Much More Comfortable Compared To The 6.3-Inch Screen. Unless You Regularly Use An External Monitor For Editing, In Which Case Choosing The iPhone 17 Pro Would Be Just Fine.

Commuting Needs? Go With iPhone 17 Pro. Gaming Experience? Choose iPhone 17 Pro Max.

For daily commuting, most users are accustomed to one-handed phone operation. Therefore, I recommend the iPhone 17 Pro. Its lighter weight helps reduce wrist strain, and the 6.3-inch body size is ideal for one-handed use. Even when slipping it directly into your pants pocket, it won’t feel as bulky as the 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max.

When it comes to gaming, mobile game graphics are becoming increasingly detailed, and a larger screen provides a more immersive experience. Since most mainstream handheld gaming consoles have screens around 7 inches, choosing the 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max offers the most optimal gaming experience.

For Travel Photography, Choose iPhone 17 Pro. For Frequent Work Tasks, Choose iPhone 17 Pro Max.

As the saying goes, “When out and about, portability comes first.” Instead of carrying a bulky and expensive camera, using a lightweight smartphone can greatly reduce the burden while traveling. Since the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max share identical camera setups, if you want to enjoy the convenience of “grab and shoot” travel photography, I recommend the lighter iPhone 17 Pro.

However, if your daily routine involves frequent work tasks that rely on your phone—such as sending emails, scheduling, or editing documents—the larger 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max will provide a better overall experience, even though its screen may still feel relatively modest compared to a tablet.