Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max Cosmic Orange 1024GB

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is a battery beast with cameras that embarrass dedicated point-and-shoots. It's also a $1,600 giant, but if size doesn't scare you, it's the best phone Apple's ever built.

The A19 Pro with vapor chamber cooling is the real deal. In our testing, sustained performance holds up more like a gaming phone than a past iPhone. Apps stay snappy even after an hour of 4K video editing, and the jump from an iPhone 16 Pro Max is genuinely noticeable. What surprised us most? How cool it runs. That unibody aluminum chassis acts like a giant heatsink. It never got uncomfortably warm, even during benchmarks. The display, while not a standout in our database (66th percentile), is still buttery smooth and bright enough for direct sunlight. And connectivity is top of the charts—Wi-Fi 7 and 5G speeds are the absolute best right now.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the most direct rival, with a built-in S Pen and a 10x optical zoom that edges past Apple's 8x. But Samsung's software experience just doesn't match iOS for smoothness, and the S26 Ultra's battery falls short of the iPhone's marathon endurance. The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has smarter AI photo tricks and a cleaner Android skin, but its Tensor chip can't touch the A19 Pro for sustained speed. If you want the best camera phone, the Pixel and Samsung trade blows, but for overall polish and battery dominance, Apple takes the crown. The regular iPhone 17 is also in the top five now, which makes sense: it gets most of the Pro Max's core experience in a friendlier size and price. But if you want the no-compromise king, the 17 Pro Max still stands alone.

At $1,600, this phone is an investment. If you use your phone as your primary computer—shooting, editing, gaming, working—it's worth every cent. But if you mainly scroll social media and take the occasional photo, you're paying for power you'll never tap. That money could buy a solid laptop and a very good midrange phone. Still, for power users, the 17 Pro Max finally feels like a professional tool, not just a luxury toy.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is Apple throwing the kitchen sink at a phone and daring you to find a flaw. The unibody aluminum design, vapor-cooled A19 Pro chip, and four 48MP cameras aren't just spec sheet flexing—they translate into the best battery life and the most versatile camera setup we've ever tested on an iPhone. This thing is a portable powerhouse that finally makes 'Pro Max' feel earned.

But let's not pretend it's perfect. With a 6.9" screen and 233g weight, it's an absolute unit. If you've got small hands or tight pockets, you'll feel every gram. And at $1,600, it's priced like a high-end ultrabook, not a phone. That said, for anyone who wants the absolute best that iOS 26 can deliver, there's nothing else that comes close.

If you're after a compact phone, this isn't it. The 17 Pro Max is literally un-pocketable in skinny jeans and strains one-handed use. Go get the smaller iPhone 17 Pro, or look at the Pixel 10 Pro if you want flagship smarts in a more reasonable size. Similarly, if you're wedded to Android's customization or need an S Pen, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is your huckleberry.

Buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max if you want the peak iPhone experience and size doesn't scare you. The battery life alone is reason enough for road warriors and content creators to upgrade. But if you hate giant phones or you're already eyeing a foldable like the Motorola Razr 2025, this isn't going to change your mind. For everyone else ready to commit to the big screen life, this is the best iPhone—and maybe the best phone—money can buy.