I’m obsessed with Apple’s ORANGE super-phone with 39-hour battery life & reveal truth about major iPhone 17 Pro makeover

EVERY year, the latest iPhone “Pro” model seems to trump what felt like a masterstroke.

The new iPhone 17 Pro is no different. This is a phenomenal mobile. It is more beautiful. It is exceedingly powerful. And I’ve been using it in secret for just under a week. Not an easy task with the bright orange one, honestly.

Sean Keach

The Sun’s tech editor Sean Keach has been testing out the iPhone 17 Pro Max[/caption]

I’ve actually been using the slightly larger model: the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The pair of Pro phones come with either 6.3-inch or 6.9-inch screens, but are pretty much otherwise identical.

There’s a higher storage option on the Pro Max, which I’ll talk about later.

They come in addition to this year’s iPhone 17 (the cheaper entry-level one) and the all-new iPhone Air (the strikingly thin 5.6mm one, which is also cheaper).

iPhone 17 Pro, £1,099

IPHONE 17 PRO & PRO MAX DESIGN – DOES IT LOOK GOOD?

Apple has actually given the iPhone 17 Pro series a pretty sizeable makeover this year.

It’s still got the same all-screen front with a floating Dynamic Island at the top to house your selfie camera and Face ID.

But the back looks very different.

The camera bump stretches all the way across the phone horizontally, rather than being confined to the corner.

It doesn’t quite make the iPhone symmetrical, but it certainly helps.

I quite like it. I know reception has been mixed, but I think it looks neat – and differentiates it from the older models.

There’s also a back section of the phone cut out from the aluminium case and protected by Ceramic Shield (a first) to make it extra tough.

This is to allow the MagSafe wireless charging to work. Metal would block it otherwise.

Note that I said the iPhone is made from aluminium. That’s a big change from last year’s Titanium Pro models.

Sean Keach

The Pro has a 6.3-inch screen, while this Pro Max version has a mammoth 6.9-inch display[/caption]

Aluminium is lighter, and also allowed Apple to use anodisation to colour the phones in a very attractive way.

The three colour options this year are Deep Blue, Silver, and Cosmic Orange – by far the most striking.

Silver is the safe bet. It’s fine. It does look nice, but I’d rather pick one of the other two.

Deep Blue is the spiritual replacement for the old black version.

And Cosmic Orange is arguably the first “fun” colour that Apple has ever put on a Pro phone.

It’s a nice change. And importantly, it’s not a garish orange. It’s classy – almost tan in some lights, and certainly never gaudy.

I’ve been using it with the colour-matched MagSafe Wallet, which is a nice touch. It’s a handy accessory that lets you carry three bank cards (or your driver’s licence) around.

Fun fact: the inside of the USB-C port is colour-matched to the phone. It looks great.

Sean Keach

You can get a colour-matched wallet accessory for the iPhone 17 Pro[/caption]

The screens are ProMotion displays running up to 120Hz (that’s how many times they can refresh their image per second), and hit 3,000 nits peak brightness outdoors. It’s the highest on an iPhone. You’ll have no bother watching TikTok videos out in the garden.

There’s now a Ceramic Shield 2 front cover that Apple says is three times more scratch-resistant than before.

Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I cracked an iPhone screen and I haven’t used a case in years. I also regularly drop them. Whoops.

Anyway, better toughness is nice, because these are ultimately very expensive smartphones.

This is the best-looking line-up of Pro phones ever. I personally wouldn’t go for Silver because the Deep Blue and Cosmic Orange options are so strong.

But ultimately, it’s your choice.

IPHONE 17 PRO & PRO MAX – FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE

The whole point of the Pro series is to deliver the absolute top-end of smartphone goodness.

That means the very best performance and as many features as will cram into the relatively thin frame.

Powering this year’s premium line-up is Apple’s new (and custom-built) A19 Pro chip.

Apple says it serves up 40% better sustained performance.

Graphically intense games and video editing are a breeze for it. It is racy and impressive.

Part of that improved performance comes down to a massive overhaul in how Apple is keeping the new Pro phones cool.

iPhone 17 Pro contract deals

Heat is the enemy of computer processors. Keeping your chips cool is key to unlocking the best performance. That’s why PC gamers spend so much time thinking about fans, liquid-cooling systems, and CPU temperature.

Your smartphone is no different.

One change is the broader plateau on the back of the phone, which can contain more components, creating additional space.

There’s a new Apple-built vapour chamber too, which I’ve seen in person. I even dunked one of Apple’s vapour chambers in how water to see how quickly it spread the warmth to my fingers. Very quickly, it turns out. Ouch.

Sean Keach

This is the iPhone 17 Pro Max in the very striking Cosmic Orange colourway[/caption]

A vapour chamber takes heat from your processor and then carries it away.

This heat is then carried into the aluminium unibody, where it spreads across the system.

That allows the chip to run cooler, because the heat isn’t just building at the processor.

The camera system has also been overhauled.

You’ve got three 48-megapixel cameras built in.

There’s a new 48-megapixel Telephoto camera (that’s the zoomed-in one) with a significantly larger sensor.

The bigger the sensor, the more light can be captured. That’s extremely important for photography.

This gives you 4x optical zoom. But because you’ve got a 48-megapixel camera, it can give you a still-hi-res middle-section of the image at 8x zoom.

Sean Keach

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is built from aluminium and looks great[/caption]

Photos and videos are genuinely stunning. It takes very accurate snaps, representing skin tones well, balancing lights and darks in difficult scenes, and capturing significant detail.

There are some fun new tricks too.

For the first time, you can now take portrait and landscape photos without turning your phone.

Thanks to square sensors, you can just tap a button (or have it work automatically if you’re taking a group selfie) and switch between modes.

It’s genuinely very useful. And it solves the problem of people looking at themselves in landscape shots versus eyeballing the camera. Hold the phone vertically and everyone will look dead on at the phone, even if you’re taking a landscape snap.

Also, there’s a fun Dual Capture mode that lets you film a scene while also recording your face.

It’s a bit like a FaceTime call, except you’re just recording video.

Very handy if you want to capture all the action.

Sean Keach

Apple has colour-matched the USB-C port on the iPhone 17 Pro[/caption]

Battery life is top-notch.

There’s a bigger battery, and Apple has made some great efficiency gains. It promises 39 hours of video playback. Wild.

I’m easily making it through a day. And that’s been while the iPhone is still technically “setting up”, downloading, installing, and indexing my files.

I expect with normal daily use, it will be an extreme survivor.

It’s also worth mentioning that all of the new iPhone models this year run on Apple’s new iOS 26 software.

This introduces a fun new Liquid Glass aesthetic that gives the entire system a glossy new look.

There’s also some fun extra features, like a new Hold Assist that lets a virtual robot hold on calls for you until a customer support person has picked up.

And there’s a Call Screening feature that also uses a virtual robot voice answer calls from unknown numbers. It’ll ask them who they are and why they’re calling, and then type out the answers on your screen. Neat.

The last point to note: the iPhone 17 Pro models come with 256GB of storage.

That’s probably fine for most users, but you can spec both up to 512GB and 1TB.

But with the Pro Max, there’s a brand new 2TB option. It’s overkill for most people unless you’re shooting a lot of hi-res video. It’ll also cost you about two grand. So choose wisely.

IPHONE 17 PRO & PRO MAX – SHOULD I BUY ONE?

The question isn’t whether the iPhone 17 Pro is any good.

Sean Keach

The phone has a ceramic rear casing section that allows for MagSafe wireless charging[/caption]

It is good. It is exceptional. 

I spend a lot of time testing tech, and you can stop seeing the wood for the trees.

It’s easy to take for granted what we have. But the iPhone 17 Pro Max is genuinely an incredible piece of technology. It is the modern smartphone distilled into as pure and powerful a machine as is possible.

The real question is: do you actually need it?

The power packed into the iPhone 17 Pro is now so great that it’s arguably beyond what most people need.

And similarly, the base iPhone 17 is now so good that it’ll suit almost anyone.

So who is the iPhone 17 Pro for?

Obviously the first group are people with loads of money. If you want the poshest iPhone, this is your pick. The iPhone Air is what everyone is talking about, but the iPhone 17 Pro remains the champ.

The second group of people are tech enthusiasts who aren’t constrained by a budget. If you want all of the bleeding-edge Apple features, this is the phone for you.

Thirdly, people who need the absolutely best camera.

If you’re filming as a content creator, or you’re very serious about photography, or there’s some other reason why you need a pro-grade snapper, this is the winning pick.

Fourthly, storage. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is the only Apple smartphone with a 2TB option.

Again, most people don’t need that – or anywhere close to it. But some people filming very hi-res video will find this exceptionally useful. Apologies to your bank account, though.

They’re the main Pro groups. There are probably some more niche situations where the Pro is right for you.

But for most people, the regular iPhone 17 really is a great buy.

If you’re set on the Pro, you will not be disappointed.

The Sun says: A smartphone titan, somehow reborn even greater than before. This is one of the most finely crafted pieces of technology on the planet. It’s a delight to hold and behold. And it looks fab in orange. 5/5

iPhone 17 Pro, £1,099

Sean Keach

This is a truly incredible smartphone – and it looks the part too[/caption]

All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.

Always do your own research before making any purchase.