For the sake of this iPhone 17 Pro review, I’ve developed a gaming addiction.
I don’t mean triple-A games like Destiny: Rising and Genshin Impact, or even double-A or non-A titles like Inside or Vampire Survivors, both of which I greatly enjoy. I’m specifically referring to Snake Clash on YouTube Games — the type of thing you mindlessly play while pretending to watch a documentary on TV, or while slowly growing a hemorrhoid as you waste away on the throne.
The reason I’ve been playing so much Snake Clash is because I’ve noticed in my year with an iPhone 16 Pro that countless hours with games like this cause the device to burn up in my hands. And maybe some other title might also push thermal performance in similar ways, but alas, such is my taste. (Also, Inside and Vampire Survivors never caused my phone to get too warm.)
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I spent a lot of time on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max trying to get them to run hot, because one of the most interesting additions this year is a vapor chamber. That thermal management feature, together with the aluminum unibody redesign and three 48-megapixel rear cameras, is among the most compelling updates for this generation. Throw in the powerful A19 Pro chip (now situated in the “plateau”), a novel Center Stage selfie camera, promises of longer battery life and an eye-catching new color, and frankly the latest Pro phones seem like a serious leap.
For this review, I focused on the performance, thermal management, camera capabilities and battery life of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. I am bundling them together because aside from screen size, battery capacity and price, the two are functionally identical. I also spent time checking out Apple Intelligence and iOS 26 features, which won’t be exclusive to the new hardware and I’ll refer you to our iOS 26 preview for a deeper dive on.
Apple / Engadget 93 100 Expert Score iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max The iPhone 17 Pro is a powerful smartphone with an innovative selfie system, versatile rear cameras and a redesigned exterior that feels sturdy. Pros Innovative and useful Center Stage selfie camera
Versatile triple-sensor system for rear cameras
Aluminum unibody feels sturdy and scratch-resistant
Improved AI and thermal performance Cons Expensive $1,099 at Apple
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