This is a progressive review of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, with ongoing updates on gaming performance, hardware, and software throughout the year. Stay tuned for more insights!

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Table of Content

Pre Order

It’s upgrade season again! I just pre-ordered the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Deep Blue with 512GB of storage. I went with the bigger size so I can download and play even more games.

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First Impressions and Unboxing

The very first thing I said when I opened the box was, “Wow, it’s blue!” I haven’t had a blue iPhone in 3 years, since the iPhone 13 Pro Max in arguably the best blue iPhone to exist, Sierra Blue, so seeing this Deep Blue color in person was a nice change.

The phone feels thicker and more solid than my 16 Pro Max, but feels like it weighs the same… If that makes sense.

The box itself? Nothing special.. All it’s got is a cable!

Right now, my biggest thought is this: “Same on the outside, hopefully more powerful on the inside.” The design isn’t wildly different, which is fine, but what really matters is how it performs once I start gaming. My first test will be Genshin Impact, and I’m especially curious about speed, heat, and battery life. That’s when we’ll see if Apple’s gaming ‘yap’ holds up.

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Day 1 Update: Hands-On Feelings

Average Gameplay Time:	Average Battery Loss:	Most Played Game in Time Frame:
None	None	None

After spending my first full day with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, here’s how it’s going so far.

My love for the Deep Blue color has now worn off. It hides fingerprints well, but the back of the phone isn’t grippy at all, so this is definitely a phone that belongs in a case. I’ve heard the new frame scratches easily, which has me “worrisome“, so I’ve gotta be extra careful. The two-tone design looks fine up close, but honestly, I don’t pay much attention to the back.

The curved edges make the phone more comfortable to hold compared to the 16 Pro Max, and it sits flatter on a desk thanks to the new camera plateau. In the early leaks, I did not like how it looked at all, but now that I’ve seen it in person, I don’t really care either way; it’s just there and doesn’t affect how I’ll use the phone. Balance-wise, it feels just as stable in one hand as last year’s model, even with the bigger camera bar. Buttons and haptics are unchanged, which isn’t a bad thing since they were already good.

The screen is where I feel like most of the outer upgrades went. It looks brighter the moment you turn it on, especially outdoors. With the jump to 3,000 nits, it’s easier to see the screen in direct sunlight. Reflections and glare are cut down a smidge, which makes a difference outside. Bezels don’t really look thinner, and the always-on display feels the same. Photos and videos pop a bit more, but not in a mind-blowing way.

Setup was smooth and quick, and the phone stayed responsive throughout. Animations feel as smooth as you’d expect from a brand-new phone, but apps don’t open dramatically faster, and multitasking doesn’t feel much different. The new vapor chamber cooling works a little too well. On the iPhone 16 Pro Max, all the heat was concentrated in one spot. On the new 17 Pro Max, the whole phone evenly warms up during heavy use, which feels strange in the hand, but that’s the whole point of moving heat away from the main processors. Put a case on it and you won’t feel the heat!

Standby battery seems better, but I also took it out of the box, so it better. I haven’t had the chance to test wired fast charging (because I don’t want to buy yet another charger) or the faster wireless charging yet (again, because I don’t want to buy yet another charger). The bigger battery doesn’t make the phone feel bulkier.

Overall, this still feels like a decent step forward. Obviously, it’s not a “giant leap for mankind.” The display brightness and battery gains are nice, but the real test comes next when I push this phone hard with test upon test.

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Week 1 Update

Gameplay Time:	Battery Loss Per Min:	Battery Percent Loss	Most Played Game in this Time Span:
94 Mins	0.47%	44%	Ganshin Impact

After a full week with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, I’ve been able to really live with it, gaming, photos, everyday tasks, and even a few hiccups.

The biggest win has been heat management. The vapor chamber cooling works exactly as designed: instead of one burning hot spot like the 16 Pro Max, the whole phone warms up gradually and stays more consistent. Even during long Genshin Impact sessions, performance holds steady for much longer before throttling kicks in. It still warms up, but it’s way less dramatic and way less distracting.

Battery life has been solid and predictable. It comfortably lasts all day with mixed use, including heavy gaming and camera time, charging has been stable. I still haven’t tested Apple’s fastest wired charging because I don’t want to buy another charger, and I haven’t bothered with wireless charging either. Even without those, charging speed feels fine for now.

The display has been one of the most noticeable upgrades this week. Outdoors, the jump to 3,000 nits makes a massive difference. It stays bright and readable even after extended use under direct sunlight, which is perfect for outdoor gaming or navigation. There’s still some glare, but reflections are cut down enough to feel like a real upgrade.

Performance-wise, most apps and games run smoothly. There’s a bit of lag in very intensive games, but nothing major. Notifications come through without delay, and Face ID remains fast and reliable. iOS 26 itself still feels a little buggy at times, but nothing deal-breaking yet. The UI is fluid, and switching between demanding apps feels snappy.

The camera system is more consistent than last year’s. Photos, especially in low light, look cleaner and more balanced. Selfies and front-facing videos are sharp and natural. No weird glitches or artifacts so far, which is a good sign for early hardware reliability.

Durability is holding up well. The aluminum frame has no scratches yet, but I still worry about the finish wearing over time. It also fits tightly in my Backbone controller without a case, which is great, but I don’t love having to remove the case every time; it feels like I might scratch the phone.

My only real annoyance this week came when the phone randomly froze while navigating. It was brief but annoying and reminded me that iOS 26 still needs refinement.

Final thoughts after Week 1:
The iPhone 17 Pro Max feels stable, reliable, and worth the upgrade so far. Heat management is a noticeable step forward, the camera is more consistent, and the display is one of the best out there. While iOS still has some rough edges, the hardware itself feels ready for anything. Next, I’ll be pushing it harder with more demanding games and creative workflows to see how far it can really go.

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Week 2 Update

Gameplay Time:	Battery Loss Per Min:	Battery Percent Loss	Most Played Game in this Time Span:
3 Mins	0.33%	1%	Pokemon Go

Two weeks in with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and it’s been a mix of good progress and small frustrations. The camera plateau is definitely easier to keep clean than before, and the display doesn’t dim as quickly as the 16 did. That 3,000-nit brightness still makes outdoor visibility great.

Performance remains solid, and I’ll have test results soon. Frame drops are rare (but still happen), and multitasking feels smoother. Throttling still occurs under heavy load, but it takes longer to reach that point. Battery life feels almost doubled compared to the 16 Pro Max, and overall efficiency is impressive. I can make it through most of the day without needing a charge.

The 4x and 8x zoom levels are now my favorite “lenses” to use, and they’ve made everyday shots more fun to capture. The only real frustration this week is the software. iOS 26 is still buggy, even after the 26.0.1 update. I’ve had random app crashes that suddenly toss me back to the home screen, which is confusing and annoying, especially for something this expensive.

At this point, the 17 Pro Max feels like strong hardware waiting on stable software. The screen, cooling, and battery life are clear wins, but it still feels like iOS 26 needs a 5-gallon bucket of polish.

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1 Month Update

Gameplay Time	Battery Loss Per Min	Battery Percent Loss	Most Played Game in This Time Span
2.25 Hours	0.4074%	55% loss	Pokémon GO

Total Time Played: 2.25 hours

Can’t believe it’s already been a full month with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the phone still feels solid and reliable. The Deep Blue finish looks the same as day one, and the overall build continues to hold up well. Nothing feels loose or worn, and the phone still gives that premium, well-made feel I liked from the start.

Design and Build

After four weeks, the build quality still impresses. The frame stays cool, the buttons remain crisp, and nothing feels loose or worn. I’d rate the physical feel a solid 5 out of 5. The weight doesn’t bother me, even after long use. If Apple kept this design another year, I’d be fine with that. It nails comfort and presence.

Display and Everyday Use

The display remains one of the strongest parts of this phone. It stays bright outdoors and easy to see, even in direct light. Movies and HDR video look great, and I still rate brightness a 9 out of 10. Reading and everyday browsing feel the same as before, with no issues like ghost touches or lag. I’d rather Apple keep this display as it is unless they find a way to add a nano-etched finish without hurting image clarity.

Audio and Speakers

The speakers still sound as loud and full as they did on day one, with clear highs and a limited amount of bass. I’d rate the balance around a 4 out of 10, since physics limits how deep the bass can go, but it still feels rich enough for everyday use. Spatial Audio makes a real difference when gaming or watching videos, creating a wide, immersive soundstage. Stereo separation stays strong, and Bluetooth audio has stayed stable with no drops or lag. My hands can block the speakers when I hold the phone sideways, so front-firing speakers would be a welcome change next time.

Camera

The camera setup has been steady. I love the 4× and 8× zoom options. They’re my favorite focal points, and the photos come out sharp and clean. Video quality is good, though stabilization could be better. I’d give the overall camera experience an 8 out of 10.

iOS 26 and Software

Software is still the weakest part of the experience. I find iOS 26 beautiful and slightly improved since launch, but crashes and random bugs still happen. The phone feels powerful, but the software doesn’t always keep up with that strength. I’d rate stability a 4 out of 10. I’d rather Apple focus on fixing the current bugs before adding more AI features.

Testing and Performance

Cellular

My iPhone 17 Pro Max uses the Qualcomm X80 modem and runs on T-Mobile’s network in Florida.

For this test, I ran 388 cellular speed tests using CoverageMap.com. Wi-Fi stayed off, and any VPN connections were disabled.

Across the board, the phone averaged 303 Mbps download and 30 Mbps upload, with a typical ping of 187 ms. The fastest speed hit 1,095 Mbps, while the slowest dropped to zero during tower handoffs. Upload speeds stayed steady around 30 Mbps, which is plenty for sending photos, uploading videos, or backing up files.

Compared to last year’s iPhone 16 Pro Max with its Qualcomm X75 modem, this year’s model is stronger and more consistent. Top downloads are about 25 percent faster, often breaking the 1 Gbps mark, while the 16 Pro Max usually peaked around 850–900 Mbps. The signal also feels steadier, keeping a 5G connection even when moving between towers.

Ping, also called latency, measures how long it takes for your phone to talk to a server and get a response. Most of the time it stayed under 200 ms, which works well for streaming, casual gaming, and everyday browsing.

Battery life stayed solid during the tests. At full 5G speed, the phone used about 4–5 watts of power. That translates to roughly 10 hours of normal use, 7–8 hours of mixed use, and about 3–4 hours of heavy use like gaming or hotspot sharing. The phone stayed cool the whole time, only getting a little warm in weak-signal areas.

Wi-Fi

Here in the studio, I’m using a 500 Mbps down / 35 Mbps up Xfinity connection over coaxial cable. The setup runs on an Eero Pro 6E router placed in the middle of the house. On paper it can reach 1.3 Gbps on the 6 GHz band, and the Eero app shows about 639 Mbps down and 43 Mbps up straight from the source.

For consistency, I ran each test 10 times at every distance and averaged the results. Normally I would test each Wi-Fi band separately, but changing those settings in the Eero app temporarily broke the connection, so the phone selected the band automatically.

The goal was to see how the Apple N1 chip handles wireless connections. It manages Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread connectivity.

At 1–12 feet, speeds stayed around 520–540 Mbps down and 37 Mbps up. At 20 feet, downloads dropped to about 340 Mbps. At 30 feet outdoors, speeds reached 115 Mbps. At 60 feet, speeds averaged 31 Mbps. At 90 feet, speeds fell to about 14 Mbps.

Ping stayed between 24–25 ms for most of the test and only rose to 27 ms at 90 feet. Even when speeds dropped, latency remained stable.

The main takeaway is simple. 6 GHz Wi-Fi is extremely fast but loses strength with distance, while 5 GHz maintains usable speeds farther away.

Synthetic Benchmarks

Synthetic benchmarks are controlled stress tests that show how the hardware performs under heavy load. I ran three Geekbench tests, nine 3DMark tests, and three AnTuTu tests back-to-back to evaluate performance and heat management.

Geekbench – CPU

Across three runs, the iPhone 17 Pro Max averaged:

• 3504 single-core
• 9367 multi-core

That puts it roughly 4 percent faster in single-core and 11 percent faster in multi-core compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The phone only dropped 2 percent battery during about 20 minutes of full load, with no visible slowdown.

Geekbench – GPU

The Metal score averaged 45,801, which is close to Apple’s M2 chip performance levels.

Battery drain remained around 2 percent total, and the phone stayed around 91°F.

Graphics performance is roughly 40 percent higher than the 16 Pro Max, while remaining stable across runs.

3DMark

Across three stress tests, stability ranged between 87 percent and 93 percent.

• Wild Life Extreme: ~4700 points (11% improvement)
• Solar Bay Extreme: ~1700 points (26% improvement)
• Steel Nomad Light: 16 fps, up from 11 fps

Temperature remained around 91–93°F, roughly 7°F cooler than the 16 Pro Max.

AnTuTu

Across three runs, the phone averaged 2.37 million points, compared to 2.08 million on the 16 Pro Max.

Improvements included:

• CPU: +26% faster
• Memory: +42% faster
• GPU: similar peak performance but more stable
• UX: +4% smoother interface performance

Battery usage across all three runs was about 7 percent, compared to roughly 42 percent on the 16 Pro Max.

Overall

After a month of use, the iPhone 17 Pro Max feels dependable. The hardware remains strong, the display stays bright, and performance is consistent across gaming, multitasking, and creative work.

The A19 Pro chip shows clear improvements in power efficiency and thermal control. Games, editing tasks, and everyday multitasking remain smooth without major throttling.

Battery life continues to last through a full day of mixed use, and the vapor chamber cooling helps keep temperatures under control during longer sessions.

Network performance is also stronger thanks to the Qualcomm X80 modem and Apple’s N1 wireless chip, which maintain stable cellular and Wi-Fi connections.

The only real downside remains iOS 26, which still shows occasional bugs and crashes. Once the software stabilizes, the hardware should be able to show its full potential.

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3 Months Update

Gameplay Time:	Battery Loss Per Min:	Battery Percent Loss	Most Played Game in this Time Span:
3.6 Hrs	0.32%	87% loss	Pokemon Go

Month 3 has been a mix of good and bad. The phone somehow got a scratch on the top, even though it has been in a case since day one, and I’M PISSED. When the phone first came out and people started saying the blue and orange models scratch easily, I did think about paying T-Mobile’s restocking fee to switch to silver, but that obviously didn’t happen. The screen is still clean with no scratches, and the USB-C port, buttons, and MagSafe all still feel solid. The phone also stays cool during long sessions and is comfortable to hold while gaming.

The display is still bright outdoors, with no burn-in (Thank God) or tint issues. HDR is still annoying in non-video apps (Instagram and Threads 👀), but for me the always-on display doesn’t drain anything extra.

Performance is about the same. The vapor chamber is doing its job and keeps temps steady during long sessions, and there are no new frame drops. Multitasking stays smooth with music, socials, and games open at the same time. But… the phone has had a few more freezes and app crashes on iOS 26.1, and long 4K recording can cause light throttling with some frame drops and lag, but not enough to break the workflow.

Battery life has been the same since launch. Gaming drain feels a little slower now, which is good, and fast charging still hits the speeds it should. Idle drain hasn’t changed. Long drives and filming feel more stable on battery, and third-party USB-C cables work with no issues.

iOS 26 has been the roughest part of owning this phone over the past 3 months. I know it’ll get better, but the bugs feel extra buggy, with more random freezes than before.

But on the bright side i got new WIFI 😝

Our internet provider is now T-Mobile Fiber, running a 2 Gbps symmetrical plan through a new Eero 7 Pro router.

Before switching to fiber, the old Comcast setup topped out at around 500 Mbps down and 30 Mbps up when you were close to the router. It worked fine in the same room, but the signal dropped fast once you moved farther away.

At 1 to 10 feet, Comcast stayed around 460’s Mbps down on average and about 33 Mbps up. At 20 to 30 feet, speeds dropped fast into the low 70’s Mbps range, and uploads fell into the 20s. By 60 to 100 feet, the connection was weak, dropping to about 25 Mbps at 60 feet and around 5 Mbps at 100 feet, with uploads falling to near zero.

Comcast worked fine up close but fell off fast once you moved away. Switching to T-Mobile Fiber with the Eero 7 Pro changed everything. Now, with fiber and Wi-Fi 7, it feels like a whole new network. Close to the router, speeds hit around 1.1 Gbps down and in the mid 900’s Mbps up. This is lower than the full 2 Gbps because the iPhone can’t use the widest Wi-Fi 7 channel, so it takes in less data than the router can send. Even with that limit, the connection still feels wired within 10 feet.

Once you get past 20 or 30 feet, speeds start to fall as walls and furniture block the signal, but it still stays fast enough for heavy uses like streaming and gaming. The setup has one Eero 7 Pro, one Eero 6E, and one Eero 6+, so it’s a full mesh system. Because of that, it was strange that the phone didn’t switch to a closer router during the longer-distance tests. At 90 feet, speeds suddenly jumped back up to around 100 Mbps, even though the 60-foot test was almost unusable. The phone may have moved to the 2.4 GHz band, which reaches farther, or it may have briefly reconnected to a different node, but the switch didn’t happen when you would expect.

Compared to Comcast, downloads are about twice as fast, uploads are around twenty times faster, and the network stays stable in more spots. Using wired backhaul for all the nodes would help keep these speeds strong through the whole house, but that would mean crawling in the attic, and if you ask me… 1.1 Gbps on the newest device with the latest Wi-Fi tech already feels more than fast enough.

Here are some charts and graphs if you fancy!

6 Month Update

Gameplay Time:	Battery Loss Per Min:	Battery Percent Loss	Most Played Game in this Time Span:
5.47 Hrs	0.04%	128% loss	Genshin Impact

It’s been 6 months with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and at this point, the “new phone feeling” is gone. This is just my daily phone now. So this is where the real opinion comes in.

Durability

This thing has held up way better than I expected. (I expected it to be a scratched up mess)

No scratches on the display, frame, or camera glass. I’ve dropped it multiple times and somehow… nothing. Still looks clean. The only real wear is around the camera bump from sitting on tables.

Buttons still feel clicky. USB-C port is still snug. MagSafe is still strong.

The Deep Blue finish still looks good.

Only small thing is dust in the speakers and mic, but nothing serious can be cleaned out easily.

Overall, it still looks new at a glance. ^{Let’s not talk about the scratched that show up on the top of the phone in month 1…}

Battery

Battery is one of the best parts of this phone.

Still lasts a full day. No stress. Don’t even think about it.

Battery health is still at 100%, which is kinda crazy after 6 months.

Standby is strong. Overnight drain is like 7–10%.

Gaming and Camera will drain it faster, especially when the phone gets hot, but that’s expected.

Charging is still about the same. Around an hour and a half to full, but it gets warm while charging, and even more if im gaming at the same time.

Performance

Still fast. No slowdowns, Apps open quick, Multitasking is smooth, Feels like day one in most situations.

Gaming performance is strong, but heat is the limiter. After about 20 minutes, especially in heavier games, you start to feel it. Frames drop a bit once it heats up.

It does recover fast once it cools down though thanks to the vapor chamber and aluminum.

One thing that did get worse is random freezes and app crashes, but that feels more like iOS 26 issue than the hardware.

Display

Still somehow one of Apples best desplay, Bright, sharp, smooth. No issues outdoors at all.

Colors still look great. Blacks are deep. Whites look clean.

HDR still acts weird in instagram, which is annoying, but not new.

120Hz is still smooth. Touch feels better now too. Typing used to be bad early on, but updates fixed that.

Gaming

This is still a really good gaming phone, but now I see exactly where it peaks and where it falls off.

At the start of any session, it feels perfect. Games open fast, no waiting, no stutter. Everything just works. I can jump between apps, come back, and your game is still there. That alone makes it feel more powerful then the 16 Pro Max.

Genshin Impact runs really good as per usual. Smooth, stable, looks great. Same with Pokémon GO. These are the two I actually use on a regular, and they don’t give me problems.

But the real test is time.

Around 15 to 20 minutes mark on heavier session, the heat starts building. You feel it through the back and around the phone, a that point around the 30 min mark the phone starts to throttle.

It’s not a hard drop. It’s gradual.

• Small frame dips
• Slight loss of smoothness
• Not as locked-in as the first few minutes

You can still play, and it’s still good. But it’s not at its peak anymore.

And once you notice it, you can’t un-notice it.

If you keep playing, it just stays at that slightly reduced level until it cools down.

The heat itself is noticeable. Especially with a case, it holds that heat in and makes it worse. Without a case, it cools faster, but you feel more of the heat directly, and the phone is slippery.

The interesting part is how fast it recovers.

Once you stop or give it a break, it cools down and goes right back to full performance. So it’s not degrading over time, it’s just thermal limits.

Battery ties directly into all of this.

Light games? No problem. You can play for a long time.

Heavy games? That’s where you see faster drain, more heat, and earlier performance drop.

So it’s all connected. Performance, heat, and battery are basically one system.

Charging while gaming makes everything worse.

Heat ramps up way faster, and performance drops sooner. You feel it within like 7 to 10 minutes. Wired charging is the worst offender and adds heat the fastest. It’s playable, but it’s clearly not ideal.

With Wireless with like a magsafe battery it gets hot but one the phone get hot, it automatially throttles the wireless charge speed and then at that point the phone is dying faster then it can wirelessy charge.

Touch responsiveness does stays strong though.

Even with all that, there’s no input delay, no missed taps and movements still register cleanly. Thank Goodness, cause that’s important, because even when performance drops, control still work.

Display during gaming still looks great too. 120Hz does helps a lot. Everything feels smooth, especially compared to older phones.

Audio is good, but depending on how you hold the phone, your hands will block the speakers. You notice it more in landscape gaming.

Network stability is solid, no real lag on Wi-Fi, no real lag on cellular, online games feel responsive, and switching networks can cause a quick hiccup but thats to be expected.

I don’t really use a controller much, but with my 8BitDo setup, it works fine. No disconnects, no weird bugs.

Comfort is where longer sessions hit.

After a while my hands get tired, the heat makes it less comfortable and I start adjusting my grip more.

So basically If I’m not on my PS5 or Switch 2, this is what I use. It’s powerful enough to handle anything I throw at it.

But now I understand the ceiling:

Short sessions → amazing

Long, heavy sessions → heat limits it

It doesn’t fail. It just throttles.

And honestly, that’s the story of gaming on any phone really.

Camera

Photos still look Good! Check out our Sibling Company The First Frontier for Photos and Videos

Software

This is still the weakest part.

It’s better than before, but still a buggy mess.

Random freezes still happen. Apps Crashing. Sometimes the phone just crashes. I’ve had calls end and the phone crash right after.

Updates have helped, but they also introduced new issues.

Keyboard used to be bad, but that got fixed in a later update.

Overall, iOS 26 feels unfinished. Still waiting on things like a better Siri.

It works, but it’s not as polished as it should be.

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Everyday Use

At This point the phone just becomes normal.

It’s easy to use. Everything works. No real friction day to day.

Face ID Works, Apple Pay Works, The Phone Works, Text get though, Game Launch, Doom’s Scrolled, Anime is Watch, TikTok Comments are laughed at. Lawyers Are Reacting, AI Cat are Playing Bango’s, Still Can’t Afford a Home… Or Rent…

Still feels worth it.