February is almost over, and that means September, when the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the rest of the iPhone 17 series are expected to launch, isn’t too far away. With that in mind, we want to talk specifically about the iPhone 17 Pro Max and why it needs to offer more compared to the other iPhone 17 models.
Why? Well, the ‘Max’ branding has been associated with Apple’s larger iPhones for some time now, yet they haven’t truly stood out in the way that Samsung’s ‘Ultra’ models do. Samsung packs its Ultra series with several hardware advancements, including advanced zoom capabilities.
Here are three things Apple needs to incorporate into the iPhone 17 Pro Max to make it stand out from the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup—especially the iPhone 17 Pro—rather than just being a scaled-up version of it.
1. Larger Camera Sensors
The iPhone Max variants offer more room for larger sensors, and Apple must take advantage of this. Phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Vivo X200 Pro, and other flagships feature large camera sensors and advanced zooming capabilities, allowing up to 100x zoom. While images at such extreme focal lengths are not always usable, having the option is still valuable.
Given the size of the Max models, Apple should introduce larger sensors, both for the main camera and the telephoto lens. The current telephoto sensor is limited to 12 megapixels and a maximum zoom of 25x. Apple has the space to improve this and should take the opportunity to enhance zoom capabilities and overall camera performance.
2. Bigger Battery
The iPhone 16 Pro Max already has excellent battery life, easily lasting a day and a half for most users. On moderate usage, many users end the day with 40–50% battery remaining. Reports suggest the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 4,685mAh battery, but when compared to Android flagships like the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the OnePlus 13, it falls short in terms of capacity (but not necessarily allow for better battery life).
If Apple were to include a truly ‘Max’ battery—perhaps 5,500mAh or even 6,000mAh—it could further solidify the Pro Max as the ultimate battery champion. The phone’s large size provides the perfect opportunity to increase battery capacity, improving endurance even further.
3. Better Utilisation of Screen Space
Despite its larger display, the iPhone Pro Max models offer essentially the same software experience as smaller iPhones—just on a bigger screen. Apple should take inspiration from Samsung and introduce a range of multitasking features.
A feature like split-screen multitasking, which is widely appreciated on Samsung and other Android devices, would make the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s large display far more functional. If Apple truly wants the Pro Max to stand apart, it needs to offer unique software features that fully utilise the extra screen real estate.
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