Best iPhone of 2023, transformative titanium + 5x periscope + USB-C
iPhone 17 Pro
Apple
8.8
Boldest Pro iPhone redesign in years
iPhone 15 Pro Max
What Reviewers Agree On
Grade-5 titanium frame makes it ~20g lighter than the 14 Pro Max — most-praised in-hand feel of any iPhone yet (221g)
A17 Pro 3nm chip with hardware ray tracing — fastest mobile silicon at launch, future-proofs for Apple Intelligence on iOS 18
5x Tetraprism periscope telephoto (120mm) is Pro Max exclusive — first iPhone to break past 3x optical, with computational zoom to 25x
USB-C 3.0 finally arrives on iPhone (10Gbps on Pro/Max only — standard 15 caps at USB 2.0 speeds)
Customizable Action Button replaces the mute switch — opens camera, shortcut, focus mode, voice memo, magnifier and more
Pros & Cons
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Pros
Grade-5 titanium frame makes it ~20g lighter than the 14 Pro Max — most-praised in-hand feel of any iPhone yet (221g)
A17 Pro 3nm chip with hardware ray tracing — fastest mobile silicon at launch, future-proofs for Apple Intelligence on iOS 18
5x Tetraprism periscope telephoto (120mm) is Pro Max exclusive — first iPhone to break past 3x optical, with computational zoom to 25x
USB-C 3.0 finally arrives on iPhone (10Gbps on Pro/Max only — standard 15 caps at USB 2.0 speeds)
Customizable Action Button replaces the mute switch — opens camera, shortcut, focus mode, voice memo, magnifier and more
Detailed Comparison
Design & Build
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Grade-5 titanium frame drops weight ~20g to 221g — the headline change of the year. Slimmer bezels, contoured edges, USB-C port and customizable Action Button replace the mute switch. The most refined iPhone in-hand feel yet.
Grade-5 titanium frame replaces stainless steel — drops weight from 240g (14 Pro Max) to 221g (~20g lighter, ~10% lighter).
Slimmer bezels make the 6.7-inch display almost edge-to-edge; contoured edges with a slightly thicker frame around the back camera bump.
USB-C port replaces Lightning — Pro Max specifically gets USB-C 3.0 (10Gbps), enabling faster file transfers from connected SSDs/cameras.
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6.7" Super Retina XDR ProMotion 120Hz at 2000-nit peak — the best phone display Apple has shipped
USB-C 3.0 + Action Button + lighter titanium are the upgrades reviewers say justify the $1,199 price
6+ years of iOS updates — confirmed runway through iOS 23+ in 2030s
Deal Breakers
Launch overheating issues — A17 Pro ran hot in gaming and 4K shoots; iOS 17.0.3 mitigated but didn't fully eliminate it
Battery life regressed slightly vs the 14 Pro Max in several real-world tests — owners coming from older iPhones may notice the drop
$1,199 starting (256GB now base vs 128GB previously) is the most-expensive baseline iPhone Apple has shipped
Pro Max-exclusive 5x periscope means the Pro is stuck at 3x — those wanting compact + long zoom are out of luck
Notable owner complaints: titanium frame discolors with hand oils, the matte finish picks up fingerprints visibly
iPhone 17 Pro
What Reviewers Agree On
Battery life is the single biggest improvement and the highlight of the phone — Wired hit nearly 7 hours screen-on time, Notebookcheck says it 'sets new high scores,' Engadget got two-day endurance on the Pro Max, and Reddit users routinely report 10+ hours SoT.
The new laser-welded vapor chamber and aluminum unibody finally fix the heat-throttling that defined the iPhone 15/16 Pro — Digital Trends measured a 35-50% stability gain on 3DMark, Wired saw stutter-free Assassin's Creed Mirage gameplay, and 9to5Mac confirms the heat is spread across the back rather than concentrated in one spot.
The new 48MP / 4x / 8x telephoto camera is a genuine generational leap and brings Apple's zoom flexibility on par with Android rivals for the first time — praised by The Verge, Wired, Engadget, 9to5Mac, Trusted Reviews and Mrwhosetheboss.
A19 Pro performance with 12GB of RAM is the fastest in any phone and crushes every Android flagship in benchmarks — Wired says it 'blew everything else out of the water,' Trusted Reviews measured Geekbench multi-core 9,994, and Phone Arena calls it a 'big leap forward.'
The 18MP square-sensor Center Stage selfie camera is the standout software/hardware innovation of the year — Engadget calls it 'a stroke of genius,' Wired wants 'every phone maker to copy it in the next year,' Digital Trends and Trusted Reviews both highlight the auto-rotate for group selfies as genuinely useful.
Charging is meaningfully faster than any prior iPhone — 0-50% in roughly 20 minutes with a 40W adapter (verified by Trusted Reviews, Engadget and Digital Trends), with 25W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless filling in at the same speed.
Video recording — particularly stabilization, low-light, ProRes/Apple Log 2 and Dual Capture — is unmatched on any smartphone, confirmed by Wired in head-to-head with Pixel 10 Pro and TechCrunch (which says it will 'make the vlogging camera obsolete').
Deal Breakers
Aluminum is genuinely more scratch-prone than the titanium it replaced — Mashable documented 'scratchgate' with anodization chipping at the Camera Plateau edges, Wired confirms scratches even on review units, and r/iphone has multiple threads of owners reporting finish wear within days of unboxing.
Apple Intelligence remains a footnote two years in — Trusted Reviews calls it 'merely a footnote,' The Verge's pro list includes 'What's up with Siri?' as a Bad, and r/apple commenters openly speculate Apple may abandon it as a primary marketing pitch.
The new Camera Plateau two-tone design is the most polarizing iPhone design in years — Ars Technica calls it 'lumpy,' 9to5Mac says it's a 'step backwards as a look, don't touch design,' and r/gadgets headlines call it 'the most un-Jony Ive iPhone ever.'
It's heavier and chunkier than the iPhone 16 Pro — 206g vs 199g on the Pro, 233g vs 227g on the Pro Max, with Wired saying the phones 'feel like bricks compared to the iPhone Air' and multiple Reddit users complaining they need a case for grip.
At $1,099 the value math is harder than ever because the regular iPhone 17 ($799) now shares the same 6.3-inch ProMotion display, Center Stage selfie camera, A19 chip, 256GB base storage and 3,000-nit brightness — The Verge, Engadget, Pocket-lint and Reddit's r/gadgets all argue most people should get the base iPhone 17 instead.
6.7" Super Retina XDR ProMotion 120Hz at 2000-nit peak — the best phone display Apple has shipped
USB-C 3.0 + Action Button + lighter titanium are the upgrades reviewers say justify the $1,199 price
6+ years of iOS updates — confirmed runway through iOS 23+ in 2030s
Cons
Launch overheating issues — A17 Pro ran hot in gaming and 4K shoots; iOS 17.0.3 mitigated but didn't fully eliminate it
Battery life regressed slightly vs the 14 Pro Max in several real-world tests — owners coming from older iPhones may notice the drop
$1,199 starting (256GB now base vs 128GB previously) is the most-expensive baseline iPhone Apple has shipped
Pro Max-exclusive 5x periscope means the Pro is stuck at 3x — those wanting compact + long zoom are out of luck
Notable owner complaints: titanium frame discolors with hand oils, the matte finish picks up fingerprints visibly
iPhone 17 Pro
Pros
Battery life is the single biggest improvement and the highlight of the phone — Wired hit nearly 7 hours screen-on time, Notebookcheck says it 'sets new high scores,' Engadget got two-day endurance on the Pro Max, and Reddit users routinely report 10+ hours SoT.
The new laser-welded vapor chamber and aluminum unibody finally fix the heat-throttling that defined the iPhone 15/16 Pro — Digital Trends measured a 35-50% stability gain on 3DMark, Wired saw stutter-free Assassin's Creed Mirage gameplay, and 9to5Mac confirms the heat is spread across the back rather than concentrated in one spot.
The new 48MP / 4x / 8x telephoto camera is a genuine generational leap and brings Apple's zoom flexibility on par with Android rivals for the first time — praised by The Verge, Wired, Engadget, 9to5Mac, Trusted Reviews and Mrwhosetheboss.
A19 Pro performance with 12GB of RAM is the fastest in any phone and crushes every Android flagship in benchmarks — Wired says it 'blew everything else out of the water,' Trusted Reviews measured Geekbench multi-core 9,994, and Phone Arena calls it a 'big leap forward.'
The 18MP square-sensor Center Stage selfie camera is the standout software/hardware innovation of the year — Engadget calls it 'a stroke of genius,' Wired wants 'every phone maker to copy it in the next year,' Digital Trends and Trusted Reviews both highlight the auto-rotate for group selfies as genuinely useful.
Charging is meaningfully faster than any prior iPhone — 0-50% in roughly 20 minutes with a 40W adapter (verified by Trusted Reviews, Engadget and Digital Trends), with 25W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless filling in at the same speed.
Video recording — particularly stabilization, low-light, ProRes/Apple Log 2 and Dual Capture — is unmatched on any smartphone, confirmed by Wired in head-to-head with Pixel 10 Pro and TechCrunch (which says it will 'make the vlogging camera obsolete').
Cons
Aluminum is genuinely more scratch-prone than the titanium it replaced — Mashable documented 'scratchgate' with anodization chipping at the Camera Plateau edges, Wired confirms scratches even on review units, and r/iphone has multiple threads of owners reporting finish wear within days of unboxing.
Apple Intelligence remains a footnote two years in — Trusted Reviews calls it 'merely a footnote,' The Verge's pro list includes 'What's up with Siri?' as a Bad, and r/apple commenters openly speculate Apple may abandon it as a primary marketing pitch.
The new Camera Plateau two-tone design is the most polarizing iPhone design in years — Ars Technica calls it 'lumpy,' 9to5Mac says it's a 'step backwards as a look, don't touch design,' and r/gadgets headlines call it 'the most un-Jony Ive iPhone ever.'
It's heavier and chunkier than the iPhone 16 Pro — 206g vs 199g on the Pro, 233g vs 227g on the Pro Max, with Wired saying the phones 'feel like bricks compared to the iPhone Air' and multiple Reddit users complaining they need a case for grip.
Owner concern: titanium frame discolors visibly from hand oils, the matte finish picks up fingerprints quickly — Apple advised wiping with a microfiber cloth.
IP68 water/dust resistance carries over from the 14 Pro Max — fully splash/water resistant.
iPhone 17 Pro
Apple ditched titanium for a 7000-series aluminum unibody that wraps the sides and most of the back, broken only by a glass cutout for wireless charging. The new 'Camera Plateau' spans the full width of the back, and the phone comes in Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue and Silver — no black/space gray for the first time in Pro history. Reviewers are sharply divided: some find the industrial look refreshing, others call it the most polarizing iPhone design in years. The aluminum is also softer than titanium, with widespread early reports of anodization scratching at the Plateau edges (dubbed 'Scratchgate').
The aluminum unibody feels seamless and cohesive in the hand — a clear improvement in how comfortable the iPhone 17 Pro is to hold compared to the iPhone 16 Pro.
These phones are heavier than the iPhone 16 Pro models and 'feel like bricks compared to the thin and light Air' when you switch between them.
The two-tone glass cutout on the back is jarring and looks almost like a last-minute decision compared to the more finished older design.
The Cosmic Orange color is the funnest color Apple has ever used on a Pro-labeled phone, and it's gorgeous in person despite being polarizing.
The iPhone 17 Pro's lumpy design and mix-and-match of colors and materials leaves the reviewer cold aesthetically — the multiple cutouts for cellular and mmWave signals make it less elegant than its predecessor.
Aluminum is softer than titanium, so the 17 Pro will scuff more easily than previous generations — the sharp edges of the camera island have proven prone to anodization chipping.
Despite Ceramic Shield 2 promising 3x the scratch resistance, the iPhone 17 Pro's anodized aluminum has been showing scratches around the Camera Plateau edges from launch — case makers explicitly recommend covering the Plateau.
The Pro now feels like the Apple Watch Ultra — proudly industrialized, function over form, a distinct design with tradeoffs that enables everything else the phone delivers.
After 12 hours out of the box the finish is already wearing off — 'this is the Pro model, people pay extra for it, and it feels like I'm holding an iPhone 11.'
Aluminum is very soft compared to titanium — you must use a good case or you will end with a lot of scratches and dents, even if everything else about the phone is a big upgrade.
Display
iPhone 15 Pro Max
6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion 120Hz adaptive refresh and a 2000-nit peak brightness — the best display Apple has shipped. Dynamic Island carries over from the 14 Pro Max with no major changes.
6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 2796×1290, ProMotion 120Hz adaptive (1-120Hz), 2000-nit peak HDR — best iPhone display ever shipped.
Display brightness easily readable in direct sunlight — meaningful improvement over the 14 Pro Max's 1600-nit peak.
Dynamic Island carries over from 14 Pro Max with no major feature changes — still the iPhone's most distinctive UI element.
ProMotion 120Hz on the Pro is 'significantly smoother' than the standard iPhone 15's locked 60Hz — a real-world differentiator.
iPhone 17 Pro
The 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion 1-120Hz LTPO panel is essentially unchanged from the iPhone 16 Pro in resolution, but Apple has bumped peak outdoor brightness to 3,000 nits and added an improved anti-reflective coating. Almost every reviewer praises the screen, though the awkward complication is that the same 6.3-inch ProMotion panel is now also on the $799 iPhone 17 — eroding one of the Pro's traditional differentiators.
The displays get super bright for easy viewing in sunny conditions, and the Pro models recharge fairly quickly with the right adapter.
Outdoor brightness now reaches 3,000 nits with reduced glare and higher contrast — using the phone for navigation outdoors or in a well-lit train is noticeably more comfortable.
The base iPhone 17 now uses the same 6.3-inch ProMotion display as the iPhone 17 Pro — a huge upgrade for the entry-level model that erodes one of the Pro's traditional differentiators.
Apple has improved the anti-reflection treatment, though in real-world use it's been hard to determine what's changed compared to the iPhone 16 Pro's panel.
Apple's Ceramic Shield 2 has held up well against scratches during a month of pocket abuse without a case — fared much better than every iPhone the reviewer has owned in the past six years.
Performance
iPhone 15 Pro Max
First-ever 3nm A17 Pro chip with hardware ray tracing, 8GB RAM and NVMe storage — the fastest mobile silicon at launch. Launch overheating issues plagued early units but iOS 17.0.3 mitigated. Future-proofs the phone for Apple Intelligence on iOS 18+.
A17 Pro is Apple's first 3nm chip, with 8GB RAM and NVMe storage — fastest mobile silicon at launch, hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
Launch overheating: A17 Pro ran hot during gaming and 4K recording in the first weeks — iOS 17.0.3 update mitigated but didn't fully eliminate.
Console-grade games (Resident Evil 4, Assassin's Creed Mirage, Death Stranding) now run natively on the A17 Pro — first phone to support them.
Apple Intelligence compatibility — A17 Pro is the minimum chip required for iOS 18.1 Apple Intelligence; future-proofs the phone for 2024+ AI features.
In 2025, A17 Pro 'is an absolute beast' and 'handles everything you throw at it' — performance has aged extremely well.
iPhone 17 Pro
The A19 Pro with 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU and 12GB of RAM (up from 8GB on the iPhone 16 Pro) is meaningfully faster than its predecessor and benchmarks ahead of every Android flagship. The big news, though, is the laser-welded vapor chamber cooling system, which finally fixes the iPhone 15/16 Pro's notorious thermal throttling. Sustained gaming performance, ProRes video recording and image generation are all noticeably better.
The benchmark scores blew everything else out of the water — Apple's A19 Pro with 12GB of RAM and the vapor chamber make these the most powerful smartphones around.
Geekbench multi-core hits 9,994 and 3DMark Wild Life lands at 5,400 — confirming the A19 Pro's ~14% CPU and ~40% GPU lead over the iPhone 16 Pro.
Playing Assassin's Creed Mirage at max settings was significantly smoother on the iPhone 17 Pro than on the iPhone 16 Pro last year, with stable frame rates and rarely any stutters.
The vapor chamber isn't just marketing — the iPhone 17 Pro ran significantly cooler than the iPhone 16 Pro in all testing, with heat spread evenly across the back rather than concentrated in one hot spot.
On 3DMark stress tests the iPhone 17 Pro delivered 35-40% better stability than the iPhone 16 Pro and 45-50% better on ray-traced workloads, with the phone never crossing 100°F in 40-60 minutes of gaming.
At $1,099 the value math is harder than ever because the regular iPhone 17 ($799) now shares the same 6.3-inch ProMotion display, Center Stage selfie camera, A19 chip, 256GB base storage and 3,000-nit brightness — The Verge, Engadget, Pocket-lint and Reddit's r/gadgets all argue most people should get the base iPhone 17 instead.
The 6.3-inch screen size is divisive — long-time Plus and Pro Max owners coming down to the smaller Pro find it 'feels like a toy' even though the display itself is excellent.
12GB of RAM is a real improvement — apps stay in memory longer, with Reminders retaining its state across three different grocery stores after using Apple Maps and other apps in between.
Image Playground and Genmoji generation are notably faster on the iPhone 17 Pro than on the iPhone 16 Pro, thanks to the neural accelerators in the A19 Pro's 6-core GPU.
The new A19 Pro is a big leap forward, much bigger than your typical yearly upgrade, and 12GB of RAM makes the device feel more future-proof for the next four to five years.
Apple suddenly couldn't stop talking about thermal performance — they ditched titanium and completely redesigned the phone to fit a vapor chamber inside, but didn't show a single feature that needs it.
