Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

At Rs. 504,999 for the 256GB model, the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is one of the most expensive phones in Pakistan, so it has to justify itself through long-term use rather than headline specs.

Main advantages:

• Battery life and charging are the clearest gains over earlier Pro Max models.
• Gaming stays stable for long sessions thanks to vapour chamber cooling.
• Video recording and the new selfie camera remain class-leading.

Main disadvantages:

• The aluminium frame dents and scratches more easily than the older titanium and steel frames.
• The rear cameras are only a modest step forward, and AI features lag behind Android rivals.

Official units sold through local distributors were reported to come with a two-year warranty and screen replacement, which adds value for a phone this costly; confirm the terms and PTA status before buying.

Verdict: worth it for heavy users upgrading from an older iPhone who will keep a case on it. Owners of a 16 Pro Max, or buyers who want the best still camera for the money, can skip it.

The 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel runs at up to 120Hz, with a 1320 x 2868 resolution and a quoted peak of 3000 nits. Day to day it remains one of the best phone screens for touch response, haptics and accurate colours out of the box.

The headline change is the anti-reflective Ceramic Shield 2 glass, which makes the screen easier to read under harsh sunlight. Independent lab testing found it improves legibility with very little colour loss, though it is not quite as effective as Samsung's coating on its Ultra phones.

There are limits worth knowing:

• Some users find it looks slightly dimmer than the 16 Pro Max, possibly because of the extra coating layer.
• Outdoors, brightness can drop back after a while, so you may need to raise it manually.
• You can now turn off PWM dimming, which helps flicker-sensitive eyes, but low-brightness colours shift slightly and smoothness drops when you do.

For scrolling, gaming and video, the smooth refresh rate and HDR support make it an excellent screen; just do not expect a visible jump over last year's model.

The Apple A19 Pro chip is paired with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB on the 16 Pro Max. In everyday use the difference over last year is small, but apps such as the camera and settings do open a little faster.

The real gain is in heavy workloads and gaming. A new vapour chamber replaces the older graphite sheets, so heat spreads across the whole body instead of building up in one spot. In practice:

• Long gaming sessions of 30 to 40 minutes run without the screen dimming or performance falling off.
• Temperatures while gaming were measured a few degrees lower than on the 16 Pro Max.
• The whole frame can feel warm to the touch, which is the cooling doing its job rather than a fault.

Independent stress testing confirmed better sustained performance than the 16 Pro Max, though the gain was smaller than Apple's marketing suggested. Demanding console-style games run smoothly, and PUBG ran at 60fps at launch.

The main weakness is software: iOS glitches seen on the 16 Pro Max can also appear here, so a new phone will not fix those issues.

The rear setup uses three 48 MP cameras: main, ultrawide and a new 4x periscope telephoto.

Main and ultrawide: the sensors carry over from last year, but photos handle highlights and shadows slightly better, and lens glare at night is reduced. Colours stay consistent across all three lenses, a long-standing iPhone strength.

Telephoto: this is the most debated upgrade.

• The 4x lens at 100mm is more practical for portraits than the old 5x, with better edge detection.
• Detail is only slightly better than the 16 Pro Max, and some users see little real difference.
• At close range the camera can switch to a crop of the main sensor without telling you, which lowers quality.
• Close-up flash shots in the dark can show an odd shadow in the corner.
• Portrait and macro results still trail the best Chinese camera phones, and macros still use the ultrawide.

Selfies: the new 18 MP square sensor is the biggest camera upgrade. It is wider and more detailed, and Center Stage lets you shoot landscape photos or 4K video while holding the phone upright, ideal for group shots and vlogging.

Video: still the strongest part of the package. ProRes, Log recording, 4K at up to 120fps, smooth lens switching and dual front-and-back recording make it a top choice for creators.

Our database lists two versions: 4823 mAh for the Nano-SIM model and 5088 mAh for the eSIM-only model, so the eSIM version should last a little longer.

Real-world results are strong:

• Under heavy use, screen-on time reaches 8 to 9 hours, which stretches to roughly 36 hours between charges for many people.
• Even with intensive use, one full charge cycle covers a whole day, so a power bank is rarely needed.
• Independent lab testing also recorded clearly better endurance than the previous Pro Max.

Charging: with Apple's 40W adapter the phone reaches 50% in about 20 minutes, and it can briefly draw more power with the original charger. Owners of a good 30W or higher USB-C PD charger may not see a big difference, so a new charger is not essential. Only a USB-C cable comes in the box.

Wireless: 25W MagSafe and Qi2 charging are supported, plus 4.5W reverse wired charging for accessories.

The main compromise is that Apple still uses conventional lithium-ion cells, so capacity stays below the large silicon-carbon batteries in many Chinese flagships.

The phone ships with iOS 26 and its new Liquid Glass design, and our database lists it as upgradable to iOS 26.3. Updates since launch have improved stability and fixed many bugs, though some glitches carried over from older models.

iOS is now more customisable than before:

• MP3 files as ringtones and built-in call recording.
• Dual recording from the front and back cameras at the same time.
• Call Screening for unknown numbers and Hold Assist for support calls.

AI features are the weak point. Apple Intelligence is supported on the whole iPhone 17 lineup, but the feature set feels thin next to Samsung and Google, and the more personal Siri Apple promised arrived late. Apple Intelligence also needs Siri and the device set to a supported language such as English.

Updates: Apple does not publish a fixed number of years of iOS updates, so any figure you hear is an estimate based on its track record rather than a confirmed policy.