Transcription
As an Android fan, I always keep an eye on Apple and the latest iPhone releases, mainly because whatever Apple does eventually trickles down to the Android world. These Android OEMs just love to copy them, even when the move makes zero sense.
Speaking of which, Apple has launched the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and oh boy, I’ve got thoughts. Some good, some questionable, and some just plain ridiculous. Let’s get into it.
Let’s start with the ridiculous part, which is the design. Honestly, what was Apple even thinking here? This is the wildest redesign since the iPhone 11 sprouted that camera tumor. Off-center logo, odd dual-tone finish, and that monstrosity of a camera bump... I just can’t. Apple fans, of course, are drooling over it now, but remember, these are the same people who lost their minds trashing it just months ago. Guess they got used to it.
Then there’s the downgrade in build material. Apple ditched titanium and went back to aluminum. Just two years ago, they hyped titanium as if it were the most revolutionary thing ever used in a phone since Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone, and now they’ve backtracked to something softer and less durable? Supposedly, it’s for the new unibody design, but honestly, this feels like a nightmare for repairability. And if you’ve ever used an aluminum phone, you know it’s far easier to dent and scratch compared to titanium. Since Apple made the switch to titanium, those problems basically disappeared, but with aluminum making a comeback, expect those same issues to return. Reviewers are trying to highlight the so-called benefits of aluminum, but no matter how you spin it, this is a downgrade.
Speaking of downgrades, Apple cut the telephoto zoom from 5x down to 4x, bumped resolution to 48MP with a 50% bigger sensor, which is fine, but now they’re shamelessly calling it an 8x telephoto. Let’s be clear, this isn’t an 8x telephoto at all. What they’re doing is cropping into the sensor, which is not true optical zoom. At best, you can call it lossless digital zoom or a high-quality crop, but calling it telephoto is just misleading. And what’s even more frustrating is seeing some tech YouTubers echoing Apple’s claim as if it’s fact. No, a sensor crop doesn’t magically become optical zoom. For example, if I take an 8MP sensor and only use the middle 2MP area, that doesn’t mean I now have optical zoom. It just means I’m digitally cropping in. The iPhone 17 Pro Max gives you 4x optical zoom and then a 2x crop, which combines into something that might look like 8x, but it isn’t real optical zoom. The worst part is, now that Apple has pushed this marketing, you can bet Android OEMs will copy it too, and suddenly the entire industry will be misleading people.
Anyway, the phone is also heavier and bulkier this year. Not subtle either - you’ll notice it. Meanwhile, Samsung’s going thinner with the S26 Ultra. Apple did pack in a bigger battery, around 200mAh more, which I’ll give them credit for. I’ve always said people don’t mind a bit of extra heft for better battery life. But then you see Samsung fitting the same capacity in a slimmer 7.9mm frame with an S Pen slot, and you wonder if Apple could’ve done better here. Still, bigger battery is always welcome. And hey, they’ve finally bumped wireless charging to 40W. Good move.
Now, the base iPhone 17 finally gets a 120Hz display. About time! They’re only five years late to the party. What’s hilarious though is how Apple fans used to defend 60Hz by saying, “average users don’t care about refresh rate.” So what changed? Did average users suddenly start caring? Now it magically matters? Funny how that works. man, these people will defend absolutely anything Apple does, no matter how inconsistent it is.
On the display front, there are a couple more upgrades worth mentioning. All iPhone 17 models now go up to 3000 nits peak brightness, up from 2000 nits last year. That’s brighter than Samsung’s Ultra models, which is genuinely impressive. Credit to Apple for that. And even more impressive - they finally added anti-reflective coating across all models, not just the Pro versions. Even the base iPhone 17 gets it. Samsung, seriously, take notes here. Stop locking this feature to the Ultra.
I also liked Center Stage for the front camera. With its square sensor, you can shoot vertical or horizontal without rotating the phone, always staying centered in the frame for video calls or selfies. That’s actually a clever addition.
But here’s something concerning: after spending half the keynote last year hyping AI, this time Apple barely mentioned it. And the reason is obvious - they’re struggling. Google and Samsung are not just ahead, they’re multiple generations ahead in AI features. You can already see the impact, with Apple losing market share to Samsung in their own backyard in 2025. If Apple’s AI performance stays weak on the iPhone 17, it’s going to be a tough road ahead for them.
So that’s my take on the latest iPhones. If you’ve got something to add or you don’t agree, let me know. I'll be active in the comments. If you want to see what Samsung's doing with their next Ultra. Click right here and I'll see you there.