iPhone 17 Pro Max: 4 upgrades we believe could make it ‘Phone of the Year’

It’s only February, and rumours about the next mainline iPhone—especially the iPhone 17 Pro—are starting to emerge. Luckily, some of these leaks suggest that we might finally get a fresh, new design this time around, signalling the end of years of incremental upgrades.

That being said, there are a few key areas where the iPhone 17 Pro, particularly the iPhone 17 Pro Max, must improve. The Max variant is significantly larger than the standard Pro, and we believe it should do much more. We’ve seen phones like Samsung’s Ultra models, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra and its predecessors, offering far more features compared to their vanilla counterparts. Apple should take a similar approach, pushing even higher-end hardware in its Max variants.

With that in mind, here are the key upgrades we’d love to see in the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Of course, these are just wishlist items, and not confirmed features.

1. A better telephoto camera, possibly with an extra lens

Samsung’s Ultra models, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra, have consistently featured four cameras, with two dedicated telephoto lenses. But why are two telephoto cameras so important? Well, unlike zoom lenses in DSLR and mirrorless cameras, smartphone cameras have fixed focal lengths—such as 24mm, 28mm, 75mm, or 125mm, depending on the manufacturer’s approach. This means that unless Apple adds an intermediate telephoto lens, any zoom between 1x and 5x is purely digital.

Apple’s ‘Fusion Camera’ technology allows the main sensor to crop in for optical-quality zoom, but let’s be honest—it’s not a true replacement for a dedicated optical lens. The Galaxy S25 Ultra, for instance, features a 3x telephoto lens to bridge the gap between 1x and 5x zoom.

We’d love to see Apple adopt a similar approach by adding an extra telephoto lens, improving overall zoom quality and reducing noise in low-light conditions. 

While we are at it, we would also want the 5x iPhone telephoto camera to get improvements. Because, while decent, it struggles in challenging lighting scenarios and falls short of competitors like the Vivo X200 Pro, which excels at sharp, detailed night-time portraits.

2. A much larger battery

Don’t get us wrong—the Max variant of the iPhone already offers some of the best battery life in any smartphone. The iPhone 16 Pro Max, for instance, is a two-day phone for most users. However, despite its impressive efficiency, its battery capacity—reportedly 4,685mAh—could be increased further.

Given the size of the Pro Max, Apple could easily fit, let us say, a 5,500mAh battery inside, paired with its highly optimised A-series chipset and iOS. Combine that with faster charging, and we’d have an absolute battery powerhouse.

3. Software optimisations for the larger screen

So far, the only real advantage of the Pro Max’s larger 6.9-inch display is a more immersive media experience. Otherwise, the software experience remains identical to the smaller 6.3-inch Pro model—it’s just scaled up. Apple should take inspiration from Samsung, which offers additional multitasking features on larger-screen devices. 

4. A fresh new design

Since the iPhone 12 Pro, Apple’s Pro models have looked almost identical. If you compare an iPhone 13 Pro to an iPhone 15 Pro in the same colour, it’s nearly impossible to tell them apart at a glance. The symmetrical camera layout, flat sides, and overall design language have remained largely unchanged.

While the current design is undoubtedly premium, it’s starting to feel stale. Fortunately, leaks suggest that the iPhone 17 Pro models might feature a Google Pixel 9-like camera visor, with the camera module extending horizontally across the back. This could add a fresh visual identity to the iPhone lineup, making the device more distinctive and exciting.