iPhone 17 Pro vs Pro Max: Why I Finally Broke Up With The Big Phone

Always Bought The Max… Until Now

For years my iPhone buying strategy was extremely complicated:

New phone comes out
Buy the Max model
Complain about how big and heavy it is
Do it again the next year

The logic was always the same. Bigger battery, bigger screen, more comfortable to use all day without thinking about charging. I accepted the wrist pain and the pinky dent as the price of admission.

Then the iPhone 17 Pro line showed up, and for the first time I decided to do what I always tell other people to do. I questioned my own habit.

So I grabbed an iPhone 17 Pro, lived with it for about a month, then switched to the iPhone 17 Pro Max for a few days to see if I really missed it. The verdict came much faster than I expected.

I missed the smaller phone.

This is the story of why the regular iPhone 17 Pro finally pulled me away from the big one, how it holds up for real battery life and creative work, and where the Pro Max still absolutely makes sense.

Size, Weight, And The Everyday Reality Of Holding Your Phone

Apple keeps nudging these phones a little bigger each year. A millimeter here, a couple of grams there, and suddenly your hand is doing gymnastics just to hit the top left corner of the screen. Also have you looked at your pink lately?

The 15 Pro Max with the titanium frame was my favorite big iPhone ever. It felt like Apple finally hit a sweet spot between size and weight. The 17 Pro Max feels like they marched right past that.

Side by side, the 17 Pro Max is obviously larger and heavier. You feel it the instant you pick it up. Without a case it already feels hefty. Add a real protective case and you are holding a small tablet.

The iPhone 17 Pro, on the other hand, hits that comfort zone again. One handed use actually feels possible. You can reach the top of the screen without changing your grip five times. You can type with one thumb without feeling like you are about to drop it on your face in bed.

Is this a “my wrists are weak” problem? Maybe. But this is also how we actually use phones now. All day. In bed. On the couch. In the kitchen. On the subway. Comfort matters.

Screen Real Estate: The Big Secret Apple Does Not Talk About

Here is the part that really broke my brain.

If you put the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max side by side, open the same apps, and actually look at what you can see on screen at one time, you will notice something annoying.

You are not really getting that much extra information on the Max.

iOS simply does not do enough with the extra space. A lot of screens are exactly the same layout, just scaled up slightly.

Home screen icons are the same grid
Widgets do not magically add an extra row
Email apps often show the same number of lines
Websites show almost the same content before you have to scroll

In some case you see the title line of the next thing a bit earlier on the Max, but the difference is small. It feels more like you zoomed in rather than gained a new layer of productivity.

It becomes very obvious when you look at badly optimized emails or generic marketing blasts. The images are exactly the same size on both phones. The only thing the Max gives you there is a little extra margin.

If you are a true power user who lives in landscape mode, runs split view style workflows, or uses the phone as a mini tablet, then okay, the Max still has a place. For normal vertical phone life, the gains are tiny.

Battery Life: Finally A Smaller Phone That Can Hang

Historically, the reason to buy the Max was simple. Battery life.

That was always my justification. I make content, I shoot a lot of video, I am constantly on email and Discord, and I use my phone for basically everything. I did not want to think about charging in the middle of the day.

This year, the iPhone 17 Pro finally feels like a phone that can stand toe to toe with the Max in real life.

Normal mixed use days are no problem
Heavy days with photos, video, and social still end with plenty of battery
On a full holiday test, I went through Thanksgiving, shot a ton, and still went to bed with around 65 percent left

If I throw a little MagSafe battery puck into the mix, I can easily push into two day territory on the 17 Pro. At that point the Max only really beats it if you absolutely refuse to use any external battery ever.

The 17 Pro Max still wins raw endurance. It is an absurdly long lasting phone. But for the first time in a long time, I do not feel like I am sacrificing meaningful battery life by picking the smaller one.

Cameras: If They Are The Same, Choose The One You Use More

Camera systems on both the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are essentially the same this generation. Same lenses, same processing, same Apple goodness.

That means the best camera is the one you are actually willing to pull out and use.

And here is where things get interesting. I am taking more photos and video with the smaller phone. Not because it is better on paper, but because it is easier to live with.

It comes out of the pocket faster
It balances better in one hand
I can snap quick shots of my cats without juggling the phone
Filming quick clips for socials feels more natural

If you are a parent, a pet person, or just someone who documents life constantly, that matters. A slightly larger screen you do not enjoy holding is worth less than a slightly smaller screen you love using every day.

Speakers And Audio

A quick but important note. The speakers on both phones are loud and clear, but the iPhone 17 Pro actually sounds a little nicer to my ears.

There is a slightly more pleasant tone when I am watching video or taking calls on speaker. Is it a huge difference? No. Could it be confirmation bias? Possibly. But the key point is this:

You do not have to sacrifice audio volume or quality by picking the smaller phone this year.

If you are coming from older smaller models where the big phone always sounded more powerful, that trade off is basically gone.

Storage: The One Real Reason I Still Eye The Max

There is one place the iPhone 17 Pro Max still tempts me:

2 TB of storage.

I shoot a lot of video. I take a lot of photos. I back things up locally when traveling. On a 1 TB phone I can fill space faster than I want to admit. If you have kids or pets and you film everything, you probably know exactly what I am talking about.

If you are the kind of person who always runs out of storage, the 2 TB option on the Max is extremely attractive. That is the one thing the smaller phone cannot give you.

Right now, I am choosing comfort and usability over that extra space, but I am not going to pretend the lure of 2 TB is not real.

How MagBak Helps Big And Small Phones Feel More Usable

MagBak Case: https://creators.magbak.com/crafting-worlds-tristan-pope514

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Since we are talking about comfort and daily use, we need to talk about the case I keep coming back to.

I have been using MagBak cases for around two years now. The sponsorship for this video simply lines up with what I was already doing.

The MagBak case for iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max fixes several real world problems for both sizes:

The telescoping magnets give you a much stronger, more reliable MagSafe style mount than most cases
The finger loop pops out when you need extra security and sits flush when you do not
The built in kickstand on the back makes watching content or reading so much easier
The pinky cushion at the bottom makes long sessions more comfortable, especially on the heavier Pro Max
You still get real drop protection without turning your phone into a chunky brick

If you are going to spend flagship money on an iPhone, it makes sense to use a case that actually respects how you use that phone all day. The MagBak does that better than most.

And yes, I have dropped my phone in these cases more than once. It survived.

Pros And Cons

iPhone 17 Pro – Pros

Significantly more comfortable for one handed use
Lighter and easier on your wrist over long sessions
Battery life that rivals last year’s best big phones
Same cameras as the Pro Max, so no feature downgrade
Loud, clear speakers that keep up with the larger model
Easier to pocket, carry, and whip out for quick shots
Pairs perfectly with a slim MagSafe battery for travel

iPhone 17 Pro – Cons

No 2 TB storage option
Smaller screen if you watch a lot of long form content
Power users who live in landscape may still feel cramped

iPhone 17 Pro Max – Pros

Absolute battery monster, perfect for heavy travel days
Larger screen can be nicer for media and gaming
2 TB storage for creators, parents, and pet photo hoarders
Still an amazing camera and content creation machine

iPhone 17 Pro Max – Cons

Heaviest iPhone I have used so far
Quickly becomes unwieldy once you add a real case
Harder to use one handed, especially with smaller hands
iOS rarely takes full advantage of the extra screen space

MagBak Case For iPhone 17 Proline – Pros

Strong telescoping magnets with rock solid mounting
Finger loop and kickstand baked into the design
Real protection with a slim profile
Soft touch finish and clicky metal buttons
Pinky cushion that actually helps comfort

MagBak Case For iPhone 17 Proline – Cons

Strong magnets may ruin you for normal cases
If you never use mounts or MagSafe accessories, some of the magic is wasted

Final Thoughts: The Right iPhone 17 Is The One You Enjoy Using

The more I use phones for work and life, the more I care about one simple question:

Do I enjoy using this thing every day?

For me, this year, the answer is very clearly yes with the iPhone 17 Pro. I get the battery life I need, the cameras I want, audio that makes calls and videos easy, and a size that does not make my wrist hate me.

The 17 Pro Max is still an incredible device. If you absolutely live for maximum battery and giant storage, it will make you very happy. But if you have always defaulted to the big phone without thinking, this is the year to honestly ask yourself if you still need it.

Pair either one with a good case like the MagBak, and you are set. Just maybe do your pinky a favor and try the smaller phone for once.