Apple"s long-term strategy of charging a premium has already pushed the iPhone beyond $900 average selling price. In fact, the iPhone is the first smartphone to cross that milestone, and still, it remained the best-selling smartphone in Q1 2025.
The Cupertino giant unveiled its latest iPhone lineup earlier this week, including the iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max. The devices will be available for pre-order on September 12, but a trip to Apple"s online store will make you realize the iPhone-maker is taking things even further this time.
You can use the customization tool to max out an iPhone 17 Pro Max to its best available specifications, only to realize that you"re buying an iPhone with a $2,000 price tag ($1,999 to be precise). Note that this is without tossing in an AppleCare plan. For comparison, a maxed-out iPhone 16 Pro Max with 1TB storage was priced at $1599, which remains the same for the 1TB iPhone 17 Pro Max.
This certainly fuels the premiumization trend that has been rising in the smartphone industry. Counterpoint Research notes that the market share of premium smartphones (priced $600 or more) increased from 15% in 2020 to 25% in 2024.
As seen during the launch, the iPhone 17 Pro Max tries to justify its price tag by flaunting several upgrades and video production capabilities. Here are some of them:
- Better performance: iPhone 17 Pro Max is fitted with a faster and more power-efficient A19 Pro chip along with a new vapor chamber cooling system.
- More battery backup: Offers up to 39 hours of video playback on a single charge, which is six hours more than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple"s 40W adapter can charge the device from zero to 50% in 20 minutes.
- 48MP Triple camera system: All three cameras at the back now support 48MP resolution for main, ultra wide, and telephoto lenses.
- New 48MP Fusion Telephoto: With a 56% larger sensor, it"s an upgrade over the 12MP Telephoto on iPhone 16 Pro Max. There is 12MP 8x optical-quality zoom support, equivalent to a 200mm focal length, and 48MP 4x optical zoom (100mm).
- New 18MP Center Stage camera: The front-facing camera has improved stabilization and supports Center Stage to keep you in the frame even if you move around during video calls. Its square camera sensor can automatically expand the field of view and switch from portrait to landscape for group selfies without rotating your phone.
- Dual Capture: Record from front and rear cameras simultaneously up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps.
- Video Production: Apple introduced ProRes RAW codec support for iPhone 17 Pro models (via compatible apps), alongside Apple Log 2, and Genlock for video synchronization. These "Pro" features work with the recently updated Final Cut Camera 2.0 app, as well as on the BlackMagic Camera ProDock via the BlackMagic Camera app.
It"s worth noting that all of the camera features are available in the base variant of iPhone 17 Pro Max, which costs $1,199. While Apple charges a premium for its storage upgrades, there is no clear-cut yes or no answer to whether the 2TB iPhone 17 Pro Max, which costs as much as a decent 14-inch MacBook Pro, is a value-for-money offer considering the $800 price gap.
A higher storage capacity becomes a necessity when dealing with ProRes and ProRes RAW, where even a few minutes of footage can eat up a considerable chunk of your storage. Not everyone wants to hot swap external drives on the go. However, a key takeaway is that the device is not for the average customer, who is less likely to utilize its advanced camera features.
Apple seems to target a subset of users, mostly professionals, enthusiasts, and content creators, who would like to use their smartphone as a primary device for photography and video production. Apple is giving them a pocket-sized device with a 6.9-inch display and a massive battery, allowing them to capture high-quality videos at any time. They can also add a camera rig and work with products that support ProRes RAW.