iPhone 17 Pro Max 'full option' hits $2,000 mark: Is it worth the money?

Apple's long-term strategy of pushing iPhone prices to the premium level has helped the product line surpass the $900 average selling price threshold - a milestone that no other smartphone has achieved, and still maintain its position as the best-selling smartphone in the first quarter of 2025.

Recently, Apple has officially launched the iPhone 17 generation, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. The device will be available for pre-order from September 12. However, when accessing Apple's online store and trying to 'build' the highest configuration version, many people will be surprised: the 2TB iPhone 17 Pro Max costs up to 1,999 USD - equivalent to nearly 2,000 USD, without AppleCare +.

For comparison, last year's 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max cost $1,599, while the 1TB version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max remains at that price. The difference comes mainly from the 2TB upgrade.

The trend of 'premiumization' of the smartphone market

According to data from Counterpoint Research, the share of high-end smartphones ($600 and above) has increased from 15% in 2020 to 25% in 2024. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is a prime example of this trend: Apple is increasingly targeting customers willing to spend big in exchange for superior performance and features.

Notable upgrades on iPhone 17 Pro Max:

1. More powerful performance: equipped with A19 Pro chip and new vapor chamber cooling system.
2. Longer battery life: 39 hours of continuous video playback, 6 hours more than iPhone 16 Pro Max; 40W fast charging reaches 50% in just 20 minutes.
3. 48MP triple camera cluster: all main, ultra-wide and telephoto lenses support 48MP.
4. New 48MP Fusion Tele: 56% larger sensor, 8x optical zoom equivalent to 200mm and 4x equivalent to 100mm.
   18MP Center Stage front camera: automatically adjusts the viewing angle, supports group selfies without rotating the camera.
5. Dual Capture: record front and rear cameras simultaneously in 4K Dolby Vision quality.
6. Professional video features: ProRes RAW support, Apple Log 2, Genlock, integration with Final Cut Camera 2.0 and BlackMagic Camera.

Is it worth spending $2,000?

It's worth noting that all of these camera features are available even on the $1,199 iPhone 17 Pro Max. Is the $800 premium just for an extra 2TB worth it? For the average user, the answer is probably 'no'. But for photographers, filmmakers, and content creators, shooting ProRes/ProRes RAW can be a huge storage hog, and 2TB becomes a real need.

In other words, Apple isn't aiming this iPhone at the masses. It wants to turn the iPhone 17 Pro Max into a 'pocket pro camera', catering to creative users who need a device that's both compact and powerful enough to replace a camcorder in many situations.

Marvin Fry

Update 15 September 2025