Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max MFXH4LL/A Cosmic Orange 256GB

The 96th percentile triple-camera system is the standout, making this one of the best phones for photos today. Backed by the A19 Pro chip at the 90th percentile, it's blazing fast. However, the 66th percentile display and 233g heft drag it down, so it's not for everyone.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max lands with a camera score in the 96th percentile, making it one of the best phone shooters in our database. The triple 48MP setup with 8x optical zoom is the real star here, pulling ahead of nearly everything else. The A19 Pro chip isn't far behind at the 90th percentile, delivering snappy performance and sustained speed that humbles last year's model.

Apple's A19 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM push this phone into the 90th percentile for raw performance. In our CPU and GPU tests, it finishes a 4K render about 30% faster than the median phone and sustains that pace thanks to vapor cooling. Apple claims up to 40% better sustained performance over the A18 Pro, and our numbers confirm it holds clock speeds longer under load. Day-to-day, everything flies, and even the most demanding games run smooth. The only nitpick? 8GB of RAM feels adequate now, but heavy multitaskers might wish for more headroom a couple of years down the line.

At $1200 from Best Buy, the iPhone 17 Pro Max costs a premium but delivers a camera and chip that justify the outlay for photo enthusiasts. The 256GB base storage helps offset the sting, though the price can climb to $1335 elsewhere. For raw performance per dollar, it's solid but not unbeatable, especially when you factor in the so-so display and heavyweight design.

Stacked against the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the iPhone wins on camera and sustained speed, but Samsung's display scores higher and the S Pen adds flexibility. The Google Pixel 10a offers a similar photo experience for half the price, though its Tensor chip sits well below the A19 Pro in our benchmarks. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 15 charges to full in under 30 minutes, making the iPhone's 27W feel ancient.

Anyone sensitive to phone weight or who values the absolute best display should steer clear. The 233g heft is a dealbreaker for one-handed use, earning it a compactness score of just 58.2 out of 100. The 66th percentile display means many Android flagships offer brighter, smoother screens. If you don't need the telephoto zoom, save money and weight with a regular iPhone 17 or a Pixel 10a.

If your top priorities are photography and raw processing power, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is a no-brainer. Its camera sits in rarified air, and the A19 Pro chip chews through anything you throw at it. But the mediocre display and substantial weight mean it's not the universal flagship Apple might hope for. Grab it for the camera, but know the trade-offs.