How Much Does the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max Price Cost?

Cupertino, California, September 9. Apple’s “awe-dropping” event, as teased by CEO Tim Cook, revealed the price for the new iPhone models. Among them, the Applie iPhone 17 Pro Max.

There’s already been lots of excitement about the new iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple’s larger flagship model is known for its big 6.9-inch screen and premium performance. This year’s edition has the new 3nm A19 Pro chip and a vapor chamber cooling system that prevents overheating and supports this performance. But how much will you pay for these upgrades?

Keep reading as we show you how much you can expect to pay for the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s full retail price.

What were the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max Price Rumors?

Many expected the iPhone 17 Pro Max to cost around $1,249 for the 256 GB model, a $50 price hike from its predecessor. 

This increase was expected to cover tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on chip imports, with only companies “building in the United States” exempt. However, the federal appeals court recently ruled that most of these tariffs are an overreach of the president’s emergency powers.

So, do the tariffs apply to the iPhone 17 Pro Max? A markup for the 17 series was thought to be inevitable regardless of the tariff decision, since Apple has kept the same prices for the past five years.

How Much is the iPhone 17 Pro Max?

The starting retail price for the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is $1,199, or $49.95 per month.

Clearly, Apple’s plans to invest an extra $100 billion into its new American Manufacturing Program have protected the iPhone 17 Pro Max from the steepest of the Trump tariffs. This is on top of the $500 billion already invested, which is expected to bring even advanced manufacturing jobs to the US.

The starting price of the iPhone 17 Pro Max hasn’t been hiked up, making it a worthwhile purchase. Like the iPhone 16 Pro Max model, the 17 offers double the default storage of the iPhone 17: 256 GB.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Price Differences

The 16 Pro Max retailed at $1,199 for the lowest storage option when it first premiered, much like the new iPhone 17 Pro Max. Here’s a comparison of the original prices for all five devices in the current iPhone 16 series:

Can I Find the iPhone 17 Pro Max at a Lower Price?

New iPhones, including the Pro Max model, usually come with a variety of smartphone provider and carrier plan preorder deals. So if the $1,199 price tag is out of your budget, the good news is that trading in an older iPhone to be refurbished or recycled can deliver significant discounts.

However, trade-in discounts are generally capped at $1,000, meaning you’re unlikely to find a new Pro Max model for free. Keep an eye on the Apple Store for discounts on older iPhone models and higher trade-in values.

As time goes on and new models are released, expect the iPhone 17 Pro Max price to drop.

What Upgrades Does the iPhone 17 Pro Max Have?

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has hardware and software upgrades, from new Apple Intelligence features to the latest A19 and A19 Pro chips.

Here are four of the biggest upgrades from the 17 Pro Max this year: 

1. Heat-Forged Body

The iPhone 17 Pro Max now has a heat-forged aluminum unibody design for extra protection. The screen is more scratch-resistant than the current 16 Pro Max and offers significant improvements to Apple’s fingerprint-resistant Ceramic Shield.

The heat-forged body protects the phone’s enhanced performance, maximizing battery life and protection from general wear-and-tear.

2. Enhanced Rear Cameras

Joining the advanced Camera Control button this year, which helps users quickly access camera tools, is an improved rear camera setup. 

This includes a 48 MP Telephoto lens, upgraded from the 16 Pro Max’s 12 MP, which makes all three rear cameras 48 MP! Another surprise benefit of the Pro Max over the Pro could be 16x optical zoom for the Telephoto camera, which is restricted to 5x on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max model has also received a new 24 MP front-facing camera, doubling the 16 Pro Max’s 12 MP lens for even better selfies.

3. Bigger Battery

Another significant upgrade to the iPhone 17 Pro Max is its huge battery life, up to 37 hours of video playback!

When combined with a huge 12 GB of RAM and the A19 Pro chip, which features a 6-core GPU for improved graphics and video rendering, the 17 Pro Max offers long battery life. This makes the phone an excellent model if you enjoy high-intensity gaming to photo editing, using the ever-growing suite of Apple Intelligence tools.

4. New Colors

The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is durable, providing the necessary structural support for its larger 5000 mAh battery. There are some vibrant colors, such as cosmic orange, that the phone comes in, as well as neutral and classic shades of black and silver. More colors will likely be added at a later date.

Is the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max Worth the Price?

Yes, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is Apple’s best premium flagship phone so far — and worth every cent, in our opinion. You can benefit from a boosted battery life, improved rear cameras, durability upgrades, and more ー without having to pay a price increase from the previous year’s model!

You can order your new iPhone 17 Pro Max now, with general availability starting from September 19. Apple has stayed true to its remarkably consistent price model, and there are plenty of ongoing and trade-in discounts for you to take advantage of over the next few months. 

If you’ve got an iPhone that’s two generations or older, or are simply looking for a new high-performance phone, we’d recommend considering the iPhone 17 Pro Max.