Overview

• The Max Tech blind test found the iPhone 17 Pro Max delivered the strongest results versus the 16 and 15 Pro Max, especially in low light and at higher zoom levels.
• In bright scenes the three Pro Max models looked similar at a glance, yet the 17 Pro Max held more fine detail when images were examined closely.
• Filmmaker Alex Armitage’s comparison showed the iPhone 17 Pro’s telephoto could not match a Canon R5 with a 70–200 mm lens for texture and depth.
• Armitage reported that the iPhone 17 Pro’s telephoto produced soft, ‘mushy’ detail in dim light due to aggressive noise reduction and multi-frame processing, sometimes trailing the 16 Pro in those conditions.
• Apple touted a roughly 56% larger telephoto sensor and a 48-megapixel quad‑Bayer design, which reviewers said can yield excellent daylight results even as telephoto low-light trade-offs persist.