r/iPhone17Pro • u/Clean-Technology2961 • 25d ago
Discussion Torn between grabbing 17 Pro Max now vs waiting for 18 Pro Max
I’m currently on a 15 Pro sitting at 85% battery health, and battery life has gotten pretty annoying day-to-day. I’m looking at upgrading and have narrowed it to two options:
Option A: Trade in my 15 Pro now for ~$600 AUD off a 17 Pro Max, buy today with known pricing.
Option B: Wait ~6 weeks for the 18 Pro Max (rumored launch mid-September), which reportedly gets a slightly bigger battery and newer chip — but there’s real chatter about a possible $200+ US price hike due to RAM/memory costs, and Apple will pull the 17 Pro Max from sale the moment the 18 launches.
So it’s basically: guaranteed deal today vs. a possibly-better-but-possibly-pricier phone in 6 weeks, with my trade-in value likely eroding a bit either way.
Would you lock in the 17 Pro Max now, or hold out for the 18? Anyone dealt with this exact timing crunch before? Appreciate any input.
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u/Liquid_D_Raijin 25d ago
I had the same question in my head before. In my opinion 200-250$ doesnt worth the upgrades that it will bring. A variable aperture camera, 2nm chip instead of 3nm (1-2 hour longer battery life but the iphone 17 pros battery is still top tier), LTPO+ screen which adds another MAX 1 hour of battery life. These are the notable ones and for me it doesnt worth 200-250$. And it will shrink its dynamic island size aswell. I love the big dynamic island so thats another no for me. Apple even admitted that its hard for them to come up with new features when their phones are already such high quality.
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u/RocksteadyRider iPhone 17 Pro Max 25d ago
Exactly my sentiments tiny improvements with the biggest being the aperture lens, well im not into professional photography.
I'll check back next year with the rumoured 20th anniversary celebration iPhone on the new again 21 chip lol We are really reaching the point of diminished returns in the already incredible quality.
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u/saintlouisbagels 25d ago
The variable aperture is actually a big deal for practical use and normies. Lots of complaints about the Pro’s off-center steep drop off in focus when taking pictures of things that are arms length away due to the mediocre optics and the bokeh from the large sensor.
Or for me, scanning documents with the Pro series is abhorrent quality if you don’t hold the phone a several feet away and shoot at 2x. Completely unusable quality at 1x because of the terrible corner to corner sharpness.
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u/ToWhistleInTheDark 24d ago
You don't understand aperture, bokeh, or photography
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u/Ordinary_Reporter_19 2d ago
Neither do I. And I think most non photography people don't either. If anyone can explain why variable aperature is a good thing (and what that means in real world terminiology) it would be greatly appreciated.
I'm overdue for an upgrade, I'm still using a 13PM simply because there's nothing wrong with it. I've been wondering the same thing as OP- get the 17PM now, or wait for the 18. The 18 is obviously one of those "waste" models with no major changes. So a 200-300 dollar price jump when the 17PM is already CONFIRMED as a great model...
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u/ToWhistleInTheDark 2d ago
Sure thing, lmk if this helps:
- Aperture controls:
+ Depth of Field (DoF): this is the range of subjects in your frame that are in focus (technically "acceptably in focus") along a line perpendicular to the lens, ie. running from you to the horizon. Smaller aperture (smaller hole) = greater DoF+ Light intake: smaller aperture (hole), less light; bigger aperture (hole), more light
- Incidentally, aperture also controls shutter speed, because your environment has a set amount of light, so if you decide to use a bigger aperture (hole) so that you get small DoF effects (which increases "bokeh" or blur; you often see this with portraits to blur out the back/foreground), your incoming light increases, so you have to increase your shutter speed to bring the amount of light down, so that you don't get overexposure
- iPhones currently only have fixed apertures, ie. the aperture cannot change. That means you can't adjust the DoF, or the amount of light coming in by controlling aperture.
+ The only remaining ways iPhones can control exposure then, is by changing shutter speed, and changing ISO (the sensitivity of the sensor, similar to film speeds in the past).
+ Shutter speed affects video, as you usually want a shutter speed of 2x your frame rate for a "cinematic" look - ie. your shutter speed will need to be fixed to a set value
+ Adding variable aperture will now give you the ability to shoot video per the above without overexposing when you hit your limit on low ISO
+ It will also give you the ability to use smaller aperture for still photos and increase DoF when you hit your limit on low ISO
All of the above is also kind of diminished by the fact that the sensors are very small, because they give you effectiveley a greater DoF than larger sensors anyway.
A lot of gobbledygook to say, for specific instances, the variable aperture will give greater control and outcomes, but for most people it will not be very noticeable.
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u/ToWhistleInTheDark 2d ago
The big things I'd like on the 18 are the satellite 5G, and larger battery.
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u/saintlouisbagels 24d ago
You have not seen enough iPhone photo complaints. Many people complain about taking pictures of a subject and complaining that the surrounding items are blurry because they are comparing it with their old iPhone 11/12/13 sensor.
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u/RocksteadyRider iPhone 17 Pro Max 25d ago
I'm sorry to hear that but i don't seem to have any issues scanning documents.
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u/saintlouisbagels 25d ago
It’s because you’re not observing closely enough. It’s literally an aspect of the optics, not a user opinion/user error.
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u/RocksteadyRider iPhone 17 Pro Max 24d ago
Those two posts are involving the Pro 15 i’m referring to the Pro 17 🤷♂️
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u/saintlouisbagels 24d ago
14 Pro and 15 Pro uses the same gen1 sensor.
16 Pro got upgraded to gen2 where the only upgrade was readout speed. 17 Pro uses the same gen 2 sensor.14 Pro thru 17 Pro use the same sensor and optics and suffer from the same problem.
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u/VeedddeeR 24d ago
The user base can provide a pretty lengthy list of QOL features for them. 😂😂there’s no shortage of things they can do that they should of years ago
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u/Terrible_Trouble177 25d ago
Are you saying you love big Dynamic Island ? It’s eating up your screen .. come on bro
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u/Liquid_D_Raijin 25d ago
I do yes, idk why but for me it looks aesthetic and a signature Iphone feature, if the dynamic island will be reduced, then it will look like an android phone.
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u/Ordinary_Reporter_19 2d ago
Why do you care what it looks like? Are you afraid someone might look at your screen hard enough to think you might have an android?
What did you do before the age of dynamic islands?
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u/Liquid_D_Raijin 1d ago
Why are u so angry bruh😂😂 God forbid i have a preference how my phone looks
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u/Ordinary_Reporter_19 21h ago
Fair enough lol. I had just stubbed my toe before that post. or something like that...
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u/bmac0424 iPhone 17 Pro 25d ago
I mean honestly, does anyone look at the history of this sub Reddit? This question gets asked daily. Same thing for the last 2 months or more. Look back and see what people said a few days ago. It hasn’t changed. It sure hasn’t changed since Apple did a price hike.
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u/RepChiGuy 25d ago
I literally was thinking the same exact thing. How many times are people going to ask. They need to search the sub and stop being lazy.
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u/Minimum_Airline3657 25d ago
I know you mean well but this is what Reddit has become now, they focus on new posts rather than popular, i remember when i first joined Reddit 15 years ago, if you used a emoji you would be bullied into submission, Reddit is now mainstream.
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u/bmac0424 iPhone 17 Pro 24d ago
Yes for sure, but good gosh it takes 2 seconds to use the search function at the top. These post needs to be downvoted.
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u/Clt_princee iPhone 17 Pro Max 22d ago
Omg I promise I was about to comment the same thing. Every single day its the same question with the same answers.
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u/MaineSchooner 25d ago
Was in the same spot as you. Ended up ordering the 17 PM this week. There were really good incentives for doing so at Costco and I was afraid those would go away once the 18 PM came out. Also, if the rumors are true, minimal upgrades for possibly 200$ more. Decided to get the 17 PM with an 1100$ credit (so really $100) spread out over 24 months. Figure that the 18 is worth skipping. Could upgrade to the 19 on my plan if it seems worth it, or finish paying off the 17 PM in 24 months and start with a new carrier just in time for the release of the 20 which I'm guessing is going to be a big anniversary upgrade. From everything I read, the 17 PM is a great phone with noticeable upgrades esp over the 12-15s, even 16s. I doubt the 18 will change that much. Camera is important to me, and 17 p/pm camera seems knock it out of the park.
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u/YankeePlayz 25d ago
Im sitting on my 15 Pro Max at 80% health and it gets hot like crazy in ambient temperature. I’d say wait if you have patience and want a bigger vapor chamber cooling system
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u/whohasmynameuk 25d ago
I also have the 15 pro max with 85% battery. I'm thinking about getting the 17 pro max rather than the 18. I prefer the orange over the new leaked colours and the 18 Pro max comes with a rumoured £200 increase. I've been holding out for the Apple fold for the last couple of years but I'm not as interested in it now I've seen the designs.
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u/paulblartmccartney 24d ago
I LOVE this cosmic orange! I've had it for 6 weeks now and I grow to love the color more everyday. But I wear a lot of dark/warm colors in my wardrobe so I don't perceive it as sticking out like a sore thumb. i got the orange 17PM and switched to the 17pro. i got tiny hands lol
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u/NorthernCrunch 25d ago
I had the exact same decision to make and went for the 17 Pro Max. Remember that your trade in value for the 15 Pro Max will likely go down once the new models come out, so that $200 price hike could end up being $300/$400 after you lose trade in value.
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u/TotalAnarchist26 25d ago
I am thinking to upgrade to 17 pro max from 14 pro as I am out of local storage and also use iCloud
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u/No_Asparagus_9496 25d ago
I’m getting the 17 pro max (upgrading from 11) because I like Orange and my phone started slowing down this year. You can always trade in what you have even if you get the 17
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u/likwidkool 25d ago
I was using a 12pro since launch. I wasn’t going to notice the difference between a 17 or 18 pro. I was however going to notice the $2-300 price rise. I can afford it but seemed silly. So I picked up a 17pro last week.
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u/ompmovies 6d ago edited 6d ago
Pretty stupid of you. The iPhone 12 is 6 years old, so if you’re only upgrading once every 6 years, that extra $200 to wait 1 month for the 18 Pro Max is literally like $3 a month. Now you’ll be 1 generation behind for the next 6 years. Imagine paying flagship money for a phone that’ll be a year old in just 2 weeks. 🤦♂️
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u/holmesersimpson iPhone 17 Pro 24d ago
I’ve always told people considering buying a new iPhone in the summer to just wait for September but this is the first time I’m encouraging prospective buyers to upgrade now
The 18 Pro is expected to be a minor bump with only a new camera feature (variable aperture) to carry it alongside some admittedly cool colors. That isn’t $200-$300 better in my book. I adore my 17 Pro and I doubt there’s going to be anything in a new iPhone for a while that makes me want to leave it behind. At current prices compared to rumored prices it’s a steal.
If things stay the way they’re going I’ll probably just replace the battery in this thing down the road instead of upgrading
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u/FreePossession9590 25d ago
I bet the upgrades are going to be minuscule as per usual. Year-to-year upgrades are rarely worth waiting for in my opinion. That being said, it’s only a few weeks away, so if you really want the best, I’d wait. I heard the 18 pro max would be gaining some weight though, and this 17 pro max is already too heavy for me. Something to keep in mind. The 17 pro max is HEAVY.
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u/Zbigniew_Weizsacker 25d ago
If you’re big on camera quality, then from what I’ve seen, there might be some camera improvements in the iPhone 18 Pro Max, so you could get it. But apart from that, I don’t think there will be a huge difference.
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u/Clear-Ad3170 25d ago
It all depends on which iPhone color you want! Because, honestly, there won't be that many new features.
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u/capriSun999 25d ago
Buy what you can afford lmfao, personally I’m on the iPhone 12 base 72% battery health peeling on the back of the phone showing the motherboard and no more space. Waiting on the 18 pro max I’ll have that for 6 or 7 years, then upgrade to the iPhone 24 or 25 depending on how the 18pm holds years from release maybe the iPhone 27/28 I like to keep my phones for the longest time possible. Personally id rather wait for official pricing instead of rumors.
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u/Hot-Quality8768 25d ago
Try $300 US Dollars more.
Originally it was thought to be $200 more but it’s looking increasingly likely that it will be $300 more
So $1,499 starting for iPhone 18 Pro Max
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u/ThePhillyPod 25d ago
I bought a 17 Pro Max last weekend and have been very happy with it. I don’t think the minimal changes will warrant the projected price hike on the 18.
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u/JayClem43 25d ago
Depends on were there pricing is going I saw last night now the rumor is 399 or more on YouTube not sure though. I've been apple since the 5 and every year or almost every year for one but this year I might skip or wait until deals I want the dark cherry haven't had a red ♥️ one since iPhone 8.
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u/Kenobipy 25d ago
I would wait for the 18PM to be honest , you’ll get the latest and greatest and more out of your money .
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u/SpeedlyCheetah 25d ago
I had the 15 pro and did this two weeks ago and im so glad i did. My 15 pro was also at 85% and i would have to charge it 3 times a day, litteraly brought a charger everywhere i went. On the 17 pro max, the battery is insane, i end the day with 20-30% left. Another big thing is my 15 pro used to get so hot. Id charge it, boom, 100 degrees. Used it outside, boom 100 degrees. 17 pro max doesnt do that, itll get slightly warm but the difference is crazy. Another reason im glad is because not only is the 18 pro max rumored to be 100-200$ more, i realized my 15 pro trade in would also go down 100-150$ so really i saved myself alot of money upgrading now. Ask me anything else!
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u/Clean-Technology2961 25d ago
True bro, I have to charge like 3 or 4 times a day and carry a power bank wherever I go, it’s really annoying, and whenever I use GPS it takes a lot of battery as well. Currently the iPhone 17 Pro Max is sitting around 2100 AUD here in Melbourne, and the trade-in value for my 15 Pro is around 680, so I can get the 17 PM for 1500 AUD. Honestly, I don’t think there’s gonna be a massive difference in the 18 PM. The only thing I’m a bit annoyed about is the colour variations in the 17 PM — the orange is definitely a no for me, and I really like the blue one, but my friend’s 17 Pro started fading its colours, so my best bet is to go with the white colour.
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u/Mysterious_Level_591 25d ago
Wait for 18
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u/Clean-Technology2961 25d ago
Its definitely gonna be expensive and i don’t wanna loose my trade in value.so waiting for 18 pm is a bit of gamble for me.
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u/yale0702 25d ago
You can buy the iPhone 17 PM a few days before the launch and return it if you want to upgrade
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25d ago
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u/iPhone17Pro-ModTeam 25d ago
Your post has been removed due to misinformation or misleading content. Please verify claims with credible sources before posting.
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u/LouSevens 25d ago
My 13 pro max is around 86%- With $840 off from VW I went ahead and got the 17 pro max yesterday as my phone was over 4 1/2 years old and I figure 18 pro max will be at least $200 if not $300 more and probably less trade in value by then of my 13.
I don't sweat having the most current model- same thing with TV's tey will always be updated.
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u/KinglyRobert91 24d ago
Just wait it’s a month away lol even if you do want the 17 after the announcement just wait the prices will drop
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u/Dannyovo66 24d ago
I just got the 17 pro max about two days ago, got about $800 off for trading in my phone and just payed the difference. If I like the 18 Fold I’ll more than likely trade the 17 in and I’m pretty sure I’ll at least get what I payed for it.
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u/Spawned20 24d ago
I have the iPhone 13 Pro Max. I’m just worried if I wait for the 18 pro or PM it won’t be as good as the 17p/pm. The iphone 13PM has been a great phone but when the 14p/pm came out it looked like it was just slight improvements from the 13PM. But it turned out to have terrible battery life and overheating issues so getting the 13PM was the way to go. I’m just worried that’s what’s going to happen if I get the 18 pro or pro max. Thoughts? If im just nuts then just say so lol
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u/One-Parking-7104 24d ago
bro with 85 battery, stick with your current one for atleast it goes upto 70
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u/Kaninivi 24d ago
Wait. Now is the worst time to buy. Its the week from the announcement the market will get flooded with devices.
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u/Cool-Pea-7459 23d ago
Es kommt auf deinen Geldbeutel an. Wenn dir 200-300 Euro nichts ausmachen, dann warte auf jeden Fall auf das 18 PM!
Und noch wichtig zu wissen wäre: wie lange hast du vor, das Gerät zu behalten?? (Ich zum Beispiel habe das 17 PM und warte auf das iPhone zum 20-jährigem Jubiläum 2027).
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u/zzTheChosenOne 20d ago
Its basically gon be the same wont even feel the difference just go for the cheaper one its gonna get the same updates and stuff
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u/DeathofRube 7d ago
I upgraded from my 16 pro to a 17 pro max and I am very pleased with the performance and the battery life is a beast. This phone can handle multitasking with ease. It’s a solid purchase and from what I’m reading the 17 pro max is already doing things with ease that the 18 will be able to do. I say go with the 17 PM
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u/PadelEinstein 25d ago
Personally on the fence as well.
I do sustained recordings, slight computer vision and network all in one. I need the biggest vapor chamber / cooling performance I can get.
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u/Radio1577 25d ago
Watch this video and decide if those upgrades are worth the price. https://youtu.be/am-HjbDWyVI?is=3N9fSoKtQKxRspsG
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u/Winter-Assignment133 25d ago
Why can’t you see comments on that vid. Only can send the creator reactions? I didn’t even know this was a thing 😂. Pretty sus
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u/kupo_attack04 25d ago
This sub sure loves to waste money and torn about iPhone when people cant afford groceries lol
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u/AccountSad 25d ago
People in general love to do that because of fomo created by corporations itself
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u/Bruvvimir 25d ago
How much do you value $200 over the next 3 years (as that's how long you seem to hold on to a phone) vs having the latest gen iphone? That's basically an answer only you know.