Apple
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB, with TechWoven Case)
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB, with TechWoven Case)
Our Verdict
The phone most Australians should buy at this money - the A19 Pro, the best battery life Apple has ever shipped, and a Pro Fusion camera system that needs no apology. Amazon AU's live listing bundles Apple's TechWoven case.
Why it's number one: Top marks for camera, performance and display, 4.5/5 from Tom's Guide and TechRadar, 5/5 from Stuff and 4/5 from Expert Reviews (average 4.5/5 from four reviews), though the case-bundle listing shows a 4.0 Amazon rating with no reviews yet.
Apple's flagship is back in our top spot, and it earns it on the two things buyers actually notice: battery and cameras. The vapour-chamber-cooled A19 Pro is the fastest chip in any phone and, more importantly, it no longer throttles the way the 15 Pro Max did, so long gaming sessions and 4K ProRes recording hold their frame rates. Apple rates this as the best battery life of any iPhone ever, and in practice that means a genuinely heavy day - navigation, hotspot, a couple of hours of video - still lands you at bedtime with charge to spare. The Pro Fusion camera system pairs three 48MP sensors, so the ultrawide and the 4x telephoto finally produce files that stand up next to the main camera rather than falling apart in anything but daylight, and the new Center Stage front camera keeps a group in frame without you shuffling backwards. The 6.9-inch ProMotion display runs to 3,000 nits, which matters more in Australia than almost anywhere. Two things to weigh. It is a big, heavy phone and the 256GB base tier fills quickly if you shoot ProRes. And every standalone iPhone 17 Pro Max listing on Amazon AU has lost its buy box - the only live listings bundle Apple's TechWoven case, which is why this costs more than the Galaxy S26 Ultra below it. If the case is dead weight to you, that premium is real. One timing note: Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max on 9 September, with Australian release on 18 September. Amazon AU has no handset listing for it yet - only cases and screen protectors - so the 17 Pro Max stays ranked here as the flagship you can actually order today. If you can wait a week, wait.
Owners is the 4★ Amazon AU rating from 0 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Critics averages 4 published reviews. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
- Camera 10: Three 48 MP sensors including a 4x telephoto and an 18 MP Center Stage front camera per TechRadar and Tom's Guide, both 4.5/5, with Stuff at 5/5; the card says every focal length is usable.
- Performance 10: A19 Pro with vapour chamber cooling and 12 GB of RAM per TechRadar and Stuff; the card and Tom's Guide credit sustained performance that no longer throttles under load.
- Battery 8: Tom's Guide's web test ran 17 h 54 min, a full day with margin rather than two days, and TechRadar reports 30-hours-plus only anecdotally; 40 W charging per Stuff misses the 45 W bonus.
- Display 10: 6.9-inch 120 Hz ProMotion OLED rated 3,000 nits per the card, TechRadar and Stuff, with IP68 per TechRadar; Tom's Guide measured 2,555 nits, the highest it recorded among these phones.
Critic scores: Tom's Guide 4.5/5 · TechRadar 4.5/5 · Expert Reviews 4/5 · Stuff 5/5
Pros
- + Best battery life Apple has put in an iPhone
- + A19 Pro with vapour chamber cooling holds performance under load
- + Three 48MP rear cameras, so every focal length is usable
- + 3,000-nit ProMotion display stays readable in full sun
- + Apple's TechWoven case is included rather than a $99 add-on
Cons
- − Only the case-bundle listings are live on Amazon AU, so you pay for a case you may not want
- − Costs more than the Galaxy S26 Ultra it outranks
- − Large and heavy at 6.9 inches - not a one-handed phone
- − 256GB base storage fills fast if you record ProRes
- − No charger in the box
