iPhone 17 Pro Max Review: Against The Grain

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Summary based on the YouTube transcript and episode description.

MrMobile’s Michael Fischer reviews the iPhone 17 Pro Max as an Android primary user, finding it the most Android-like iPhone yet with exceptional video but rough iOS 26 software.

  • iPhone 17 Pro Max weighs 233g and measures 6.9in — heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.
  • Starts at $1,199 for 256GB, cheaper than the Samsung S25 Ultra and equal to the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
  • All three rear cameras now at 48MP; telephoto dropped from 5x to 4x, mirroring Samsung’s earlier 10x→5x move.
  • At the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit, nearly every influencer and creator was shooting on an iPhone 17 Pro or Max — inside the Android chip maker’s own event.
  • Aluminum casing uses anodization that spalls (chips) on concrete drops; iFixit teardown documents the ‘scratchgate’ mechanism.
  • iOS 26 dictation is substantially worse than Android/Gboard; installing Gboard on iPhone doesn’t fix it due to a slow voice-input overlay.
  • eSIM-only design freed physical SIM slot space for larger battery; reviewer stopped checking the battery meter entirely.

2025-10-03 · Watch on YouTube

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