iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Launching Soon in Nepal: Apple Going Back to Aluminium

The big player in the smartphone world is back, and Apple has officially unveiled the iPhone 17 series. And here, we will take a deep dive into the iPhone 17 Pro and the Pro Max.

In recent years, Apple has consistently positioned the Pro models a step above the base iPhone, offering cutting-edge features and performance upgrades. But this year, things seem to be taking a different turn.

What is the Price of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Nepal?

The iPhone 17 Pro price in Nepal is expected to be Rs. 2,00,000 (256GB), Rs. 2,20,000 (512GB), and Rs. 2,60,000 (1TB). While iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to cost around Rs. 2,32,000 (256GB), Rs. 2,70,000 (512GB), Rs. 3,08,000 (1TB), Rs. 3,60,000 (2TB).

The phones were recently announced and are currently up for pre-booking. As for availability in Nepal, the exact date is still uncertain.

Remember when Apple launched the iPhone 15 and 16? The spotlight was all on Apple Intelligence. But with the iPhone 17, Apple seems to be dialing back the AI hype; they barely even mentioned Apple Intelligence during the launch event.

Instead, with the Pro and Pro Max, Apple looks to be going back to its roots through some bold design choices. The specs might not be a massive leap forward, but the focus feels more on refining quality over chasing quantity.

Rather than cramming in flashy new numbers, Apple seems intent on perfecting its existing tech and making incremental improvements where they matter most.

But enough talk, let’s dive into what the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are really made of.

ALSO READ: Apple iPhone Price in Nepal (September 2025 Updated)

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Overview

Design

Apple has made some bold design changes to the iPhone Pro lineup this year. Most notably, Apple has reintroduced aluminum, this time crafted as a full unibody. Just a year ago, titanium was being marketed as the “next big thing”, but this shift signals a fresh design strategy for 2025.

On the bright side, aluminum is easier to color, which is why Apple is introducing an eye-catching new orange variant.

Another standout change is the new camera bar, which Apple calls a “Plateau“, that now runs across the top of both the Pro and Pro Max. It replaces the squarish camera module Apple had relied on since the iPhone 11 in 2019, marking one of the biggest visual shifts in recent years.

At first, I was a bit skeptical about Apple’s unibody aluminum approach. Although Aluminium dissipates heat more efficiently than glass, phones with aluminum backs can’t support wireless charging.

But as you can see in the pictures, Apple has addressed this with a dedicated window for the charging coil. And it is covered neatly by a strip of Ceramic Shield glass.

Apple claims the new Ceramic Shield is three times more resistant to scratches and four times tougher against cracks. And it retains the IP68 rating, just like previous iPhone models.

As for the sides, Apple has kept things familiar. The Action and volume buttons remain on the left, while the power button and dedicated camera control sit on the right. And finally, at the top, there is a millimeter-wave antenna.

Camera

Beyond the camera module itself, the iPhone 17 Pro lineup brings some notable improvements to its triple-camera setup.

The 49MP Fusion main camera remains largely unchanged, still using the quad-pixel system capable of recording 4K 120fps video in Dolby Vision. The new 48MP ultrawide camera also features a quad-pixel sensor with autofocus, similar to the iPhone 16 Pro series.

The real change comes in the telescope camera. Apple has upgraded it to a 48MP lens with 4x optical zoom. While 4x is lower than the 5x zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro, that previous model only had a 12MP sensor. According to Apple, the new telescope camera has a 56% larger sensor, which should improve detail and low-light performance.

The selfie camera sees a massive upgrade as well. Apple now offers an 18MP “Center Stage” front camera with a larger 24MP square sensor, enabling vertical and horizontal selfies without having to rotate your phone.

Apple has also added pro-level video features like Genlock Sync, which synchronizes frame timing across multiple cameras, and ProRes RAW, allowing for high-quality uncompressed video editing. While the average user may not use these features, they’re a nice bonus for creators and professionals.

Display

Unlike the base iPhone 17, the Pro models don’t see many upgrades in the display department; in fact, some aspects feel like downgrades.

The iPhone 17 Pro still sports a 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel with ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate. While the Pro Max stretches the same display tech to 6.9 inches, resolution remains unchanged across both models.

Where things take a step back is brightness. The high-brightness mode has dropped from 2,000 nits to 1,600 nits. To be fair, Apple has bumped the peak brightness up to 3,000 nits.

The one real upgrade is in durability and usability: the new Ceramic Glass 2 combined with an anti-reflective coating, similar to what we’ve seen on Samsung’s Galaxy S24 and S25 Ultra.

For me, the display seems underwhelming. The display is the part of the phone that users interact with most, yet Apple hasn’t delivered any significant leaps forward here.

Hardware

Both the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are powered by Apple’s new A19 Pro chip. Looking back, last year’s A18 Pro was already known for its performance and efficiency, but Apple now claims a 40% boost in sustained performance.

For the first time on an iPhone, Apple has also added a vapor chamber cooling system. Combined with the aluminum unibody, this should help keep core temperatures in check during heavy use.

This means the 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, and 16-core Neural Engine should all run cooler and more consistently, even during demanding tasks like extended gaming sessions with RTX enabled or lengthy video rendering.

As for storage, the iPhone 17 Pro is available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB options. The Pro Max offers all of those, plus an additional 2TB variant.

Battery and OS

Apple hasn’t revealed the official battery capacity for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. However, with the camera plateau now housing the A19 Pro chip, there’s more room for the battery, which should translate to longer video playback times.

Apple claims the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max offer up to 6 hours longer video playback than the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, which managed 33 hours and 27 hours, respectively.

Charging has finally become a strong point. Both Pro models support 40W fast charging, reaching up to 50% in just 20 minutes, with support for up to 25W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging.

Out of the box, the iPhone 17 Pro lineup runs iOS 26, a naming choice that now aligns with the release year, similar to how Samsung’s flagship S24 and S25 series corresponded to 2024 and 2025.

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Price in Nepal and Availability

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max price in Nepal could start from Rs. 2,00,000 and Rs. 2,32,000, respectively, for the 256GB variant. 

Apple has recently unveiled the phone at its event, and it’s already up for pre-order globally. But like in previous years, Nepali buyers will likely have to wait a few weeks before they can get their hands on one.

With each new iPhone generation, Apple has usually reserved its best tricks for the Pro and Pro Max models. Looking back, features like ProMotion, Apple Intelligence, and the Action Button all debuted on the Pro lineup before eventually trickling down to the base variants a year later.

This year, however, things feel different. Aside from the upgraded telephoto lens, there doesn’t seem to be any truly standout feature that’s exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

But in my opinion, that’s not a bad thing, especially considering how Apple has refined its existing tech. The upgrades to the telephoto and selfie cameras are clear wins, and with the power of the new chip, Apple Intelligence could easily make a stronger comeback down the line.

And let’s be honest, only Apple can make “refining the basics” feel like a premium innovation.

What do you think about the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max? Let us know in the comments below!