Disclaimer: random unscheduled post because I’m too excited to keep this to myself.
So yeah… it happened. After four loyal years with my iPhone 12 Pro (RIP little warrior), I finally walked into Studio 7 (official Apple reseller in Thailand) and walked out with the brand-new iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Color choice drama real quick:
Apple dropped only three shades this year — White Titanium, some loud Orange, and an equally loud Blue. The bright ones look fire on renders, but in real life? Nah, I’d get tired of them in a week. Went with clean White Titanium, 512 GB. Rumor says they’ll drop Desert Titanium and maybe a dark green in February — classic Apple move, make us suffer first 😂
The very sweet staff slapped on an anti-reflective coated glass for me right there (game-changer under Thai sun), and I grabbed the official Black silicone case because I’m boring responsible like that.
Damage report (≈34 THB = 1 USD):
- Phone itself: ~56,000 THB (~$1,647)
- Case + screen protector: ~4,000 THB (~$118)
- Pre-bought UGREEN 45W 3-port GaN charger: 300 THB (~$9)
Total: ~60,300 THB (~$1,774 USD
Celebrated with an iced latte and the creamiest panna cotta in Siam Paragon — that panna cotta alone was 120 THB (~$3.50) and worth every satang.
First 24 hours hot take:
Honestly? Only TWO things actually feel different coming from a 12 Pro:
- The screen is MASSIVE — and I love it. My eyes aren’t getting any younger, and reading Reddit at night without squinting is officially over.
- Camera is stupid good — low-light shots, 4K 120fps, the new 48 MP ultrawide… yeah, this is basically a pocket cinema rig now.
Everything else? Lightning fast, sure. Apple Intelligence stuff? Cute, but I barely use it yet. New Capture button? Cool party trick. But revolutionary? Not really. If you’re on a 15 Pro or 16 Pro — chill, your phone is still a beast. You can easily skip this generation.
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But jumping from 12 Pro → 17 Pro Max feels like going from a bicycle to a Lambo. Same weight surprisingly (Apple finally listened!), battery easily lasts me a day and a half, and I’m already planning blog shots I couldn’t pull off before.
So am I “wow blown away”? Not exactly.
Am I happy every time I pick it up? 100%.
Sometimes upgrades aren’t about revolution — they’re about comfort, better photos for the feed, and not feeling left behind. And right now, sipping coffee in Bangkok with this clean white slab in my hand… life feels pretty sweet.
Next post #Hive — probably shot entirely on this thing. Let’s see if you can tell the difference 😏
I write my texts myself, correct mistakes and translate via ChatGPT (which is not a violation on Hive)!
All photos were taken by me personally - I am a beginner photographer, so I ask professionals not to judge strictly.
Thank you for sharing these moments with me! Until new stories and new holidays! ✌️
Camera 📷: Sony Alpha 7 IV full-frame
Lens 🔭: Sony FE 70-200mm F: 2.8 GM OSS II
Lens 🔭: Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS
Lens 🔭: Sony FE 20-70 mm F: 4 G
Processed 🛠: Lightroom
photo by openai
