My iPhone 17 Pro Max is absolutely awful for both my eyes and my ears, and I’m hoping someone who has compared the current models can help me figure out which iPhone to get instead.
No matter how I adjust the display settings—True Tone, Night Shift, brightness, Dark Mode, Reduce White Point, etc.—the screen is still far too bright, cool/blue, and uncomfortable to look at. This is not a matter of not knowing how to adjust the settings; I’ve tried everything. The display itself simply feels harsh and causes significant eye strain.
The speakers are just as bad for me. The sound is tinny, jarring, abrasive, and somewhat distorted, and it actually hurts my ears. If I turn the volume down enough that the sound is tolerable, dialogue becomes difficult to hear. One click louder and the sound becomes painfully harsh again.
I previously had an iPhone 15 Pro Max and had none of these problems. The display was comfortable for my eyes and the speakers sounded much warmer and more natural. Unfortunately, Apple no longer sells the 15 Pro Max.
I just spoke with a senior Apple technical advisor who told me they had never heard of either issue and had no solution or insight into why the 17 Pro Max display and speakers feel so different, even though I’ve found other people describing similar display and audio problems in Apple Community and other forums.
For anyone who has actually compared these phones side by side: Which iPhone that Apple currently sells has a display most similar to the 15 Pro Max—warmer, less blue/cool, and comfortable at low brightness—and speakers that sound warmer, fuller, and less tinny or abrasive than the 17 Pro Max?
I’m particularly interested in comparisons with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18, and iPhone Air. I don’t care about maximum speaker loudness; I care about the quality and character of the sound at normal listening levels.
I would really appreciate hearing from people who have personally compared these models, especially anyone who also found the 17 Pro Max display or speakers uncomfortable.
