Oh No! I Cracked the Screen of the iPhone 17 Pro Max

Ceramic Shield ain't what it's cracked up to be

I haven’t broken an iPhone screen since way back to the days of the iPhone 8 or so. It’s been a long time, even though I do drop the phone all the time. It happens to all of us.

iPhone screens have gotten tougher, with the addition of what Apple calls “Ceramic Shield.” This has enabled the front and back glass to take a better beating than earlier models, or so Apple says, touting “3× better scratch resistance and 4× improved crack protection over previous models.”

Really?

Because this week for me it was back to the future, as my loaner iPhone 17 Pro Max ended up in tatters. And getting it fixed ain’t cheap.

Here’s the setup: when in Philly, pretty much every visitor does the Rocky steps thing at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And that’s where the problem occured.

As another key stop in our Great American Road Trip from Boston to DC, while in Philly I ran up those steps, like everyone else on hand, mimicking Slyvester Stallone’s moves in the 1976 film Rocky. You know, where he truimphantly gets to the top, raises his fists and lets Adrian know he could be a champion. Yo.

I filmed me running up, with phone on a tripod. No problem.

Then at the top, I wanted to get a secondary shot of me arriving up there. Again, with the phone atop a tripod. On a surprisingly windy October day in the city of Brotherly Love.

So as the hands went up in the air in champ stance, Mother Nature had a nasty message for me—”Yo, you’re a CHUMP!,” as she blew the tripod to the ground, face first on the iPhone, cracking the screen in many ways.

So take your choice: A: I’m stupid and had it coming to me (always bring sandbags with you to steady the tripod when you run up Rocky steps!) or B: Apple’s improved glass ain’t what its cracked up to be.

I’m sure most of you will pick A.

You can watch the festivities in this little video clip below.

Meanwhile, the pricing

Apple lists $379 as the price tag to replace the front glass of a 17 Max, or $24 if you have Apple Care, which I don’t. (Pro Max devices start at $1199.) Third-paty discounters like UbreakiFix can replace cracked screens on many iPhone models, but not the latest yet.

Both the 16 Pro Max and 17 Pro Max have the same 6.9 inch screen, but the hold-up is the release of new internal parts from Apple to the vendors., which should be coming within the next weeks.

So yes, I’ll be paying the $379. Plus tax. Ouch.

And ahem, speaking of the tripod….

The downside of travel: leaving beloved things behind. Like grabbing two suitcases, two backpacks, three coasts and a tote bag from the overhead compartment of an Amtrak train, but then neglecting to also nad the prized possession: a $699 Peak Design Travel Tripod, one of the joys in my life.

So light and easy to use, so quick to extend the arms. I loved carrying it around with me, even if it did topple over occasionally.

I’m crying now just thinking about it.

Travel is expensive.

But a huge thank you to District Camera, one of those great, full service shops that people like me love spendin hours in lurking. Just a few blocks from historic Union Station, I was able to sprint over and pick up a cheap replacement from ProMaster. It’s not Peak Design quality, but it’s been serving me well in DC.

Have you checked out the CHATGPT Atlas Browser?

The folks at ChatGPT this week unveiled Atlas, it’s attempt to take on Google’s Chrome with an AI browser. It’s only available for Mac desktops right now, and it’s very different from how you’ve been living with other browsers through the years.

For starters, you can’t use it to go read websites like NYTimes.com or WashintonPost.com—it’s all question based, like the app. You can ask to read a recent article about say, Ken Burns in the NYTimes, but it won’t go to the main page of the website to let you browse.

At this point, I’ve pretty much stopped using Google for basic searches anyway. I just ask ChatGPT about everything from transportation directions to weather reports and movie listings. (But I still use Chrome to get me to websites.)

This “browser” while different, will take getting used to. The main benefit: it remembers everything about what you’ve searched for, making new searches more relevant. It also knows way more about you than even Google, which you may find eerie.

Readers, how do you feel about Atlas?

As the final stop on the Great American Road Trip, I leave you from Washington, DC, where Nate Reed, the congressional correspondent for Scripps News, let me tag along with him on a tour of the Capitol building Friday. This will be seen in the Washington episode, which will air in early 2026. Huge thanks to Nate, and to producer Sam Lisker, who got this incredible shot of us snapping our iPhones together!

Thanks again everyone for taking the time to watch, read and listen!

Jeff