A while back, someone left a comment on one of our blog posts that stuck with us. Lee, who’s in his 80s and lives in a rural area, was planning to upgrade from an old iPhone XR to an iPhone 17 Pro Max. His reasons were practical: better cameras, and the ability to handle banking, medical appointments, and everyday business from home. He wanted to know if he was making the right call — and whether he’d be able to manage a phone like that.
The honest answer to Lee’s question is yes, on both counts. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is genuinely well-suited to everything he described. But reading his comment, a few things came to mind that nobody usually mentions when someone makes that kind of upgrade — the practical stuff that makes a big difference once you’re actually using the phone day to day.
This is for Lee, and for anyone in a similar situation.
Video Appointments Work Better When You’re Not Holding the Phone
Telehealth has been a real change for people in rural areas — fewer long drives to a clinic for things that can be handled over video. But there’s a catch most people figure out mid-appointment: holding a phone steady for 15 or 20 minutes is tiring, and every time your hand shifts, the camera moves with it.
A case with a built-in kickstand solves this without any fuss. You prop the phone up on your desk or nightstand, and your hands are free for the whole call. ESR’s Classic Hybrid Case with Stand and Cyber Tough Case with Stand both do this — the phone stands at an adjustable angle on any flat surface. The Cyber Tough is the sturdier option if dropping the phone is a concern; the Classic Hybrid is slimmer if you’d rather keep things lightweight. The stand is the part that matters here, and both have it.
A Cracked Screen Causes More Problems Than You’d Expect
For someone using their phone for banking and health apps, a cracked screen isn’t just an annoyance — it’s a functional problem. On current iPhones, Face ID depends on sensors built into the display. A bad crack can interfere with those sensors, which means Face ID stops working. If the touchscreen is also damaged, typing a password becomes unreliable. Trying to log into a bank account or pull up a prescription record when your phone won’t recognize your face and your taps aren’t registering is genuinely frustrating.
A screen protector doesn’t prevent every accident, but it handles the everyday ones — the phone sliding off a counter, getting knocked off a table. ESR’s Corning screen protectors use Corning glass, the same brand behind the glass on most flagship phones. The point isn’t aesthetics. It’s keeping Face ID and the touchscreen working the way they should for the things that actually matter.
Charging Is One Less Thing to Deal With
Lee mentioned limited mobility, which makes one thing worth flagging: plugging in a charging cable every night is a small task that gets more annoying when bending or fine motor control is difficult. A wireless charging pad removes that friction entirely. You set the phone down on it, and it starts charging. That’s it.
ESR’s upcoming GaN charging station charges an iPhone, AirPods, iPad and Apple Watch simultaneously from one spot. For anyone who keeps their phone on a nightstand, having everything charge in one place — with no cables to deal with — is genuinely useful. Everything’s ready in the morning without any of the nightly cable hunt.
Back to Lee
The upgrade from an XR to an iPhone 17 Pro Max is a significant jump, but Lee’s instincts are sound. The cameras are meaningfully better, and having a reliable phone for banking, healthcare, and day-to-day tasks makes a real difference when you’re managing those things largely on your own. Getting the phone is the right call. Getting a case that stands up on its own, a screen protector that keeps it functional, and a charger that doesn’t require fiddling with cables every night — that’s just making sure the investment holds up.
