Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Verdict
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max is not clearly ahead in any section, while the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max leads in performance, battery and display; they are even on camera, design & durability and connectivity & features.
The biggest difference is performance: 87 vs 96 points.
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is the newer model, announced 12 months after the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max leads in 4 fields
- iPhone 17 Pro Max leads in 8 fields
- 29 ties
41 scored fields compared
Score by section
| Section scores | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||
| Performance | 87 | 96 |
| Camera | 96 | 95 |
| Battery | 74 | 80 |
| Display | 92 | 96 |
| Design & durability | 80 | 78 |
| Connectivity & features | 84 | 84 |
Full specifications
Performance
- Chipset performance index
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 89/100
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 95/100(Better)
- Chipset
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Apple A18 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Apple A19 Pro
- RAM (max)
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 8 GB
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 12 GB(Better)
- Storage (max)
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 1 TB
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 2 TB
- Process node
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 3 nm
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 3 nm
Camera
- Main camera resolution
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 48 MP
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 48 MP
- Main sensor size
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 1/1.28″
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 1/1.28″
- Optical stabilization (OIS)
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Ultra-wide camera
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Telephoto camera
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Periscope lens
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Optical zoom
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 5×(Better)
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 4×
- Video recording
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4K 120 fps
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 4K 120 fps
- Front camera
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 12 MP
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 18 MP(Better)
- Front camera 4K video
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
Battery
- Battery capacity
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4685 mAh
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 4823 mAh(Better)
- Battery endurance (EU label)
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 48:00 h
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 53:00 h(Better)
- EU label cycles
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 1000
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 1000
- Wireless charging
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 25 W
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 25 W
- Reverse charging
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Reverse charging type
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Wired
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Wired
Display
- Screen size
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9″
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9″
- Panel type
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: LTPO OLED
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: LTPO OLED
- Refresh rate
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 120 Hz
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 120 Hz
- Pixel density
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 460 ppi
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 460 ppi
- Peak brightness
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 2000 nits
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 3000 nits(Better)
- Resolution
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 1320x2868
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 1320x2868
- Screen protection
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Ceramic Shield glass
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Ceramic Shield 2
Design & durability
- Weight
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 227 g(Better)
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 233 g
- Thickness
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 8.3 mm(Better)
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 8.8 mm
- Dust & water resistance
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: IP68
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: IP68
- Back material
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Glass
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Aluminum
- Frame material
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Titanium(Better)
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Aluminum
- EU repairability class
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: C
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: C
- EU drop resistance class
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: C
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: B(Better)
- EU energy class
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: B
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: A
Connectivity & features
- 5G
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Wi-Fi
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Wi-Fi 7
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 5.3
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.0(Better)
- USB speed
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: USB 3.x
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: USB 3.x
- USB port
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
- DisplayPort output
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- NFC
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- eSIM
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Ultra-wideband (UWB)
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Satellite connectivity
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Stereo speakers
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: No
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: No
- Fingerprint reader
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: None
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: None
- 3D face unlock
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Yes
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Infrared blaster
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: No
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: No
- FM radio
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: No
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: No
- microSD slot
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: No
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: No
- Card slot
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: No
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: No
General
- Operating system
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: iOS 18
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: iOS 26
- Launch price
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: $ 649.00
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: $ 899.25
- Year
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 2024
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 2025
Show raw spec textHide raw spec text
Original text from the source spec sheet, for reference.
| — | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Network | ||
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66 - A3296 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71 - A3084 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71 - A3295 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - A3297 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66 - A3526 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71 - A3257 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71 - A3525 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - A3527 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3296 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - A3084 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3295 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3297 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3526 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - A3257 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3525 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3527 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Launch | ||
| Announced | 2024, September 09 | 2025, September 09 |
| Status | Available. Released 2024, September 20 | Available. Released 2025, September 19 |
| Body | ||
| Dimensions | 163 x 77.6 x 8.3 mm (6.42 x 3.06 x 0.33 in) | 163.4 x 78 x 8.8 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| Weight | 227 g (8.01 oz) | 233 g (8.22 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Ceramic Shield), glass back, titanium frame (grade 5) | Glass front (Ceramic Shield 2), aluminum frame, aluminum back/ glass back (Ceramic Shield) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International) · eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA) · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min) | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International) · eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA) · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min) |
| Display | ||
| Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 115.6 cm2 (~91.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.9 inches, 115.6 cm2 (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1320 x 2868 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1320 x 2868 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass (2024 gen) | Ceramic Shield 2 Anti-reflective coating |
| Platform | ||
| OS | iOS 18, upgradable to iOS 27.2 | iOS 26, upgradable to iOS 27.2 |
| Chipset | Apple A18 Pro (3 nm) | Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x4.05 GHz + 4x2.42 GHz) | Hexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4x2.60 GHz) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) |
| Memory | ||
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM NVMe | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM, 2TB 12GB RAM NVMe |
| Main Camera | ||
| Triple | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.06", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3D sensor‑shift OIS, 5x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 48 MP, f/2.8, 100mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, PDAF, 3D sensor‑shift OIS, 4x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60/100/120fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, 3D (spatial) video/audio, stereo sound rec. | 4K@24/25/30/60/100/120fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 120fps), ProRes, ProRes RAW (up to 120fps), Apple Log 2, 3D (spatial) video/audio, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 18 MP multi-aspect, f/1.9, 20mm (ultrawide), PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Features | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec. | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec., ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2 |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| Comms | ||
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 6.0, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort |
| Features | ||
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Ultra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip) Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Ultra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip) Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite |
| Battery | ||
| Type | Li-Ion 4685 mAh | Market-dependent versions: · Li-Ion 4823 mAh - Nano SIM model · Li-Ion 5088 mAh - eSIM only model |
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 25W wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China) 4.5W reverse wired | Wired, PD3.2, AVS, 50% in 20 min 25W wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China) 4.5W reverse wired |
| Misc | ||
| Colors | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium | Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue |
| Models | A3296, A3084, A3295, A3297, iPhone17,2 | iPhone18,2, A3526, A3257, A3527, A3525 |
| SAR | 1.01 W/kg (head) 1.15 W/kg (body) | 1.19 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 1.22 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) | 1.49 W/kg (head) 1.49 W/kg (body) |
| Price | $ 649.00 / € 800.59 / £ 660.00 | $ 899.25 / € 1,034.94 / £ 899.00 / ₹ 144,900 |
| EU LABEL | ||
| Energy | Class B | Class A |
| Battery | 48:00h endurance, 1000 cycles | 53:00h endurance, 1000 cycles |
| Free fall | Class C (90 falls) | Class B (180 falls) |
| Repairability | Class C | Class C |