Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Realme 16 Pro+
Verdict
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max scores higher in 4 of 6 sections (performance, connectivity & features, camera and display), while the Realme 16 Pro+ leads in battery and design & durability.
The biggest difference is performance: 96 vs 67 points.
The Realme 16 Pro+ is the newer model, announced 4 months after the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Choose the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max for performance and connectivity & features; choose the Realme 16 Pro+ for battery and design & durability.
- iPhone 17 Pro Max leads in 15 fields
- Realme 16 Pro+ leads in 11 fields
- 15 ties
41 scored fields compared
Score by section
| Section scores | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Realme 16 Pro+ |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||
| Performance | 96 | 67 |
| Camera | 95 | 87 |
| Battery | 80 | 85 |
| Display | 96 | 93 |
| Design & durability | 78 | 83 |
| Connectivity & features | 84 | 68 |
Full specifications
Performance
- Chipset performance index
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 95/100(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: 56/100
- Chipset
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Apple A19 Pro
- Realme 16 Pro+: Snapdragon 7 Gen 4
- RAM (max)
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 12 GB
- Realme 16 Pro+: 12 GB
- Storage (max)
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 2 TB
- Realme 16 Pro+: 512 GB
- Process node
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 3 nm
- Realme 16 Pro+: 4 nm
Camera
- Main camera resolution
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 48 MP
- Realme 16 Pro+: 200 MP(Better)
- Main sensor size
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 1/1.28″(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: 1/1.56″
- Optical stabilization (OIS)
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Realme 16 Pro+: Yes
- Ultra-wide camera
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Realme 16 Pro+: Yes
- Telephoto camera
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Realme 16 Pro+: Yes
- Periscope lens
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Realme 16 Pro+: Yes
- Optical zoom
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 4×(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: 3.5×
- Video recording
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 4K 120 fps(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: 4K 60 fps
- Front camera
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 18 MP
- Realme 16 Pro+: 50 MP(Better)
- Front camera 4K video
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Realme 16 Pro+: Yes
Battery
- Battery capacity
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 4823 mAh
- Realme 16 Pro+: 7000 mAh(Better)
- Battery endurance (EU label)
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 53:00 h
- Realme 16 Pro+: 68:48 h(Better)
- EU label cycles
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 1000
- Realme 16 Pro+: 1300
- Wired charging
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Unknown
- Realme 16 Pro+: 80 W
- Wireless charging
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 25 W(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: No
- Reverse charging
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Realme 16 Pro+: Yes
- Reverse charging type
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Wired
- Realme 16 Pro+: Wired
Display
- Screen size
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9″
- Realme 16 Pro+: 6.8″
- Panel type
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: LTPO OLED(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: OLED
- Refresh rate
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 120 Hz
- Realme 16 Pro+: 144 Hz(Better)
- Pixel density
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 460 ppi(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: 453 ppi
- Peak brightness
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 3000 nits
- Realme 16 Pro+: 6500 nits(Better)
- Resolution
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 1320x2868
- Realme 16 Pro+: 1280x2800
- Screen protection
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Ceramic Shield 2
- Realme 16 Pro+: Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
Design & durability
- Weight
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 233 g
- Realme 16 Pro+: 198 g(Better)
- Thickness
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 8.8 mm
- Realme 16 Pro+: 8.1 mm(Better)
- Dust & water resistance
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: IP68
- Realme 16 Pro+: IP68 + IP69(Better)
- Back material
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Aluminum(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: Leather
- Frame material
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Aluminum
- Realme 16 Pro+: Aluminum
- EU repairability class
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: C
- Realme 16 Pro+: C
- EU drop resistance class
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: B(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: C
- EU energy class
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: A
- Realme 16 Pro+: B
Connectivity & features
- 5G
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Realme 16 Pro+: Yes
- Wi-Fi
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Wi-Fi 7(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: Wi-Fi 6
- Bluetooth
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.0(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: 5.4
- USB speed
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: USB 3.x(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: USB 2.0
- USB port
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
- Realme 16 Pro+: USB-C 2.0
- DisplayPort output
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Realme 16 Pro+: No
- NFC
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Realme 16 Pro+: Yes
- eSIM
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Realme 16 Pro+: Yes
- Ultra-wideband (UWB)
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: No
- Satellite connectivity
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: No
- Stereo speakers
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes
- Realme 16 Pro+: Yes
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: No
- Realme 16 Pro+: No
- Fingerprint reader
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: None
- Realme 16 Pro+: Under display (optical)(Better)
- 3D face unlock
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Yes(Better)
- Realme 16 Pro+: No
- Infrared blaster
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: No
- Realme 16 Pro+: Yes(Better)
- FM radio
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: No
- Realme 16 Pro+: No
- microSD slot
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: No
- Realme 16 Pro+: No
- Card slot
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: No
- Realme 16 Pro+: No
General
- Operating system
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: iOS 26
- Realme 16 Pro+: Android 16
- Launch price
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: $ 899.25
- Realme 16 Pro+: $ 949.00
- Year
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 2025
- Realme 16 Pro+: 2026
Show raw spec textHide raw spec text
Original text from the source spec sheet, for reference.
| — | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Realme 16 Pro+ |
|---|---|---|
| Network | ||
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - International HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 - India |
| 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 - 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 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66 - International 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 40, 41 - India |
| 5G bands | 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 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA - India |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Launch | ||
| Announced | 2025, September 09 | 2026, January 06 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, September 19 | Available. Released 2026, January 08 |
| Body | ||
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78 x 8.8 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) | 162.5 x 76.3 x 8.1 mm or 8.5 mm |
| Weight | 233 g (8.22 oz) | 198 g or 203 g (6.98 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Ceramic Shield 2), aluminum frame, aluminum back/ glass back (Ceramic Shield) | Glass front, aluminum frame, plastic back or silicone polymer back (eco leather) |
| 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 + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM IP68/IP69K dust tight and water resistant (high pressure water jets; immersible up to 2m for 30 min) |
| Display | ||
| Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak) | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 4608Hz PWM, 600 nits (typ), 1800 nits (HBM), 6500 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 115.6 cm2 (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 112.8 cm2 (~91.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1320 x 2868 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1280 x 2800 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~453 ppi density) |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield 2 Anti-reflective coating | Corning Gorilla Glass 7i |
| Platform | ||
| OS | iOS 26, upgradable to iOS 27.2 | Android 16, up to 5 (EU) / 3 (IN) major OS updates, Realme UI 7.0 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM7750-AB Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4x2.60 GHz) | Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-720 & 4x2.4 GHz Cortex-720 & 3x1.8 GHz Cortex-520) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) | Adreno 722 |
| Memory | ||
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM, 2TB 12GB RAM NVMe | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM UFS 3.1 |
| Main Camera | ||
| Triple | 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) | 200 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 0.5µm, dual-pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.8, (periscope telephoto), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom 8 MP, 116˚, (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm, AF |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video | 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. | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@24/30/60/120fps, HDR, gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
| Single | 18 MP multi-aspect, f/1.9, 20mm (ultrawide), PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 50 MP, f/2.4, 23mm (wide), 1/2.88", 0.61µm |
| Features | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec., ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2 | Panorama |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR |
| 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/6, dual-band |
| Bluetooth | 6.0, A2DP, LE | 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, LHDC 5 |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (market/region dependent) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| Infrared port | – | Yes |
| Features | ||
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Ultra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip) Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
| Type | Market-dependent versions: · Li-Ion 4823 mAh - Nano SIM model · Li-Ion 5088 mAh - eSIM only model | Si/C Li-Ion 7000 mAh |
| Charging | Wired, PD3.2, AVS, 50% in 20 min 25W wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China) 4.5W reverse wired | 80W wired, 55W PPS, 13.5W PD/QC Reverse wired Bypass Charging |
| Misc | ||
| Colors | Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue | Gold, Gray, Camellia Pink |
| Models | iPhone18,2, A3526, A3257, A3527, A3525 | RMX5131 |
| SAR | 1.19 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) | – |
| SAR EU | 1.49 W/kg (head) 1.49 W/kg (body) | – |
| Price | $ 899.25 / € 1,034.94 / £ 899.00 / ₹ 144,900 | $ 949.00 / € 459.99 / £ 431.09 / ₹ 55,999 |
| EU LABEL | ||
| Energy | Class A | Class B |
| Battery | 53:00h endurance, 1000 cycles | 68:48h endurance, 1300 cycles |
| Free fall | Class B (180 falls) | Class C (90 falls) |
| Repairability | Class C | Class C |