Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 8.8 in our rating, and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max scores 8.6. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max leads in display, performance, battery and value for money, while the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max is ahead in camera and design. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is the newer phone, announced Sep 9, 2025.
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Key differences
Why choose the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
- Bigger battery 5,088 mAh vs 4,685 mAh
- Brighter screen 3,000 nits vs 2,000 nits
- Newer model Sep 9, 2025 vs Sep 9, 2024
- More RAM 12 GB vs 8 GB
- More storage 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB vs 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
Why choose the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
- Longer optical zoom 5× vs 4×
- Lighter 227 g vs 233 g
- Thinner 8.25 mm vs 8.75 mm
PhoneRanked scores
Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones
Spec
Apple iPhone 17 Pro MaxApple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Overall
8.8
8.6
Display
8.5
8.2
Performance
8.8
8.2
Camera
8.6
8.8
Battery
7.2
7.0
Design
8.4
8.7
Software support
7.4
7.4
Value for money
6.1
5.7
Display
Spec
Apple iPhone 17 Pro MaxApple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Size
6.9 inches
6.9 inches
Type
OLED, Super Retina XDR
OLED, Super Retina XDR
Resolution
1320 × 2868 px
1320 × 2868 px
Pixel density
460 ppi
460 ppi
Refresh rate
120 Hz
120 Hz
Adaptive refresh
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Peak brightness
3,000 nits
2,000 nits
HDR
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Protection
Ceramic Shield 2
Ceramic Shield (latest generation)
Performance
Spec
Apple iPhone 17 Pro MaxApple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Process
3 nm
3 nm
GPU
Apple 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators
Apple 6-core GPU
RAM
12 GB
8 GB
Storage
256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB
256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
microSD slot
✕ No
✕ No
Cameras
Spec
Apple iPhone 17 Pro MaxApple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Main camera
48 MP, f/1.78
48 MP, f/1.78
Optical stabilization
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Ultrawide
48 MP
48 MP
Telephoto
48 MP, 4× optical, periscope
12 MP, 5× optical, periscope
Optical zoom
4×
5×
Rear cameras
3
3
Rear video
4K@120
4K@120
Front camera
18 MP
12 MP
Front video
4K@60
—
Battery and charging
Spec
Apple iPhone 17 Pro MaxApple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Capacity
5,088 mAh
4,685 mAh
Battery type
Li-Ion
Li-Ion
Wired charging
40 W
—
Wireless charging
25 W
25 W
Reverse wireless
✕ No
✕ No
Charger in box
✕ No
✕ No
Design and build
Spec
Apple iPhone 17 Pro MaxApple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Dimensions
163.4 × 78 × 8.75 mm
163 × 77.6 × 8.25 mm
Thickness
8.75 mm
8.25 mm
Weight
233 g
227 g
Form factor
Bar
Bar
Frame
Aluminum
Titanium
Back
Metal
Glass
Water resistance
IP68
IP68
Fingerprint
None
None
3D face unlock
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
SIM
eSIM only
eSIM only
Colors
Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, Silver
Black Titanium, Desert Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium
Connectivity and features
Spec
Apple iPhone 17 Pro MaxApple iPhone 16 Pro Max
5G
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth
6.0
5.3
USB
USB-C 3.x
USB-C 3.x
NFC
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
3.5 mm jack
✕ No
✕ No
Stereo speakers
✓ Yes
—
Satellite
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
IR blaster
✕ No
✕ No
Software
Spec
Apple iPhone 17 Pro MaxApple iPhone 16 Pro Max
OS at launch
iOS 26
iOS 18
Security updates
5 years
5 years
Launch and price
Spec
Apple iPhone 17 Pro MaxApple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Announced
Sep 9, 2025
Sep 9, 2024
Released
Sep 19, 2025
Sep 20, 2024
Status
Discontinued
Discontinued
US launch price
$1,199
$1,199
Green marks the stronger value in a row. Specs come from official manufacturer data, cross-checked with established tech media; each phone page lists its sources. Report an error
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