Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max scores 9.2 in our rating, and the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 8.7. The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max leads in performance, battery and value for money. At launch in the US, the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max cost $100 less ($1,199 vs $1,299). The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max is the newer phone, announced Sep 9, 2026.

2 of 4 phones Clear all

Apple Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max

9.2 From $1,299

Top score

Apple Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

8.7 From $1,199

Discontinued

Key differences

Why choose the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max

Bigger battery 5,567 mAh vs 5,088 mAh
Newer model Sep 9, 2026 vs Sep 9, 2025

Why choose the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Lower launch price $1,199 vs $1,299
Lighter 233 g vs 249 g

PhoneRanked scores

Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones

Spec Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxApple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Overall 9.2 8.7

Display 8.5 8.5

Performance 9.4 8.7

Camera 8.7 8.6

Battery 7.7 6.9

Design 8.3 8.4

Software support 7.4 7.4

Value for money 6.6 6.0

Display

Spec Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxApple iPhone 17 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 3,000 nits

HDR HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision

Protection Ceramic Shield 2 Ceramic Shield 2

Performance

Spec Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxApple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Chipset Apple A20 Pro Apple A19 Pro

Process 2 nm 3 nm

Max CPU clock 4.93 GHz —

GPU Apple 7-core GPU Apple 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators

RAM 12 GB 12 GB

Storage 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB

microSD slot ✕ No ✕ No

Cameras

Spec Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxApple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Main camera 48 MP, f/1.48 48 MP, f/1.78

Optical stabilization ✓ Yes ✓ Yes

Ultrawide 48 MP 48 MP

Telephoto 48 MP, 4× optical, periscope 48 MP, 4× optical, periscope

Optical zoom 4× 4×

Rear cameras 3 3

Rear video 4K@120 4K@120

Front camera 18 MP 18 MP

Front video 4K@60 4K@60

Battery and charging

Spec Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxApple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Capacity 5,567 mAh 5,088 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 18 Pro MaxApple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Dimensions 163.4 × 78 × 8.75 mm 163.4 × 78 × 8.75 mm

Thickness 8.75 mm 8.75 mm

Weight 249 g 233 g

Form factor Bar Bar

Frame Aluminum Aluminum

Back Glass Metal

Water resistance IP68 IP68

Fingerprint None None

3D face unlock ✓ Yes ✓ Yes

SIM eSIM only eSIM only

Colors Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, Silver

Connectivity and features

Spec Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxApple iPhone 17 Pro Max

5G ✓ Yes ✓ Yes

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 7

Bluetooth 6.0 6.0

USB USB-C 3.x USB-C 3.x

NFC ✓ Yes ✓ Yes

3.5 mm jack ✕ No ✕ No

Stereo speakers ✓ Yes ✓ Yes

Satellite ✓ Yes ✓ Yes

IR blaster ✕ No ✕ No

Software

Spec Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxApple iPhone 17 Pro Max

OS at launch iOS 27 iOS 26

Security updates 5 years 5 years

Launch and price

Spec Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxApple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Announced Sep 9, 2026 Sep 9, 2025

Released Sep 18, 2026 Sep 19, 2025

Status Released Discontinued

US launch price $1,299 $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

More comparisons

Huawei Mate 90 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max

vivo X500 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Google Pixel 11 Pro XL

Apple iPhone 18 Pro vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max