iPhone 17 Pro Max VS iPhone 16 Pro Max

We are comparing the iPhone 17 Pro Max ( Apple ) head-to-head with the iPhone 16 Pro Max ( Apple ) . You'll get the key pros and cons of each phone, in-depth specs, and performance highlights.

Note: This comparison of iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max is based on Comparigon's analysis and is for informational purposes only.

KEY DIFFERENCES OF iPhone 17 Pro Max AND iPhone 16 Pro Max

Here’s how iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max stack up against each other in their most impactful areas. Use these bullets to see at a glance which phone excels where.

iPhone 17 Pro Max: 7 advantages iPhone 16 Pro Max: 1 advantage

Reasons to consider the iPhone 17 Pro Max

7
  • 3% larger battery (4832 mAh vs 4685 mAh)
  • 28% higher AnTuTu v11 score (2400156 vs 1870884)
  • 9% higher single-core Geekbench score (3895 vs 3567)
  • 50% more RAM (12GB vs 8GB)
  • Higher Selfie Camera Resolution of 18 MP
  • 8% higher multi-core Geekbench score (9746 vs 9052)
  • 48% faster charging (40 W vs 27 W)

Reasons to consider the iPhone 16 Pro Max

1
  • 3% lighter at 227g

SPECIFICATION TABLE COMPARISON OF iPhone 17 Pro Max AND iPhone 16 Pro Max

Below is the detailed specification table comparing iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Note: Highlighted specs mean that Phone wins that spec row.

If neither side is highlighted, it is a tie or there is not enough data for both specs.

Specification iPhone 17 Pro Max iPhone 16 Pro Max
General Information
Brand: Apple Apple
Release Date: September 19, 2025 September 20, 2024
Mobile SoC: A19 Pro A18 Pro
GPU: Apple A19 Pro GPU Apple A18 Pro GPU
Operating System: iOS 26 IOS 18
Weight: 233g 227g
Display
Display Size: 6.9 inches 6.9 inches
Display Resolution: 1320×2868 1320×2868
Display Pixels Per Inch: 458 458
Display Technology: LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED
Display Refresh Rate: 120 120
Display Brightness: 3000 nits 2000 nits
Camera
Main Camera Setup: Triple Camera Triple Camera
Main Camera: 48 MP 48 MP
Main Camera Features: LiDAR, SmartHDR, Photonic Engine ProRAW, Night Mode, Panorama, Photonic Engine
Main Camera Video: 4K at 30/60fps, 1080p at 30/60fps 4K at 30/60fps, 1080p at 30/60fps
Selfie Camera: 18 MP 12 MP
Selfie Camera Video: 4K at 30/60fps, 1080p at 30/60fps 4K at 30/60fps, 1080p at 30/60fps
Standard Lens
Megapixels 48 MP 48 MP
Aperture f/1.78 f/1.8
Focal Length 24 mm 24 mm
Sensor Sony IMX903 Sony IMX803
Sensor Size 1/1.28" 1/1.28"
Pixel Size 1.22 micron 1.22 micron
Autofocus Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel)
Stabilization Optical Optical
Telephoto Lens
Megapixels 48 MP 12 MP
Aperture f/2.8 f/2.8
Focal Length 100 mm 120 mm
Sensor Sony IMX973 Sony IMX913
Sensor Size a1/2.55" 1/3.06"
Pixel Size 0.7 micron 1.12 micron
Stabilization Optical Optical
Ultra-wide Lens
Megapixels 48 MP 48 MP
Aperture f/2.2 f/2.2
Focal Length 13 mm 13 mm
Sensor Sony IMX972 Sony IMX972
Sensor Size 1/2.55" 1/2.55"
Pixel Size 0.7 micron 0.7 micron
Stabilization Digital Digital
Selfie Lens
Megapixels 18 MP 12 MP
Image Resolution 4896 x 3672 4032 x 3024
Aperture f/1.9 f/1.9
Focal Length 20 mm 23 mm
Sensor Sony IMX914 Sony IMX714
Sensor Size 1/3.6"
Pixel Size 1 micron 1.12 micron
Autofocus Phase autofocus Phase autofocus
Stabilization Optical Optical
Battery & Charging
Battery Capacity: 4832 mAh 4685 mAh
Battery Life (in hours tested): 39 29
Battery Type: Li-Ion Li-Ion
Charging Speed: 40W 27W
Wireless Charging:
Performance
RAM: 12 GB 8 GB
Storage: 1 TB, 512 GB, 256 GB 1 TB, 512 GB, 256 GB
DxOMark Score: 168 161
GEEKBENCH V6
Single-Core (V6) 3895 3567
Multi-Core (V6) 9746 9052
ANTUTU SCORE
Overall (AnTuTu V11) 2400156 1870884
CPU 690322 548655
GPU 897791 594106
MEM 220128 179239
UX 591915 548884
Overall (AnTuTu V10) 2600719 1906329
CPU 929218 473921
GPU 976500 775371
MEM 285782 274230
UX 409219 382807
Connectivity
Network Technology: 5G 5G
SIM Type: Dual Sim Dual Sim
Wi-Fi:
Bluetooth:
GPS:
NFC:
USB: USB Type-C USB Type-C
Extras & Build
Face Recognition:
Water Resistance:
Speaker: Stereo Speakers Stereo Speakers

Tip: indicates a higher-is-better spec advantage, while indicates a lower-is-better advantage.

PERFORMANCE CHART COMPARISON OF iPhone 17 Pro Max AND iPhone 16 Pro Max

The charts below visualize how iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max stack up in key performance metrics.

Radar Chart Comparison

Category scores overview (0 to 100)
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max

Bullet Chart Comparison

Market Top is the best score found. Colored bars are % of market top (0 to 100).
Market Top
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max

SCREEN SIZE COMPARISON OF iPhone 17 Pro Max AND iPhone 16 Pro Max

Here’s a proportional visualization of the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 6.9 inches screen compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 6.9 inches display. Each rectangle is scaled so you can see at a glance which phone offers a larger viewing area.

iPhone 17 Pro Max

6.9 inches″

iPhone 16 Pro Max

6.9 inches″

6.9 inches″
6.9 inches″

Release Timeline of iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max

iPhone 16 Pro Max
11 months, 30 days
iPhone 17 Pro Max

iPhone 16 Pro Max was released 11 months, 30 days earlier than iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Value For Money Calculator

Prices use available launch or current data. Enter your own prices to see which phone gives better value.

iPhone 17 Pro Max

RAM: 12 GB
$
* Based on available price data
Value Index
0.0

iPhone 16 Pro Max

RAM: 8 GB
$
* Enter Price Value to calculate
Value Index
0.0
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max
0%

Calculating...

Domain Score Summary

Note: Scores (0 to 100) are generated by Comparigon’s scoring algorithm and are intended as a high-level guide. They may not map 1-to-1 with the individual spec-by-spec comparisons shown in the table.

iPhone 17 Pro Max iPhone 16 Pro Max
ALL
Overall
Difference: 1
Leads
iPhone 17 Pro Max
89
iPhone 16 Pro Max
88
Performance
Difference: 1
Leads
iPhone 17 Pro Max
90
iPhone 16 Pro Max
89
Camera
Difference: 0
Tie
iPhone 17 Pro Max
87
iPhone 16 Pro Max
87
Display
Difference: 2
Leads
iPhone 17 Pro Max
91
iPhone 16 Pro Max
89
Battery
Difference: 2
Leads
iPhone 17 Pro Max
87
iPhone 16 Pro Max
85
Note: If a domain shows no data, it usually means required specs are missing for the item.

Our Verdict

In conclusion, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a narrow overall lead compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Its strongest advantages are in Performance, Display and Battery. They are still fairly close in Camera.

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