Now, Apple is making its debut iPhone 17you might be wondering whether to get that glitz-like new device or buy it last year iPhone 16 With discount. To help make this decision, this is a breakdown of the comparison between the two phones.
The iPhone 17 starts at $829 ($799 if you activate with a carrier), the same as the iPhone 16 – the warning for the iPhone 17 is that the iPhone 17 starts with a higher 256GB storage option instead of 128GB.
The iPhone 16 is now available at $100 off. So, is it worth saving some money, or should you do your best?
From cameras to monitors to batteries, this is what every phone knows.
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Screen Differences
Some of the biggest changes between iPhone 16 and 17 are related to the display.
Apple said it narrowed the border around the screen on the iPhone 17, expanding the display from 6.1 inches on the iPhone 16 to 6.3 inches on the iPhone 17. The new ceramic shield 2 cap on the iPhone 17 is covered with a 3x 3x cap, providing 3x resistance.
The baseline iPhone 17 display has a 120Hz refresh rate instead of 60Hz display on iPhone 16. This means that iPhone 17 is finally supported Always display onlineso you can browse your notifications and live events at the time without waking up the screen.
The iPhone 17 also gets an anti-reflective coating and peak brightness of 3,000 nits, while the iPhone 16 has 2,000 nits, which should make it easier to see the phone in bright sunlight.
Camera Differences
The iPhone 16 and 17 have a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera. But the iPhone 17 upgraded the Ultrawide camera from 12 megapixels on the phone last year to 48 megapixels.
The front-facing camera has also been upgraded, from 12 megapixels on the iPhone 16 to 18 megapixels on the iPhone 17. There is a new one Center stage The selfie camera’s function can automatically adjust from the portrait orientation to the landscape to ensure everyone is shooting. This means that when there are more people fit into the frame, you no longer have to rotate the phone to the side.
Both iPhone 16 and 17 have one Camera control Side buttons quickly start the camera, take some lenses and use Apple Visual intelligence Tools to learn more about what’s around you.
Processor and RAM
The iPhone 17 packs the A19 chip, which is an upgrade to the A18 chip in the iPhone 16. A key difference is that the iPhone 17 starts at 256GB, while the iPhone 16 priced at 128GB for $829 when it debuted.
Both phones also support Apple Smart A suite of AI-capable features including writing tools, image generators and notification summary.
Battery life
Apple doesn’t share specific battery specifications, but it does measure life by video playback time. According to Apple, the iPhone 16 supports up to 22 hours of video playback, while the iPhone 17 hits up to 30 hours. Stay tuned for CNET’s review of the iPhone 17 to learn how to translate in the real world, and how the phone keeps our battery tests.
A new AI driver Adaptive capability Functional arrival iOS 26 According to Apple, it can help save battery cells by making “small performance tunings”, such as “allowing certain activities to take longer.”
The iPhone 17 arrives at the upcoming ship operating system, but you can also download iOS 26 on iPhone 16, And some older iPhonesonce publicly available. This should help extend battery life on either device.
Color selection and design
The inside is probably the most important thing, but people also care about the appearance of the phone. Like the iPhone 16, the iPhone 17 comes in a variety of interesting colors: black, white, mist blue, sage and lavender.
For comparison, the iPhone 16 comes in black, white, pink, teal and outdoor sports.
Both phones have an aluminum frame.
If you tend toward iPhone 17, Booking Starting Friday, the phone will be available on Friday, September 19.
Apple iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16
| Apple iPhone 17 | Apple iPhone 16 | |
| Display size, technology, resolution, refresh rate | 6.3-inch OLED; 2,622 x 1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | 6.1-inch OLED; 2,556 x 1,179 pixel resolution; 60Hz refresh rate |
| Pixel density | 460ppi | 460 ppi |
| Dimensions (in inches) | 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in | 5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in |
| Dimensions (mm) | 149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm |
| Weight (g, ounces) | 177 g (6.24 oz) | 170 g (6 oz) |
| Mobile software | iOS 26 | iOS 18 |
| camera | 48 megapixels (width) 48 megapixels (speeding) | 48 megapixels (width), 12 megapixels (speeding) |
| Front camera | 18 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Video Capture | 4K | 4K |
| processor | Apple A19 | Apple A18 |
| RAM + Storage | RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB | RAM N/A + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Scalable storage | Nothing | No (face ID) |
| Battery | Up to 30 hours of video playback; up to 27 hours of video playback (stream). Quickly charge 50% in 20 minutes using a 40W adapter or higher cable. Quickly charge 50% in 30 minutes using a MAGSAFE charger with an adapter of 30W or higher. | Up to 22 hours of video playback; up to 18 hours of video playback (stream). 20W wired charging. Magsafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W or higher adapter; QI2 up to 15W |
| Fingerprint sensor | No (face ID) | No (face ID) |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | Nothing | Nothing |
| Special features | Apple N1 wireless network chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11BE), with 2×2 mimo), Bluetooth 6, threading. Action button. Camera control buttons. Dynamic Island. Apple Smart. Visual intelligence. Dual ESIM. 1 to 3000 Nit brightness display range. IP68 resistor. Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender. | Apple Smart, Action Buttons, Camera Control Buttons, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 column display brightness range, IP68 resistor. Color: black, white, pink, blue, super master. |
| US prices from | $829 (256GB) | $829 (128GB) |
