this iPhone 17 Pro Max Here, all kinds of upgrades are packaged from camera to design. But it’s compared to its predecessor iPhone 16 Pro Max? Let’s take a closer look at the specifications and find out. Remember that specs won’t tell the whole story, so make sure to check out CNET’s continued coverage of the iPhone 17 Pro Max – and everything else Apple’s “Awesome” Events – For more information.
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iPhone 17 Pro Max: Design and Display
Both phones are huge, with a 6.9-inch display, which is equally difficult to wrap your hands and stick out the pockets of your jeans in the same way. The size of these two phones is largely the same. Both of them use Apple’s Super Retinal XDR panels, so we really don’t want to see any significant difference in overall quality here, and both phones have dynamic island cutouts on top.
However, there have been some significant changes in the design of the 17 Pro Max, with new camera rods spreading all over the width of the back, and the phone is made of aluminum instead of titanium. Apple says the design dissipates 20 times more than the previous model’s titanium design, which also helps the new steam chamber, which uses deionized water to actively cool the phone when in use. Still, the 17 Pro Max is only 4 grams heavier than the 16 Pro Max. Will you notice 4 grams again? Almost certainly not.
I guess it’s not the spec, but I do think it’s worth shouting out 17 Pro Max’s new universe orange – like it or Hate itwhich is certainly a vibrant choice and I personally love seeing something interesting injected into our phones. I personally would choose another boring shade of grey.
Tell me that orange doesn’t stand out.
The 17 Pro Max has a ceramic shield 2 on the front and back, which Apple says is three times more scratch-resistant. Both phones have IP68 waterproof.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: Processor and Storage
The 17 Pro Max uses Apple’s latest A19 Pro chip, which the company believes is much faster, especially for graphics-strength tasks like games, such as games, while its new neural accelerator is designed to help it handle AI tasks with better efficiency. The A18 Pro chips in 16 Pro Maxes are already a beast, so it would be exciting to see how these two perform in benchmarking and real-world situations.
Although both phones have a base capacity of 256GB, the new 17 Pro Max can now be specified with up to 2TB of storage. The privilege for this configuration is a $1,999 privilege payment, but if you plan to shoot a lot of original videos with your phone, it might be worth it. You can also choose to shoot external SSDs at this quality.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: Camera
Both phones pack the usual trio of standard zoom, Ultrawide and telephoto cameras, but the 17 Pro Max has some key upgrades. Most notably, in telephoto cameras, there is now an 8x optical zoom range, which is a big step in the fixed 5x zoom of the 16 Pro Max. Its sensor is also physically larger, and its resolution goes from 12 megapixels on 16 Pro Max to a more generous 48 megapixel on 17 Pro Max. OK
Apple’s new camera is very good, and it uses it to shoot the entire keynote video. Well, that’s a huge movie crane and multiple Hollywood standard lighting.
All three rear cameras are now 48 megapixels, although there are fewer hardware differences on other cameras.
However, 17 professionals do have some upgraded video skills. This includes its ability to shoot in Preors Raw, which captures unprocessed video without any software tweaks, such as sharpening, for greater flexibility in post-production. The PRORE RAW is not on the 16 Pro Max, so its requirements are enough to manage the extra power of the new A19 chip.
The 17 Pro Max also supports dual capture, which can be shot with the front and rear cameras at the same time if you think you want to do it in particular. Both phones can shoot 4K video at 120 frames per second, and if you want to slow down more, they will shoot 240 frames per second in 1,080p.
The former selfie camera (or Apple now calls the center stage camera) has an enhanced model on the 17 Pro Max up to 18 megapixels, as well as a new sensor design that allows vertical or horizontal cropping and better stabilize digitally in video.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: Battery and Charging
Apple doesn’t offer specific battery specifications, but it says the iPhone 17 Pro Max has the largest battery ever found in the iPhone. This must mean it’s bigger than the battery in the 16 Pro Max, even if we don’t know its actual capacity. This makes sense, and as Apple says, you’ll get an extra four hours of video playback from the new model. The actual situation of their daily use remains to be seen.
Apple says the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s battery is the largest iPhone battery ever.
Apple also said the 17 Pro Max will charge faster. Its 40-watt wired charging speed will raise it from the air to 50% in 20 minutes, which will require the same speed as the 16 Pro Max in 35 minutes.
So these are some of the key differences and similarities between the new iPhone 17 Pro Max and last year’s iPhone 16 Pro Max. If you already have the iPhone 16 Pro, the upgrade doesn’t feel huge, so the people you’re already shaking last year’s model almost certainly don’t need to upgrade here, but if you’re sitting on an old phone, you’ll definitely notice the difference between the camera and the power supply – yes, you can also have a bright Orange Pro iPhone right now, so that’s one.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max Specs Comparison Chart
| Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Display size, technology, resolution, refresh rate, brightness | 6.9-inch OLED; 2,868 x 1,320 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | 6.9-inch OLED; 2,868 x 1,320 pixel resolution; 1 to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate |
| Pixel density | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Dimensions (in inches) | 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.34 in | 6.42 x 3.06 x 0.32 in |
| Dimensions (mm) | 163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm | 163 x 77.6 x 8.25 mm |
| Weight (g, ounces) | 233 g (8.22 oz) | 227 g (7.99 oz) |
| Mobile software | iOS 26 | iOS 18 |
| camera | 48 megapixels (Wide) 48 megapixels (Ultrawide) 48 megapixels (4x, 8x telephoto) | 48 megapixels (width), 48 megapixels (overspeed) 12 megapixels (5x telephoto) |
| Front camera | 18 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Video Capture | 4K | 4K |
| processor | Apple A19 Pro | Apple A18 Pro |
| RAM/Storage | RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Scalable storage | Nothing | No (face ID) |
| Battery/recharge speed | Up to 39 hours of video playback; up to 35 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 33 hours of video playback; up to 29 hours of video playback (streaming). 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. PRORE RAW video recording. Genlock video support. 1 to 3000 Nit brightness display range. IP68 resistor. Color: silver, cosmic orange, dark blue. | Apple Smart, Action Buttons, Camera Control Buttons, 4x Audio Microphone, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 List Display Brightness Range, IP68 Resistor. Color: black titanium, white titanium, natural titanium, desert titanium. |
| US price non-contract | $1,199 (256GB) | $1,199 (256GB) |
| UK prices | £1,199 (256GB) | £1,199 (256GB) |
| Australian prices | AU $2,199 (256GB) | AU $2,149 (256GB) |
