Apple
iPhone 16 Pro Max
A18 Pro · 6.9″ LTPO · Titanium
95
/ 100
From $1,199
VS
iPhone 17 Pro Max wins by 3
Apple
iPhone 17 Pro Max
A19 Pro · 6.9″ LTPO · Titanium
98
/ 100
From $1,199
Specdex verdict
iPhone 17 Pro Max takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, iPhone 16 Pro Max lands at 95 and iPhone 17 Pro Max at 98. That puts iPhone 17 Pro Max ahead by 3 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick iPhone 16 Pro Max if…
- ✓Best-in-class A18 Pro silicon
- ✓Tetra-prism 5× zoom
- ✓Apple Intelligence Gen 1
Pick iPhone 17 Pro Max if…
- ✓Industry-leading A19 Pro silicon
- ✓New vapor-chamber cooling
- ✓Apple Intelligence Gen 2
iPhone 16 Pro Max 95
vs 98 iPhone 17 Pro Max
Score breakdown
iPhone 16 Pro Max
95 cpu 96
gpu 95
camera 96
battery 88
display 95
design 94
iPhone 17 Pro Max
98 cpu 100
gpu 98
camera 98
battery 90
display 95
design 96
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9″ LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 2868×1320 | 6.9″ LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 2868×1320 |
| Chipset | Apple A18 Pro (3 nm) | Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) |
| RAM | 8 GB | ▲ 12 GB |
| Storage | 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB | 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB |
| Rear camera | 48 MP + 48 MP UW + 12 MP 5× tele | 48 MP + 48 MP UW + 48 MP 6× tele |
| Battery | 4685 mAh | ▲ 4800 mAh |
| Charging | 27W wired, 25W MagSafe | ▲ 45W wired, 30W MagSafe |
| OS | iOS 18 | iOS 19 |
| Weight | ▲ 227 g | 232 g |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
iPhone 16 Pro Max
Pros
- +Best-in-class A18 Pro silicon
- +Tetra-prism 5× zoom
- +Apple Intelligence Gen 1
Cons
- −Heavier than 15 Pro Max
- −No 8K video
- −Charging speed unchanged
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Pros
- +Industry-leading A19 Pro silicon
- +New vapor-chamber cooling
- +Apple Intelligence Gen 2
Cons
- −Premium price
- −Weight crept up with titanium chassis
- −Still 45 W charging ceiling
FAQ: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
Which is better, iPhone 16 Pro Max or iPhone 17 Pro Max? +
iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 3. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is iPhone 16 Pro Max worth the price? +
At $1,199, iPhone 16 Pro Max delivers a Specdex score of 95 — strongest in cpu.
Is iPhone 17 Pro Max worth the price? +
At $1,199, iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers a Specdex score of 98 — strongest in cpu.
Does iPhone 16 Pro Max or iPhone 17 Pro Max last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.