Apple
iPhone 16 Pro Max
A18 Pro · 6.9″ LTPO · Titanium
95
/ 100
From $1,199
VS
iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black) wins by 3
Apple
iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black)
A19 Pro · 256GB · Black
98
/ 100
From $1,199
Specdex verdict
iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black) takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, iPhone 16 Pro Max lands at 95 and iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black) at 98. That puts iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black) 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 256GB (Black) if…
- ✓Apple A19 Pro silicon
- ✓120 Hz ProMotion (Pro/Air)
- ✓Apple Intelligence Gen 2
iPhone 16 Pro Max 95
vs 98 iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black)
Score breakdown
iPhone 16 Pro Max
95 cpu 96
gpu 95
camera 96
battery 88
display 95
design 94
iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black)
98 cpu 99
gpu 98
camera 97
battery 92
display 96
design 99
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9″ LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 2868×1320 | — |
| Chipset | Apple A18 Pro (3 nm) | A19 Pro |
| RAM | 8 GB | — |
| Storage | 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB | 256GB |
| Rear camera | 48 MP + 48 MP UW + 12 MP 5× tele | — |
| Battery | 4685 mAh | — |
| Charging | 27W wired, 25W MagSafe | — |
| OS | iOS 18 | iOS 19 |
| Weight | 227 g | — |
| IP rating | IP68 | — |
| Color | — | Black |
| Release year | — | 2025 |
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 256GB (Black)
Pros
- +Apple A19 Pro silicon
- +120 Hz ProMotion (Pro/Air)
- +Apple Intelligence Gen 2
Cons
- −Still Lightning-free, USB-C only
- −Premium pricing
- −AI features require online offload for some tasks
FAQ: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black)
Which is better, iPhone 16 Pro Max or iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black)? +
iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black) 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 256GB (Black) worth the price? +
At $1,199, iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black) delivers a Specdex score of 98 — strongest in cpu.
Does iPhone 16 Pro Max or iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB (Black) 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.