Apple
iPhone 16
A18 · 6.1″ OLED · Camera Control
89
/ 100
From $799
VS
iPhone 17 Pro Max wins by 9
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 lands at 89 and iPhone 17 Pro Max at 98. That puts iPhone 17 Pro Max ahead by 9 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick iPhone 16 if…
- ✓Great value flagship
- ✓Apple Intelligence ready
- ✓Best small-phone experience
Pick iPhone 17 Pro Max if…
- ✓Industry-leading A19 Pro silicon
- ✓New vapor-chamber cooling
- ✓Apple Intelligence Gen 2
Score breakdown
iPhone 16
89 cpu 94
gpu 90
camera 88
battery 84
display 82
design 92
iPhone 17 Pro Max
98 cpu 100
gpu 98
camera 98
battery 90
display 95
design 96
Specs side-by-side
Spec
iPhone 16
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Display
6.1″ OLED 60Hz
6.9″ LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 2868×1320
Chipset
Apple A18
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)
RAM
8 GB
12 GB
Storage
128/256/512 GB
256 / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB
Battery
3561 mAh
4800 mAh
Charging
20W + MagSafe
45W wired, 30W MagSafe
OS
iOS 18
iOS 19
Weight
170 g
232 g
Rear camera
—
48 MP + 48 MP UW + 48 MP 6× tele
IP rating
—
IP68
iPhone 16
Pros
- +Great value flagship
- +Apple Intelligence ready
- +Best small-phone experience
Cons
- −60Hz display still
- −8 GB RAM minimum for AI
- −No ProMotion
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 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
Which is better, iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 Pro Max? +
iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 9. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is iPhone 16 worth the price? +
At $799, iPhone 16 delivers a Specdex score of 89 — 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 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.