Apple
iPhone 17
A19 · 6.3″ OLED · ProMotion 120 Hz
92
/ 100
From $799
VS
iPhone 17 Pro Max wins by 6
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 17 lands at 92 and iPhone 17 Pro Max at 98. That puts iPhone 17 Pro Max ahead by 6 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick iPhone 17 if…
- ✓A19 chip with 6-core CPU
- ✓ProMotion 120 Hz on a non-Pro iPhone
- ✓Up to 30 hours of video playback
Pick iPhone 17 Pro Max if…
- ✓Industry-leading A19 Pro silicon
- ✓New vapor-chamber cooling
- ✓Apple Intelligence Gen 2
iPhone 17 92
vs 98 iPhone 17 Pro Max
Score breakdown
iPhone 17
92 cpu 94
gpu 91
camera 88
battery 88
display 92
design 90
iPhone 17 Pro Max
98 cpu 100
gpu 98
camera 98
battery 90
display 95
design 96
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | iPhone 17 | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.3″ OLED, 2622×1206 at 460 ppi, ProMotion 120 Hz | ▲ 6.9″ LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 2868×1320 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 chip (6-core CPU) | Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) |
| Storage | 256 / 512 GB | 256 / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB |
| Battery (video) | Up to 30 hours | — |
| Charging | ▲ 50% in 20 min with 40W adapter; MagSafe up to 25W | 45W wired, 30W MagSafe |
| OS | iOS 26 | iOS 19 |
| Weight | ▲ 177 g | 232 g |
| IP rating | IP68 (6 m, 30 min) | IP68 |
| RAM | — | 12 GB |
| Rear camera | — | 48 MP + 48 MP UW + 48 MP 6× tele |
| Battery | — | 4800 mAh |
iPhone 17
Pros
- +A19 chip with 6-core CPU
- +ProMotion 120 Hz on a non-Pro iPhone
- +Up to 30 hours of video playback
Cons
- −No telephoto
- −Two storage tiers only (256/512 GB)
- −Charging needs 40W+ adapter for the headline 50%-in-20-min claim
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 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
Which is better, iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro Max? +
iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 6. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is iPhone 17 worth the price? +
At $799, iPhone 17 delivers a Specdex score of 92 — 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 17 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.