An iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max comparison lets us consider potential changes to Apple's most premium phone (depending on how you feel about the rumored iPhone 17 Air, of course). Yes, Apple's iPhone 17 lineup won't debut until much later in 2025, but some early rumors coupled with expected changes have given us some idea of what's coming later this year. So there's no time like the present to start thinking about potential improvements.
And Apple will have to do a lot to improve upon the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is not only the best iPhone to have come out last fall, it's also the best phone overall based on our testing. Besides the strong performance and epic battery life, Apple's current premium model also produces outstanding photos thanks to a stellar camera setup. And like other models in the iPhone 16 lineup, it supports the latest Apple Intelligence features.
We can expect a new chipset powering the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which could bring improvements to both performance and battery life. Rumors are also pointing toward new cameras for the Pro Max model. Meanwhile, Apple could be contemplating a possible redesign that would dramatically change the look of the phone compared to recent iPhones.
Here's a closer look at how the iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max match-up is shaping up at the moment, based on what we've heard so far about Apple's iPhone plans.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max price and availability
The iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199, making it the most expensive model in Apple's lineup. That price matches the cost of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which debuted with a $100 price hike from its predecessor.
Ideally, the iPhone 17 Pro Max would cost the same as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, too, but that might not be the case. An early iPhone pricing rumor claims iPhone 17 prices could be on the rise, though the rumor doesn't specify by how much or which models would be affected.
There are two reasons to not fret about a potential hike. For starters, it's still early in the iPhone 17 rumor cycle, and pricing information really doesn't come into focus until just before the phones launch. Secondly, if Apple does release an iPhone 17 Air as has been widely rumored, that phone is currently expected to cost more than the Pro Max. You would think that might put a cap on how much Apple might charge for the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Availability for Apple's new phones is a little bit more clear. The iPhone 16 Pro Max debuted with the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup back in September, Apple's favorite month for releasing new phones. Barring any major shakeup, you can pencil in a potential iPhone 17 release for September 2025.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max design and display
While the iPhone 16 Pro Max resembled its predecessor in the broadest sense of the word, it did introduce a fairly significant change — a larger display. The 6.9-inch screen meant the iPhone 16 Pro Max was taller, wider and heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which offered a 6.7-inch panel. Otherwise, the iPhone 16 Pro Max was very recognizable as an Apple phone, with a Dynamic Island feature housing the front camera and Face ID sensors up front and a triangular camera array on the back of the device.
The look of the iPhone 17 Pro Max could change things up quite radically, if rumors about Apple's design plans prove accurate. The larger 6.9-inch screen size is expected to return, but the back of the phone could feature a horizontal camera bar that spans across the device, not unlike Google's recent Pixel flagships. That claim is based on a leaked photo that purportedly shows off the iPhone 17 Pro Max's frame.
Speaking of frames, there's some debate as to whether Apple will continue to use titanium for the frames of its Pro phones or switch to aluminum as a cost-saving measure. Given how Apple hyped the switch to titanium a couple years back, we don't buy the idea that the phone maker would change course so quickly, but it's something to keep in mind.
While the iPhone 17 Pro Max's display size is likely to match the iPhone 16 Pro Max's, there could be another display change in the works. One leaker expects Apple to turn to Low-Dielectric TEE technology for this year's Pro model panels — a move that would make the displays more durable while boosting power efficiency.
Early color rumors for the iPhone 17 Pro suggest that Teal Titanium, Green Titanium and Dark Green Titanium could be on the agenda for this year's phones; since the Pro and Pro Max share colors, we'd assume that rumor applies to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, too. However, Apple tends to feature more muted color options for its Pro phones — the iPhone 16 Pro Max comes in Black, White, Desert and Natural Titanium — so we wouldn't put too much weight on that claim just yet.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max cameras
The iPhone 16 Pro Max saw a couple of major improvements to its camera setup, gaining a new 48MP Fusion camera as well as a 48MP ultrawide lens. The Fusion camera worked faster than its predecessor, resulting in faster focus and no shutter lag. The ultrawide camera introduced higher resolution than the 12MP sensor Apple previously used.
Expect those features to return to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, with another possible change coming to third rear camera on the upcoming phone. Rumors claim Apple will introduce a 48MP telephoto camera, an upgrade from 12MP sensor that the iPhone 16 Pro Max uses for its zoom lens. There's no word on whether that camera would increase the zoom length from the 5x optical zoom that the current iPhone offers.
There's also talk of at least one of Apple's Pro models adding a variable aperture that photographers can control with a mechanical system. This addition would give you greater control over the depth of field in your photos.
One other camera rumor would affect all iPhone 17 models, as the TrueDepth camera up front could get an update this fall. One analyst suggests the new phones will feature a 24MP camera compared to the 12MP shooter used by current iPhones.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max performance
Since new iPhones tend to receive upgraded silicon, we're expecting the iPhone 17 lineup to feature new A19 chipsets. In the case of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, that probably means an A19 Pro system-on-chip.
It's impossible at this stage to say what kind of performance improvements an A19 chipset might deliver compared to the A18 Pro powering the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Initial reports suggested the A19 might be built on a 2-nanometer process, meaning its transistors would be packed closer together than the 3nm A18 system-on-chip. That usually translates to better performance and less power consumption. However, subsequent reports have indicated that the A19 will also be a 3nm system-on-chip.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max could benefit from one rumored change compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple is expected to increase the RAM in its new phones with an eye toward helping improve artificial intelligence performance. That would mean 12GB of memory in the iPhone 17 Pro Max compared to 8GB in the current model.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max battery life and charging
Here's where the iPhone 17 Pro Max might have a hard time improving on the standard set by the iPhone 16 Pro Max, as the current model posted the best time of any iPhone we've ever put through our custom battery test. In that test, we have phones surf the web continuously over cellular until they run out of power. The average phone can hold out for a little more than 10 hours on that test, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max averaged 17 hours and 35 minutes.
The A18 Pro chipset helped the iPhone 16 Pro Max land on the best phone battery life list, but the current model also benefitted from a larger battery than its predecessor. There aren't any rumors yet about what kind of battery the iPhone 17 Pro Max will use, outside of a report that Apple could try a new glue to hold batteries in place, making them easier to replace in the new models.
One change we hope to see with the iPhone 17 Pro Max is an improvement to charging speeds. The iPhone 16 Pro Max continues to support 30W wired charging, while other phones have adopted much faster speeds.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max software and special features
By the time the iPhone 17 Pro Max debuts, Apple will have introduced iOS 19. Of course, that same software update will be available to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, so there's likely to be little difference in the features both phones support. The same thing goes for Apple Intelligence — Apple could introduce some iPhone 17-specific AI features just like Visual Intelligence only works on iPhone 16 models. But for the most part, the same AI features supported on the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be able to run on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max outlook
Assuming a September 2025 launch for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, we've got a lot of time for more rumors to emerge. That should provide a clearer picture on what kind of changes to expect from an iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max comparison.
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