Apple

iPhone 17

Name: iPhone 17
Brand: Apple
SKU: iphone-17

A19 · 6.3″ OLED · ProMotion 120 Hz

/ 100

From $799

iPhone 17 Pro Max wins by 4

Apple

iPhone 17 Pro Max

A19 Pro · 6.9″ OLED · IP68

/ 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 96. That puts iPhone 17 Pro Max ahead by 4 points — a narrow 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…

✓A19 Pro chip
✓Up to 39 hours video playback
✓Up to 2 TB storage

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Winner by scenario

Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate test

Photography

iPhone 17 Pro Max

Stills and video quality across lenses

iPhone 17 Pro Max leads on camera (95 vs 88).

Battery life

iPhone 17 Pro Max

Screen-on time and charging

iPhone 17 Pro Max leads on battery (92 vs 88).

Performance

iPhone 17 Pro Max

Chipset speed for gaming and heavy apps

iPhone 17 Pro Max leads on gpu (96 vs 91).

Display

iPhone 17 Pro Max

Panel quality, brightness, refresh rate

iPhone 17 Pro Max leads on display (95 vs 92).

Value for money

iPhone 17

Specdex score per dollar at MSRP

iPhone 17 more score per dollar ($799 vs $1,199).

iPhone 17 92

96 iPhone 17 Pro Max

Score breakdown

iPhone 17

cpu 94

gpu 91

camera 88

battery 88

display 92

design 90

iPhone 17 Pro Max

cpu 98

gpu 96

camera 95

battery 92

display 95

design 95

Specs side-by-side

Hide identical rows

iPhone 17 versus iPhone 17 Pro Max — full spec comparison
Spec	iPhone 17	iPhone 17 Pro Max
Display	6.3″ OLED, 2622×1206 at 460 ppi, ProMotion 120 Hz	▲ 6.9″ OLED, 2868×1320 at 460 ppi
Chipset	Apple A19 chip (6-core CPU)	Apple A19 Pro chip
Storage	256 / 512 GB	256 / 512 GB / 1 / 2 TB
Battery (video)	Up to 30 hours	▲ Up to 39 hours
Charging	50% in 20 min with 40W adapter; MagSafe up to 25W	50% in 20 min with 40W adapter; MagSafe up to 25W
OS	iOS 26	iOS 26
Weight	▲ 177 g	233 g
IP rating	IP68 (6 m, 30 min)	IP68 (6 m, 30 min)

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

+A19 Pro chip
+Up to 39 hours video playback
+Up to 2 TB storage

Cons

−Premium price
−Weighs 233 g
−Wired charging requires 40W+ adapter

FAQ: iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max

Which is better, iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro Max? +

iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 96 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 4. 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 96 — 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.

Which is better for photography, iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro Max? +

iPhone 17 Pro Max — leads on camera (95 vs 88). Stills and video quality across lenses.

Which is better for battery life, iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro Max? +

iPhone 17 Pro Max — leads on battery (92 vs 88). Screen-on time and charging.