Head to head
iPhone 16 Plus vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro Max leads 11 to 1 on the 12 rankable specs, but iPhone 16 Plus costs $300 less.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
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Apple sibling models compared across generations.
Our recommendation: Compare the spec differences below to see if the price premium justifies the newer model's additions.
Buying for
Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 1 to 11
Buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
- Leads 11 of 12 rankable overall specs; iPhone 16 Plus takes 1.
- Size: 6.9 inches vs 6.7 inches
- RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB
- iPhone 16 Plus is $300 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Trips:iPhone 16 Plus · NoTrips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
- Trips:iPhone 16 Plus · NoTrips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
- Trips:iPhone 16 Plus · NoTrips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
- Trips:iPhone 16 Plus · 60 HzClear:iPhone 17 Pro Max · 120 Hz
- Trips:iPhone 16 Plus · NoTrips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
iPhone 16 Plus
199 g (7.03 oz)
iPhone 17 Pro Max
231 g (8.15 oz)
Size
iPhone 16 Plus
6.7 inches
iPhone 17 Pro Max
6.9 inches
Chipset≠
iPhone 16 Plus
Apple A18 (3 nm)
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)
RAM
iPhone 16 Plus
8 GB
iPhone 17 Pro Max
12 GB
Max optical zoom
iPhone 16 Plus
2x (sensor crop)
iPhone 17 Pro Max
5x optical zoom (up to 25x digital zoom)
Capacity
iPhone 16 Plus
4,674 mAh
iPhone 17 Pro Max
4,850 mAh
True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 17 Pro Max
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
iPhone 16 Plus: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Body
leads 1-0| Dimensions | 160.9 × 77.8 × 7.8 mm | 163.4 × 78.0 × 8.75 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 199 g (7.03 oz) (wins this row: lower) | 231 g (8.15 oz) |
| Build | Aluminum frame with color-infused glass back | Grade 5 Titanium frame with textured matte glass back |
| Water / dust rating | IP68 (up to 6m for 30 mins) | IP68 (up to 6m for 30 mins) |
| Colors | Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium |
| Stylus | No | No |
Display
leads 5-0| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED | Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.7 inches | 6.9 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 2796 × 1290 | 2868 × 1320 (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz (1–120Hz ProMotion) (wins this row: higher) |
| Peak brightness | 2,000 nits outdoor peak / 1,000 nits typical | 3,000 nits outdoor peak / 1,000 nits typical (wins this row: higher) |
| HDR | HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG | HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield (latest generation) | Ceramic Shield (latest generation) |
| Always-on display | No | Yes (Always-on display) (wins this row: has it) |
Platform
4 differences| Operating system | iOS 18 | iOS 19 |
|---|---|---|
| Software support | 5+ years estimated (typically 6-7 years) | 5+ years estimated (typically 6-7 years) |
| Chipset | Apple A18 (3 nm) | Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) |
| CPU | 6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency) | 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency) |
| GPU | 5-core Apple GPU | 6-core Apple GPU with hardware ray tracing |
Memory
leads 2-0| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB (wins this row: higher) |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 2-0| Main | 48 MP (f/1.6, 26mm, sensor-shift OIS, 2x telephoto crop) | 48 MP Fusion (f/1.78, 24mm, second-gen sensor-shift OIS, 100% Focus Pixels) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 12 MP (f/2.2, 13mm, 120°, autofocus macro) | 48 MP (f/2.2, 13mm, 120° FOV, hybrid Focus Pixels) (wins this row: higher) |
| Telephoto | None (2x optical-quality sensor crop via 48MP main) | 48 MP 5x Telephoto (f/2.8, 120mm, tetraprism, 3D sensor-shift OIS) |
| Max optical zoom | 2x (sensor crop) | 5x optical zoom (up to 25x digital zoom) (wins this row: higher) |
| Stabilization | Sensor-shift OIS on main camera | 3D sensor-shift OIS on main and 5x telephoto cameras |
| Video | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, Dolby Vision HDR, Spatial Video | 4K at 24/25/30/60/120 fps Dolby Vision HDR, ProRes LOG, Spatial Video |
Front camera
leads 1-0| Selfie camera | 12 MP TrueDepth (f/1.9, autofocus) | 24 MP TrueDepth with Center Stage (f/1.9, autofocus) (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Selfie video | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, Dolby Vision HDR | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps Dolby Vision HDR |
Battery & charging
leads 1-0| Capacity | 4,674 mAh | 4,850 mAh (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Wired chargingNot on the official sheet | Up to 50% in 30 min with 20W+ adapter (up to 27W peak) | Fast charging up to 50% in 30 min (supports 30W+ peak charging) |
| Wireless charging | 25W MagSafe (with 30W adapter) / 15W Qi2 | 25W MagSafe / 15W Qi2 |
| Reverse wireless | 4.5W wired reverse charging via USB-C | 4.5W reverse wired charging via USB-C |
| Charger in box | No | No |
Audio
1 differences| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Stereo speakers with Spatial Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Headphone jack | No | No |
Connectivity
4 differences| Cellular | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave in US) | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave in US) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | Wi-Fi 7 with Apple N1 wireless chip |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay) | Yes (Apple Pay with Express Cards) |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 (up to 480 Mbps) | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps, DisplayPort out) |
| SIM | Dual eSIM (US model, no physical SIM tray) | Dual eSIM (US model, no physical SIM tray) |
Features
2 differences| Biometrics | Face ID (TrueDepth camera) | Face ID (TrueDepth camera) |
|---|---|---|
| Extra controls | Action Button, Camera Control button | Action Button, Camera Control button with tactile force sensor |
| Standout features | Camera Control button, Action button, Apple Intelligence, Dynamic Island, Emergency SOS via satellite | Apple Intelligence, Camera Control button, Action button, Apple N1 wireless chip, Second-gen UWB, Dynamic Island, Satellite Emergency SOS |
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
iPhone 16 Plus
6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus with A18 chip, Camera Control, 48MP Fusion camera, and extended battery life.
- Outstanding multi-day battery endurance
- Large 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR screen
- A18 chip and Camera Control button
What you give up
- 60Hz display refresh rate (no ProMotion)
- No dedicated optical telephoto camera
Pick this one if
iPhone 17 Pro Max
6.9-inch flagship iPhone powered by A19 Pro chip, 48MP triple camera system with 5x optical zoom, ProMotion 120Hz, and Apple N1 wireless chip.
- A19 Pro chip with class-leading single-core and GPU compute
- All-48MP triple rear camera array with 5x optical zoom and 24MP Center Stage front camera
- Exceptional battery life up to 35 hours video playback
What you give up
- Premium starting price ($1,199)
- Large 6.9-inch frame requires two hands for most tasks
Best for each use
Photos
For photos, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Battery & updates
Too close to call on battery & updates from the spec sheets. Only capacity is rankable here.
Games & video
For games & video, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: iPhone 16 Plus ↗ · iPhone 17 Pro Max ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the iPhone 16 Plus or the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
iPhone 16 Plus costs $300 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the iPhone 16 Plus or iPhone 17 Pro Max?
Both has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Which is better for photos, the iPhone 16 Plus or the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
For photos, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Leads 3 of 3 rankable photos specs. Max optical zoom: 5x optical zoom vs 2x
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 48 specs tracked here, 36 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.