Apple’s new Pro-level iPhones are official – but what’s the difference between the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max?
While some differences, like the difference in screen size, are obvious, there are more nuanced differences between the two smartphones that could sway your buying decision one way or the other. And, when you’re paying over £1000/$1000 for a smartphone, you really want to be sure you’re making the right call.
With that in mind, here are all the differences between the iPhone 17 Pro and its bigger Pro Max sibling. We’ve also compared the iPhone 17 Pro Max to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to see how it stacks up to the Android competition, and our comparison of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air explains key differences between it and Apple’s ultra-thin flagship.
Spec comparison
| iPhone 17 Pro | iPhone 17 Pro Max | |
| Dimensions | 71.9 x 150 x 8.8mm | 163.4 x 78 x 8.8mm |
| Weight | 206g | 233g |
| Screen size | 6.3-inch | 6.9-inch |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Material | Aluminium | Aluminium |
| Processor | Apple A19 Pro | Apple A19 Pro |
| Rear cameras | 48MP + 48MP + 48MP | 48MP + 48MP + 48MP |
| Selfie camera | 18MP | 18MP |
| Wired charge speed | 40W | 40W |
| MagSafe charge speed | 25W | 25W |
| Battery life | Up to 33 hours | Up to 39 hours |
Pricing and availability
Both iPhones are considered premium devices with top-end price tags, but the smaller iPhone 17 Pro is the more affordable of the two. It starts at £1099/$1099 with 256GB of storage, and it’s set to go up for pre-order on Friday 12 September, ahead of release a week later on 19 September.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will set you back an additional £100/$100, taking it up to £1199/$1199 with the same 256GB of starting storage. Like its Pro sibling, pre-orders start this Friday with release on 19 September.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a bigger screen
The most significant difference between the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max is rather obvious; it’s the size of the screen. The iPhone 17 Pro offers a pocketable 6.3-inch screen, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max measures in at a much larger 6.9 inches.
This means that the Pro Max has a larger screen, which is arguably better for watching content and playing games on the go. However, the Pro’s smaller screen means the phone should be overall easier to use one-handed.
Elsewhere, the two share the same key specs; both offer Super Retina XDR OLED screens with Apple’s branded 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate technology, both feature a super-bright peak brightness of 3000 nits, and both include the new seven-layer anti-reflective coating to reduce reflections and glare in both indoor and outdoor use.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a slightly higher resolution to match the screen’s larger dimensions, but at 460ppi, both are equally as pixel-dense – one isn’t better than the other, they’re just different.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has better battery life
With a bigger screen comes a bigger chassis, and that means Apple has more space for a larger battery in the iPhone 17 Pro Max when compared to its Pro sibling – and this plays out in use.
Apple claims that the iPhone 17 Pro can last up to 33 hours of video playback, a significant increase from the 27 hours of the iPhone 16 Pro, and it gains an additional two hours if you opt for the eSIM-only version.
That said, the iPhone 17 Pro Max trumps that with up to 39 hours of video playback, again, with an additional two hours if you go for the eSIM-only variant.
The two offer the same 40W and 25W MagSafe charging however, with Apple claiming that the former can deliver a 50% charge in just 20 minutes – though we’ll be putting that to the test ourselves soon enough.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has an exclusive storage option
This last one is rather inexplicable because, in our minds, it has nothing to do with the size of the phone – but the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a new 2TB storage option, while the iPhone 17 Pro caps out at 1TB.
Whether anyone needs 2TB of storage on their smartphone when cloud storage is an option is another argument altogether – but it’s there if you need it.
Otherwise, both models start with 256GB of storage, finally ditching the 128GB model that felt somewhat limited, considering the high price you pay for Apple’s Pro phones. 512GB and 1TB models are also available.
Both are identical in all other regards
Aside from those key differences, the experience between the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should be consistent.
Both sport the new glass and aluminium design, featuring a camera bar that extends across the rear of the device. Both offer a trio of 48MP lenses, including a new 4x telephoto lens with 8x optical-quality zoom also available. They also share the same top-end A19 Pro chipset, equipped with new vapour chamber cooling technology.
Essentially, it all boils down to whether you prefer a compact phone or a larger-screen phone with improved battery life and the potential for additional storage.
Early thoughts
There really isn’t much between the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max on paper.
Both offer the same core specs across camera, performance and charging – it’s just the size of the phone that makes a difference. At 6.3 inches, the iPhone 17 Pro should be easier to hold than the bigger 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max – but with a bigger screen comes a bigger battery and, rather oddly, a 2TB storage option.
It all boils down to which you prefer; in most regards, you’ll be getting a top-end smartphone experience no matter what. That said, we’ll reserve final judgment until we’ve spent some time with both new flagships, so check back for our final thoughts soon.
