Apple unveiled the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max handsets on September 9, delivering some of the biggest design changes the iPhone series has received in years. While the standard iPhone 17 has mostly the same design as its predecessor, the iPhone Air introduces a new ultra-thin iPhone form factor, and the iPhone 17 Pro models debut with a new camera module and a bold orange color option. Setting iPhone 17 Pro design controversies aside, the new Pro and Pro Max options offer the best set of specs and features you can expect from a brand-new iPhone series. That’s what Apple does every year with the Pro and Pro Max lines, reserving some of the best hardware for its most expensive phones.
Consumers who are undecided between the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max might be wondering about the differences between the two handsets, especially those looking for the best chip performance and camera experiences. The good news is that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are nearly identical, except for the size difference, which impacts the display, battery life, and the overall footprints of the phones. The prices are also different, as the iPhone 17 Pro Max retails for $100 more than the smaller iPhone 17 Pro for the same storage option. On that note, the Pro Max offers an exclusive 2TB storage capacity.
iPhone 17 Pro vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: The common ground
The iPhone 17 Pro models feature the same design. They’re made of an aluminum unibody with Ceramic Shield 2 covering the front and Ceramic Shield glass covering a portion of the back. The two devices feature the same Action and Camera Control buttons seen on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 models, and they come in Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, and Silver color options. Both get the same IP68 dust and water resistance rating. The USB-C port on the bottom supports USB-3 transfer speeds, compared to USB 2 for the base iPhone 17 and iPhone Air.
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max run on the same A19 Pro chip, which features a 6-core CPU, a 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators for AI, and a 16-core Neural Engine (also for AI). The chip is paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage. The 2TB option is available only on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Both phones are equipped with the same camera modules on the back: 48-megapixel main lens, 48-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and 48-megapixel telephoto (zoom) lens. On the front, there’s a new 18-megapixel sensor that Apple introduced this year. The camera features are identical for the selfie camera and the rear module on both phones.
Finally, the two iPhone 17 Pro variants offer the same connectivity options, including 5G, Gigabit LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, second-generation Ultra-Wideband, Thread support, dual-frequency GPS, NFC, and support for satellite communications. The two devices get identical accessories from Apple, whether it’s cases, the new Crossbody Strap, or power adapters.
iPhone 17 Pro vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: The differences
Buying the iPhone 17 Pro Max over the iPhone 17 Pro will get you a larger display and better battery life. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch OLED screen that offers 2868 x 1320 resolution at 460ppi, slightly larger than the 6.3-inch iPhone 17 Pro display, which has a 2622 x 1206 resolution at 460ppi. Otherwise, the two screens offer the same high-end features expected from Pro devices, including 120Hz refresh rate (ProMotion), peak brightness of 3,000 nits, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and Always-On functionality. On that note, Apple uses the same OLED screen technology for the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models this year.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max gets the best battery life, lasting up to 39 hours (video playback) or up to 35 hours (streaming video), according to Apple’s estimates. The iPhone 17 Pro’s battery life estimates are 33 hours and 30 hours, respectively. Both handsets support faster wired charging, reaching a 50% charge in 20 minutes with a 40W power adapter or higher. Wireless charging (MagSafe and Qi2) reaches 25W charging speeds.
The downside of choosing the iPhone 17 Pro Max over the iPhone 17 Pro is that the larger phone is bulkier and heavier. The Pro Max weighs 233 grams compared to 206 grams for the smaller model. While both handsets have the same thickness (8.75 mm), the iPhone 17 Pro Max is taller (163.4 mm vs. 150.0 mm) and wider (78 mm vs. 71.9 mm).
Finally, there’s the pricing. The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 for the 256GB configuration up to $1,499 for the 1TB model. For the iPhone 17 Pro Mac, you’ll pay $1,199 for the base 256 GB model all the way up to $1,999 for 2 TB of storage.
