iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 17 Pro Buyer's Guide: 25 Changes Compared

[dannyyankou]

You're kidding, right?

Look at the spec:

20 W charger vs. 40 W charger.

I think you misunderstood what I was saying. When I said the battery is nearly 20% bigger, I meant the 17 Pro Max battery is bigger than the 17 Pro. So in order for them to both reach a 50% charge in 20 minutes, the 17 Pro Max must be drawing more power than the 17 Pro.

 

[ELman]

try again this time so it will be fool me twice

I'll wait for the 19. Hopefully they have it working by then.

 

[ab2c4]

I'm assume the Ceramic Shield back will make it harder to shatter the back? Do the 17 and Air also have a Ceramic Shield back?

 

[iGeek2014]

All very true, but did Apple state the physical size of the sensors?

Haven’t seen anything myself beyond this blurb in reference to the 8x “optical quality” zoom.

From what I can find online the main sensor in the 16PM was 1/1.29” so I am guessing it’s similar for the 17PM?

 

[iGeek2014]

I'm assume the Ceramic Shield back will make it harder to shatter the back? Do the 17 and Air also have a Ceramic Shield back?

The Air also has a Ceramic Shield back but the 17 does not 🙂

 

[IIGS User]

If you have a 16 pro you’re good for quite a while.

I decided to plow my gadget coin into a new 16.2” M4 MBP instead of a phone. After seeing the side by side specs I’m glad I did. The 17PM is fatter, heavier, and not much better than the 16PM.

Rolled my 16PM (which was too old for its own AppleCare) Ultra 1 (which I had month to month AppleCare on all ready) and the new MBP into AppleCare One for $20/mo and never looked back.

I did the math and it made sense to do the AppleCare One as opposed to buying AppleCare just for the laptop even year to year. I was able to add my 16PM to the plan right before the warranty expires and cover my other devices.

And I know AppleCare plus is kinda pricy, but I do get piece of mind from having the coverage. Particularly for the new $2500 laptop I just sprung for. Having the service for the watch and the older phone are bonus and to me it’s worth it. It’s not for everyone and I get that.

The real meat this year is iOS 26 and that’s free. I’m running the Developer RC and I’ve gotta say this is the most pleased I’ve been with an iOS update in years. There’s lots of good changes here IMHO.

 

[hoxuantu]

I bought my 16 Pro for Apple Intelligence. What a big lie that was.

It can be a good lawsuit. Who is with me?

 

[smilyfox]

and the winner is TITANIUM!

 

[mikepro]

This is a horrible take. The telephoto is such a good upgrade. A 56% larger 48 megapixel sensor at a much more useable focal length, and the 8x claim is actually true. It is 12 megapixels at 8x, whereas last year it was 12 megapixels at 5x. I would much prefer this years cameras over last years.

Good points actually, you’ve convinced me it might not be the downgrade I first thought it was…

 

[jasonsmith_88]

The 17 Pro does not have 2x/8x optical zoom options. These focal lengths are a crop, which has always been called digital zoom until apple coined the term Optical Quality.

In order for a 2x crop from a 48mp sensor to have the same quality compared to a 2x lens at 12mp, the sensor would need to be 4x the physical size. Which it isn’t. The new sensors pack more pixels into a similarly sized sensor. That helps with some things like low light photography, but it’s not a replacement for surface area.

I have a 2018 XS and the 2x photos are way more detailed than the 16 Pro. I use 2x the most. I refuse to upgrade because it feels like a kick in the guts to shell out $999 for a phone that takes worse photos than the one it’s replacing.

 

[knarzie]

Most people don´t update their phones on a year to year basis - hence a comparison to phones like iPhone 12 Pro, 13 pro and iPhone 14pro would be of bigger interest to potential buyers than this repeated this is better than last years edition. that said I understand the interest in comparing to what has changed over last years phone. however I am amazed at how often the same info can be posted in slightly different variants - whilst there is not a single article I've seen that is specifically targeting those that will actually update and cater with image comparisons, feature comparisons and a real world use case example for someone like me coming from an iPhone 13 Pro.

Agreed. I’m still on an iPhone 11 and would be curious how the 15 pro (which can now be had at almost half of 17 pro) compares to 17 pro

 

[incoherent_1]

Most people don´t update their phones on a year to year basis - hence a comparison to phones like iPhone 12 Pro, 13 pro and iPhone 14pro would be of bigger interest to potential buyers than this repeated this is better than last years edition. that said I understand the interest in comparing to what has changed over last years phone. however I am amazed at how often the same info can be posted in slightly different variants - whilst there is not a single article I've seen that is specifically targeting those that will actually update and cater with image comparisons, feature comparisons and a real world use case example for someone like me coming from an iPhone 13 Pro.

12 Pro user here. There's actually a tool on Apple.com that allows you to select your device from a drop down and compare it to a 17 Pro (or whatever...). I don't know if it's new or maybe I just didn't notice it before. I found that very useful.

The tool only focuses on current hardware benefits. Future features (like AI Siri) are not listed. Not saying that's a bad thing (in fact, I'd argue it's a good thing...) -- just something to be aware of.

 

[antonrg]

well, for starters 16 Pro looks far more premium than the 17 Pro. That alone makes a huge difference, to me at least.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I bought my 16 Pro for Apple Intelligence. What a big lie that was.

Wow. I did not think anyone actually "...bought my 16 Pro for Apple Intelligence." Most of us that even considered AI an issue treated the 16 Pro as future-proofing for AI. IMO no big lie.

 

[cihag]

No mention of the vapor chamber? My iPhone 16 Pro does run quite hot sometimes…

 

[Allen_Wentz]

The 17 Pro does not have 2x/8x optical zoom options. These focal lengths are a crop, which has always been called digital zoom until apple coined the term Optical Quality.

In order for a 2x crop from a 48mp sensor to have the same quality compared to a 2x lens at 12mp, the sensor would need to be 4x the physical size. Which it isn’t. The new sensors pack more pixels into a similarly sized sensor. That helps with some things like low light photography, but it’s not a replacement for surface area.

I have a 2018 XS and the 2x photos are way more detailed than the 16 Pro. I use 2x the most. I refuse to upgrade because it feels like a kick in the guts to shell out $999 for a phone that takes worse photos than the one it’s replacing.

Please do what I will do and A-B test the 17 Pros against the 16 Pros next Friday 9/19/25. Then [try to] tell us that the 17 Pro "takes worse photos than the one it’s replacing." I do not think that you will do so, but will not really know until after real-world testing.

 

[Flamingdeathbolts]

Now I need the article of how is the 17 Pro better than my current 14 Pro so I can bask in all the nice upgrades like going from lightning charging to usb c

 

[Eggtastic]

Now I need the article of how is the 17 Pro better than my current 14 Pro so I can bask in all the nice upgrades like going from lightning charging to usb c

Same boat.

As stupid as this sounds... I probably would have been more inclined to upgrade if they made a black version. I don't think settling for blue would do it for me.

Onto more practical reasons would be the upgraded cameras, usb-c, bigger screen / smaller bezels, apple intelligence although thats not looking great right now, and being able to get some sort of return back from my 14 PM which is in pristine condition.

The cameras are important but diving into the details as best as I can it seems it may not be worth it if I am not a serious photographer but if anyone would like to chime in about that I welcome it.

My 14 PM works just fine and it's great for my uses. I still may go for it but I am not reserving it. Ill wait for the reviews and get a hands on at the store.

 

[macduke]

8.75 mm thickness

Oh, I didn't realize the standard 17 Pro also got thicker.

3,000 nits peak display brightness (outdoor)

If it's anything like the only one, it's too bad it only lasts for like 30 seconds until it overheats and dims if the temperature is over 80. The display is gonna need it's own vapor chamber!

Ceramic Shield 2 front with 3x better scratch resistance

Ceramic Shield back

I'm actually pretty excited about the reduced glare, especially outside outside, which wasn't mentioned here. And having the stronger glass on the back in a smaller contact patch that isn't on the camera bump means I might finally get to go caseless? Can't wait to see the drop tests. My main issue is that they usually feel so slippery in hand. Maybe I just need to put some orange grip tape on my 17 Pro. Every year I hope to go caseless and every year my hopes are dashed, but maybe this time...

Apple N1 chip for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

I love the efficiency gains with this, but I swear if I'm constantly having WiFi issues I'm gonna flip.

48-megapixel Fusion Telephoto camera

This is probably what I'm most excited about. I saw a comparison online where they let a photographer at the event AirDrop photos he took back to his iPhone and he pixel peeped and it's such a huge difference!

iPhone 17 Pro: Up to 33-hour battery life

Although I'm also really excited about this. Especially because it means the battery should be more serviceable over time. I just wish we could use this big battery to reverse charge AirPods Pro and Apple Watch!

iPhone 17 Pro: Up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with 40W adapter or higher
iPhone 17 Pro Max: Up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with 40W adapter or higher

It's strange to me that a 40W adapter charges a smaller battery in 20 minutes and a much larger battery in 20 minutes. Shouldn't these two numbers be different? Hoping that Apple put 20 minutes so that people wouldn't decide to get the cheaper Pro over the Max because it charges faster or something weird, and that instead it's more like 15 minutes on the standard 17 Pro. Looking forward to the reviews on this.

--

None of these changes by themselves are game changers, but altogether makes for a reasonable upgrade, especially for those who haven't upgraded in a few years. Now that all of the back cameras are on more equal footing and the battery life is solid, I'm wondering if I will even bother with upgrading next year. Doubt the Pro will get much attention compared to the iPhone Fold, and I'm not interested in getting on an iPhone Upgrade Program for a completely new, unproven design that's gonna cost about twice as much.

 

[Rogifan]

Why a buyers guide for a year old phone? How many people are upgrading their phone every year? I am on the yearly upgrade program but I assume I am in the vast minority. And the only reason I am is because I can. If my budget was tight I’d probably be upgrading every 3-4 years.

 

[SteveJobs2.0]

I would have been the first in line to upgrade from my 16 Pro if they had put in a newer main camera sensor.

 

[BUDGETApple]

I am just here for the complaints.

Seriously , dude ? Seriously ?

 

[BUDGETApple]

Well , from this comparison , it’s obvious that if you’re rocking a iPhone 16 Pro , you better not waste your money on the 17 Pro . This phone is definitely for people who are rocking a iPhone 13 Pro and below .

 

[Sammy in SoCal]

If you have a 16 pro you’re good for quite a while.

What if I have a 15 Pro Max? it’s been two years and I usually get it an upgrade every year except I skipped the 16 because I definitely didn’t see anything substantial but the 17 Pro Max looks like it’s substantial from where I’m at. One of the main things is I like its new cooling system and longer battery life for sure. I also like all the connectivity upgrades with the Wi-Fi 7, N1, antenna placement and possibly now that it’s a aluminum unit body it’s going to get even better reception with all these updates.

 

[Sammy in SoCal]

Well , from this comparison , it’s obvious that if you’re rocking a iPhone 16 Pro , you better not waste your money on the 17 Pro . This phone is definitely for people who are rocking a iPhone 13 Pro and below .

Or maybe people are into a different look because we’ve had the same design from the back since the iPhone 12. So after five years, we got something a little different. That alone could be enough for some people.