I’m coming up on a year with my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Great phone. The 17 Pro, especially with the selfie camera, seems good, but is it worth an upgrade over a perfectly good 16 Pro Max? My battery health is at 94%, so still pretty good. I would probably get silver if I upgraded, but I think my natural phone looks much better than any of the 17 options available.
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iPhone 17 Pro Max Six months later - is iPhone 17 Pro/Max worth the upgrade over 16?
- Thread starter Adelphos33
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joshwithachance
macrumors 68030
Yes if you have overheating/performance issues and/or want the improved cameras. Otherwise, no.
If you are looking at performance gains from the SoC and RAM, or camera, definitely not. For me the huge upgrade was the physical design since I upgraded from the 16 Pro to the Air and the only reason I upgraded.
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FreakinEurekan
macrumors G3
Very seldom (never?) is ANY new iPhone "worth" upgrading from one version prior.
Upgrading a single version is for people who WANT to upgrade, and don't mind the cost. But in terms of actual value, no - it's not worth it.
Upgrading a single version is for people who WANT to upgrade, and don't mind the cost. But in terms of actual value, no - it's not worth it.
Cobalt Blizzard
macrumors 6502a
If you have to ask this question, then you don’t need to upgrade 🙂
The-Real-Deal82
macrumors P6
I would say no. I have a 16 Pro Max and my wife has a 17 Pro and I have seen no visible performance differences between the phones. The camera is pretty much the same and produces identically good pictures with the better telephoto being a lens we use very seldomly anyway. I am in my second year with the 16 Pro and asking myself if I even bother upgrading this September when I am eligible. I am thinking I might just keep it another year and my battery is still on 100% with 312 cycle counts over 17 months of ownership.
Paul1964
macrumors 6502
I was seeing overheating on my 15 Pro Max which is why I upgraded.
The-Real-Deal82
macrumors P6
Yeah the 15 Pro Max apparently had that issue, although not experienced it or seen it reported for the 16 Pro Max.
ayephoner
macrumors 6502
I upgraded from a 15 pro max, but only because I was switching carriers and wanted to take advantage of the deal they were running for that. Otherwise, my 15pm would have been good for at least another year or two, maybe more. I plan on keeping this 17pm for at least 3 or 4 years (hopefully).
joshwithachance
macrumors 68030
Same here! Biggest upgrade imo. The 17PM just... works. Always.
MisterSavage
macrumors 603
I love the 8x zoom and landscape selfies. Very happy with this upgrade.
winxmac
macrumors 68020
As an outsider, since the only newest iPhone model I owned was an iPhone 14 Pro Max, if you have an iPhone 16 Pro Max right now, you can keep using it and skip the iPhone 17 series.
Ideally, this is how I would go with my iPhone purchase:
2016 - iPhone SE 2016 or iPhone 7
2019 - iPhone 11 Pro
2021 - iPhone 13 Pro
2024 - iPhone 16 Pro
2027 - next upgrade
Ideally, this is how I would go with my iPhone purchase:
2016 - iPhone SE 2016 or iPhone 7
2019 - iPhone 11 Pro
2021 - iPhone 13 Pro
2024 - iPhone 16 Pro
2027 - next upgrade
They are your finances and your product values (e.g. you mention the selfie camera that means zero to me; but to me the back-facing cameras are critically important).
IMO it makes most sense to buy soon after seeing the new iPhones in September. So when we are in March that means waiting 6 months, then comparing among the 16, 17 and the 18 to choose which works for your finances at 9/26 pricing.
Edit: To answer your precise original question, for me after six months of usage, yes it is "worth an upgrade over a perfectly good 16 Pro Max." But that is only for me, using the cameras constantly for enterprise-critical purposes. Today IMO anyone not doing enterprise-critical photography every day should wait to see the 18 PM to decide, because the 16 Pro Max remains a superb phone.
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I have never had any heating issues with the Pro Max (not even in hot sun). I had some of those issues with my old 14 Pro Max. Didn't own the 15.
If anything, I would upgrade just to get the smaller size phone as I like the footprint of that one. But I have been using my 16 Pro in Landscape a lot recently...
eoblaed
macrumors 68040
Whether or not it's worth it is an individual assessment.
I upgrade annually, but I will say the performance improvements between the 16PM and the 17PM were the most noticeable I've experienced in many years. I was quite happy with the upgrade.
I upgrade annually, but I will say the performance improvements between the 16PM and the 17PM were the most noticeable I've experienced in many years. I was quite happy with the upgrade.
Have seen nothing worth upgrading my 16 pro for, longest have ever kept a iPhone since ip5.
DCIFRTHS
macrumors 68000
The-Real-Deal82
macrumors P6
The-Real-Deal82
macrumors P6
How many cycle counts have you got may I ask? I only ask as my 16 Pro Max is a launch day model and I haven't dropped a single percent yet with 312 cycles. Interested thats all, not that it really matters as 94% is still great.
mjschabow
macrumors 603
Yeah, I was going to say, the 8X Zoom camera came in handy so much at my son‘s basketball game the other day because it was one of those sports complex complexes where you were unable to sit close and we’re really high above the court. I got some great photos and videos that look crystal clear.
In answer to the original question, the answer for me is yes.
1. Better cameras. I had enormous issues with the way the 16 Pro Max switched between cameras and the zoom option that kept to digital zoom for too long because of the gap in focal length between the standard camera and telephoto camera resulting in grainy messes at times. And I won't start on the way it handled macro. The 17 Pro Max handles it much better.
2. Much better selfie camera. The ability to take normal landscape pictures while holding the phone vertically is very helpful (I hate all movies in portrait mode and delete them immediately when sent to me and stills portrait mode should be used sparingly). Completely changed my use of the selfie camera.
3. Slightly lighter. I measured the weight of my 16 Pro Max in its Apple case and compared it to the 17 Pro Max in the Techwoven case and the 17 Pro Max was several grams lighter (despite claims to the contrary).
4. Inexhaustible battery. My 16 Pro Max usually ended the day at 50%. My 17 Pro Max rarely goes below 85% by end of day. (Same OS).
5. The camera bump extending across the phone makes it much better balanced in the hand and when laid down. Small but nice change.
Negatives for me are the aluminum case which can mark easily (I have the dark blue and I have the matching Apple Techwoven Case and I use a dBrand matching skin to protect the camera bump) and it feels cheap. And they still feel like lumps with the aesthetic of a brick, but that can be said about all the last few phones from most manufacturers.
But, this is probably the best iPhone I have ever had (and I started with original iPhone). The only possible change for me would be a more functional Air design (cameras being the major issue I have with the Air). The Air feels much higher quality and much less bulky.
1. Better cameras. I had enormous issues with the way the 16 Pro Max switched between cameras and the zoom option that kept to digital zoom for too long because of the gap in focal length between the standard camera and telephoto camera resulting in grainy messes at times. And I won't start on the way it handled macro. The 17 Pro Max handles it much better.
2. Much better selfie camera. The ability to take normal landscape pictures while holding the phone vertically is very helpful (I hate all movies in portrait mode and delete them immediately when sent to me and stills portrait mode should be used sparingly). Completely changed my use of the selfie camera.
3. Slightly lighter. I measured the weight of my 16 Pro Max in its Apple case and compared it to the 17 Pro Max in the Techwoven case and the 17 Pro Max was several grams lighter (despite claims to the contrary).
4. Inexhaustible battery. My 16 Pro Max usually ended the day at 50%. My 17 Pro Max rarely goes below 85% by end of day. (Same OS).
5. The camera bump extending across the phone makes it much better balanced in the hand and when laid down. Small but nice change.
Negatives for me are the aluminum case which can mark easily (I have the dark blue and I have the matching Apple Techwoven Case and I use a dBrand matching skin to protect the camera bump) and it feels cheap. And they still feel like lumps with the aesthetic of a brick, but that can be said about all the last few phones from most manufacturers.
But, this is probably the best iPhone I have ever had (and I started with original iPhone). The only possible change for me would be a more functional Air design (cameras being the major issue I have with the Air). The Air feels much higher quality and much less bulky.
MisterSavage
macrumors 603
It's honestly one of those things that I didn't know that I needed until I started using it. I didn't care when it was announced and now I love it.
