The iPhone 17 series, Apple’s latest release, brings significant upgrades, with the Pro Max model offering the largest screen, longest battery life and advanced features. The standard iPhone 17 delivers a balanced experience with a fluid display, capable dual cameras and strong battery life, suitable for most users. The iPhone 17 Pro Max builds on this with a larger display, versatile triple camera system including telephoto zoom, more powerful processing, longer battery life and the highest storage options.
iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max – Build & Design
Both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max are built with premium materials. The iPhone 17 is lighter and more compact, making it easier to hold one handed and carry comfortably. In contrast, the Pro Max is larger and heavier, reflecting its bigger display, advanced camera system and larger battery.
Both feel premium in hand, with the Pro Max offering scale and capability and the iPhone 17 prioritising comfort and manageability.
iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max – Display
The iPhone 17 has a 6.3 inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering crisp colours, deep blacks and fluid motion for daily use. The iPhone 17 Pro Max expands this to 6.9 inches, maintaining the same high colour accuracy and adaptive refresh technology but giving a genuinely larger viewing area.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers a more immersive experience thanks to its larger screen, while the standard iPhone 17 remains excellent for users who value portability without sacrificing quality.
iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max – Camera & Video
The iPhone 17 features a dual camera system with a 48MP main sensor and a 48MP ultrawide lens, plus an 18MP front camera. This setup provides sharp photos, accurate colours and strong performance in most lighting conditions. Video capture is excellent, supporting high resolution recording with smooth stabilisation.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max adds a third 48MP telephoto lens, enabling optical zoom for close and distant subjects without loss of detail. The larger sensor size and enhanced stabilisation improve low light performance and dynamic range. The Pro Max also supports professional video formats such as ProRes and Log, allowing for advanced post production flexibility. Users who frequently shoot high resolution video or take detailed photographs will find the Pro Max’s camera system notably more capable.
iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max – Processor
The standard iPhone 17 is powered by the A19 chip, which handles day to day tasks, gaming and apps with ease. The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses the A19 Pro chip, which provides more powerful graphics performance, additional memory bandwidth and optimised efficiency for intensive workflows. This ensures smoother performance under sustained loads such as editing 4K video, playing demanding games or running multiple professional apps simultaneously.
Both devices are fast and responsive, but the Pro Max is better suited for power users or those looking to future proof their device for demanding tasks.
iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max – Battery Performance
The iPhone 17 offers dependable battery life that easily lasts a full day for typical use. The iPhone 17 Pro Max includes a larger battery, providing one of the longest runtimes ever in an iPhone. Users can expect extended video playback, longer gaming sessions and more continuous use without needing to recharge.
The Pro Max provides the most endurance for heavy use, while the standard iPhone 17 remains excellent for daily users who do not require maximum battery life.
iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max – Storage
The iPhone 17 offers storage up to 512GB, which is ample for most users. The iPhone 17 Pro Max increases the maximum capacity to 2TB, the highest ever available in an iPhone. This makes it particularly useful for users who store large photo and video libraries or use the device for professional creative work.
The Pro Max provides superior storage flexibility and is ideal for heavy users or content creators, while the standard iPhone 17 offers enough space for everyday use.
iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max – Verdict
Both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max are part of the latest Apple iPhone 17 series, offering excellent displays, strong cameras and refined design. The standard iPhone 17 is perfect for everyday users seeking a premium, manageable device with balanced performance and features. The iPhone 17 Pro Max takes these features further with a larger screen, more versatile camera system, longer battery life, stronger performance and maximum storage capacity.
Choose the iPhone 17 for a practical, high performance device that is easy to handle, or the iPhone 17 Pro Max for users who want the largest screen, the best battery life, advanced photography and maximum storage.