Head to head
Apple iPhone 17 ProvsApple iPhone 17 Pro Max
The short answer
Choose the iPhone 17 Pro Max for the larger screen, battery life per charge and video playback time. The iPhone 17 Pro wins no row by a gap you’d notice. The iPhone 17 Pro is £100 cheaper at UK RRP (£1,099 against £1,199). Apple publishes no date for either; its record with retired iPhones points to 2032–2036 for both, our estimate, not Apple’s.
- Released
- 2025-09-19endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Price
- £1,099Apple UK store, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Security updates until
- Not published by the makerendoflife.date — iPhone, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Released
- 2025-09-19endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Price
- £1,199Apple UK store, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Security updates until
- Not published by the makerendoflife.date — iPhone, retrieved 2026-08-19
0 wins for iPhone 17 Pro3 wins for iPhone 17 Pro Max2 gaps borderline2 differences you won’t notice£100 apart at RRP
Verdict: iPhone 17 Pro Max ahead on 3 rows, iPhone 17 Pro on none
On the makers’ published figures, the iPhone 17 Pro Max wins on display size (6.9 in against 6.3 in), battery per charge (53 h against 47 h) and claimed video playback (37 h against 31 h). 2 gaps are borderline, differences most people would not notice: weight (204 g against 231 g) for the iPhone 17 Pro and battery capacity (4,823 mAh against 3,998 mAh, both from GSMArena) for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The differences in Geekbench 6 (CPU, multi-core) and 3DMark Wild Life Extreme are below the thresholds you would notice. Both state the same refresh rate, peak brightness, typical brightness, HDR peak brightness, storage (base), RAM, battery lifespan, fast charging and wireless charging. The other 33 rows have no threshold or no direction to judge by, so nobody wins them.
True to scale
Outlines from each maker’s published dimensions, drawn to scale. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.
Specifications
A win is marked only where the figures can be ranked and the gap is one you could notice. A row the site has no threshold for says whether the two differ, and that it is not ranking them. = marks the same figure on both, ≠ not ranked a difference with no ranking. Every figure carries its source.
Body
Display
Platform
Memory
Camera
Battery
Connectivity
Benchmarks
2 attributes neither phone has a sourced figure for
Google Mobile Services · AnTuTu benchmark. Rows appear as sources are cited — a gap in our data, not a statement about either phone.
Questions
Is the iPhone 17 Pro better than the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
On the figures, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is ahead wherever there is a gap you’d notice: display size, 6.9 in against 6.3 in (both Apple UK), battery per charge, 53 h against 47 h (both EU energy label) and claimed video playback, 37 h against 31 h (both Apple UK). The iPhone 17 Pro wins no row by such a gap. That is a count of rows, not an overall score.
Which has the better battery?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max, by a gap you’d notice: battery per charge, 53 h against 47 h (both EU energy label). The iPhone 17 Pro Max, by a gap you’d notice: claimed video playback, 37 h against 31 h (both Apple UK). The iPhone 17 Pro Max is ahead, narrowly: battery capacity, 4,823 mAh against 3,998 mAh (both GSMArena), a borderline gap most people would not notice.
Which is lighter?
The iPhone 17 Pro is lighter, narrowly: weight, 204 g against 231 g (both Apple UK), a borderline gap most people would not notice.
Which has the brighter screen?
Neither: both state 3,000 nits for peak brightness (Apple UK). Both state 1,000 nits for typical brightness (Apple UK). Both state 1,600 nits for HDR peak brightness (Apple UK).
Which gets updates for longer?
Apple publishes no date for either; its record with retired iPhones points to 2032–2036 for both, our estimate, not Apple’s. Sources: Apple’s record from endoflife.date and Apple security releases.
Which is cheaper?
The iPhone 17 Pro is £100 cheaper at UK RRP (£1,099 against £1,199). Prices from iPhone 17 Pro: Apple UK store; iPhone 17 Pro Max: Apple UK store.
Other comparisons
The pairs a buyer of either phone would also weigh. Any two phones in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.