Head to head
Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxvsApple iPhone 17 Pro
The short answer
Choose the iPhone 18 Pro Max for the larger screen, battery capacity and video playback time. Choose the iPhone 17 Pro for lower weight. The iPhone 17 Pro is £200 cheaper at UK RRP (£1,099 against £1,299). Apple publishes no date for either; its record with retired iPhones points to 2033–2037 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max and 2032–2036 for the iPhone 17 Pro, our estimate, not Apple’s.
- Released
- 2026-09-18Apple Newsroom UK — Apple debuts iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, retrieved 2026-09-10
- Price
- £1,299Apple UK store, retrieved 2026-09-10
- Security updates until
- Not published by the makerendoflife.date — iPhone, retrieved 2026-09-10
- 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
3 wins for iPhone 18 Pro Max1 win for iPhone 17 Pro1 gap borderline0 differences you won’t notice£200 apart at RRP
Verdict: iPhone 18 Pro Max ahead on 3 rows, iPhone 17 Pro on 1 row
On the makers’ figures and the named third-party sources, the iPhone 18 Pro Max wins on display size (6.9 in against 6.3 in), battery capacity (5,391 mAh against 3,998 mAh, both from GSMArena) and claimed video playback (43 h against 31 h); the iPhone 17 Pro wins on weight (204 g against 249 g). One gap is borderline, a difference most people would not notice: fast charging (60 W against 40 W) for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Both state the same refresh rate, peak brightness, typical brightness, HDR peak brightness, storage (base), RAM and wireless charging. The other 37 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 18 Pro Max better than the iPhone 17 Pro?
On the figures, neither is better overall: the iPhone 18 Pro Max wins on display size, 6.9 in against 6.3 in (both Apple UK), battery capacity, 5,391 mAh against 3,998 mAh (both GSMArena) and claimed video playback, 43 h against 31 h (both Apple UK); the iPhone 17 Pro wins on weight, 204 g against 249 g (both Apple UK). Every other row is borderline, too close to notice, or not ranked.
Which has the better battery?
The iPhone 18 Pro Max, by a gap you’d notice: claimed video playback, 43 h against 31 h (both Apple UK). The iPhone 18 Pro Max, by a gap you’d notice: battery capacity, 5,391 mAh against 3,998 mAh (both GSMArena).
Which is lighter?
The iPhone 17 Pro, by a gap you’d notice: weight, 204 g against 249 g (both Apple UK).
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 2033–2037 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max and 2032–2036 for the iPhone 17 Pro, our estimate, not Apple’s. Sources: Apple’s record from endoflife.date and Apple security releases.
Which is cheaper?
The iPhone 17 Pro is £200 cheaper at UK RRP (£1,099 against £1,299). Prices from iPhone 18 Pro Max: Apple UK store; iPhone 17 Pro: 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.