At a glance
Our Verdict
If you want better cameras, better battery life, and improved performance then the iPhone 17 Pro is the one to choose. But the iPhone 16 Pro isn’t a bad iPhone if you can get a good deal.
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Best Prices Today: Apple iPhone 17 Pro
While the iPhone 16 to iPhone 17 sees Apple roll out some big improvements, like ProMotion and double the storage on its latest ‘base’ phone, the iPhone 16 Pro to iPhone 17 Pro jump is perhaps a little less consequential.
There are still improvements to be found, but they’re a little predictable: Better battery, improved cameras, and a brighter display.
Here’s our full comparison of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro where we consider whether it’s worth upgrading from one to the other. We also consider what to do if you find a deal on an iPhone 16 Pro, or a refurbished model: should you get it, or should you pay more for the newer model?
iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro: Design and Build
There is a noticeable difference in this year’s iPhone 17 Pro versus its predecessor, and it all has to do with the back of the device.
The camera cluster is gone, replaced by what Apple is calling the “plateau”, which houses the three sensors, the flash, and more. The Apple logo has been moved lower, too, slapped on top of a Ceramic Shield cover that Apple says makes the new phones more durable.
It’s more scratch-resistant thanks to the Ceramic Shield (version 2) on the front, too, but the rest of the phone isn’t made of Titanium anymore. Instead, Apple has gone back to aluminium, and you can buy the new model in Deep Blue, Cosmic Orange, or Silver (no black, this time).
Foundry
iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro: Display
Even the iPhone 17 now has ProMotion for variable refresh rate, so this is no longer a distinction between the pro and standard iPhones.
There is a change to the iPhone 17 Pro screen compared to the 2024 model though: Brightness is improved, going up to 3,000 nits (instead of 2,000 nits). Paired with an anti-reflective cover, the iPhone 17 Pro is much easier to read outdoors.
And, as we covered above, Ceramic Shield 2 makes the display more scratch-resistant.
Stephan Wiesend
iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro: Specs
There are far fewer differences between the iPhone 17 Pro and 16 Pro than there are between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17.
As with the iPhone 17, there is no longer a 128GB version. The processor jumps from A18 Pro to A19 Pro. Battery life is better. Bluetooth is improved. The camera, as you will see below, gets a pretty big update.
| iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 17 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR (2622 x 1206), up to 120Hz refresh rate | 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR (2622 x 1206), up to 120Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | A18 Pro | A19 Pro |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB | 256GB/512GB/1TB |
| Rear Camera | 48MP main, 48MP telephoto, 48MP ultrawide | 48MP main and ultrawide, 12MP telephoto |
| Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth, f/1.9 | 18MP Center Stage selfie (f/1.9) |
| Video Recording | 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps, Cinematic mode, Action Mode, Spatial video, Wind noise reduction, Audio mix | 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps, Cinematic mode, Action Mode, Spatial video, Wind noise reduction, Audio mix |
| Biometric Security | Face ID | Face ID |
| Control options | Action button, Camera Control button | Action button, Camera Control button |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| LTE | 5G | 5G |
| Battery Life | 27 hours (video playback) | 33 hours (video playback) |
| Charging | USB-C | USB-C |
| Wireless Charging | Yes, with MagSafe (charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher) | Yes, with MagSafe (charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher) |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 6 |
| Apple Pay | Yes | Yes |
| Waterproofing | IP68 | IP68 |
| SIM | Dual (nano and eSim or 2x eSIM in US) | Dual (nano and eSim or 2x eSIM in US) |
| Dimensions | 5.89in x 2.81in x 0.32in or 149.6mm x 71.5mm x 8.25mm | 5.91in x 2.83in x 0.34in or 150mm x 71.9mm x 8.75mm |
| Weight | 199g | 204g |
iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro: Performance
The exterior redesign of the iPhone 17 Pro, the switch the aluminum, and the addition of a vapour chamber means the newer iPhone is better able to cool its components.
The upshot of this is twofold: Not only does the phone get less hot in your hand when you’re undertaking demanding tasks like playing games or editing video, but it also means performance can be sustained for longer. That’s a big deal with users doing more with their phones, particularly as we enter the age of AI and the rollout of Apple Intelligence.
Even aside from cooling, Apple says the new A19 Pro has a big performance boost over the A18 Pro, and should mean more AI features can run on-device.
Worried about battery life? Don’t be. The iPhone 17 Pro can run for 31 hours on a single charge, which is around two hours more than the iPhone 16 Pro despite the performance increases.
iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro: Cameras
Foundry
The iPhone 16 Pro had (or has) excellent photography potential, with 48MP wide and ultrawide snappers. Now, Apple has raised the floor, and the 12MP telephoto lens in the 16 Pro has been updated to 48MP in the 17 Pro.
The zoom has changed, too. There’s no 5x optical zoom anymore, but there are 4x and 8x options instead, with the latter being Apple’s longest zoom. It’s a far cry from the likes of Samsung’s 100x zoom, but it takes better photos.
On the front, it’s all changed, too. The iPhone 16 Pro’s 12MP front camera is gone, replaced by the new 18MP Center Stage offering that’s uniform across all iPhone 17 models.
This has a square sensor for taking wider selfies without needing to rotate your device, and it takes much better images than its predecessor while also doing a great job of taking video while you’re moving.
On that note, a new Dual Capture mode lets you film what’s in front of you, as well as your reaction to it.
iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro: Price
The iPhone 17 Pro is $100 more expensive than the iPhone 16 Pro was, coming in at $1,099, but it has double the storage of the prior model.
So you’re basically paying the same as you’d have paid for a 256GB version of last year’s phone, but there’s no option for a 128GB version.
Should you buy iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro
Given the choice of the two phones we would pick the newer model, because there are a number of enticing upgrades. The iPhone 16 Pro may be available for a while longer, and as a refurbished model, and if you do get a good deal on that iPhone then we do still recommend it though.
If you’re already using the iPhone 16 Pro, there’s not a huge amount of new features to get excited about for the new models, aside from a handful of predictable improvements like better cameras, better battery life, and improved performance.
Still, if you can get a decent trade-in offer for your current phone and want those things and the brighter display, it’s worth a look.
Best Prices Today: Apple iPhone 17 Pro
Author: Lloyd Coombes, Contributor, Macworld
Lloyd is a freelance contributor with over five years of experience writing for Tech Advisor, Macworld, TechRadar, iMore and plenty more, specialising in wearables, fitness products and mobile. When he's not being the Editor in Chief at GGRecon, you’ll probably find him at the gym.