The iPhone 17 Pro Max is here, packing a variety of upgrades from the cameras to the design. But how does it compare with its predecessor, the iPhone 16 Pro Max? Let's take a close look at the specs and find out. Keep in mind that specs don't tell the whole story so make sure to check out CNET's ongoing coverage of the iPhone 17 Pro Max -- as well everything else from Apple's "awe-dropping" event -- for more information.
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iPhone 17 Pro Max: Design and display
Both phones are huge, with 6.9-inch displays that will be equally difficult to wrap your hands around and will stretch out your jeans pockets in just the same way. The two phones have largely the same dimensions. They both use Apple's Super Retina XDR panels, so we don't really expect to see any noticeable differences in overall quality here, and both phones have the Dynamic Island cutout at the top.
The 17 Pro Max's design has had some big changes, though, with a new camera bar that stretches across the width of the back, and the phone is made from aluminum instead of titanium. Apple says this design dissipates heat 20 times better than the titanium design of the previous model, helped too by the new vapor chamber, which uses de-ionized water to actively cool the phone while in use. Despite that, the 17 Pro Max is only 4 grams heavier than the 16 Pro Max. Will you ever notice 4 grams more? Almost certainly not.
I guess it's not a spec, but I do think it's worth calling out the 17 Pro Max's new cosmic orange colour -- love it or hate it, it's certainly a vibrant option, and I personally love seeing a bit of fun being injected back into our phones. I'd personally pick it over another shade of boring gray.
Tell me the orange doesn't stand out. Apple
The 17 Pro Max has Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and back, which Apple says is three times more scratch-resistant than before. Both phones are IP68 water-resistant.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: Processor and storage
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