iPhone 17 Pro versus iPhone 16 Pro: Which is Better?

The iPhone 17 Pro has been on shelves in Apple stores for well over a month now. Is it living up to expectations? Early sales seem to suggest so – the iPhone 17 Pro has proven so popular that Apple’s share price increased by more than 50%. It comes with better screen resolution and an improved camera, as well as an impressively good battery life.

But the Apple iPhone Pro 16 was once one of the best smartphones on the market. A year on, how does it compare to the latest iPhone model?

We’re comparing specs, battery life, camera, design, and more so that you know whether upgrading is the right decision.

Apple’s Latest Smartphones

The iPhone 17 range has some spectacular surprises for iPhone users. The all-new (and slimmest Apple phone yet), the iPhone Air is an exciting new development. All the latest phones come with Apple Intelligence, the latest AI software.

Comparing the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro

How do the two models shape up? There are a few differences between the iPhone 17 and the previous iPhone 16 Pro series, but Apple certainly made some upgrades in the last year. 

Let’s look at the two side by side.

Design

Apple returned to its aluminium design for the 17 Pro models, a departure from the 16 series’ titanium frame. What does this mean? The 17 Pro is lighter and more sleek. However, some might feel like this is a step backwards from the polished titanium. 

We also have only three colour options for the 17 Pro phones:

• Cosmic Orange

• Deep Blue

• Silver

The 16 Pro has four colour choices:

• Desert Titanium

• Neutral Titanium

• White Titanium

• Black Titanium

iPhone users have wanted more fun colour options for a while now, and Apple certainly delivered. But the controversial move is the lack of Black, Gray, or Gold finish.

The final design change is the rear camera bump that stretches across the back of the phone, reminiscent of Google’s Pixel series.

When it comes to design, it’s all about what you prefer.

Display

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are available in the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch dimensions as the 16 Pro range. The upgrade? The 17 iPhones have a better resolution. This means they can get even brighter outside with 3,000 nits peak brightness compared to the 16 Pro’s 2,000.

The 17 is also more durable. Apple has designed their latest smartphones with the Ceramic Shield 2, which has up to three times better scratch resistance. The back also comes with a Ceramic Shield – an improvement on the 16 models.

Camera

Apple made big moves with its cameras this year. The 17 Pro line comes with a new 18MP lens on the front camera, a marked difference from the 16 Pro’s 12MP. Apple upgraded the front-facing camera with a square sensor to take portrait and landscape photos while holding the phone vertically. AI features enable smartphone users to automatically expand the field of view when more people enter the frame.

The back cameras? The 17 Pro features three 48MP Fusion cameras: Main camera, Ultra Wide camera, and Telephoto camera. The 16’s Main camera, in comparison, was the only Fusion lens. Apple has upgraded the Telephoto lens on the 17 model from 12MP to 48MP with 4x and 8x optical quality zoom – up from 5x on the 16 Pro.

The 17 Pro models also come with a new camera control button to open the camera app, take photos, and adjust zoom, exposure, and depth.

Even better – videographers are able to use both the selfie camera and back cameras at the same time. The 17 Pro range clearly comes out on top when we look at cameras.

Performance

Apple’s new vapour chamber makes its debut in the 17 Pro series. This new feature cools the phone down, which improves battery life and performance. The new smartphones also come with the A19 Pro chip, which enables better sustained performance than any previous models.

The 17 Pro also has 50% more RAM at 12GB, up from the 16 Pro’s 8GB.

Battery Life

iPhones are notorious for their poor battery life. But with the 17 Pro series, Apple has made a serious move to change the narrative. There are some significant gains in battery life with these latest iPhone models.

The iPhone 17 Pro has up to 31 hours of video playback, compared to the 16 Pro’s 27 hours. The 17 Pro Max performs even better, reaching up to 39 hours compared to the 33 hours of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Both the iPhone 17 models and 16 Pro come with Magsafe wireless charging as well.

Price

With new tariffs at play, Apple has broken its price freeze for the first time in five years. But don’t worry; the prices haven’t skyrocketed. 

Base models cost the same as in previous years. The Pro range? 

• The iPhone 17 Pro is retailing at £1,099 for 256GB

• iPhone 17 Pro reaches price tags of £1,499 for 1TB

• The iPhone 17 Pro Max costs upwards of £1,199

• The 17 Pro Max 1TB is retailing at £1,999 – Apple’s costliest model yet

The 16 Pro starting prices retailed at £999 in 2024. 16 Pro Max models started at £1,199. 

What does this mean? Prices have increased, but so has inflation. And Apple is packing the new Pro models with better battery life, advanced cameras, and performance, justifying the price hike.

iPhone 17 Pro Versus 16 Pro Tech Specs

Should You Opt for the iPhone 17 Pro or 16 Pro?

Apple’s newest Pro range is an improvement on the 16 models. But is it enough of an upgrade to justify the cost increases? It depends on whether you want an improved battery life and the best camera quality on the market.

If you’re looking for a decent phone that will do the job, the 16 Pro model is a decent choice. But if you’re keen to get your hands on the best smartphone available, the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are top of the range.

And don’t forget to protect your latest purchase. Our Ghostek phone cases will keep your new iPhone safe from falls, water, and more.