iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max

Each new generation of iPhones builds on the previous one with new features and improvements. These are the main differences between the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro:

• Design: the iPhone 18 Pro has a smaller Dynamic Island and is available in Burgundy, Glacier, Black and Silver. The iPhone 17 Pro is available in Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue and Silver.
• Camera: the iPhone 18 Pro has variable aperture, Pro controls and upgraded Photographic Styles. Both generations have a 48MP Pro Fusion camera system and 18MP Center Stage front camera.

• Chip: the iPhone 18 Pro has an A20 Pro chip, with up to 40% faster graphics performance than the A19 Pro chip in the iPhone 17 Pro.
• Battery life: the iPhone 18 Pro offers up to 34 hours of video playback, compared with 31 hours on the iPhone 17 Pro. For the Pro Max models, this is 43 and 37 hours respectively.
• Storage: the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are available with up to 2TB of storage. The iPhone 17 Pro goes up to 1TB, while the 17 Pro Max is also available with up to 2TB.

The iPhone 18 Pro and 17 Pro models are very similar in terms of their basic design. Both generations have an aluminium unibody and are available as a Pro model with a 6.3-inch display and a larger Pro Max model with a 6.9-inch display. The back is made from Ceramic Shield, while the stronger Ceramic Shield 2 protects the display on the front. Both generations also feature the Action button and Camera Control on the side. The wide camera plateau on the back houses the 3 cameras and remains unchanged between the iPhone 17 series and 18 series. There are some differences, however. The Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro is smaller than on the 17 Pro and can display up to 3 Live Activities at the same time. While the dimensions remain the same across the Pro and Pro Max models, the weight increases from 206 to 211 grams for the Pro and from 233 to 249 grams for the Pro Max.

The colours also differ between generations. The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are available in Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue and Silver, with Cosmic Orange standing out in particular. The anodised aluminium gives this bright, metallic orange shade an even more vibrant appearance. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are available in Burgundy, Glacier, Black and Silver. Burgundy is the more distinctive colour this time, with its deep wine-red shade and purple undertones.

The iPhone 18 Pro and 17 Pro both have a 48MP Pro Fusion camera system with 3 cameras: a 48MP Fusion Main camera, 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera and 48MP Fusion Telephoto camera. The zoom capabilities also remain the same, with optical zoom options up to 8x. Both generations also support features including macro photography, Night mode, ProRAW and portraits with focus and depth control. On the front, both have an 18MP Center Stage front camera, which automatically adjusts the framing to keep you in the shot when taking a selfie.

The biggest difference is in the Fusion Main camera. On the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, it has a variable aperture, giving you more control over the amount of light and depth of field in your photos. You also get Pro controls and intelligent focus tracking. Photographic Styles has also been updated, giving you even more precise control over the colours and tones of your photos. Both generations record in 4K Dolby Vision at up to 120 fps, but the iPhone 18 Pro has a few additional features. Low-light video recording has been improved, while Cinematic mode records in 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps, compared with 30 fps on the iPhone 17 Pro.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have an A20 Pro chip, just like the iPhone Duo, compared with the A19 Pro chip in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. The A20 Pro delivers up to 40% faster graphics performance, helping demanding games run more smoothly, for example. The chip also has a more powerful Neural Engine, a component specifically designed to process AI tasks faster. This means Apple Intelligence features, such as automatically removing objects from photos and writing or editing text, work faster.

The iPhone 17 Pro and 18 Pro are similar in many ways. Both generations have a Super Retina XDR display, a 48MP Pro Fusion camera system and a powerful Pro chip. The iPhone 18 Pro builds on this with features including a variable aperture, faster graphics performance and longer battery life.

Want a powerful iPhone with an advanced camera system, but don't need to keep up with the latest developments in specs? Then a model from the iPhone 17 series is a smart choice. The iPhone 17 Pro Max also gives you a little more screen space and longer battery life. With the iPhone 18 Pro, you get the key improvements of the new generation in the same compact 6.3-inch size. The variable aperture gives you more control over your photos, the A20 Pro chip delivers faster graphics performance and the battery lasts up to 34 hours. For the same improvements with a larger display and the longest battery life of all iPhone 17 and 18 models, choose the iPhone 18 Pro Max.