Head to head
Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxvsApple iPhone 17 Pro Max
The short answer
Choose the iPhone 18 Pro Max for video playback time. The iPhone 17 Pro Max wins no row by a gap you’d notice. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is £100 cheaper at UK RRP (£1,199 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 Max, 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
- £1,199Apple UK store, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Security updates until
- Not published by the makerendoflife.date — iPhone, retrieved 2026-08-19
1 win for iPhone 18 Pro Max0 wins for iPhone 17 Pro Max3 gaps borderline0 differences you won’t notice£100 apart at RRP
Verdict: iPhone 18 Pro Max ahead on 1 row, iPhone 17 Pro Max on none
On the makers’ published figures, the iPhone 18 Pro Max wins on claimed video playback (43 h against 37 h). 3 gaps are borderline, differences most people would not notice: weight (231 g against 249 g) for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, battery capacity (5,391 mAh against 4,823 mAh, both from GSMArena) for the iPhone 18 Pro Max and fast charging (60 W against 40 W) for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Both state the same display size, refresh rate, peak brightness, typical brightness, HDR peak brightness, storage (base), RAM and wireless charging. The other 36 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
3 attributes neither phone has a sourced figure for
Google Mobile Services · AnTuTu benchmark · DXOMARK camera score. 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 Max?
On the figures, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is ahead wherever there is a gap you’d notice: claimed video playback, 43 h against 37 h (both Apple UK). The iPhone 17 Pro Max wins no row by such a gap. That is a count of rows, not an overall score.
Which has the better battery?
The iPhone 18 Pro Max, by a gap you’d notice: claimed video playback, 43 h against 37 h (both Apple UK). The iPhone 18 Pro Max is ahead, narrowly: battery capacity, 5,391 mAh against 4,823 mAh (both GSMArena), a borderline gap most people would not notice.
Which is lighter?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is lighter, narrowly: weight, 231 g against 249 g (both Apple UK), a borderline gap most people would not notice.
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 Max, our estimate, not Apple’s. Sources: Apple’s record from endoflife.date and Apple security releases.
Which is cheaper?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is £100 cheaper at UK RRP (£1,199 against £1,299). Prices from iPhone 18 Pro Max: Apple UK store; iPhone 17 Pro Max: 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.