Between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes out ahead in battery capacity and screen size, while the iPhone 17 Pro wins on wireless charging and ram. Overall, the iPhone 15 Pro Max scores 63.2 and the iPhone 17 Pro scores 63.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (63.2 vs 63.4). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the iPhone 15 Pro Max if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery capacity, screen size.
Pick the iPhone 17 Pro if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are wireless charging, ram, antutu, among others.
Both ship with comparable main camera, refresh rate, 5g support, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max wins
- ▲Battery capacity — 19.77% more. 4422 mAh vs 3692 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 6.35% more. 6.7 " vs 6.3 ".
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Pro wins
- ▲Wireless charging — 66.67% more. 25 W vs 15 W.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲AnTuTu — 35.95% more. 2080000 vs 1530000.
- ▲Weight — 18.00 g less. 203 vs 221.
- ▲Wired charging — 11.11% more. 30 W vs 27 W.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 5).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 221 g | 203 glead |
| Thickness | 8.25 mmlead | 8.3 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.7 "lead | 6.3 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nits | 2200 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4422 mAhlead | 3692 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 27 W | 30 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 25 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS | iOS |
| Promised OS updates | 5 years | 6 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 17 Pro?+
iPhone 15 Pro Max has 19.8% more battery — 4422 mAh vs 3692 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 17 Pro?+
iPhone 17 Pro is 18g lighter — 221g vs 203g.
Is iPhone 15 Pro Max waterproof?+
iPhone 15 Pro Max has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 17 Pro support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 Pro supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 17 Pro?+
iPhone 17 Pro offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 17 Pro?+
iPhone 17 Pro has a 48 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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