Between the iPhone 16e and iPhone 17 Pro, the iPhone 16e comes out ahead in weight and battery capacity, while the iPhone 17 Pro wins on refresh rate and ram. Overall, the iPhone 16e scores 58.6 and the iPhone 17 Pro scores 63.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The iPhone 17 Pro edges ahead on the Mars Score (58.6 vs 63.4), but the 4.8-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the iPhone 16e 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 weight, battery capacity.
Pick the iPhone 17 Pro if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. Its strongest claims are refresh rate, ram, wired charging, among others.
Both ship with comparable main camera, 5g support, water resistance, 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 16e wins
- ▲Weight — 36.00 g less. 167 vs 203.
- ▲Battery capacity — 8.48% more. 4005 mAh vs 3692 mAh.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Pro wins
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Wired charging — 50.00% more. 30 W vs 20 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 31.65% more. 2080000 vs 1580000.
- ▲Screen size — 3.28% more. 6.3 " vs 6.1 ".
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 5).
- ▲Wireless charging: 25 W vs 0 W.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16e | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 167 glead | 203 g |
| Thickness | 7.8 mmlead | 8.3 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16e | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.1 " | 6.3 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 120 Hzlead |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 1200 nits | 2200 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16e | 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 16e | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4005 mAhlead | 3692 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 20 W | 30 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 0 W | 25 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16e | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16e | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS | iOS |
| Promised OS updates | 5 years | 6 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 16e or iPhone 17 Pro?+
iPhone 16e has 8.5% more battery — 4005 mAh vs 3692 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 16e or iPhone 17 Pro?+
iPhone 16e is 36g lighter — 167g vs 203g.
Is iPhone 16e waterproof?+
iPhone 16e has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 17 Pro support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 Pro supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, iPhone 16e or iPhone 17 Pro?+
iPhone 17 Pro offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 16e or iPhone 17 Pro?+
iPhone 17 Pro has a 48 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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