Between the iPhone 17 Pro Max and ROG Phone 9 Pro, the iPhone 17 Pro Max comes out ahead in wireless charging and pixel density, while the ROG Phone 9 Pro wins on front camera and wired charging. Overall, the iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 67.5 and the ROG Phone 9 Pro scores 77.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The ROG Phone 9 Pro is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 10.2 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the iPhone 17 Pro Max if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. The biggest gaps in its favor are wireless charging, pixel density, screen size, among others.
Pick the ROG Phone 9 Pro if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. Its strongest claims are front camera, wired charging, ram, among others.
Both ship with comparable weight, 5g support, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the ROG Phone 9 Pro is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max wins
- ▲Wireless charging — 66.67% more. 25 W vs 15 W.
- ▲Pixel density — 18.56% more. 460 ppi vs 388 ppi.
- ▲Screen size — 1.77% more. 6.9 " vs 6.78 ".
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 3).
Why ASUS - ROG Phone 9 Pro wins
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Wired charging — 116.67% more. 65 W vs 30 W.
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 24 GB vs 12 GB.
- ▲Refresh rate — 54.17% more. 185 Hz vs 120 Hz.
- ▲AnTuTu — 27.62% more. 2680000 vs 2100000.
- ▲Battery capacity — 23.80% more. 5800 mAh vs 4685 mAh.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Has Headphone jack.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 227 g | 227 g |
| Thickness | 8.3 mmlead | 8.9 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.9 "lead | 6.78 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppilead | 388 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 185 Hzlead |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2200 nits | 2500 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 50 MPlead |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4685 mAh | 5800 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 30 W | 65 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 25 Wlead | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | truelead |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 6 yearslead | 3 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 17 Pro Max or ROG Phone 9 Pro?+
ROG Phone 9 Pro has 23.8% more battery — 4685 mAh vs 5800 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 17 Pro Max or ROG Phone 9 Pro?+
ROG Phone 9 Pro is 0g lighter — 227g vs 227g.
Is iPhone 17 Pro Max waterproof?+
iPhone 17 Pro Max has an IP68 rating.
Does ROG Phone 9 Pro support 5G?+
Yes, ROG Phone 9 Pro supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, iPhone 17 Pro Max or ROG Phone 9 Pro?+
ROG Phone 9 Pro offers 24GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 17 Pro Max or ROG Phone 9 Pro?+
ROG Phone 9 Pro has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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