Between the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 17, the iPhone 16 Pro comes out ahead in several specs, while the iPhone 17 wins on antutu and weight. Overall, the iPhone 16 Pro scores 60.6 and the iPhone 17 scores 61.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (60.6 vs 61.7). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
The iPhone 16 Pro doesn't pull ahead on any single popular-comparison spec — its strengths sit in the spec table groups rather than the headline advantages.
Pick the iPhone 17 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are antutu, weight, battery capacity, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, main camera, screen size, 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 16 Pro wins
- No decisive advantages.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 13.14% more. 1980000 vs 1750000.
- ▲Weight — 5.00 g less. 194 vs 199.
- ▲Battery capacity — 3.07% more. 3692 mAh vs 3582 mAh.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 5).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 Pro | Apple - iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 199 g | 194 glead |
| Thickness | 8.25 mm | 8.1 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 Pro | Apple - iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.3 " | 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 16 Pro | Apple - iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 Pro | Apple - iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 3582 mAh | 3692 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 27 W | 27 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 25 W | 25 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 Pro | Apple - iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 Pro | Apple - iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS | iOS |
| Promised OS updates | 5 years | 6 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 17?+
iPhone 17 has 3.1% more battery — 3582 mAh vs 3692 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 17?+
iPhone 17 is 5g lighter — 199g vs 194g.
Is iPhone 16 Pro waterproof?+
iPhone 16 Pro has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 17 support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 17?+
iPhone 17 has a 48 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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