Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 18 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Wired charging | 30 W | 60 W |
| AnTuTu | 2100000 | 3550000 |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 18 MP |
| Weight | 227 g | 211 g |
| Battery capacity | 4685 mAh | 4056 mAh |
| Screen size | 6.9 " | 6.3 " |
Between the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 17 Pro Max comes out ahead in battery capacity / screen size, while the iPhone 18 Pro wins on wired charging / antutu. Overall, the iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 66.9 and the iPhone 18 Pro scores 67 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (66.9 vs 67). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the iPhone 17 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. The single most decisive one: Battery capacity — 15.51% more. 4685 mAh vs 4056 mAh.
Pick the iPhone 18 Pro if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. Its strongest claims are wired charging, antutu, front camera, among others. The single most decisive one: Wired charging — 100.00% more. 60 W vs 30 W.
Both ship with comparable ram, main camera, refresh rate, so those specs do not 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 says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max or Apple - iPhone 18 Pro?
Apple - iPhone 18 Pro leads the current Mars Score by 0.1 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, battery capacity against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max if…
Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max has the measurable edge on battery capacity mah, screen size in.
Choose Apple - iPhone 18 Pro if…
Apple - iPhone 18 Pro has the measurable edge on wired charging w, antutu score, front cam mp.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max wins
- ▲Battery capacity — 15.51% more. 4685 mAh vs 4056 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 9.52% more. 6.9 " vs 6.3 ".
Why Apple - iPhone 18 Pro wins
- ▲Wired charging — 100.00% more. 60 W vs 30 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 69.05% more. 3550000 vs 2100000.
- ▲Front camera — 50.00% more. 18 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Weight — 16.00 g less. 211 vs 227.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 18 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 227 g | 211 glead |
| Thickness | 8.3 mmlead | 8.75 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 18 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.9 "lead | 6.3 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2200 nits | 3000 nitslead |
Performance
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 18 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| RAMⓘ | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storageⓘ | 512 GBlead | 256 GB |
| AnTuTuⓘ | 2100000 | 3550000lead |
| CPU total clockⓘ | 20.4 GHzlead | 20.3 GHz |
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 18 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 18 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 18 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacityⓘ | 4685 mAhlead | 4056 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 30 W | 60 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 25 W | 25 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 18 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 18 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS | iOS |
| Promised OS updates | 6 years | 6 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 17 Pro Max or iPhone 18 Pro?+
iPhone 17 Pro Max has 15.5% more battery — 4685 mAh vs 4056 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 17 Pro Max or iPhone 18 Pro?+
iPhone 18 Pro is 16g lighter — 227g vs 211g.
Is iPhone 17 Pro Max waterproof?+
iPhone 17 Pro Max has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 18 Pro support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 18 Pro supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 17 Pro Max or iPhone 18 Pro?+
iPhone 18 Pro has a 48 MP main camera vs 48 MP.