Between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17, the iPhone 16 comes out ahead in weight, while the iPhone 17 wins on refresh rate and wireless charging. Overall, the iPhone 16 scores 57.4 and the iPhone 17 scores 61.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The iPhone 17 edges ahead on the Mars Score (57.4 vs 61.7), but the 4.3-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the iPhone 16 if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight.
Pick the iPhone 17 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, wireless charging, wired charging, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, main camera, 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 16 wins
- ▲Weight — 24.00 g less. 170 vs 194.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 wins
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲Wireless charging — 66.67% more. 25 W vs 15 W.
- ▲Wired charging — 35.00% more. 27 W vs 20 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 22.22% more. 1980000 vs 1620000.
- ▲Battery capacity — 3.68% more. 3692 mAh vs 3561 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 3.28% more. 6.3 " vs 6.1 ".
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 5).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 170 glead | 194 g |
| Thickness | 7.8 mmlead | 8.1 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.1 " | 6.3 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 120 Hzlead |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nits | 2200 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | 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 | Apple - iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 3561 mAh | 3692 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 20 W | 27 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 25 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS | iOS |
| Promised OS updates | 5 years | 6 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 16 or iPhone 17?+
iPhone 17 has 3.7% more battery — 3561 mAh vs 3692 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 16 or iPhone 17?+
iPhone 16 is 24g lighter — 170g vs 194g.
Is iPhone 16 waterproof?+
iPhone 16 has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 17 support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 16 or iPhone 17?+
iPhone 17 has a 48 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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