Apple unveiled the iPhone 17 at its “awe dropping” event along with the super skinny iPhone Air and the powerful iPhone 17 Pro/17 Pro Max. You may be wondering whether to get the new shiny standard iPhone 17 or buy last year’s iPhone 16 which is $100 less. To help with that decision, here’s a breakdown of how the two handsets compare.
The iPhone 17 starts at $829 (or $799 if you activate with a carrier), the same as the iPhone 16 when it came out — with the caveat that the iPhone 17 starts with a higher 256GB storage option, as opposed to 128GB.
The iPhone 16 is now available at a $100 discount, though its baseline configuration has 128GB of storage. So, is it worth saving some money, or should you go all out with the latest phone?
Here’s what to know about each phone, from the cameras to the displays to the batteries.
Watch this: The iPhone Air Is Unbelievably Thin
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Screen differences
Some of the biggest changes between the iPhone 16 and 17 have to do with the display.
Apple says it shrunk the borders around the screen on the iPhone 17, expanding the display from 6.1 inches on the iPhone 16 to 6.3 inches on the iPhone 17 without expanding its dimensions. The new Ceramic Shield 2 cover on the iPhone 17 offers 3x better scratch resistance, according to the company.
The baseline iPhone 17 gets a display with a 120Hz refresh rate, as opposed to the 60Hz display on the iPhone 16. That means the iPhone 17 finally supports an always-on display, so you can glance at the time, your notifications and Live Activities without waking the screen.
The iPhone 17 also gains an anti-reflective coating and a 3,000-nit peak brightness, compared to 2,000 nits on the iPhone 16. That should make it easier to see your phone in bright sunlight.
Camera differences
Both the iPhone 16 and 17 have a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera. But the iPhone 17 upgrades the ultrawide camera from 12 megapixels on last year’s phone to 48 megapixels.
The front-facing camera also gets an upgrade, going from 12 megapixels on the iPhone 16 to 18 megapixels on the iPhone 17. There’s a new Center Stage feature for the selfie camera that can automatically adjust from a portrait orientation to landscape to make sure everyone is in the shot. That means you don’t have to manually rotate your phone to its side anymore when there are more people to fit in the frame.
Both the iPhone 16 and 17 have a Camera Control button on the side to quickly launch the camera, snap some shots and use Apple’s Visual Intelligence tool to learn more about what’s around you.
Processor and RAM
The iPhone 17 packs an A19 chip, an upgrade from the A18 chip in the iPhone 16. One key difference is that the iPhone 17 starts at 256GB, while the iPhone 16 started at 128GB for the same $829 price when it debuted.
Both phones also support the Apple Intelligence suite of AI capabilities, which includes writing tools, image generators and notification summaries.
Battery life
Apple doesn’t share specific battery specs, but it does measure longevity via video playback hours. The iPhone 16 supports up to 22 hours of video playback, according to Apple, while the iPhone 17 bumps that up to 30 hours. Stay tuned to CNET’s review of the iPhone 17 to see how that translates in the real world and how the phone holds up to our battery tests.
A new AI-powered Adaptive Power feature arriving with iOS 26 can help conserve the battery by making “small performance adjustments,” like “allowing some activities to take a little longer,” according to Apple.
The iPhone 17 arrives with the upcoming operating system onboard, but you’ll also be able to download iOS 26 on the iPhone 16, as well as some older iPhones, once it becomes available publicly. That should help to stretch your battery life on either device.
Color options and design
What’s on the inside may be most important, but people also care what their phone looks like. Like the iPhone 16, the iPhone 17 comes in a range of fun colors: black, white, mist blue, sage (a light green) and lavender.
For comparison, the iPhone 16 is available in black, white, pink, teal and ultramarine.
Both phones have an aluminum frame.
If you’re leaning toward the iPhone 17, preorders start Friday, and the phone hits store shelves on Friday, Sept. 19.
Apple iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16
| Apple iPhone 17 | Apple iPhone 16 | |
| Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 6.3-inch OLED; 2,622 x 1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | 6.1-inch OLED; 2,556 x 1,179 pixel resolution; 60Hz refresh rate |
| Pixel density | 460ppi | 460 ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in | 5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 177 g (6.24 oz) | 170 g (6 oz.) |
| Mobile software | iOS 26 | iOS 18 |
| Camera | 48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide) | 48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) |
| Front-facing camera | 18-megapixel | 12-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K | 4K |
| Processor | Apple A19 | Apple A18 |
| RAM + storage | RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB | RAM N/A + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Expandable storage | None | None (Face ID) |
| Battery | Up to 30 hours video playback; up to 27 hours video playback (streamed). Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger. | Up to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15W |
| Fingerprint sensor | None (Face ID) | None (Face ID) |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | None | None |
| Special features | Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. 1 to 3000 nits brightness display range. IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender. | Apple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine. |
| US price starts at | $829 (256GB) | $829 (128GB) |
