Apple's latest phone has a lot in common with the previous model, but there are notable improvements to the camera, display and battery. Is it worth the upgrade?
If you're on the hunt for a new iPhone, you may be wondering whether to buy Apple's latest device, the iPhone 17, or score last year's iPhone 16 at a discount. To help with that decision, here's a breakdown of how the two phones compare.
The iPhone 17 starts at $829 -- or $799 with carrier activation -- the same launch price as the iPhone 16. But there's a key difference: The iPhone 17 starts with 256GB of storage, double the 128GB base on the iPhone 16.
The iPhone 16 is now available at a $100 discount. So, is it worth saving some money, or should you splurge on the latest phone?
Here's what to know about each phone -- from the cameras to the displays to the batteries.
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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.
In CNET's 45-minute endurance test, which includes streaming, scrolling through social media, joining a video call and playing games, the iPhone 17's battery went from full to 98%. That's just over the 97% the iPhone 16 scored last year.
And in a three-hour streaming test over Wi-Fi, which involves watching a YouTube video in full-screen mode at full brightness, the iPhone 17's battery went from full to 89%. In comparison, the iPhone 16 dropped to 86%.
Anecdotally, the iPhone 17's battery lasts over a day, even after taking photos, scrolling through social media, watching videos, texting, sending emails and more. The same can be said about the iPhone 16, so you likely won't feel a huge difference between the two when it comes to day-to-day activities.
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.
Check out the spec chart below for a breakdown of each phone.
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 2x2 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.