Apple announced the iPhone 17 at its “awe dropping” event yesterday. It won’t be available to preorder until September 12th, but you may already be contemplating an upgrade. It’s easier to tell some of what makes the iPhone 17 different from its predecessor (like the larger screen and new colors), but changes under the hood (like the display’s 120Hz refresh rate) are more difficult to spot until you’ve had a chance to try it yourself. We’ve created a handy chart comparing the most significant tech specs of both smartphones to help you make sense of the changes.
How Apple’s new iPhone 17 compares to the last-gen iPhone 16
Its upgraded processor and faster refresh rate are solid upgrades.
Its upgraded processor and faster refresh rate are solid upgrades.
Image: Apple
Both smartphones can run iOS 26, which comes with the new Liquid Glass design language that Apple debuted at WWDC in June and is introducing across all of its devices this year. iOS 26 will come preloaded on the iPhone 17 and be available as a download on September 15th for the iPhone 11 and newer. Apple also announced the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air at the same event, and we have a comparison chart that covers all of the upcoming models.
We’ve also gone hands-on with the new iPhones and Apple Watches, if you want our team’s first impressions before we’ve had a chance to test them enough for a full review.
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 17
Category | iPhone 17 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | iOS 26 | iOS 26 |
| Apple Intelligence support | Yes | Yes |
| Display | 6.3-inch (2622 x 1206) OLED | 6.1-inch (2556 x 1179) OLED |
| Display refresh rate | 120Hz | 60Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits | 2,000 nits |
| Minimum brightness | 1 nit | 1 nit |
| Always-on display | Yes | No |
| Glass display | Ceramic Shield 2 front | Ceramic Shield front |
| Build | Glass rear back, aluminum frame | Glass rear back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 71.5mm x 149.6mm x 7.95mm | 71.6mm x 147.6mm x 7.8mm |
| Weight | 177g | 170g |
| Battery capacity | Up to 30 hours of video playback | Up to 22 hours of video playback |
| Wireless charging | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 |
| Fast charge-capable | Yes | Yes |
| Processor | A19 | A18 |
| Processor cores | 6-core CPU / 5-core GPU with neural accelerators / 16-core neural engine | 6-core CPU / 5-core GPU / 16-core neural engine |
| RAM | Not shared publicly | Not shared publicly |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Ports | USB-C charging and data port | USB-C charging and data port |
| USB speeds | USB 2 (480Mbps) | USB 2 (480Mbps) |
| Rear cameras | 48-megapixel (f/1.6) main camera, 48-megapixel (f/1.6) ultrawide | 48-megapixel (f/1.6) main camera, 12-megapixel (f/2.2) ultrawide |
| Highest optical magnification | 2x | 2x |
| Macro mode | Yes | Yes |
| Front cameras | 18-megapixel | 12-megapixel |
| Video recording | Up to 4K at 60fps | Up to 4K at 60fps |
| Biometrics | Face ID | Face ID |
| SIM support | Dual eSim (no physical SIM) | Dual eSIM (no physical SIM) |
| Action Button | Yes | Yes |
| Camera Control button | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic Island | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi 7 | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth version | 6.0 | 5.3 |
| Messages via satellite | Yes | Yes |
| Crash detection | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Pay | Yes | Yes |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Starting price | $799 | $799 |
| Availability | September 19th, 2025 | September 20th, 2024 |
| Colors | Black, white, lavender, sage, mist blue | Black, white, teal, ultramarine, pink |
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