Apple iPhone 16 vs Apple iPhone 17
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 16 and the Apple iPhone 17, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 16 | Apple iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 3,561 mAh | 3,692 mAh |
| Storage (max) | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.1 in | — |
| Main camera | 48 MP | 48 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 170 g | 177 g |
| Released | Sep 2024 | Sep 2025 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 16 is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Apple iPhone 17 is ahead on battery.
Display
| Apple iPhone 16 | Apple iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR, True Tone, Wide color (P3), Haptic Touch | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10 |
| Size | 6.1 inches (6.12 inches diagonally) | 6.3-inch (diagonal) |
| Resolution | 2556 x 1179 pixels (~460 ppi density) | 2622 × 1206 pixels at 460 ppi |
| Brightness | 1000 nits (typical), 1600 nits (HDR peak), 2000 nits (outdoor peak) | 1000 nits max (typical), 1600 nits peak (HDR), 3000 nits peak (outdoor) |
| Features | Dynamic Island, Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating | Dynamic Island, Always-On display, ProMotion technology (adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz), True Tone, P3 wide color, Haptic Touch, Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Anti-reflective coating |
| Protection | — | Ceramic Shield 2 front cover |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 16 | Apple iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS 18 (upgradable to iOS 26.6.1 as of August 2026) | — |
| Chipset | Apple A18 | Apple A19 |
| CPU | 6-core CPU (2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores) | Hexa-core (details not specified) |
| GPU | 5-core GPU | Penta-core (details not specified) |
| Neural Engine | 16-core Neural Engine | — |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 16 | Apple iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR5X | 8 GB (LPDDR5X) |
| Internal Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB NVMe | 256 GB, 512 GB (NVMe) |
| Card Slot | No | — |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 16 | Apple iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Modules | Advanced dual-camera system | — |
| Wide | 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm, sensor-shift OIS, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) | 48 MP, f/1.6, 26 mm, sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) |
| Ultrawide | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm | 48 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120° field of view, Hybrid Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) |
| Telephoto | 12 MP, f/1.6, 52mm (2x optical zoom equivalent via main sensor), sensor-shift OIS, 100% Focus Pixels | — |
| Features | Photographic Styles, Spatial video capture, Smart HDR 5, Portrait mode with Focus and Depth Control, Night mode, Panorama | Sapphire crystal lens cover, True Tone flash, Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 5, Cinematic mode (up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps), Action mode (up to 2.8K Dolby Vision at 60 fps), Spatial video recording (1080p at 30 fps), Dual Capture (up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps), Slo-mo video (1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps), Night mode Time-lapse |
| Video | 4K Dolby Vision video up to 60 fps, Cinematic mode, Action mode | — |
| System | — | 48MP Dual Fusion camera system |
| Telephoto (Optical Quality) | — | 12MP optical-quality 2x Telephoto (52 mm, f/1.6 aperture, sensor-shift OIS) |
| Zoom | — | 2x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 4x optical zoom range; Digital zoom up to 10x |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 16 | Apple iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Modules | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide) | — |
| Features | Autofocus, Smart HDR 5, Portrait mode with Focus and Depth Control, Cinematic video stabilization | Autofocus with Focus Pixels, Retina Flash, Tap to zoom and rotate, Center Stage for photos and video calls, Ultra-stabilized video, Dual Capture, Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 5, Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting with six effects, Animoji and Memoji, Night mode, Latest-generation Photographic Styles, 4K Dolby Vision video recording (24/25/30/60 fps) |
| Video | 4K video recording up to 60 fps | — |
| Type | — | 18 MP Center Stage camera |
| Aperture | — | f/1.9 |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 16 | Apple iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-ion, non-removable | Lithium-ion, 14.351 Wh (3692 mAh) @ 3.887 V |
| Capacity | 3561 mAh (13.84 Wh) | — |
| Charging | MagSafe wireless charging, Qi2 wireless charging, USB-C fast-charge | MagSafe and Qi 2 wireless charging, USB-C, Up to 50% in 20 minutes with 40+ W adapter |
Body
| Apple iPhone 16 | Apple iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm (5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in) | 149.6 × 71.5 × 7.95 mm (5.89 × 2.81 × 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 170 g (6.0 oz) | 177 g (6.2 oz) |
| Build | Aluminum design, color-infused glass back, Ceramic Shield front | Ceramic Shield 2 front, Color-infused glass back, Aluminum design |
| Water & Dust Resistance | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes) | — |
| SIM | — | Dual eSIM (US, Canada, Mexico, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Japan); Dual nano-SIM (China); nano-SIM and eSIM (elsewhere) |
| Durability | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6 m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 16 | Apple iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) tri-band, MIMO | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) tri-band with 2x2 MIMO |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | Bluetooth 6.0 (A2DP, LE) |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | Precision dual-frequency GPS (L1, L5), GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, NavIC |
| NFC | Yes (reader mode, Express Cards) | Yes, with reader mode and Express Cards |
| Radio | No | — |
| USB | USB-C | USB-C (USB 2.0, 480 Mbit/s) |
| UWB | — | Apple second-generation Ultra Wideband chip |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 16 | Apple iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | September 9, 2024 | September 9, 2025 |
| Status | Available | Released September 19, 2025 |
| Released | September 20, 2024 | — |
| OS (Original) | — | iOS 26 |
| OS (Current) | — | iOS 26.6.1 (released August 17, 2026) |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 16 or Apple iPhone 17?
Apple iPhone 17 — 3,561 mAh for the Apple iPhone 16 versus 3,692 mAh for the Apple iPhone 17.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 16 or Apple iPhone 17?
Apple iPhone 16 — 170 g for the Apple iPhone 16 versus 177 g for the Apple iPhone 17.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 16 or Apple iPhone 17?
Apple iPhone 17 — Sep 2024 for the Apple iPhone 16 versus Sep 2025 for the Apple iPhone 17.
Is the Apple iPhone 16 or the Apple iPhone 17 rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 16 8/10 and the Apple iPhone 17 8/10.