The iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro Max comparison points out a few enhancements Apple has made in its newest Pro Max device. The iPhone 18 Pro Max has the same 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display and triple 48-megapixel rear camera system as the previous model, but features the A20 Pro chipset, a variable-aperture main camera, a new C2 cellular modem and better battery performance. The overall dimensions of the two phones are also the same, but the newer phone is heavier.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro Max Price in India

The iPhone 18 Pro Max will be priced at Rs 1,79,900 in the Indian market, with its 256GB storage option being the most expensive. It comes in a variety of sizes as well, including sizes of 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. The phone is available in four colors – Black, Silver, Glacier and Burgundy.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max was priced at Rs 1,49,900 (256GB version) in India. It was also available with 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage options. It comes in Silver, Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue. This implies that price difference between the two 256GB variants is Rs 30,000.

Both the iPhones come with a 6.9-inch 120Hz display

The iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro Max both have a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen. This has a resolution of 2868 x 1320 pixels and a pixel density of 460ppi. The phones come with Apple’s ProMotion feature, which offers an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE Sale Starts in India at Rs 79,999

Always-On, HDR, True Tone and up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness support are also featured in the displays. This means that the main display features on the two generations are fairly similar. The iPhone 18 Pro Max does, however, have a smaller Dynamic Island, though.

A20 Pro vs A19 Pro: Processor

The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max has Apple’s newer A20 Pro processor, whereas the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max makes use of the Apple A19 Pro processor. The A20 Pro has a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU with Neural Accelerators and a dual 16-core Neural Engine. The A19 Pro also has a six-core CPU, but uses a six-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine.

Both of them have hardware ray tracing support. The A20 Pro is thus a newer iteration of Apple’s silicon, boasting an extra GPU core and changes to its architecture designed to enhance performance and AI-related tasks.

Camera: Variable Aperture Is the Major Upgrade

Both the smartphones have 3 back cameras of 48MP. The iPhone 18 Pro Max does, however, have a variable-aperture main camera with a f/1.48 to f/4.0 range of focal lengths. The main camera of the iPhone 17 Pro Max is set to have a fixed f/1.78 aperture.

Both phones continue to have 48-megapixel ultra-wide and telephoto cameras. The telephoto camera has 4x optical zoom and up to 8x optical-quality zoom. The iPhone 18 Pro Max also adds in Photographic Styles 3 and Smart Focus Tracking.

Also Read: REDMAGIC 12 Pro+ Confirmed for October Launch

The 18-megapixel Center Stage is the front camera on both cell phones, and it also works with autofocus. The new version has new imaging features, as well as better low-light 1080p video recording capabilities on the newer model.

The battery life and charging 

There’s another figure the iPhone 18 Pro Max has a higher claim to, regarding battery performance. Apple estimates the iPhone 18 Pro Max can play video for up to 43 hours, stream video for up to 38 hours.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max can play video content for up to 37 hours and stream video content for up to 33 hours. The newer model also can handle quicker wired charging, with up to 50 percent in as short of time as 15 minutes, with a 60W-capable adapter and compatible cable. The iPhone 17 Pro Max can achieve 50 percent charge in about 20 minutes using a 40W or greater adapter.

Both devices have Magsafe and Qi2 wireless charging with a maximum power of 25W.

C2 Modem and Connectivity

The iPhone 18 Pro Max features Apple’s C2 cellular modem, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max carries over the previous generation of modem. The two phones are equipped with 5G, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. They also include Apple’s N1 wireless networking chip and second generation Ultra Wideband.

The new C2 modem marks Apple’s ongoing push toward using its own hardware for connectivity. Actual network speeds may differ depending on the carrier, network conditions and location.

Design and Weight

The size of the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro Max are nearly the same. They both have a width of 78mm and a length of 163.4mm and are 8.75mm thick in the case of the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

One of the physical changes that is noticeable is weight. The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a weight of 249 grams and the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a weight of approximately 231 grams. The phones have an aluminium unibody design and are both IP68 water and dust resistant.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro Max Specifications

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Key Differences

The iPhone 18 Pro Max retains a number of key features such as the 6.9-inch 120Hz OLED screen, triple 48-megapixel rear camera setup, 18-megapixel front camera, and up to 2TB of storage. The largest modifications have been made internally in the phone itself, and in some camera options.

The newer version gets the A20 Pro chipset, the C2 cellular modem, variable-aperture main camera, and a higher allegedly extended video playback time and quicker wired charging speeds. Meanwhile, the resolution of iPhone 17 Pro Max is the same as it has been, its display size is the same, the rear camera megapixel configuration is the same and its starting price in India is also lower.

FAQ: