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iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16: Biggest differences explained

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By Richard Priday

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After launching in September 2024, the iPhone 16 is still on sale, with Apple knocking the price down from the original $799 to $699. You may be able to find even deeper discounts if you look elsewhere though. See our iPhone 16 deals page.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16: Design and display

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Looks-wise, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 16 have a lot in common, with identical overall shapes, buttons and the same pill-shaped camera layout. But things diverge from there.
The biggest change is that the iPhone 17 has a 6.3-inch AMOLED screen with a new 120Hz refresh rate. This is a twofold upgrade compared to the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch screen and static 60Hz refresh rate. Apple also claims the iPhone 17 has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits compared to the iPhone 16’s 2,000 nits, at least according its own numbers.

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
As a result of the larger screen, the iPhone 17 is larger in all directions compared to the iPhone 16 — most notably in its height. The iPhone 17 is also slightly heavier.

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Both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 16 come in Black and White. But the iPhone 17’s other colors are Lavender, Mist Blue and Sage, while the iPhone 16 comes in Pink, Teal and Ultramarine. Similar, but not the same.
While both phones still have IP68 dust/water resistance, the iPhone 17 Also benefits from a Ceramic Shield 2 display, which makes for a tougher screen with an improved anti-reflective coating.
iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16: Cameras

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Apple has given the iPhone 17 dual 48MP cameras on the back, covering main and ultrawide duties. The main camera is the same as the iPhone 16’s, but the older iPhone only has a 12MP ultrawide for less detailed wide shots and macro mode close-ups.
On the front, the iPhone 17 has a new 18MP Center Stage selfie camera, upgrading both the resolution and sensor size from the 12MP selfie of the iPhone 16. Apple promises the new square sensor allows you to take group photos without having to flip the phone into landscape mode.
The iPhone 17 also gets a new Dual Capture video mode to record from both sets of cameras at once, which sounds like it has a lot of potential for fun uses.
iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16: Performance

(Image credit: Future)
Apple moved to the A19 chipset from the A18 chip with the iPhone 17. And that means more power and more power efficiency. The iPhone 17 now starts at 256GB storage, with the 512GB option remaining for those who need it.
For storage, the iPhone 16 has a 128GB starting capacity, with the option to expand that to 256GB or 512GB. Apple itself only sells the 128GB edition now that the iPhone 16 is an older model, but you should still be able to find the larger ones elsewhere.
iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16: Battery and charging

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
According to the official specs, the iPhone 17 is capable of up to 30 hours of video playback. That’s 8 hours longer than the iPhone 16 lasts according to Apple’s listings. We’ll test this for ourselves once we have the iPhone 17 in for testing, but it’s easy to believe it has better battery life than the iPhone 16.
The new iPhone also has superior charging, apparently managing to fill from 0 – 50% in 20 mins with a 40W charger. It takes 30 mins for the iPhone 16 to hit the same mark, as it only supports up to 20W charging.
Wireless charging is the same on both phones. Apple claims that you can get to 50% full in 30 minutes when using MagSafe with a 25W charger.
iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16: Software and special features

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
Currently, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 16 both run iOS 26, but the difference is that the iPhone 17 comes with it out of the box, while the iPhone 16 comes pre-installed with iOS 18. You may need to update an iPhone 16 to run the latest software.
As a result, the iPhone 16 is likely to get one fewer year of software updates going forward, since it’s been out for a year already. But in terms of total updates, we expect both phones will get five years of support, as Apple usually offers for its phones.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 alike support Apple Intelligence, and feature an Action button and Camera Control. While the iPhone 17 may better use these features with its newer chipset, it doesn’t have anything on the software feature side that the iPhone 16 does not.
iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16: Outlook
There could be more differences to be found between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 16 once we’ve tested the new models properly. But as things stand, the big differences are all about hardware.
The iPhone 17’s new display, chipset, improved battery and upgraded cameras are all good reasons to pick it over the iPhone 16. But the iPhone 16’s still got a lot in common with the iPhone 17, especially on the software side, while being $100 cheaper. That likely means an upgrade from the 16 to the 17 is not worthwhile, but if you’re on the iPhone 15 or earlier, there are reasons to go for the new iPhone.
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Richard Priday

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Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he’s also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he’s likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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