iPhone 17 vs iPhone 16: What Should I Buy?

Apple on Tuesday unveiled its new iPhone 17 lineup, giving us the next evolution of the world’s most popular smartphone. But what’s actually new about the iPhone 17 compared to last year’s iPhone 16? And, more importantly, which one should you buy? When it comes to specs, features, and price, here’s how the two stack up:

iPhone 17 vs iPhone 16

Colours:

• iPhone 17: Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, Lavender.
• iPhone 16: Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, Black.

Price:

• iPhone 17: Starting at $1,129.
• iPhone 16: Now discounted to $999.

Display:

• iPhone 17: 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion — up to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
• iPhone 16: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED at 60Hz.

Both support HDR, with 1,000 nits of typical brightness and 1,600 nits peak brightness for HDR content. Outdoors, the iPhone 16 tops out at 2,000 nits, but the iPhone 17 pushes things further with an impressive 3,000-nit peak. But the big difference here is ProMotion: scrolling, gaming, animations, and overall responsiveness feel dramatically smoother at 120Hz. It’s the first time Apple has brought this display tech to the base iPhone lineup — and it’s a big deal.

Design & Build Quality:

Both phones sport an aluminum frame, colour-infused glass backs, and Ceramic Shield front glass. Both are IP68 water-resistant. The iPhone 17 is slightly taller and heavier than the iPhone 16, but still pocket-friendly.

Size & Weight:

• iPhone 17: 149.6 mm × 71.5 mm × 7.95 mm, 177 g.
• iPhone 16: 147.6 mm × 71.6 mm × 7.80 mm, 170 g.

Processor:

• iPhone 17: A19 chip with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, new Neural Accelerators, and more efficient performance.
• iPhone 16: A18 chip.

Both are powerful, but the A19 gives you a slight bump in performance and future-proofing.

Main Camera:

• iPhone 17: Dual 48MP Fusion cameras (Main + Ultra Wide) with new anti-reflective coating, 2x Telephoto from the main sensor, macro photography, Night mode, and support for spatial photos.
• iPhone 16: 48MP Fusion Main + 12MP Ultra Wide, macro support, spatial photos.

Both are excellent, but the iPhone 17’s refinements (especially the anti-reflective coating and telephoto flexibility) should help in real-world shots.

Front Camera:

• iPhone 17: 18MP Center Stage camera, Dolby Vision recording, better stabilization.
• iPhone 16: 12MP TrueDepth camera with Dolby Vision support.

Battery:

• iPhone 17: Up to 30 hours video playback, larger battery, faster charging (50% in 20 minutes with 40W adapter).
• iPhone 16: Up to 22 hours video playback, 50% in 30 minutes with 30W adapter.

Other Features:

• iPhone 17: Apple Intelligence integrated system-wide. Also, eSIM-only in Canada — no physical SIM tray.
• iPhone 16: Expected to get all the same Apple Intelligence features as the iPhone 17. Supports eSIM but comes with a physical SIM tray in some regions (including Canada)

Both support MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging.

Verdict: iPhone 17 or iPhone 16?

Going from the iPhone 16 to the iPhone 17 is more of a meaningful upgrade than last year’s jump from the iPhone 15 to 16. The ProMotion 120Hz display alone is worth highlighting — it’s the first time a base iPhone has gotten a feature that’s long been locked to the Pro models. Add in a bigger battery, faster charging, better front and rear cameras, and Apple Intelligence, and you’re looking at a more compelling upgrade package.

If you’re rocking an iPhone 15 or older, the iPhone 17 is an easy recommendation. That said, if you’re upgrading from an older iPhone on a budget and don’t care about ProMotion or Apple’s AI features, the discounted iPhone 16 at $999 is still a strong value.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 17 open this Friday, September 12, with launch day set for September 19.