Head to head · October 2026
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 17
iPhone 17 is 2 mm taller and 7 g heavier than iPhone 16, with a 0.2″ bigger screen and 8 more hours of video.
Pick iPhone 16 for
- Budget
From $799
Pick iPhone 17 for
- Big-screen viewing
- Battery first
- Smooth scrolling
- Keeping it for years
From $899
Our verdict
Which one should you buy?
Choose iPhone 16 if…
- price decides it: it starts $100 lower at Apple.
Choose iPhone 17 if…
- you want the bigger screen: 6.3″ against 6.1″.
- battery life comes first: up to 30 hours of video against 22.
- you notice smooth scrolling: its 120 Hz ProMotion display refreshes twice as often.
- you keep phones for years: the newer A19 chip will get software updates for longer.
Side by side
Next to each other, to scale.
Screen size
6.1″ vs 6.3″
iPhone 17 has the bigger screen: 6.3 inches against 6.1 inches on iPhone 16, about 6% more glass (97.2 cm² against 91.3 cm²). iPhone 17 shows 2622 × 1206 pixels at 460 ppi and iPhone 16 2556 × 1179 at 460 ppi; iPhone 17 also refreshes at 120 Hz against 60 Hz.
| Screen | iPhone 16 | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Diagonal | 6.1″ | 6.3″ |
| Approx. area | 91.3 cm² | 97.2 cm² |
| Resolution | 2556 × 1179 | 2622 × 1206 |
| Pixel density | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz |
Price
$799 vs $899
iPhone 16 is the cheaper one: it starts at $799 at Apple in the US, $100 less than iPhone 17 at $899. The starting storage differs, though: iPhone 16 starts at 128 GB and iPhone 17 at 256 GB, so the extra $100 also buys twice the storage. The table shows every storage option and what each gigabyte costs.
| Storage | iPhone 16 | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| 128 GB | $799 · $6.24/GB | — |
| 256 GB | — | $899 · $3.51/GB |
| 512 GB | — | $1,099 · $2.15/GB |
Full specifications
Every figure, side by side.
| Spec | iPhone 16 | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced | 2024 | 2025 |
| Apple sells it new | Yes, from $799 | Yes, from $899 |
| Height | 147.6 mm | 149.6 mm |
| Width | 71.6 mm | 71.5 mm |
| Thickness | 7.8 mm | 7.95 mm |
| Weight | 170 g | 177 g |
| Display | 6.1″ | 6.3″ |
| Resolution | 2556 × 1179 at 460 ppi | 2622 × 1206 at 460 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz ProMotion |
| Top of screen | Dynamic Island | Dynamic Island |
| Unlock | Face ID | Face ID |
| Chip | A18 | A19 |
| Rear cameras | Dual 48MP | Dual 48MP |
| Video playback | Up to 22 h | Up to 30 h |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB |
| US price by storage | 128 GB $799 ($6.24/GB) | 256 GB $899 ($3.51/GB) · 512 GB $1,099 ($2.15/GB) |
| Colors | 5: Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine | 5: Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, Lavender |
Sources: Apple technical specifications for iPhone 16 and iPhone 17; US prices from apple.com, checked October 2026. Apple does not publish RAM; it comes from Apple's Xcode device data as reported by MacRumors, or Wikipedia's list of iPhone models for older phones.
What reviewers say
16 or 17?
Their conclusions, in our words. Follow the links for the full reviews.
CNET · Apr 2026
For everyday use you likely won't feel a huge difference; the 17's gains are a 48MP ultrawide, an 18MP Center Stage selfie camera and a brighter screen.
iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16: Should You Upgrade? ↗Macworld · Oct 2025
If you already own an iPhone 16 you can keep it, but if you're upgrading from something older there is no reason to choose the 16 over the 17.
iPhone 17 vs iPhone 16: The differences are astonishing ↗PCMag · Sep 2025
The iPhone 17 wins on display (120 Hz, brighter), cameras and battery; the 16 only wins on price, and it starts with half the storage.
Apple iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16: The Choice Is Clear ↗
FAQ
Questions people ask
- Is iPhone 17 bigger than iPhone 16?
- iPhone 17 measures 149.6 × 71.5 × 7.95 mm and iPhone 16 measures 147.6 × 71.6 × 7.8 mm, so iPhone 17 is 2 mm taller and 0.1 mm narrower.
- Will an iPhone 16 case fit iPhone 17?
- No. The bodies differ by 2 mm in height, 0.1 mm in width and 0.15 mm in thickness, and cases are cut to within a fraction of a millimetre. Buy a case made for your exact model.
- Which has better battery life, iPhone 16 or iPhone 17?
- iPhone 17. Apple rates it for up to 30 hours of video playback against 22 hours for iPhone 16.
- Is the iPhone 17 screen bigger than iPhone 16?
- iPhone 17 has the bigger screen: 6.3 inches against 6.1 inches on iPhone 16, about 6% more glass (97.2 cm² against 91.3 cm²). iPhone 17 shows 2622 × 1206 pixels at 460 ppi and iPhone 16 2556 × 1179 at 460 ppi; iPhone 17 also refreshes at 120 Hz against 60 Hz.
- Which is lighter?
- iPhone 16 weighs 170 g, 7 g less than iPhone 17 (177 g).
- How much more does iPhone 17 cost than iPhone 16?
- iPhone 16 is the cheaper one: it starts at $799 at Apple in the US, $100 less than iPhone 17 at $899. The starting storage differs, though: iPhone 16 starts at 128 GB and iPhone 17 at 256 GB, so the extra $100 also buys twice the storage. The table shows every storage option and what each gigabyte costs.
Keep comparing