The iPhone 18 Pro Max has now been launched.
Compared to last year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max, what hardware upgrades did Apple make with the new iPhone?
Read more to find out.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max measures 163.4mm in height, 78.0mm in width, and 8.75mm in thickness, with a weight of 249 grams. It uses an aluminum unibody design with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back. It is available in Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the same dimensions but is lighter at 233 grams. It also uses an aluminum unibody design with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back. Its available colors are Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue.
Both models have an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
Both models feature a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 2868 × 1320 resolution at 460 ppi. They also support ProMotion with adaptive refresh rates of up to 120Hz, Always-On display, Dynamic Island, True Tone, HDR, and up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness.
The display specifications are largely the same between the two models.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max features a 48MP Pro Fusion camera system with a 48MP Fusion Main camera, 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide, and 48MP Fusion Telephoto camera.
Its main camera now has a variable aperture, while the telephoto camera supports 4x optical zoom and up to 8x optical-quality zoom. It also supports up to 40x digital zoom, 48MP macro photography, ProRAW, Apple Log 2, ProRes RAW, and 4K Dolby Vision video recording at up to 120fps.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max also has a 48MP Pro Fusion camera system with 48MP Main, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto cameras. It supports 4x optical zoom, up to 8x optical-quality zoom, up to 40x digital zoom, 48MP macro photography, ProRAW, Apple Log 2, ProRes RAW, and 4K Dolby Vision video recording at up to 120fps.
The main difference is the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s variable-aperture main camera and additional camera controls.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is powered by the A20 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, and dual 16-core Neural Engines. It also supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing and runs on iOS 27.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses the A19 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine.
It also supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing and runs on iOS 26. The newer iPhone 18 Pro Max therefore has a newer processor and an additional GPU core.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for up to 43 hours of video playback and up to 38 hours of streamed video playback. It can also reach up to 50 percent charge in around 15 minutes using a 60W-capable adapter or higher.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is rated for up to 39 hours of video playback and up to 35 hours of streamed video playback. It can reach up to 50 percent charge in around 20 minutes using a 40W adapter or higher.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max therefore has higher battery ratings and faster wired charging based on Apple’s listed figures.
In the Philippines, the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at PHP 99,990 for the 256GB model. The 512GB version costs PHP 115,990, while the 1TB and 2TB versions are priced at PHP 147,990 and PHP 194,990, respectively.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at PHP 86,990 for 256GB. The 512GB model costs PHP 101,990, while the 1TB and 2TB versions cost PHP 116,990 and PHP 146,990, respectively.
| Category | iPhone 18 Pro Max | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS 27 | iOS 26 |
| Network | Dual SIM (nano-SIM + eSIM), 5G | Dual eSIM, 5G |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 6, Wi-Fi 7 | Bluetooth 6, Wi-Fi 7 |
| Dimensions | 163.4 × 78.0 × 8.75mm | 163.4 × 78.0 × 8.75mm |
| Weight | 249g | 233g |
| Resolution | 2868 × 1320 pixels | 2868 × 1320 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | Up to 120Hz | Up to 120Hz |
| Screen Size & Display | 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED | 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Chipset | Apple A20 Pro | Apple A19 Pro |
| Graphics | 7-core GPU | 6-core GPU |
| RAM | Not specified | Not specified |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Rear Camera | 48MP Fusion Main with variable aperture + 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide + 48MP Fusion Telephoto, up to 8x optical-quality zoom, up to 40x digital zoom | 48MP Fusion Main + 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide + 48MP Fusion Telephoto, up to 8x optical-quality zoom, up to 40x digital zoom |
| Front Camera | 18MP Center Stage, f/1.9, autofocus | 18MP Center Stage, f/1.9, autofocus |
| Battery & Charging | Up to 43 hours video playback; 50% in around 15 minutes with 60W+ adapter | Up to 39 hours video playback; 50% in around 20 minutes with 40W+ adapter |
| Color/s | Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy | Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue |
The iPhone 18 Pro Max offers a newer A20 Pro chip, a variable-aperture main camera, longer battery ratings, and faster wired charging.
However, the iPhone 17 Pro Max still has the same 6.9-inch 120Hz OLED display and a similar 48MP triple-camera system with the same maximum optical-quality zoom.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is also cheaper across all storage options. For users upgrading from the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the main differences are in the processor, camera system, and battery.
For new buyers, the iPhone 18 Pro Max offers the newer hardware, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max remains the lower-priced option.
Which one is your pick?
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