iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone XS
80.4Performance30
65.9Display29.7
63.7Camera35.3
69.3Battery21.3
89.3Features73.3
16 spec wins — iPhone 17 Pro Max2 spec wins — iPhone XS
InnoReviews verdict
iPhone 17 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 72.8 to 33.6, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+50) and battery (+48). iPhone XS still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPhone 17 Pro Max
- Stronger performance score: 80 vs 30
- Stronger display score: 66 vs 30
- Stronger camera score: 64 vs 35
- Stronger battery score: 69 vs 21
- Stronger features score: 89 vs 73
Reasons to pick the iPhone XS
- 24% lower weight: 177 g vs 233 g
- 12% lower thickness: 7.7 mm vs 8.8 mm
- Lower launch price: $999 vs $1,199
Display
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone XS |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.9 ″+19% | 5.8 ″ |
| Panel type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | OLED |
| Resolution | 1320x2868 | 2436x1125 |
| Pixel density | 460 ppi | 458 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz+100% | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits+380% | 625 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 91.2 % | — |
Performance
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone XS |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Apple A12 Bionic |
| AnTuTu 10 | 2,150,000+199%Top 10% | 720,000Top 68% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,850+250%Top 1% | 1,100Top 63% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 9,700+246%Top 4% | 2,800Top 67% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB+200% | 4 GB |
| Storage options | 256/512GB/1TB/2TB | 64GB / 256GB / 512GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | NVMe |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone XS |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 48 MP+300% | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.78 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 48 MP | — |
| Telephoto | 48 MP+300% | 12 MP |
| Optical zoom | 4 x+100% | 2 x |
| Max video | 4K@120fps | 4K@60fps |
| Front camera | 18 MP+157% | 7 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone XS |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,088 mAh+91% | 2,658 mAh |
| Wired charging | 40 W+167% | 15 W |
| Wireless charging | 25 W+233% | 8 W |
| Active use endurance | 14 h | — |
Design
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone XS |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 233 g | 177 g+24% |
| Thickness | 8.8 mm | 7.7 mm+12% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum unibody | Stainless steel |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone XS |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | No |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 5 |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 | Lightning |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone XS |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | iOS 26 | iOS 12 |
| OS update pledge | 6 years | 6 years |
Audio
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone XS |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |