iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Biggest expected upgrades

The iPhone 14 Pro Max has proven to be a great phone since its 2022 release, but there's no doubt that it's beginning to show its age when compared to some of the best phones you can buy right now. And with the iPhone 17 Pro Max release on the horizon, the stage is set for a potential iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max upgrade decision.

A lot of iPhone 17 Pro Max rumors have already surfaced, giving us some idea of what to expect when Apple shows off its new phone lineup, possibly as soon as next month at a fall launch event. But if you have been keeping up on all the talk of what Apple's supposedly planning, not to worry — we can walk you through the likely changes based on what's leaked out so far.

How much will the iPhone evolve over the course of three years? Our iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max looks at all the possible improvements.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Specs

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Price and availability

When the iPhone 14 Pro Max arrived in September 2022, the base 128GB model cost $1,099. It won't be clear what Apple plans to charge for its new phone, but it will certainly be more than that.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max, released a year after the iPhone 14 Pro Max, raised the starting price on Apple's premium phone to $1,199, and that price stuck with last year's iPhone 16 Pro Max, which was released with a starting price of $1,199. At best, we imagine the iPhone 17 Pro Max will also keep that price, though global economic conditions including tariffs could trigger iPhone 17 price hikes.

On the bright side, at least you're getting more phone for your money. When Apple increased the cost of its Pro Max model, it also dropped the 128GB capacity. The iPhone 17 Pro Max should continue to offer 256GB as the storage for its base model, double what the iPhone 14 Pro Max came with.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Design and display

For the most part, Apple’s phones haven’t really changed all that much in terms of design in recent years. But that could be changing with the iPhone 17 Pro series.

According to several leaks, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature an expanded camera bar that takes up the entire upper third of the phone's rear panel, instead of just the corner camera array that the iPhone 14 Pro Max sports.It’s an interesting look, although for fans of Apple’s more minimal design, it may not be much of a draw.

Pro model screen sizes increased with the iPhone 16 series, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max should retain the 6.9-inch panel introduced by its predecessor. That's extra screen space from the iPhone 14 Pro Max's 6.7-inch display. On top of that, the Dynamic Island will reportedly be smaller on the newer phone.

The bigger screen means a slightly larger phone, as the iPhone 16 Pro Max measures 6.42 x 3.06 x 0.32 inches, compared to the 6.33 x 3.05 x 0.31-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Cameras

The iPhone 14 Pro Max features three rear cameras: a 48MP main shooter, joined by 12MP ultrawide and zoom lenses. The latter camera offers a 3x zoom.

At the time, that was an impressive setup, but things have changed with camera phones in the ensuing three years, including with Apple's subsequent iPhone models. The optical zoom available on Pro iPhones is now 5x, while the iPhone 16 Pro models introduced a 48MP ultrawide sensor to the mix.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max figures to introduce more changes, as rumors suggest the new Pro models will be the first iPhones to offer a trio of 48MP lenses.

That means you’re likely to be looking at a 48MP main, 48MP telephoto and 48MP ultrawide cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The upgraded telephoto lens may see its optical zoom capabilities reduced to 3.5x, but that's still a slight upgrade over the iPhone 14 Pro Max's zooming capabilities. And those close-ups will be shot at a higher resolution.

Up front, all iPhone 17 models are expected to get a 24MP selife-cam, double the resolution of the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 12MP TrueDepth camera.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is looking to specifically court videographers and content creators with the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Among the rumored features is support for dual video capture that would let you use both the front and rear cameras simultaneously.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Performance

At the time of its release, the iPhone 14 Pro Max ranked among the top-performing phones, thanks to its A16 chip being the first built using a 4nm process. Newer chips have caught up, and exceeded the A16, though — and that includes Apple's own iPhones. Recent models have featured Apple-designed chips built on a 3nm process, which has meant improvements in both overall performance and power efficiency.

So when the iPhone 17 Pro Max shows up inevitably powered by A19 Pro silicon, it should handily outmsucle the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Like Apple's current chipsets, the A19 Pro is expected to use the same 3nm process.

Another potential boost in iPhone 17 Pro Max performance could come in the form of a vapor chamber, which could be included on an iPhone for the first time. The feature dissipates heat so that performance can stay consistent, even when there are lots of processing demands.

Furthermore, Apple is expected to boost RAM on its iPhones, with the iPhone 17 range expected to offer 12GB. That compares to 6GB of memory on board the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Software

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is among the devices that support iOS 26, which you can currently download as a public beta. That's the same software that will run on the iPhone 17 models that ship in the fall.

But models like the iPhone 17 Pro Max can do something the iPhone 14 Pro Max can't, even if it's running Apple's latest iPhone software — support Apple Intelligence features. The iPhone 14 Pro simply doesn't have the processor or enough RAM to run Apple's suite of AI-powered tools.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Battery life and charging

The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a pretty decent 4,323 mAh battery, which managed to hold a charge for 13 hours and 39 minutes in our test. That was pretty good at that time, but Apple's batteries have gotten better. The iPhone 16 Pro Max ranks highly on our best phone battery life list with its 17 hour-plus time.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max might look to beat that, not only with a more power efficient processor but a rumored 5,000 mAh battery. There's also talk of an upgraded Qi2 wireless charging standard arriving by the time the iPhone 17 Pro Max comes out, bringing a possible boost in wireless charging speeds to as fast as 50W.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Outlook

Three years is a long time in the smartphone world, so the available changes on the iPhone 17 Pro Max over the iPhone 14 Pro Max will likely be pretty significant. That not only goes for the things that have changed in Apple's last two iPhone upgrades but for the new capabilities being tipped for this fall's model.

As a result, an iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max comparison should point to a vastly improved phone. A more powerful processor, bigger battery and more capable cameras are all in the cards for the upcoming release.

But a big factor in determining whether iPhone 14 Pro Max users will upgrade or not will come down to price — if the iPhone 17 Pro Max does cost more, will all those changes make it worth the expense of switching? We should get an answer to that question very soon.

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