Technologies

iPhone 17 vs iPhone 16? Here’s How They Compare and Which One You Should Buy

Apple announced the iPhone 17. It comes with an updated display, cameras and battery. But the iPhone 16 now costs $100 less. We breakdown which phone is right for you.

Apple unveiled the iPhone 17 at its «awe dropping» event along with the super skinny iPhone Air and the powerful iPhone 17 Pro/17 Pro Max. You may be wondering whether to get the new shiny standard iPhone 17 or buy last year’s iPhone 16 which is $100 less. To help with that decision, here’s a breakdown of how the two handsets compare.

The iPhone 17 starts at $829 (or $799 if you activate with a carrier), the same as the iPhone 16 when it came out — with the caveat that the iPhone 17 starts with a higher 256GB storage option, as opposed to 128GB.

The iPhone 16 is now available at a $100 discount, though its baseline configuration has 128GB of storage. So, is it worth saving some money, or should you go all out with the latest phone?

Here’s what to know about each phone, from the cameras to the displays to the batteries.

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Screen differences

Some of the biggest changes between the iPhone 16 and 17 have to do with the display.

Apple says it shrunk the borders around the screen on the iPhone 17, expanding the display from 6.1 inches on the iPhone 16 to 6.3 inches on the iPhone 17 without expanding its dimensions. The new Ceramic Shield 2 cover on the iPhone 17 offers 3x better scratch resistance, according to the company.

The baseline iPhone 17 gets a display with a 120Hz refresh rate, as opposed to the 60Hz display on the iPhone 16. That means the iPhone 17 finally supports an always-on display, so you can glance at the time, your notifications and Live Activities without waking the screen.

The iPhone 17 also gains an anti-reflective coating and a 3,000-nit peak brightness, compared to 2,000 nits on the iPhone 16. That should make it easier to see your phone in bright sunlight.

Camera differences

Both the iPhone 16 and 17 have a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera. But the iPhone 17 upgrades the ultrawide camera from 12 megapixels on last year’s phone to 48 megapixels.

The front-facing camera also gets an upgrade, going from 12 megapixels on the iPhone 16 to 18 megapixels on the iPhone 17. There’s a new Center Stage feature for the selfie camera that can automatically adjust from a portrait orientation to landscape to make sure everyone is in the shot. That means you don’t have to manually rotate your phone to its side anymore when there are more people to fit in the frame.

Both the iPhone 16 and 17 have a Camera Control button on the side to quickly launch the camera, snap some shots and use Apple’s Visual Intelligence tool to learn more about what’s around you.

Processor and RAM

The iPhone 17 packs an A19 chip, an upgrade from the A18 chip in the iPhone 16. One key difference is that the iPhone 17 starts at 256GB, while the iPhone 16 started at 128GB for the same $829 price when it debuted.

Both phones also support the Apple Intelligence suite of AI capabilities, which includes writing tools, image generators and notification summaries.

Battery life

Apple doesn’t share specific battery specs, but it does measure longevity via video playback hours. The iPhone 16 supports up to 22 hours of video playback, according to Apple, while the iPhone 17 bumps that up to 30 hours. Stay tuned to CNET’s review of the iPhone 17 to see how that translates in the real world and how the phone holds up to our battery tests.

A new AI-powered Adaptive Power feature arriving with iOS 26 can help conserve the battery by making «small performance adjustments,» like «allowing some activities to take a little longer,» according to Apple.

The iPhone 17 arrives with the upcoming operating system onboard, but you’ll also be able to download iOS 26 on the iPhone 16, as well as some older iPhones, once it becomes available publicly. That should help to stretch your battery life on either device.

Color options and design

What’s on the inside may be most important, but people also care what their phone looks like. Like the iPhone 16, the iPhone 17 comes in a range of fun colors: black, white, mist blue, sage (a light green) and lavender.

For comparison, the iPhone 16 is available in black, white, pink, teal and ultramarine.

Both phones have an aluminum frame.

If you’re leaning toward the iPhone 17, preorders start Friday, and the phone hits store shelves on Friday, Sept. 19.

Apple iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16

	Apple iPhone 17	Apple iPhone 16
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,622 x 1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556 x 1,179 pixel resolution; 60Hz refresh rate
Pixel density	460ppi	460 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in	5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	177 g (6.24 oz)	170 g (6 oz.)
Mobile software	iOS 26	iOS 18
Camera	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing camera	18-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K
Processor	Apple A19	Apple A18
RAM + storage	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB	RAM N/A + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Expandable storage	None	None (Face ID)
Battery	Up to 30 hours video playback; up to 27 hours video playback (streamed).Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger.	Up to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15W
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. 1 to 3000 nits brightness display range.IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender.	Apple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine.
US price starts at	$829 (256GB)	$829 (128GB)

Technologies

Amazon Set to Unveil Upgraded Home and Entertainment Hardware Later This Month

Expect possible updates to Echo, Kindle and Fire TV devices at Amazon’s Sept. 30 event in NYC.

Amazon is set to announce a slew of refreshed products at its annual fall hardware event, which the company announced Monday will take place Sept. 30 in New York City.

Amazon has a wide-ranging product portfolio including Kindles, Echo smart speakers, Ring security devices and Fire TV products — any of which could be candidates for upgrades.

Back in February, Amazon upgraded its smart assistant Alexa with new conversational skills enabled by AI. Supercharged Alexa will be front and center in this new wave of devices, according to a Bloomberg interview with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy from earlier this year.

The company is set to have more competition than ever in the smart home space in the coming year or so if the rumors about Apple’s plans for home devices are to be believed. While it’s still on the front foot, this could be an ideal moment for the company to convince you that its Echo devices are worth investing in.

Technologies

Remember That TikTok Ban? A Deal This Week Could Finally Bring Closure

As another TikTok shutdown deadline nears, an agreement with China seems to be imminent.

The Trump administration is working on a deal with China to determine TikTok’s fate, which could be finalized by the end of this week, according to reports citing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

President Trump has plans to meet on Friday with China’s President Xi Jinping, and the two are expected to discuss the fate of the Chinese-owned social media platform. That means the deadline of Wednesday, Sept. 17, may pass before there’s a definitive resolution on the matter. The key question is whether ownership of TikTok will transfer to a US-based company. The platform could shut down temporarily in the US, as it has before, in accordance with a federal law passed last year.

Bessent said on Monday that the two countries have reached a preliminary deal and «commercial terms have been agreed upon.»

Neither TikTok nor the Treasury Department responded immediately to requests for comment.

An agreement over TikTok has been complicated by ongoing trade warring between the US and China and a new ruling against US-based Nvidia. China claims Nvidia has violated anti-monopoly laws in that country.

Technologies

New Apple Products Are Here, but I’m Eyeing This $15 MagSafe Charger Instead

This MagSafe charger makes it a breeze to charge your iPhone or AirPods wirelessly, and a single one costs just $15 at Woot.

How many times has your iPhone charger snapped, leaving you with no way to power up your phone? Wireless chargers are a convenient way to make sure your devices are powered without the hassle of fumbling around with a cable. But Apple doesn’t bundle a MagSafe charger with its devices, so if you want the convenience, you’ll have to buy one separately.

Right now, you can score a first-gen MagSafe charger for only $15 at Woot, which is a savings of 62% off the full price. However, this deal wraps up on Oct. 3 or when stock runs out, so don’t wait around too long if you want to snag one at this record-low price.

After plugging in your MagSafe charger, simply put your phone or other MagSafe-compatible device on top of the charger — that’s it. The magnets in the MagSafe charging system will align and wirelessly charge your device up to 15W. This works with Qi charging, too, so it can wirelessly charge your iPhone 8 or later and AirPods with a wireless charging case.

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You can get Woot’s Apple MagSafe wireless chargers in bulk, too. Right now you’ll get one for $15, a two-pack for $28 or a three-pack for $40. The more you buy, the higher the percentage off. They also come with a 90-day Woot limited warranty and Prime members can get free standard shipping (because Woot is an Amazon company).

Note that this is the first-gen MagSafe charger, not the 2024 second-gen model that bumped speeds to 25 watts. And Apple just introduced a 2025 version alongside the iPhone 17 that’s still 25 watts but now Qi2 certified, making it more future-proof with upcoming accessories.

Why this deal matters

Ordinarily, one MagSafe charger costs $39. With this deal, you can get three of those chargers for just $1 more, so you’re essentially getting three for the price of one. The timing isn’t random either — Apple is clearing out stock of its older MagSafe chargers to make room for the latest versions. If you don’t mind sticking with the earlier 15-watt model, this clearance prices makes it a compelling pick-up.

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