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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 16, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerMotorola Moto G Play (2024) vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Choosing between Motorola Moto G Play (2024) and Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max can be tricky. Both are excellent, but they serve different priorities. This guide highlights what matters for US shoppers.
Ratings: 4.5★ vs 4.8★
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Motorola Moto G Play (2024)
★4.5
(848)•Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:1 Android OS upgrade (to Android 14) and 3 years of security updates (until Jan 2027)
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (6nm)
Graphics:Adreno 610
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Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
★4.8
(126)•Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A19 Pro chip (3nm; 6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine; hardware-accelerated ray tracing)
Graphics:Apple 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators (A19 Pro)
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Comparison: Motorola Moto G Play (2024) vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Motorola Moto G Play (2024)
★4.5(848)Best Buy
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
★4.8(126)Best Buy
| Criterion | Motorola Moto G Play (2024) | Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.5(848)Best Buy | ★4.8(126)Best Buy |
Operating System | Android | iOS |
Software Support | 1 Android OS upgrade (to Android 14) and 3 years of security updates (until Jan 2027) | Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (6nm) | Apple A19 Pro chip (3nm; 6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine; hardware-accelerated ray tracing) |
Graphics | Adreno 610 | Apple 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators (A19 Pro) |
RAM | 4GB (Plus up to 2GB Virtual RAM Boost) | 12 GB (LPDDR5X) |
Storage | 64GB UFS 2.2 (Expandable via microSDXC up to 1TB) | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB (NVMe) |
Display Size | 6.5" | 6.9" (6.86" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less) |
Screen Type | IPS LCD, 90Hz, 500 nits (Peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED |
Resolution | 1600 x 720 (HD+) | 2868 x 1320 pixels (460 ppi) |
Refresh Rate | 90Hz (Auto/60Hz/90Hz) | Up to 120 Hz (ProMotion adaptive 1-120Hz) |
Peak Brightness | 500 nits (High Brightness Mode) | 1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 3000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum |
Main Camera | 50MP, f/1.8, PDAF, Quad Pixel Technology | 48MP Fusion Main (24 mm, f/1.78), 2nd-gen sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for 24MP and 48MP super-high-resolution photos |
Ultra-Wide Camera | No (Not supported) | 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), Hybrid Focus Pixels, 48MP macro photography |
Telephoto Camera | No (Not supported) | 48MP Fusion Telephoto (100 mm, f/2.8), tetraprism design, 3D sensor-shift OIS, autofocus; enables 12MP optical-quality 8x zoom (200 mm equivalent) |
Optical Zoom | No (Not supported) | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x optical-quality zoom steps (16x optical zoom range) |
Digital Zoom | Up to 8x | Up to 40x |
Video Recording | 1080p @ 30fps | 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60/100/120 fps (Fusion Main); ProRes up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps |
Front Camera | 8MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm | 18MP Center Stage (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps |
Battery | 5,000mAh (Typical) | 5088 mAh (Li-ion, eSIM model); Up to 39 hours video playback (35 hours streamed) |
Wired Charging | 15W TurboPower (Charger NOT included in box) | USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~20 minutes with 40W adapter or higher |
Wireless Charging | No (Not supported) | MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 25W; Qi up to 7.5W |
Connectivity | 4G LTE (No 5G), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 6.0; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode |
USB | USB Type-C 2.0 | USB-C connector with USB 3 speeds (up to 10 Gb/s); Native DisplayPort output |
Durability | IP52 (Water-repellent design); Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (Front) | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield 2 front; Ceramic Shield back; Aerospace-grade aluminum unibody (with internal vapor chamber) |
Dimensions | 6.45 x 2.95 x 0.33 in (163.8 x 75.0 x 8.3 mm) | 6.43" x 3.07" x 0.34" (163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm) |
Weight | 6.53 oz (185 g) | 8.22 oz (233 g) |
Biometrics | Side-mounted fingerprint reader, Face Unlock | Face ID |
Extras | Stereo speakers (Dolby Atmos), 3.5mm Headphone Jack, microSD slot | Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Always-On display; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite |
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Motorola Moto G Play (2024)
Rating:★4.5(848)Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:1 Android OS upgrade (to Android 14) and 3 years of security updates (until Jan 2027)
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G (6nm)
Graphics:Adreno 610
RAM:4GB (Plus up to 2GB Virtual RAM Boost)
Storage:64GB UFS 2.2 (Expandable via microSDXC up to 1TB)
Display Size:6.5"
Screen Type:IPS LCD, 90Hz, 500 nits (Peak)
Resolution:1600 x 720 (HD+)
Refresh Rate:90Hz (Auto/60Hz/90Hz)
Peak Brightness:500 nits (High Brightness Mode)
Main Camera:50MP, f/1.8, PDAF, Quad Pixel Technology
Ultra-Wide Camera:No (Not supported)
Telephoto Camera:No (Not supported)
Optical Zoom:No (Not supported)
Digital Zoom:Up to 8x
Video Recording:1080p @ 30fps
Front Camera:8MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm
Battery:5,000mAh (Typical)
Wired Charging:15W TurboPower (Charger NOT included in box)
Wireless Charging:No (Not supported)
Connectivity:4G LTE (No 5G), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS
USB:USB Type-C 2.0
Durability:IP52 (Water-repellent design); Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (Front)
Dimensions:6.45 x 2.95 x 0.33 in (163.8 x 75.0 x 8.3 mm)
Weight:6.53 oz (185 g)
Biometrics:Side-mounted fingerprint reader, Face Unlock
Extras:Stereo speakers (Dolby Atmos), 3.5mm Headphone Jack, microSD slot
✓ Pros:
- • Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos are excellent for this price tier
- • Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 provides reliable basic performance (better than Helio G37)
- • Clean, bloat-free My UX software experience
- • Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the front display
- • Excellent battery life with 5,000mAh capacity
✗ Cons:
- • Resolution is limited to 720p (HD+) while competitors offer 1080p
- • No 5G connectivity (4G LTE only)
- • No NFC for mobile payments (Google Pay)
- • Charging is slow (15W max) and no charger is included in the box
- • Single usable rear camera (no ultrawide or macro lens)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Rating:★4.8(126)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A19 Pro chip (3nm; 6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine; hardware-accelerated ray tracing)
Graphics:Apple 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators (A19 Pro)
RAM:12 GB (LPDDR5X)
Storage:256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB (NVMe)
Display Size:6.9" (6.86" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:2868 x 1320 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate:Up to 120 Hz (ProMotion adaptive 1-120Hz)
Peak Brightness:1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 3000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum
Main Camera:48MP Fusion Main (24 mm, f/1.78), 2nd-gen sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for 24MP and 48MP super-high-resolution photos
Ultra-Wide Camera:48MP Fusion Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), Hybrid Focus Pixels, 48MP macro photography
Telephoto Camera:48MP Fusion Telephoto (100 mm, f/2.8), tetraprism design, 3D sensor-shift OIS, autofocus; enables 12MP optical-quality 8x zoom (200 mm equivalent)
Optical Zoom:0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x optical-quality zoom steps (16x optical zoom range)
Digital Zoom:Up to 40x
Video Recording:4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60/100/120 fps (Fusion Main); ProRes up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps
Front Camera:18MP Center Stage (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps
Battery:5088 mAh (Li-ion, eSIM model); Up to 39 hours video playback (35 hours streamed)
Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~20 minutes with 40W adapter or higher
Wireless Charging:MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 25W; Qi up to 7.5W
Connectivity:5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 6.0; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode
USB:USB-C connector with USB 3 speeds (up to 10 Gb/s); Native DisplayPort output
Durability:IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield 2 front; Ceramic Shield back; Aerospace-grade aluminum unibody (with internal vapor chamber)
Dimensions:6.43" x 3.07" x 0.34" (163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm)
Weight:8.22 oz (233 g)
Biometrics:Face ID
Extras:Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Always-On display; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite
✓ Pros:
- • Brightest iPhone display ever (3000 nits peak outdoor)
- • Triple 48MP camera system with 8x optical-quality zoom
- • A19 Pro chip with 12GB RAM and vapor chamber cooling for sustained performance
- • Excellent battery life (up to 39 hours video playback)
- • Faster 40W wired charging and 25W wireless charging
✗ Cons:
- • Large and heavy form factor (233 g)
- • Fastest charging speeds require purchasing a 40W+ adapter separately
- • No physical SIM tray (eSIM only in US)
- • Expensive starting price
- • Camera bump is significantly larger due to new tetraprism lens
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Which one is better?
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is stronger in overall satisfaction, but Motorola Moto G Play (2024) could still be the better pick if you value its unique advantages.
Who should buy each?
Motorola Moto G Play (2024) excels at: Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos are excellent for this price tier, Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 provides reliable basic performance (better than Helio G37)
Watch for: Resolution is limited to 720p (HD+) while competitors offer 1080p
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max excels at: Brightest iPhone display ever (3000 nits peak outdoor), Triple 48MP camera system with 8x optical-quality zoom
Watch for: Large and heavy form factor (233 g)
Conclusion
We hope this comparison helps you buy with confidence. Both products are dependable; the right one depends on how you will use it.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Motorola Moto G Play (2024) excels if you value stereo speakers with dolby atmos are excellent for this price tier. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is better if you prioritize brightest iphone display ever (3000 nits peak outdoor). Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
Affiliate disclosure
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