iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro — which is cheaper to keep running?

With the 17 Pro, Apple switched to the aluminium unibody design, in which the frame and back form a single unit. The 18 Pro continues this construction and adds Ceramic Shield 2 on the front.

Both models are rated IP68, and both have an OLED with Dynamic Island and a refresh rate of up to 120 hertz. From the outside, you are looking at two relatives, not two generations.

For us, this means the repair steps are very similar. The difference is not in the effort, but in the replacement part.

On the very latest model, we work with high-quality replacement parts. On last year's model, a cheaper option is also available, and that is exactly what makes a screen replacement cheaper there.

So in terms of running costs, last year's model is the cheaper choice, regardless of what the two cost new.

If you are looking for a phone where a possible repair won't hurt, last year's model is the more relaxed choice in the first few months.

On both models, the screen is the most expensive part that breaks in a drop. With the Pro Max, the larger surface also means a larger replacement part.

If you are out and about a lot and often have the phone in your hand, you should factor in this cost. A case with a raised edge around the screen is the cheapest insurance there is.

With the unibody design, only one window on the back is still made of glass, namely the one for wireless charging. The rest is aluminium.

That is a good development. On older Pro models, a cracked glass back was one of the most expensive repairs of all, because almost the whole device had to be taken apart. That worry no longer applies to either model.

The flip side is that a dent in the aluminium stays. Polishing doesn't help, and there is no longer a separate frame to replace.

Whatever the model, the battery is the part that ages predictably. After a few hundred charges, the capacity drops, and at some point the phone no longer lasts a full day.

A battery replacement is one of the cheaper repairs on both models and the one you notice most. When it is worth it is explained in the article on battery replacement.

Both phones also get software updates for many years. A phone that gets a new battery after five years is a fully usable phone again afterwards. Ten years ago, that was a different story.

If you want the latest and are prepared for higher repair costs in the first few months, go for the 18 Pro. It is the phone that will stay current the longest.

If it matters to you that a repair doesn't get out of hand, the 17 Pro is currently the more sensible choice. Technically it is close, and a screen replacement already costs less there.

What we don't recommend is grabbing the cheapest offer without looking at the model. With very old devices, a single repair can cost more than the phone is still worth.