Our Verdict
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is undoubtedly the most polished phone Apple has ever made. With all-day battery life and new camera controls (both physical and virtual), it’s a step forward. Even the new AI tools are starting to make their way across the OS. But does all that make it a compelling upgrade from the iPhone 15 Pro Max or even the iPhone 14 Pro Max? I don’t think so.
- Absolute performance beast
- All-day battery life
- Massive, beautiful display
- Great cameras
- It’s phablet-sized
- Unwieldy Camera Control button
- Not all AI features are winners
You can easily brush off the iPhone 16 Pro Max as the most minor upgrade in the history of iterative tech updates. However, from a different and more practical perspective, it shows that Apple has succeeded in refining its top-end iPhone. You can tell that the hardware has matured, while the software builds on an already solid foundation. Then there’s Apple Intelligence, which is trying to carve out some space for itself and find its feet.
I used the iPhone 16 Pro Max on both iOS 18.0 and 18.1, giving me plenty of time to explore everything Apple Intelligence has to offer so far. And boy, do I have some nice things to say about it! So, let’s dive in and see if the iPhone 16 Pro Max (and all the hype around its AI features) is worth your time and money, and how it compares to the picks on our list of the best gaming iPhones.
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Price and availability
Until Apple comes out with its foldable phone, the Pro Max series is going to be its most expensive handset in the lineup. The iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1199 in the US for 256GB of storage, with the option to double the storage for another $200. For 1TB of storage, you have to shell out an eye-watering $1599. In the UK, the phone starts at £1199, with similar price tiers for higher storage options. It is available in Black, White, and Natural Titanium shades as before, along with a new Desert Titanium colorway, which we have here.
Specs
Here are the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s specs:
Features and software
Let’s address the elephant in the room right away. The iOS 18.1 update brought a few Apple Intelligence features to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but it’s a bit of a hit-or-miss collection.
I certainly like the direction Apple is going with its AI features, which it has integrated well into existing apps and services without coming off as a stop-gap solution, like a dedicated app just for AI tasks. Those writing tools work across apps, while the new Siri animation gives the virtual assistant a fresh persona. However, when it comes to actual usability, it’s a different story.
For instance, when using the new Clean Up tool in the Photos app, the iPhone often struggles around complex areas. Meanwhile, Google Photos offers better results in the same photos. Siri may have gotten a visual makeover, but it’s same-old, slow-witted Siri under that robe. It still serves up Wikipedia snippets if you ask it something even a little complex, like how the universe came to be. Apple has big plans for Siri, with smarter features, including ChatGPT integration, coming pretty soon. And after using the new Siri, it’s clear it could really use some of those enhancements.
Other Apple Intelligence features are far more usable and often come in handy. You can ask Apple Photos to create a memory movie with a specific theme, and it will put together your photos in a nice video that is ready to share on Instagram as is. Even the writing tools have been useful to quickly proofread an email before I hit the send button, but I do wish it could take my prompts to give specific kinds of results. A great thing about them is that they are available everywhere, no matter which app you’re using, though some features like Reply Suggestions only work in Apple’s Messages and Mail apps.
What I especially like are Notification Summaries. It gives me a quick rundown of lengthy Slack messages in the notification panel itself so that I can decide if it needs my immediate attention or not. I know this feature has given people some hilarious summaries and even misinterpreted the message’s meaning and intention. But so far, I haven’t come across any such faux pas. It’s likely because Apple Intelligence is currently limited to US English, while my non-work conversations are a mix of English and Hindi, which it doesn’t understand right now. Once again, Apple promises that it will support more languages soon.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max debuted with iOS 18, which is perhaps one of the most visually striking updates in years. From tinted app icons to the ability to place your apps anywhere on the home screen, iOS has come pretty close to Android in terms of customizability. You can even arrange the Control Center in exactly the way you like. However, arranging the apps is still a tedious task because they tend to stick to the top edge if you fiddle with something. You’re always just one move away from turning your layout into chaos. I, for one, have found my sweet spot and am not touching it until I absolutely need to.
Design
Anyone could easily mistake the iPhone 16 Pro Max for the iPhone 15 Pro Max – or the one before that, or the one before that – you get the idea. Apple has barely tweaked the design in the last couple of years, except for the new Camera Control button, which we’ll talk more about later. However, the phone has grown slightly bigger to accommodate that larger screen. It is a two-hand device and may even feel too large if you have smaller hands.
The new Desert Titanium shade has a very subtle golden color, which looks quite pleasing in person. The phone itself has a likable in-hand feel, with those softly rounded edges that don’t dig into your palms, though only if you can forgive the slight strain its weight puts on your wrist.
Another thing worth noting is its stereo speakers, which are perhaps the best on any iPhone to date (though some Android flagships flaunt an even better pair). They are punchy, bassy, and loud enough to fill a room, and I don’t need to connect to a Bluetooth speaker while watching videos or playing games.
Display
When you first pick up the iPhone 16 Pro Max, those thin bezels might seem unimpressive without any context. But I realized how stunning and immersive they make the display look when I put it side-by-side with an older iPhone. Now, everything else is an eyesore.
Speaking of the display, the iPhone 16 Pro Max rocks a gigantic, phablet-esque, almost tablet-sized 6.9-inch OLED screen. The sheer size of it makes you realize how massive the phone actually is, even for those with big hands.
That’s not to say the display is lacking in any way. In fact, it’s one of the best-calibrated OLEDs I’ve used across brands. It’s sharp and vivid, making all kinds of content look fantastic. Try playing a Dolby Vision movie on Netflix, and you will see for yourself. Even when it’s not displaying HDR content, the brightness is more than enough for outdoor use without straining your eyes. An excellent screen, for sure!
iPhone 16 Pro Max Cameras
Like I said before, the camera arrangement on the back itself doesn’t look all that different from the previous Pro models. But those cameras have both new hardware and software, so let’s get the former out of the way first. While the main and telephoto lenses remain unchanged, the ultrawide camera gets a new 48MP sensor, up from 12MP. That results in wide-angled shots looking just as detailed as the ones from the main camera. Another advantage of it is that super close-up macro photos that don’t look like trash now.
But the real changes lie elsewhere. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a fun camera phone that you’d want to play with, both while composing a shot and later in the post. A big reason for that is the new Photographic Styles. They build upon the existing tool that we saw on previous iPhones and take tweaking the photo’s colors to the next level. The presets let you select a look while taking a photo, with the option to fine-tune the metrics to suit your needs.
However, it feels like Apple has pushed HDR tone mapping a step too far on the default standard style. The resulting photos have a rather flat look sometimes. Thankfully, you can quickly fix them by adjusting the tone ever so slightly, which also helps bring down the warm hue, using the new Camera Control button.
I know you’ve been patiently waiting for me to bring up the elephant in the room: Camera Control. The much-hyped button on the new iPhones is just like the physical shutter button we’ve all wanted on our phones for years. While the idea is intriguing, it proved to be of little practical value for me, so much so that I rarely use it. iPhones already have plenty of shortcuts to launch the camera, so the button is almost redundant. As for its usability inside the camera app, I found it easier to use the on-screen controls instead.
Moreover, Apple’s first-party cases include a touch-sensitive panel that lets you use the button underneath without any hassle. In contrast, most third-party covers have a cutout for the button, making it harder to press or slide your finger across. It wasn’t all that intuitive to begin with, thanks to varying pressure sensitivity levels, and these cases certainly don’t help.
During the dazzling Diwali week here in India, I had a blast playing with the camera. It captured equally vivid photos of all the bright lamps and lights, looking Instagram-ready straight out of the box. The phone handles low-light shots effortlessly, maintaining natural sharpness without turning night into day. I also found myself relying on the telephoto camera to capture far-off subjects without losing detail.
My only gripe is that Apple still struggles with dynamic range when there’s a bright light source behind the subject, and the persistent lens flare issue, which has been around for far too long, remains unresolved.
Performance
The iPhone 16 Pro Max boasts the most capable mobile processor Apple has on offer, and it definitely lives up to its reputation. Not once did it miss a beat for everyday tasks, like browsing the web, watching videos, or endlessly scrolling through social media. Even during the most demanding tasks, such as video rendering or gaming (I tried Assassins Creed Mirage and some Apple Arcade games, among others), it flies. I didn’t see any frame drops as the gaming elements rendered without a hiccup.
I expected the phone to get hot at least while playing such a demanding game, but it got barely warm after a couple of hours of gameplay. However, I did notice that it tends to run relatively warmer while using the Clean Up tool in Photos back-to-back. That’s kind of expected since all the AI heavy lifting is happening offline on the device instead of a remote server.
It’s not all good news, though, as I consistently struggled with indoor network performance. The signal strength remained at least a couple of bars lower than what I get on a Snapdragon-powered Android flagship. That being said, I never faced call drops when indoors, so I can let it slide.
Battery
The iPhone 16 Pro Max refuses to die. During my early testing, I had to actively devise ways to drain the battery below 10%. With some work emails, a lot of notifications, outdoor 5G use, and social media, I routinely ended my days with around 40% of battery remaining after about seven hours of screen time.
Things changed a bit for the worse though, following the iOS 18.1 update. It is now consuming more power on standby than before. And I don’t use Apple Intelligence features often enough to blame them for the dip. Still, I’m ending my days with about 25-30% of juice remaining on a similar usage, which still makes it an all-day phone that doesn’t give you battery anxiety. I’ve never carried its charger with me; the battery life is that consistent.
As for the charging speed, I’m spoiled by super-fast charging phones from Chinese brands, and the iPhone feels downright sluggish in comparison. With the officially supported 20W charger, it charges in about 1 hour and 45 minutes. While that slow speed would normally be frustrating, it didn’t bother me much since the phone lasts long enough that I only need to charge it overnight.
Should you buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max?
Yes and no. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is by far the most polished iPhone ever. From top-notch battery life and performance to a beautiful display and interesting camera features, it’s a solid phone that makes its hefty price seem a bit reasonable.
However, being the best iPhone doesn’t mean everyone should rush to upgrade. If you’re using an iPhone 15 Pro Max or the iPhone 14 Pro Max, there’s no real reason to upgrade this year. Even for those on older Pro-series iPhones, AI isn’t a compelling enough incentive to pull the trigger. Apple’s plan to fully roll out its entire AI suite won’t come to fruition until next year, and from what we’ve seen so far, the features themselves aren’t exactly groundbreaking.
If you have an iPhone 13 series phone or older, the iPhone 16 Pro Max could be a solid upgrade option. You’ll appreciate its camera capabilities, category-leading battery performance (even with iOS 18.1), and overall in-hand feel. Sounds tempting? Go ahead; you won’t regret the switch.
Alternatives
Among the best flagship smartphones out there, there are only a handful of handsets that can match the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Here are a few options you can consider.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
This is probably the default flagship for those on the Android side. The Galaxy S24 Ultra looks stunning from every angle, and not enough people are talking about its non-reflective display; it’s a total game-changer. The phone also comes with a built-in stylus, packed with a few tricks that never get boring. Plus, Samsung, in partnership with Google, has introduced its own suite of AI tools to rival Apple’s. For more details, check out our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
With its design refresh, the Pixel 9 series has become a true head-turner. Much like this iPhone, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is Google’s most refined phone to date. It feels premium to the touch, but it’s the Pixel software and camera that really stand out. Gemini is now a bigger part of the OS, and it’s become much smarter over the last year with deep cross-app integrations. In real-world use, Google’s implementation outshines Apple Intelligence by a mile. If you want the full lowdown, see our Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review.