iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro review: Kings are waiting for you

In the coming weeks and days you will meet two types of “tech gurus”: those who have used the iPhone 16 Pro and those who have not. Those who haven’t used it will probably tell you that this is an incremental update, not a big click but a small one, an update in the name only. But those who have used the iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max will probably tell you something different. They’ll tell you it’s a big enough upgrade to matter, maybe not for those already using the iPhone 15 Pro, but for others the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max bring solid improvements.

I belong to this group using iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. And I see both phones as solid upgrades, so solid that while I may not find this year’s most exciting phones (that might be the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL) they’re certainly the best phones you can buy on the market. The reason for this is the performance of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max and the advanced screen and camera system that comes with it.

With the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple has improved basic features such as performance, camera, battery and screen. Key features define the smartphone experience; It’s not a more attractive camera island or some new colors.

Same design but something extra

Apple has been using the same iPhone design for the last 4 years. When changes occur, they are subtle and small. iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max continue the trend. It has the same square camera module. Compared to the iPhone 15 Pro, it has a similar titanium frame and similar soft-touch glass on the back, and the same pill-shaped Dynamic Island on the front. There are a few changes in materials: the frame is made of Grade 5 titanium. Apple says the ceramic shield on both the front and back is 2x stronger. Of course, I didn’t test this by smashing phones.

So what are the visible changes? The most important of these is the Camera Control button, which is both clickable and touch-sensitive. You can find more information about this button in the camera section.

Another big change is the screen on the front. It’s marginally larger now. In the case of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, this means that the phone now has a 6.9-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch screen size. A larger screen is nice, but a more dynamic effect comes from super thin bezels.

The screen quality is superb in every sense, as is the case with the screens on Apple devices. These phones have some of the brightest, most vibrant, and color-accurate displays I’ve ever seen on a phone.

There are also some interior changes. Apple says it’s now using a more elaborate cooling mechanism on its iPhone 16 Pro phones, and that’s something iFixit confirmed with a teardown. Both phones feature an IP68-rated design; This means you can go swimming with them or use them to shoot underwater videos.

Considering that the design of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max is the same, the feel they feel in the hands is also more or less the same. However, the marginal increase in the Max’s size – 1mm wider and 3mm taller – now makes it borderline too large. Its weight of 227 grams is also at the limit. If you have smaller hands, you’ll definitely find the iPhone 16 Pro Max too big, although its big screen also means you can enjoy larger text (personally I find going back to a smaller screen very uncomfortable) and larger visuals.

Speaking of design, the Camera Control button is touch sensitive. This creates some difficulty for case makers. Apple’s silicone case has a button that allows the same touch functionality when the phone is inside the case. So is Beats, which first came out with an iPhone 16 case. But I suspect many other case makers may rely on a large cutout for the Camera Control button.

Performance improved, Apple Intelligence expected

The big changes are inside the iPhone 16 Pro. As mentioned earlier, one of them is the cooling mechanism. But more importantly is the new A18 Pro chipset, which uses TSMC’s second-generation 3nm manufacturing. I believe this is an iteration of the M4 chipset in the latest iPad, and just like that chipset, it’s excellent. The A18 Pro is, in every respect, the fastest mobile chipset ever put into a phone. It scores close to 3300 in single-thread performance on Geekbench, which is crazy. Along with the new chipset, Apple also puts fast 8GB RAM on its iPhone 16 series phones. This is necessary for the Gen AI features that Apple Intelligence will bring.

Now the iPhone has always been a fast phone. But last year we also saw a phone that would run very hot in the iPhone 15 Pro. The iPhone 16 Pro fixes this, and I believe it’s the biggest upgrade on the phone. It runs super cool even when playing intense games like Real Racing for hours. I literally spent hours playing Real Racing 3 – Level 341 and not once did the phone heat up significantly. It wasn’t even lukewarm.

Good chipset and plenty of RAM make the iPhone 16 Pro a fast phone. You can quickly tap its camera and it will take photos like a DSLR firing at 10FPS. You can browse through hundreds of photos in minutes and there will be no downtime. Open and close applications, switch between them; everything is smooth. But an observation: Early users reported missing touches when using the iPhone 16 Pro. And the problem seems real. While using the phone, I also found that its screen failed to register some light touches. This is apparently due to overly aggressive algorithms that Apple uses in an attempt to minimize accidental touches that can result from diminutive and very thin bezels. Therefore, I expect Apple to fix the problem with a quick software update.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a phone that makes no compromises when it comes to its components. And this shows in the performance. As we mentioned before, the screen is great. But so are stereo speakers, which sound like the speakers of a thin laptop rather than a phone. They are so good. The iPhone 16 Pro also comes with a 4-array microphone setup, which is absolutely top-notch. This microphone setup allows Apple to offer users a feature called Audio Mixing that content creators or those who tend to record a lot of outdoor videos will definitely love. The way it reduces background noise is fascinating.

Some of the iPhone 16 series phones are also Apple Intelligence. Powered by a blend of Apple’s own generative AI and ChatGPT, Apple Intelligence will bring many unique features to iOS 18 alongside Siri. iOS 18 is already available and has some nifty features. There is a new voicemail feature which is very useful. The new control center is a mixed bag. It allows custom layouts but it might be a bit much. A new Photos app, etc. there is. But Apple Intelligence features, including the supercharged Siri, are expected to arrive only with iOS 18.1, followed by subsequent updates rolling out in early 2025. In a way, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are currently incomplete phones in terms of software.

This is pretty weird, but it happened at both Apple and Google this year. While Google launched Pixel 9 phones with Android 14 installed instead of Android 15, Apple launched the iPhone 16 with iOS 18 installed but without core Apple Intelligence features.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a battery champ, easily lasting 24 hours and then some more. In terms of screen time, it manages 12-15 hours depending on what you’re doing on it and whether it’s mostly on WiFi or cellular. The iPhone 16 Pro is similar and easily lasts a full day of use. The iPhone 16 Pro charges at 27W, meaning it takes about 70-80 minutes to charge up to 80 percent. After that it optimizes charging to keep the battery healthy. Charging from 0 to 100 percent takes about two hours, depending on ambient temperature (higher temperature means slower charging).

new camera set

One of the most important updates of the iPhone 16 Pro is the new camera system. The main camera now uses a new 48-megapixel Fusion sensor. But I think the bigger improvement comes from the new 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera. The telephoto camera has a 5X lens and a 12 megapixel sensor. In addition to the new camera system, the application also includes new camera features. There are new styles also known as filters. Some are preset, while users can create several on the fly. Overall, the cameras on the iPhone 16 Pro are great, but I wouldn’t necessarily call them the best in terms of photography. When it comes to video recording, there is no phone that comes close to the images that the iPhone 16 Pro can capture.

Here are a few observations based on hundreds of photos and video recordings I created using the iPhone 16 Pro Max cameras.

— In good lighting conditions, all of the iPhone 16 Pro’s cameras are capable of taking stunning photos.

— In low light, there is a noticeable improvement in photos clicked with the iPhone 16 Pro compared to the previous generation iPhones. But I also find that iPhone photos are still softer and have less detail when compared to the best (e.g. Pixel 9 Pro XL).

— Shadows are noisier in low-light photos than in the best photos.

— The new 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera is amazing. It is good at managing softness and distortion at the edges. But more than that, it has an absolutely small focal length, which makes for stunning Macro photos. Example: Look at the grasshopper and notice the skin details. And this photo was taken in low light!

— The 5X telephoto lens is great in good light (see wood pigeon, for example) and good enough in low light.

— All of the iPhone 16 pro cameras capture great colors, and the way they handle HDR is admirably good.

— Camera button! Ah, the camera button. It’s a mixed bag. It is useful to quickly press the camera button to open the camera app and click a photo. But if you want to get into the camera settings (changing styles or aperture, or zooming up and down by swiping your finger) it’s a bit complicated, especially on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is a big phone. Also, tapping and double-tapping gestures are not very natural. I think some users will find the camera button useful, but many will not. It is one of those features that only rewards users who put effort into it. And that’s never the best feature.

Phone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max review: Is it worth buying?

Apple Intelligence is an important offering that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max offer to users. And that’s not here yet. But it will come. However, even without Apple Intelligence right now, the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro are solid phones. I particularly like the A18 Pro chipset, which not only delivers superior performance but also the kind of performance that won’t heat up the phone. The rest of the hardware is great too, and the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera is versatile. Clicking good photos is great and no other phone can compare when it comes to video recording.

However, know that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expensive phones. They are also the best phones for those who can benefit from some “professional” features. These features are part of the camera system; for example Log Video and 4K Dolby Vision at 120FPS. From the ultra-fast chipset to the gorgeous display and full-sounding speaker system in the iPhone 16 Pro phones, all the hardware has been brought together to help “pro” users. If you’re one of those pro users, keep splurging. Or the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus might be better options for you.