iPhone 16 Pro Max: Is It Worth the Hype?

iPhone 16 Pro Max: In-Depth Review 

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Huge display, insane battery life

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Answering Your Burning Questions

1. Larger Screen: Compelling or Too Big?

The larger display on the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a significant upgrade. It offers a more immersive viewing experience, especially for media consumption like watching videos or playing games. However, it's important to consider personal preference. If you prefer a smaller, more compact phone, the iPhone 16 Pro Max might feel a bit large. Ultimately, it depends on your individual needs and comfort level.

2. New Camera Control: Game Changer or Gimmick?

The new Camera Control feature on the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a welcome addition. It allows for more precise adjustments to camera settings, giving users greater control over their shots. While it might not be a revolutionary feature for experienced photographers, it can be a helpful tool for those who want to take their photography to the next level.

3. Apple Intelligence Features: Do They Work?

Apple's intelligence features, such as Siri, on-device machine learning, and privacy protections, continue to impress. Siri has become more capable and responsive, and on-device machine learning enables tasks like real-time photo analysis and language translation to happen seamlessly. Additionally, Apple's commitment to privacy ensures that your personal data remains secure.

4. Battery Life: How Long Does It Last?

The iPhone 16 Pro Max boasts an impressive battery life, thanks to optimizations in hardware and software. While specific usage patterns will affect battery life, you can expect to get a full day or more of use on a single charge. This is particularly beneficial for those who rely heavily on their phones for work or entertainment.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Design

I understand your frustration. While the iPhone 16 Pro Max's larger display offers a more immersive experience, it's understandable that some users might find it too large.

Here are a few things to consider:

• Personal Preference: Everyone has different preferences for phone size. If you're used to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the iPhone 16 Pro Max might feel too big for your comfort.
• Usage Patterns: If you primarily use your phone for media consumption or gaming, the larger screen might be a benefit. However, if you prefer a more compact device for everyday tasks, the iPhone 15 Pro Max might be a better fit.
• Future Models: It's possible that Apple might introduce a smaller "Pro" model in the future to cater to users who prefer a more compact device.

The improved durability of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a significant upgrade, especially considering its larger size. The combination of a titanium band and the tougher Ceramic Shield display should provide added protection against accidental drops and scratches.

It's always reassuring to know that a device, especially one as expensive as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, is built to withstand everyday wear and tear.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Display

iPhone 15 Pro Max (left) and iPhone 16 Pro Max (right) (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

That's a useful feature. The ability to reduce the screen brightness to 1 nit is a great way to preserve your night vision and avoid disturbing others in a dark environment. While the lack of upgrades to brightness or refresh rate might be a minor disappointment for some, the ability to use the phone as a dim alarm clock is a valuable addition.

It's a testament to the quality of Apple's display technology that even without significant upgrades, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max still offer top-notch visual performance.

Brightness (HDR)	Color (DCI-P3)	Accuracy (Delta-E)
iPhone 16 Pro	1510 nits	80.9%	0.26
iPhone 16 Pro Max	1553 nits	80.4%	0.24
Galaxy S24 Ultra	1363 nits	84.9% (Natural) / 98.5 (Vivid)	0.23 (Natural) / 0.25 (Vivid)
Google Pixel 9 Pro	1880 nits	76.7% (Natural) / 86% (Adaptive)	0.29 (Natural) / 0.24 (Adaptive)
Google PIxel 9 Pro XL	2,353 nits	74.4 (Natural) / 82.8% (Vivid)	0.28 (Natural) / 0.24 (Adaptive)

Otherwise, the new iPhone 16 Pro Max screen is largely the same, allowing the Pixel 9 Pro to surge ahead in terms of brightness. We measured a max of about 1,500 nits for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL hit more than 2,300 nits.

Outside in direct sunlight, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max were both dimmer than the Pixel 9 Pro XL, though Google’s phone dimmed faster over time in response to the heat.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Camera Control

Other than the display size, the biggest design change to the iPhone Pro Max is the addition of the Camera Control button. This recessed capacitive button on the right side uses haptics to give you feedback, and it launches you straight into the camera.

No more having to fumble for the on-screen camera shortcut, and you can now use the Action button for another shortcut. This thing is pretty easy to use in both portrait and landscape mode. 

So what can you do with Camera Control? A lot, actually. A quick press snaps a photo, and a long press starts recording a video. But I’m not a fan of the fact that the video stops when you take your finger off the button.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max's Camera Control offers a convenient way to zoom in and out with a simple swipe. However, the double soft press might take some practice, and it's not ideal for macro photography.

Overall, the Camera Control is a useful feature that can enhance your photography experience, but it might require some adjustment to master.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Cameras

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The iPhone 16 Pro Max features a new 48MP Fusion Camera that captures images more quickly and accurately. This results in faster autofocus and reduced shutter lag.

I took some shots of people passing by on scooters and moving taxis at the same time on the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the new iPhone was indeed faster. The results were not necessarily sharper though, as you can see in these side by side comparisons.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

When I took a photo of myself making a jump shot, I noticed that the iPhone 16 Pro Max captured a clearer and more detailed image, especially when zoomed in.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The iPhone 16 Pro Max's 48MP ultrawide camera captures more detailed and accurate images compared to its predecessor. I took a photo of a reservoir with colorful flowers and a blue sky, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max produced a more realistic image with crisper details than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max's Photographic Styles feature allows you to easily adjust the look of your photos before or after taking them. You can choose from five skin undertone styles and nine mood-based styles, and adjust the style in real time.

The 48MP ultrawide camera captures more detailed macro shots, as demonstrated by a photo I took of a pink zinnia flower. The iPhone 16 Pro Max's photo was superior to those taken by the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro XL, which were oversaturated and blurry, respectively.

The coolest new iPhone 16 Pro Max video feature is Audio Mix. It uses a combination of the spatial audio capture and AI to help minimize background noise. And you’re in control with multiple options. The in-frame mode isolates the voices in front of the camera, the Studio option makes it sound like the speakers are recording in a studio with the mics close up and Cinematic lets in some environmental noise for a movie-like effect.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence is introducing a new Siri with a redesigned interface and the ability to accept text input. Starting in October, you can summon Siri by tapping the display or using your voice, and you can type your requests instead of speaking them.

Siri has become more forgiving of errors and mistakes. You can correct yourself mid-sentence without interrupting the command, and Siri will still understand your intent. Siri can also handle follow-up questions and provide relevant answers based on the context of the conversation. However, it may struggle with some more complex follow-up questions.

Apple Intelligence also offers a variety of writing tools, including grammar and word choice suggestions, and rewriting assistance. You can use these tools to improve the clarity and professionalism of your writing. For example, I used Apple Intelligence to draft a professional email requesting a raise, and it provided helpful suggestions for improving the tone and content.

Apple Intelligence can summarize long passages of text, which is useful for reviewing notes or other documents. However, you currently need to select all the text before requesting a summary.

I tested this feature by summarizing a shot list for a video, and it provided a fairly accurate summary of the key points.

Siri's integration with large language models and Apple's support information allows it to provide step-by-step instructions for a wide range of tasks on your iPhone. This is particularly helpful for users who need assistance with tasks like making screen recordings or scheduling texts.

If you're often the go-to person for tech support in your family, Siri can be a valuable resource for providing quick and easy solutions.

Apple Intelligence's Memory Movie feature allows you to create personalized videos based on your photos and videos. Simply enter a keyword or phrase, select a mood, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will automatically generate a video with music and effects.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max's Clean Up feature allows you to remove unwanted objects or people from your photos with a simple tap. While it works well for removing people from selfies, it may have limitations with more complex backgrounds.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Performance

The iPhone 16 Pro Max boasts a powerful combination of 8GB of RAM and the new A18 Pro chip, built on cutting-edge 3-nanometer technology. While it excels in CPU performance, it may not offer the same level of graphics power as some Android competitors.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max's powerful A18 Pro chip delivers significantly better overall performance than Android competitors, including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Tensor G4 chips. This is evident in benchmarks and real-world performance, such as the smooth and visually impressive gameplay of Infinity Nikki.

Single core	Multi-core
iPhone 16 Pro	3400	8341
iPhone 16 Pro Max	3386	8306
Galaxy S24 Ultra	2300	7249
Google Pixel 9 Pro	1948	4794
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL	1929	4747
iPhone 15 Pro	2890	7194
iPhone 15 Pro Max	2783	6945

The iPhone 16 Pro Max demonstrated superior video editing performance compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra in Adobe Premiere Rush. In our tests, it was twice as fast at transcoding a 4K clip to 1080p. Additionally, the iPhone 16 Pro Max was slightly faster than its predecessor, the iPhone 15 Pro.

Adobe Premiere Rush
iPhone 16 Pro	21 seconds
iPhone 16 Pro Max	21 seconds
Galaxy S24 Ultra	42 seconds
Google Pixel 9 Pro	N/A
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL	N/A
iPhone 15 Pro	25.5 seconds
iPhone 15 Pro Max	24.49 seconds

The iPhone 16 Pro Max features a more powerful 6-core GPU compared to the regular iPhone 16 series, offering up to 20% faster graphics performance.

While it outperforms the iPhone 15 Pro in 3DMark Solar Bay, the Galaxy S24 Ultra still maintains a slight lead in graphics performance, especially when ray tracing is enabled.

3DMark Solar Bay	3DMark Steel Nomad Light
iPhone 16 Pro	7519 / 28.6 fps	1563 / 11.6 fps
iPhone 16 Pro Max	7396 / 28.10 fps	1582 / 11.7 fps
Galaxy S24 Ultra	8872 / 33.74 fps	1713 / 12.69 fps
Google Pixel 9 Pro	N/A	1044 / 7.74 fps
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL	N/A	1044 / 7.74 fps
iPhone 15 Pro	6145 / 23.37 fps	N/A
iPhone 15 Pro Max	6027 / 22.93 fps	N/A

Apple claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max's new internal design with a graphite-clad aluminum substructure improves sustained performance by 20%.

In our 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test, the iPhone 16 Pro Max achieved a stability score of 84%, which is higher than the iPhone 15 Pro Max's 75%. However, the iPhone 16 Pro only reached 66%, indicating that its performance may degrade more over time. The Galaxy S24 Ultra had an even lower stability score of 60.4%.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Battery life and charging

Apple claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has the best battery life of any iPhone, thanks to larger batteries and improved efficiency. Our tests have confirmed this claim.

Hours: Mins
iPhone 16 Pro	14:07
iPhone 16 Pro Max	18:06
Galaxy S24 Ultra	16:45
Google Pixel 9 Pro	13:37
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL	14:06
iPhone 15 Pro	10:53
iPhone 15 Pro Max	14:02

In Tom's Guide's battery test, which simulates continuous web browsing over 5G, the iPhone 16 Pro Max lasted an impressive 18 hours and 6 minutes. This is significantly longer than the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra, demonstrating its exceptional battery life.

15 minutes	30 minutes
iPhone 16 Pro	29%	56%
iPhone 16 Pro Max	29%	55%
Galaxy S24 Ultra	39%	71%
Google Pixel 9 Pro	21%	49%
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL	35%	63%
iPhone 15 Pro	28%	57%
iPhone 15 Pro Max	20%	41%

Despite the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max's impressive performance and features, their charging speeds remain relatively slow. Even with a 30W charger, it takes about 30 minutes to charge the battery to 30%. Additionally, contrary to some reports, the new iPhones do not support 45W charging.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Verdict

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a compelling choice for those seeking a large screen and exceptional battery life. While it may fall short of the Galaxy S24 Ultra in terms of zoom capabilities, it offers superior endurance, camera quality, and creative features like Photographic Styles and Audio Mix.

While I appreciate the AI capabilities of the Pixel 9 Pro XL series, including its smarter Gemini Live voice assistant and features like Add Me for photos and Pixel Screenshots, the iPhone 16 Pro Max's overall performance and battery life give it a significant advantage.

Ultimately, the iPhone 16 Pro Max retains its title as the best phone in my opinion, but it's not primarily due to its AI features.

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