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

There’s some big questions that kept nagging me as I was testing the new iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Does the larger screen make it compelling or too big? Is the new Camera Control a game changer or a gimmick? How well do the Apple Intelligence features actually work? If the Phone 16 Pro Max has the best iPhone battery life ever, how long does it last?

iPhone 16 Pro & Pro Max EXPERT Review: Worth the Upgrade? - YouTube

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After testing this flagship phone, I'd say that it is indeed a handful, and while I’m encouraged by some of the Apple Intelligence features I tested in a beta that’s arriving next month, more AI capabilities  will be coming later. 

Still, the battery life from the iPhone 16 Pro Max is insane (over 17 hours) and the cameras predictably great, so this is one of the best phones money can buy. Apple clearly still has some catching up to do with AI and the design hasn’t changed much with the exception of slightly slimmer bezels. But this is the new iPhone I’d buy with my money. If you're torn, check out our iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro Max comparison. 

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Specifications

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Price and release date

The ginormous 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU $1,249 with 256GB of storage and goes on sale September 20. You can upgrade to 512GB for $200 more, and another $200 will get you 1TB. 

To get the best price, check out the best iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max deals.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Design

I’ve been a Pro Max user for years since the iPhone 11 Pro Max, but after testing the new iPhones, I’m actually torn about the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

It has the largest display ever of any iPhone at 6.9 inches. Yes, the thinner bezels help keep the device somewhat compact, but it’s still taller, wider and heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which I thought was the near perfect size and weight for a big-screen phone. I’ve gone from feeling like I cheated the system to feeling slightly cheated.

This might be an unpopular opinion but I think the new Pro Max is a little too big — at least for my hands. It’s more of a stretch now to do simple things like scrolling through webpages or TikTok, and once you put a case on the iPhone 16 Pro Max it’s like a mini tank.

The good news is that the Pro Max is built to be more durable. In addition to having a titanium band, Apple claims that the improved Ceramic Shield display on this model is 50% tougher than the last generation. We can’t drop these units, but on paper it’s encouraging.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max comes in four colors: Titanium White, Titanium Black, Natural Titanium and Desert Titanium. Our iPhone 16 Pro came in the Natural which looks fairly modern, but I prefer the Desert color as it pops more.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Display

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max displays don’t get any upgrades in terms of brightness or refresh rate, but they're still among the best OLED panels on a phone. The only main difference is that the screens can scale down to a minimum of 1 nits, which means you can use your phone in bed without disturbing anyone else and get an even dimmer alarm clock.

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.

You can also slide your finger across the button to zoom in and out, which is pretty smooth. Not as smooth is the double soft press, which launches a submenu of various options, from tweaking the depth and exposure to toggling between multiple Photographic Styles.

Camera Control works well, but applying just the right amount of pressure and remembering what a single press and double press do takes practice. I also wouldn’t recommend taking macro shots with the Camera Control, as it shook the camera when I got super close to a subject.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Cameras

The iPhone 16 Pro Max gets a bunch of camera upgrades, starting with a new 48MP Fusion Camera for the main shooter that’s designed to read data faster. The result should be zero shutter lag and faster focus.

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.

I saw better results when I had someone take a photo of me making a jump shot. When I zoomed in, I looked brighter and clearer in the iPhone 16 Pro Max shot.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max sports a new 48MP ultrawide camera, up from 12MP on last year’s model. I got a very crisp shot of a reservoir with this phone, complete with colorful Echinacea flowers in front and a bright blue sky. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s pic is more vibrant but has less realistic colors.

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Speaking of colors, you can easily change the look of your photos before and now after the fact with Photographic styles. This is exclusive to the iPhone 16 series. In the Camera app, you can choose from five different skin undertone styles that impact only the skin tone in the image and nine mood-based styles, ranging from vibrant and cozy to stark black and white. You can even adjust the style in real time with this control pad. 

That 48MP ultrawide camera also upgrades your macro shots to a higher resolution, and I got a pretty stunning shot of a pink zinnia flower. You can easily make out the veins in the petals. And I prefer this shot over the over saturated S24 Ultra and blurrier Pixel 9 Pro XL pic.

The good news is that both the iPhone 16 Pro models now have the same tetraprism zoom lens, which gives you 5x optical zoom. It performed well when I zoomed in on these boats, though the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s shot is a bit sharper.

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At the max 25x digital zoom, the iPhone 16 Pro Max falls behind the competition when I zeroed in on this sign. The lettering is fuzzier. And the Galaxy can go to 30x and even 100x and the Pixel can do 30x. 

In low light, the iPhone 16 Pro Max does a great job illuminating this park in complete darkness, and I prefer this shot over the Samsung and Pixel because it actually looks like a night sky. And the lettering on the sign is clearer.

How about selfies? This shot of my colleague John Velasco has a more even exposure on the iPhone 16 Pro Max than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but I prefer the detail in John’s face on the Samsung.

I give the edge to the iPhone 16 Pro Max with this panoramic image of Half Moon Bay in California. The iPhone’s image is brighter, and it feels more uniform and less stitched together. You can make out more detail in the rippling water and clouds, too.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Video

The iPhone 16 Pro Max’s video gets an upgrade, with 4K video capture up to 120 frames per second. And there’s some pretty neat things you can do with that footage. Using the Playback Speed controls, I could slow down a ping pong match to 50%, 25% or 20%, and the footage still looked sharp.

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Sample video (4K) - YouTube

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To test the video quality of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max vs other flagships I shot this clip of the beach at 4K and 30 fps. The iPhone does a smoother job transitioning from to 5x zoom and the rippling water looks great. There’s also a natural-looking gradation in the blue sky, though I prefer the brighter trees in the Samsung clip.

Galaxy S24 Ultra: Sample video (4K) - YouTube

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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.

I tried Audio Mix with footage shot in Bryant Park with my colleague Mike, and there’s a dramatic difference with in-frame mode versus standard. Even with lots of people talking around us, a carousel in the background and musicians tuning their instruments on a big stage off to the right, our voices came through loud and clear.

iPhone 16 Pro: Audio Mix - YouTube

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The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus also have Audio Mix, but only the Pro models benefit from four studio microphones built into the devices.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence is Apple’s version of AI that’s designed to be more secure and helpful than what Samsung and Google offer. But right now Apple Intelligence is more of a tease since it’s in developer beta right now and won’t launch for the rest of us until October. Even then, certain features won’t be available, such as Visual Intelligence and ChatGPT integration.

So what will you be able to do with Apple Intelligence starting in October? It starts with a new Siri. The assistant has been revamped, starting with a redesign that makes the whole outside of the display glow when summoned. And you can type to Siri now when you’re in a situation where you don’t want to use your voice.

Siri is definitely more forgiving of screw-ups, as you can correct yourself on the fly and it will still get your command right. I started a timer and changed the time mid-sentence without a problem. You can also ask follow-up questions, and Siri will get the context. For example, I asked Siri when the NY Giants played next, the odds and the over-under, and the assistant got all three questions right. But it got tripped up on other follow-up questions, giving general info instead of a relevant answer.

Apple Intelligence also delivers a wide range of writing tools. You can have the iPhone 16 Pro proofread your copy for grammar and word choice, or get help rewriting if you want to go for, say, a more professional tone. For example, I put together a mock email demanding a raise and I got something back that is much more appropriate.

You can also have Apple Intelligence summarize long passages of text, as I did with a few notes. I wish you didn’t have to Select All text first, but I did get a fairly good summary of the key points for my shot list for this video.

Don’t want to look up how-to articles? Siri leverages large language models and Apple’s support info to give you step by step instructions on how to do lots of stuff on your iPhone, from making screen recordings to scheduling a text. This is a game changer for kids who play the IT person for their parents — like me.

If you’re looking for an Apple Intelligence feature that tugs at the heart strings, try making a memory movie. Just enter a key phrase as your prompt and specify the mood and you’ll see the iPhone 16 Pro Max create a movie out of thin air complete with music.

Clean Up in the Photos app a way overdue feature compared to what you’ll find on the Pixel and Galaxy but it’s still nice to have. You can remove unwanted objects or people in the frame with just a tap. The Clean Up feature worked fairly well when I tried to remove a person from a selfie, but you’ll get the best results if the background isn’t too complicated.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Performance

The iPhone 16 Pro Max features 8GB of RAM and Apple’s new A18 Pro chip built on second-generation 3-namoeter tech, which blows away the Android competition in CPU performance, though not graphics.

I was sucked in by the Infinity Nikki game, which was in beta during testing. The open-world puzzler has console-like visuals, complete with realistic looking rippling water and smooth animations as you use a special floating dress to jump from one platform to another.

On Geekbench, which measures overall performance, the new iPhones are nearly 50% faster than the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip on single core and 15% higher on multi-core performance. The latest Tensor G4 Pixel phones aren’t in the same league.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max was also twice as fast than the S24 Ultra in our video editing testing using Adobe Premiere Rush, where we time how long it takes to transcode a 4K clip to 1080p. The new Pro phones also shave off a few seconds versus the iPhone 15 Pro’s time.

So what about graphics? The iPhone 16 Pro Max packs a 6-core GPU, compared to 5 cores for the regular iPhone 16 series. And Apple claims that it’s up to 20% faster than the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 chip.

On the 3DMark Solar Bay graphics test, which has support for ray tracing, the iPhone 16 Pro was 22% faster than the iPhone 15 Pro. However, that’s still 18% behind the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which also delivered higher frame rates on the test. 

There’s one other performance test we ran to see if Apple’s claims of better sustained performance are legit. The iPhone 16 Pro Max features a new internal design with a graphite-clad aluminum substructure that’s supposed to result in 20% better sustained performance.

Interestingly, the iPhone 16 Pro Max turned in a very strong so-called stability score of 84% on the 3DMark Wilfe Life Stress Test, which is better than the 75% from the iPhone 15 Pro Max. But the iPhone 16 Pro hit only 66%. It hit a higher overall loop score but had a bigger drop-off. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s score was even worse at 60.4%.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Battery life and charging

Thanks to larger batteries and other efficiencies, Apple says the iPhone 16 Pro Max has the best iPhone battery life ever, and our testing backs that up.

On the Tom’s Guide battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over 5G at 150 nits of screen brightness, the iPhone 16 Pro Max lasted for an average of 17 hours and 38 minutes. That’s nearly four hours longer than the iPhone 15 Pro Max and close to an hour longer than the already great Galaxy S24 Ultra. 

Unfortunately, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max still offer the same lame charging speeds. You get just over 30% capacity in 30 minutes from a 30W charger. And do not believe the reports that the new iPhones support 45W charging. We tried it, and it made no difference. 

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: iOS 18

The iPhone 16 Pro max runs iOS 18, and Apple Intelligence is just one of many new features. You can learn more about it in our full iOS 18 review, but some of the key highlights include the ability to further customize the home screen and Control Center, as well as a redesigned Photos app that makes it easier to personalize the look and find your photos by topic.

iOS 18 also includes Messages upgrades, such as adding effects to outgoing messages and tapback options, RCS support and (finally) the ability to schedule messages for later. A dedicated Passwords app and the ability to pay others with a tap with Tap to Cash are among the other highlights. 

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Review updates

• Sept 27: Reports of the iPhone 16 Pro Max crashing the camera app whenever it's launched from the lock screen with the Camera Control button. It appears to be intermittent, but we have not come across this issue with our test unit.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Verdict

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is indeed an iterative upgrade, and maybe it wouldn’t feel that way if Apple Intelligence was available today along with all the promised features. Instead, it’s going to trickle out over time. So I would not be in a rush to upgrade.

Having said that, I think the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the best phone money can buy right now if you want the biggest screen and longest battery life. It lags in zoom vs the S24 Ultra, but you get more endurance, better camera quality and plenty of creative features like Photographic Styles and Audio Mix. 

I actually prefer the AI capabilities of the Pixel 9 Pro XL series, with its smarter Gemini Live voice assistant (though you only get free access to Gemini Advanced for a year) and other features like Add Me for photos and Pixel Screenshots. But the Pixel’s performance and battery life trail the iPhone 16 Pro Max. 

For me, the iPhone 16 Pro Max retains its title as the best phone, but it’s not because of Apple Intelligence.