Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Review: More Than Meets The Eye

Price When Reviewed

1099

From the outside, the iPhone 16 Pro Max only looks like a minor refinement of its predecessor – especially with the design largely unchanged.

But, with its 6.9-inch display and titanium body, it’s bigger, heavier, and ever-so-slightly more robust than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. And, of course, there’s the new Camera Control button, which yes is a physical button.

Spend some time with Apple’s latest flagship, and you’ll notice several changes (mostly on the inside) that significantly impact how you’ll use the device, especially if you’re into photography or the latest AI features.

While the A18 Pro chip makes this phone a raw performance beast, Apple has put a lot of its future into Apple Intelligence – its answer to AI. The addition of the Camera Control button and upcoming Visual Intelligence capabilities also speaks to Apple’s ambition to redefine how we interact with the world through our phones.

Design & Build

• Noticeably thinner bezels
• Titanium build is premium, durable, and aids in heat dissipation
• Camera Control button is innovative but questionable

The iPhone 16 Pro Max maintains Apple’s recent design ethos, making only slight adjustments. It’s a premium-looking device, and its rounder corners and Natural Titanium colour option were clear influences on the Pixel 9 lineup.

This year’s new colour option is Desert Titanium, the goldish hue that has divided the internet. While the phone looks almost identical to the iPhone 15 Pro Max at first glance, there are some differences.

Thinner bezels around the screen make the already huge display feel even more expansive. Despite the display growing to a massive 6.9 inches, Apple has managed to keep the device almost the same size as last year’s model, making it feel like you’re holding more screen than phone.

The Super Retina XDR OLED panel now stretches further into the corners, creating a more immersive visual experience for both gaming and media consumption.

The titanium body, a grade 5 titanium frame over a graphite-clad aluminium substructure, has been further refined this time around. It gives the device a premium feel while also improving heat dissipation. The edges of the iPhone 16 Pro Max have been softened, making it more comfortable to hold for extended periods despite its larger size.

At 6g heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I didn’t notice much difference in handling. However, if you’re used to regular phones, this 227g handset might come as a shock.

The larger display size is also immediately evident. For me, it strikes the perfect balance between weight and build quality – this is a phone that feels robust but not bulky.

One new addition I appreciate is the Camera Control button, which Apple insists isn’t quite a button – but it is. It sits recessed, offering gesture control and a quick launch to the camera, much like the Action button introduced last year.

For me, the iPhone 16 Pro Max strikes the perfect balance between weight and build quality

I’ll talk more about the Camera Control later, but will share some early thoughts now. While I found the Camera Control useful for photography, it sometimes competes with the Action button for relevance. Apple may need to rethink the function of the older Action button in future iterations, as it feels underused compared to this newer control.

Screen & Speakers

• 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with 120Hz
• Great outdoor visibility with 2000 nits of peak brightness
• Stereo speakers provide clear, loud sound with decent bass

This 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display is Apple’s largest yet, and it’s a beauty. The thinner bezels allow for more screen real estate without significantly increasing the device’s physical size.

At 460ppi, the display isn’t as pixel-dense as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (505ppi), but Apple’s colour accuracy and HDR performance make it hard to notice any shortcomings. Apple has maintained its wide-color gamut, meaning colors are incredibly vibrant, yet remain natural and true to life.

With 2000 nits peak brightness outdoors and a new 1 nit low setting for nighttime use, it’s easy to see why this is one of the best displays on the market. Whether I’m streaming Netflix or playing a game, the visuals are vibrant and smooth, thanks to ProMotion’s 120Hz refresh rate. And the new support for 1 nit of brightness comes in particularly handy when using my phone in bed at night.

This 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display is Apple’s largest yet, and it’s a beauty

The 1 nit support still extends to the Always-On Display, letting you check notifications, time, or other widgets without fully unlocking the phone. It also dims intelligently to save power when not in use. While I personally don’t use the Always-On Display, it is a hit feature after being introduced a few years ago.

Then we get to the stereo speakers. While not dramatically improved from the previous model, the iPhone 16 Pro Max still offer loud, crisp sound with decent bass. For a phone this size, it’s a surprisingly capable audio device.

Specs & Performance

• Powered by the A18 Pro chipset – up to 20% faster than last year
• Great for gaming and multitasking
• 8GB RAM is low compared to competitors, but performs well due to optimisation

Powering the iPhone 16 Pro Max is Apple’s latest and greatest A18 Pro chipset, which is a significant step up from the A17 Pro, particularly when it comes to AI performance and graphical power.

According to Apple, it has a 15% faster CPU and 20% faster GPU than last year’s model. I can’t verify those figures but can say that it offers blisteringly fast performance across the board. That applies whether you’re editing 4K video, running the latest AAA mobile games, or simply multitasking between apps.

It also comes equipped with a 16-core Neural Engine, enabling more advanced machine learning and AI capabilities. It’s a big factor in making these devices capable of the full range of Apple Intelligence features, which I’ll explore in more detail later.

Gaming enthusiasts will be pleased to know that the iPhone 16 Pro Max supports ray tracing at double the speed of the A17 Pro, which makes for more realistic lighting and reflections in games available on iOS. During my tests, the device handled everything I threw at it, from graphically intensive games like Death Stranding to video editing on Adobe Premiere Rush.

The A18 Pro breezed through it all without a hiccup, though the device did get a bit warm after extended gaming sessions. However, it was noticeably less warm than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

For an extra test, I set both phones to record 4K videos for around 30 minutes. Then, using a laser thermometer, I recorded how warm both devices got over the area where the processor sits. The iPhone 16 Pro Max was between 3-4c cooler than the 15 Pro Max.

While competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL offer up to 12GB of RAM, Apple sticks with 8GB in the iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, Apple’s custom optimization ensures the device runs incredibly smoothly, even when handling demanding tasks or multitasking. Storage options start at 256GB and go all the way up to 1TB, providing plenty of space for apps, games, photos, and videos.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max benchmarks

There’s no denying that the iPhone 16 Pro Max is an absolute powerhouse. It delivers all the performance you could want and more. In fact, it actually clocks up higher Geekbench 6 scores than the M1 MacBook Air from late 2020 – with 3518 for single-core and 8378 for multi-core.

I was impressed with how snappy and responsive everything felt, from multitasking to gaming and watching content. There’s absolutely nothing I could do that would cause this device to freeze up, slow down, or begin to drop frames.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max outperforms both the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) with 2,273 single-core and 7,056 multi-core, and the Google Pixel 9 Pro (Tensor G4), which scores 1,950 single-core and 5,950 multi-core. The raw power inside the iPhone 16 Pro Max is simply unmatched.

There’s no denying that the iPhone 16 Pro Max is an absolute powerhouse. In fact, it actually clocks up a higher Geekbench score than the M1 MacBook Air

Cameras

• 48Mp main camera, 48Mp ultrawide, 12Mp 5x telephoto
• Camera Control button offers gesture-based camera controls
• 4K 120fps slow-motion video, and new AI audio features

Apple has always placed a strong emphasis on photography, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is no different. While the camera specs may seem familiar, Apple has introduced some major hardware and software upgrades that make this one of the most powerful camera systems available.

The 48Mp Fusion camera and 48Mp ultrawide camera are the stars of the show here. Apple has upgraded the sensor behind the main camera, enabling faster autofocus and improved low-light performance. Even in challenging lighting conditions, the iPhone 16 Pro Max captures impressive detail without oversaturating colours or introducing noise.

The ultrawide lens, which has been upgraded to 48Mp for the first time, offers sharper, clearer photos at wide angles. This is particularly useful for landscapes, architecture shots, or group photos. The improved macro capabilities also stand out, making it easier to capture tiny details without sacrificing quality.

The 12MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom also features so-called tetraprism technology, which helps to ensure minimal distortion, even at higher zoom levels. While this was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max last year, this time around it is also available on the smaller iPhone 16 Pro.

I found the zoom performance to be excellent, especially when taking photos of distant subjects, where the image stabilisation helped keep everything crisp and steady. Compared to competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which offers a higher zoom range, the iPhone still holds its own with superior colour accuracy and dynamic range.

However, I do wish the telephoto lens got the higher-resolution upgrade as well. Xiaomi’s recent Mix Flip foldable ditched the ultrawide lens that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and others use in favour of a telephoto – simply because more people use the zoom lens. I think the same is true of iPhones. Perhaps we’ll see a more significant upgrade on iPhone 17 Pro Max?

Even in challenging lighting conditions, the iPhone 16 Pro Max captures impressive detail without oversaturating colours or introducing noise

You’ve got plenty of other modes to pick from as well. Portrait shots come out looking exceptionally natural and sharp, with detail and sharpness being retained when you zoom in. This is true for both the rear camera and selfie snapper. The night mode is downright exceptional, with the image processing usually opting for more realistic colour in substitution for extra sharpness.

If you’re hoping to just point and shoot your photos, the iPhone’s camera app is arguably the best for this. And with faster apertures on all of the cameras, taking shots is quicker than ever – something you can really notice if you’re trying to capture something that’s moving or want to take lots of…