Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max review

A bit more of the same - with some extra tone

The iPhone 16 Pro Max introduces one obvious hardware change to the camera system, a new software setting to tweak HDR behavior, and a hardware-software feature that no one had thought to ask for (plus its software side isn't even fully finished yet at the time of launch).

The camera modules are mostly unchanged, at least in their key specs. The major exception is the ultrawide, which has now gotten a 48MP Quad Bayer type sensor in place of the old 12MP conventional RGB one. Apple isn't specifying the imager size, but if the old one was 1/2.55" with a 1.4µm pixel pitch, then the new one with 0.7µm pixels is surely going to be 1/2.55" too.

The main camera uses the same 1/1.28" type sensor - a reasonable size in the global scheme of things and ever so slightly larger (inconsequentially so, but still) than what's found on key competitors (Pixel 9 Pro XL and Galaxy S24 Ultra). It remains one of the few camera modules in the business with sensor-shift stabilization.

The telephoto is a more modest affair in terms of sensor tech, its 1/3.06" 12MP RGB imager being anything but cutting-edge. The tetraprism lens is far from pedestrian though, with Apple's folded design setting it apart from the periscopes of pretty much every other maker. Still, it's apparently the same as last year's zoom camera.

There don't appear to be any changes in the selfie camera either.

• Wide (main): 48MP (1/1.28", 1.22µm-2.44µm), f/1.8, 24mm, dual-pixel PDAF, sensor-shift IS; 4K@120
• Ultrawide: 48MP (1/2.55", 0.7µm-1.4µm), f/2.2, 13mm, PDAF; 4K@60fps
• Telephoto 5x: 12MP (1/3.06", 1.12µm), f/2.8, 120mm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift IS; 4K@60fps
• Front camera: 12MP (1/3.6", 1.0µm), f/1.9, 23mm, PDAF; 4K@60fps

Bridging the hardware-software divide is the new Camera Control. The extra hardware button on the right side of the phone offers mechanical pressing with actual key travel, as well as pressure sensing for light presses and capacitive sensitivity for swiping, enabling a ton of functionality already, with more to come with a future update.

What's missing from the planned functionality is the two-stage shutter release capability, though, it's anyone's guess why anyone would still want this on a smartphone in 2024.

The already present functionality includes the ability to launch the camera app (from a locked or unlocked state), including third-party camera apps. You even get to choose whether you'd like a single-press or a double-press action for the quick launch.

Once you're in the Camera, a click captures a photo, while holding down the button records a video for as long as you have it depressed.

Camera Control

The other thing you can do with it, is tweak parameters on the fly. The available settings include exposure compensation, simulated aperture, zoom level (stepless), camera switching (just the native focal lengths), photographic styles and 'Tone'. Double 'light press' (before the click) lets you change the parameter being adjusted, while a single light press subsequently brings back the previously selected parameter. The adjustment itself happens by swiping on the capacitive sensor or on the actual display in the general area of the button's on-screen manifestation.

Overall, we can probably see where Apple is coming from with the Camera control - we just don't feel like it solves a real problem. It's not particularly intuitive, it can be fiddly to use, and it can get in the way in situations when you're not meaning to use it.

We mentioned Tone above, and it's a new angle on the previously present Photographic Styles. This one in particular aims to give you more control over the HDR processing intensity - something that's apparently been causing a stir on the internet.

Photographic styles

There are two sets of Photographic styles, labeled Mood and Undertones, and for each style you can tweak the Tone (think of it as contrast or tone curve), Color (saturation), and Palette (sort of like a color filter). The Mood styles have pre-set values for all three parameters (Palette is always at 100), while the Undertone styles only alter Palette by default.

We appreciate the added layer of customizability in the way an iPhone will render the world around it so that you can personalize the photos you get out of your phone to your own taste. We'd almost be inclined to praise Apple for giving you all those options, though we're also of the opinion that the phone that 'just works' maybe shouldn't have to resort to glorified filters to try and please everyone. Or maybe that's too harsh, and Apple's approach is precisely the correct one.

Daylight photo quality

Main camera

Love them or hate them, one thing you can count on from iPhones is consistency. With that in mind, you won't be noticing a whole lot of differences between photos taken on the 16 Pro Max and the 15 Pro Max (and the respective non-Maxes too). That's not necessarily a compliment, since we'd be happy to see a bit more of a generational improvement, though conversely it means that those who are after the iPhone look will be able to get it, reliably.

The default output from the iPhone 16 Pro Max is not very enthusiastic in terms of color - a long standing gripe we've had with iPhone stills. That said, the photos do have noticeably more pop on the phone itself, so depending on how you consume your images, you may or may not find them lacking in saturation.

Of course, you can tweak the color and tone settings within the Photographic styles (now supposedly even easier with the camera control), though this approach is rubbing us a little the wrong way - why not have the Standard output be more universally likable and only then tweak it if you'd prefer a more conservative approach?

Pixel-level rendition is also somewhat of an acquired taste, the 12MP shots having as much detail as any other phone's 12MP shots, only here there's a bit more grit and random textures don't have a particularly natural presentation. It's hardly the worst offender in either aspect, the iPhone, but it's just that better processing does exist - we've seen it.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x), 12MP

iPhones stand out from the majority of other phones in that they have a 24MP mode on their main cameras in addition to the more obvious 12MP option. Indeed, the 24MP shots do provide extra detail and definition without any drawbacks in other image parameters.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x), 24MP

The full-res 48MP mode is, in turn, one of the better implementations and it too adds some extra detail to the picture. Your mileage will vary with subject matter, light, shooting distance and whatnot, but it's certainly not one of those cases where we can directly dismiss it as useless - quite the opposite.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x), 48MP

The iPhone does a fine job with people shots making for a reasonably lively presentation of skin tones. Portrait mode is fairly reliable too, though not necessarily infallible.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x), Photo mode

Daylight samples, main camera (1x), Portrait mode

Alongside the 24MP and 48MP 1x shots that are hard to rival, the iPhone 16 Pro Max captures remarkable 2x images at 12MP with excellent detail. These tend to be better than what the non-Pro 16s can muster.

Daylight samples, main camera (2x)

The 48mm equivalent focal length lends well to portraits, whether in Photo mode or Portrait mode.

Daylight samples, main camera (2x), Photo mode

Daylight samples, main camera (2x), Portrait mode

Telephoto camera

Moving on to the actual zoom camera, we're getting some great 5x shots. Detail is excellent and global parameters are predictably well matched to the main camera's output.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (5x)

The telephoto camera is great for portraits too, the 120mm focal length letting you get some tighter framing or shoot from afar. To be fair, it's a bit too long for people shots for our smartphone-conditioned minds, though it does return lovely images, so it's worth exploring.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (5x), Photo mode

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (5x), Photo mode

At 10x, the 16 Pro Max captures decent detail - it's roughly on par with the likes of the Galaxy S24 Ultra or the Pixel 9 Pro XL, it's just that the iPhone has a noisier, more blotchy presentation than those other two.

Daylight samples, telephoto camera (10x)

Ultrawide camera

The ultrawide camera continues along the same path as the main camera, with more a gritty detail rendition in some areas that we'd think is fitting. To be fair, it's not entirely offensive either and skies are nicely clean. Similarly, colors aren't overly expressive, but well tuned to go with the other imagers.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (0.5x)

The ultrawide's full-res mode - Jpeg Max, excuse us - is of limited usefulness, though it's once again not a straight up 'it's pointless, don't use it' type of situation.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (0.5x), 48MP

Apple hasn't really made any strides towards offering close focus on the telephoto so it's still the ultrawide that's tasked with 'macro mode' duties. We'll have to admit (reluctantly, because we do like close-focusing zoom cameras) that the 16 Pro Max captures pretty solid shots with the ultrawide at close range. Sure, they may not pin-sharp, but they're plenty sharp enough. Lighting may be an issue with your phone so close to the subject, so you'll need to work the angles right to avoid shadows.

Closeups, Macro mode

Selfies

The 16 Pro Max continues in the footsteps of many great selfie-capturing iPhones, serving some excellent images. Detail is very good, exposures are well tuned for your face, and the autofocus allows for some wackier angles at close range.

Selfie samples

Low-light photo quality

The iPhone's approach to low-light photography is such that it doesn't really let you force a Night mode on a scene and it's only when the phone decides it that you get Night mode processing explicitly. It's not very often on the main camera - only in particularly dark or contrasty scenes, while the ultrawide seems to resort to it somewhat more regularly. The telephoto is neither here, nor there.

That said, 'Night mode' as a concept has been gradually stripped of meaning, with who knows what layers of processing happening under the hood without much of an indication. What you can do is disable it, though we're not exactly sure why anyone would do such a thing.

Main camera

The iPhone 16 Pro Max captures excellent photos with its main camera at night - Night mode, or no Night mode. It exposes well, returns well developed shadows, and generally well preserved highlights. Now, the signs in the third sample the iPhone has done worse than pretty much anything we've seen lately from the midrange and up, though we can hear people arguing that it's more realistic this way.

Once again, detail is a bit grainy, but there's plenty of it and we'd take that over excessive smoothening of textures. White balance is consistently on point, regardless of lighting, and colors are actually quite pleasing at night - or is that 'pleasing for an iPhone'?

Low-light samples, main camera (1x)

The 2x mode is dependable at night as well, the low light levels not necessarily affecting performance too much. Global parameters remain the same as they are at 1x, and detail is very good.

Low-light samples, main camera (2x)

Telephoto camera

The telephoto camera returns very good photos at night, though we can't call it class-leading or anything - that is to say, we're satisfied with the results that Apple is extracting from what is all too modest hardware for our liking. Detail is good, though there's a fair bit of noise too - yes, that's the side of the trade-off that we'd normally lean, it's just that there's more noise than we'd like. Dynamic range and colors are hard to fault though.

Low-light samples, telephoto camera (5x)

Ultrawide camera

The ultrawide isn't in its element at night, with or without the extended processing of the Night mode action. Sharpness is okay at most, so don't look too close. Exposures can be on the dim side in more difficult scenes, but highlights are generally well preserved. White balance remains accurate, even in mixed lighting.

Low-light samples, ultrawide camera (0.5x)

Video recording

The iPhone 16 Pro Max can record video up to 4K60 with all of its cameras (the three rear ones, and the front-facing one), and 30fps and 24fps modes are also available across the board. The primary camera on the back can also do 4K120, at both 1x and 2x zoom. Also available, at least on our Euro units, are PAL modes (25fps and 100fps). If you want to capture 4K60 or higher, you must do so in the 'high-efficiency' HEVC/h.265 format, while for lesser modes you can choose between that and the AVC/h.264 option. Dolby Vision recording is also on the menu.

There are two audio tracks recorded - stereo AAC and four-channel APAC - that is, if you've enabled Spatial Audio in settings. You can set it to simple stereo, or mono.

Stabilization is always on in all modes (including 4K120) - you can't turn it off if you have other means of ensuring stable footage.

Video sample playlist

You can check out the playlist below, which includes multiple video samples.

Video footage taken during the day is excellent on the rear cameras, including the in-between 2x zoom level. There's very good detail, rendered in a reasonably conservative fashion, and noise is nowhere to be seen. White balance is good, with a slight lean towards extra warmth in our balcony scene (relatively consistent between the three cameras), while saturation is nicely judged. Dynamic range is top-notch too.

Also worth noting is that there is no difference in quality between frame rates - 24fps, 30fps, and 60fps clips from each camera all look the same.

Stabilization is excellent as always - on all cameras, in all modes.

In low light, one of the long-standing peculiarities of iPhone optics remains a thing on the 16 Pro Max - the internal reflections from light sources pointing into the phone show up in videos as bright dots. It's not a dealbreaker, but it can be annoying. Even with that in mind, the main camera's low-light clips are among the best in the business and even 2x zoom videos are looking good. The telephoto is no better or worse than competitors, returning usable footage that doesn't excite. The ultrawide is on the soft side of things, trailing behind in a race with no real winner among key rivals.