Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max review

Competition

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max is probably destined to become one of Apple's best-selling phones this year. The Pro Max has always been for people wanting the largest screens and for photography enthusiasts needing the best cameras.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max has it all - design, screen, performance, and camera chops. It is one of the most premium smartphones out there.

That is why we think its biggest threat is the previous iPhone 15 Pro Max model, which is largely the same device but now noticeably cheaper. For all intents and purposes, the 15 Pro Max has the same design, screen, performance, and camera quality.

Then there is the iPhone 16 Plus, which is similarly large and powerful, just lacking a 120Hz refresh rate and a 5x telephoto camera. But it is a lighter and thinner phone, cheaper, too - all valid reasons to get it instead of the Pro Max if you do not care about buttery smooth UI or the long-range zooming.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max • Apple iPhone 16 Plus

Verdict

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max is not a major update over the 15 Pro Max. There is little sense in upgrading if you have a last year's iPhone, but that has always been the case.

That doesn't mean to say the iPhone 16 Pro Max underdelivers - just on the contrary, it has a class-leading build quality, an excellent screen, superb battery life, impressive speakers, top-notch performance, and, of course, some of the best cameras on the market.

Apple iOS may not be everyone's cup of tea, regardless of whether it's due to its odd file management or various restrictions in all sorts of places. But it is also quite a secure system, easy to work with, and, this year, with iOS 18, Apple finally brought flexibility in how your app icons look and how they are arranged across the homescreens. We'll also finally get a taste of the AI features Apple has envisioned for the OS.

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro Max, there is probably no reason to switch. But if you own an iPhone 13 or earlier, maybe now is the time - we highly recommend the iPhone 16 Pro Max for its all-around flagship experience.

Pros

• Durable and beautiful design.
• Superb display, larger and almost bezel-less.
• Great battery life.
• Excellent speakers.
• Flagship-grade performance.
• Flagship level camera performance, day and night.

Cons

• No AI Intelligence at launch, for EU may be never.
• Few and little upgrades over the previous version.
• Ultrawide camera not quite up to scratch in low light.