iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max

01 November 2024
How does Apple's 2024 Pro Max stack up to the 15 Pro Max from last year?

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Frankly, the only reason to get the 16 Pro Max is the 4K/120fps video recording capability, which Sony has been doing on Xperia since 2021. Unless you're a real mobile videography enthusiast, the 15 Pro Max can still do enough justice.

    Those Pros are as sad as expected. Miniscule differences that really do not change anything. Go for the predecessor

      Thank you for taking paired photos and videos for comparative reviews

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • PxV
        • 03 Nov 2024

        wow ... 16pm camera improvement is significantly 0.5% over 15pm ... LOL

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          • Anonymouse
          • Emn
          • 02 Nov 2024

          Smart things, 01 Nov 2024Sorry apple best brand for smartphone This guy is a figure of "rage bait" like a full package.

          The guy just dropped an arguable comment and dipped LMAO

          Look what he has done

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            • Lister
            • n1b
            • 02 Nov 2024

            Darth Caesium, 02 Nov 2024Haha I'm nonchalant chill until it comes to walled gar... moreThe walled garden where accessories have exclusive features tied to the iPhone is annoying. I know they aren't the only ones, but what if I like to flip between android and iOS? Tough luck, i lose features...

              jiyen235, 02 Nov 2024yeah but normies just get used to it and there are so many ... moreHaha I'm nonchalant chill until it comes to walled gardens. I guess I just hate walled gardens on principle, so to me, Apple stands against the very concept of ownership and freedom. Otherwise, I wouldn't hate them, I'd just find them to be another average brand — amazing or great in some areas, meh in others. The walled garden is where I draw the line and enter into irrational rage.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • IbF
                • 02 Nov 2024

                Darth Caesium, 01 Nov 2024Boy do I have a bridge to sell you. Who do you think makes ... moreSamsung and Lg produces the oled panels used inside of the screen, they don’t make the entire screen..

                  Darth Caesium, 02 Nov 2024It's mostly the walled garden that bothers me honestly... moreyeah but normies just get used to it and there are so many quirks on my phone that i have had to get used to it's unbelievable.

                  Like each update changes stuff up for no reason, it used to be nearly perfect in terms of usability back during OneUI 5 but then they started bringing in changes to change up the look and now everything feels Apple-ified, my most used stuff is a lot more difficult to access so yeah, it's not like android is necessarily better. Goodlock on Samsungs is nice and all but it ain't no actual selling point apart from anyone who NEEDS to tinker with phones.

                  I understand your hatred but damn you seem to really hate Apple lol, thought you were like more of non-chalant chill guy but it turns out we're the same, we just direct our hatred towards different brands lol

                  I'm quite interested in trying a Oneplus/Vivo phone to see how their customization is, everyone praises Samsung so much and i agree it's great but they all act like it's perfect. Sadly nothing's perfect.

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                    • Rakesh
                    • Sec
                    • 02 Nov 2024

                    jiyen235, 01 Nov 2024idk what phones you have used but i have tried apple phones... moreAnd yet they demolished the navigation bar removal and I had enough of Sammy then.

                      jiyen235, 02 Nov 2024I mean has Samsung really improved in the hardware front mu... moreIt's mostly the walled garden that bothers me honestly. Besides that, their phones are a mix of things that are amazing, great, and okay. It's the software experience — even besides the walled garden — that triggers me so much. The walled garden plays a large part of this hatred, but Apple's software besides that has a large number of quirks that are downright stupid and ruin the user experience. I say this as someone who's tried using an iPhone and ended up having to return it within the refund window because I just couldn't get used to it. I don't like gesture navigations, so I use window navigation buttons on my phones, and you can't do that with Apple. The lack of a universal back button in apps makes for an extremely bad user experience, as does things like not being able to flush the cache of apps from the system — leading to some apps having such functionality within the app, while others just don't bother with it.

                        Darth Caesium, 01 Nov 2024I mean, I don't have an extremely low opinion of Apple... moreI mean has Samsung really improved in the hardware front much in the past few years? Samsung and Apple are improving at the same rate I'd say. If their biggest competitor isn't doing much, why should they? Google is cringe, Oneplus isn't a top tier flagship but rather a flagship killer. Xiaomi is quirky enough that even Xiaomi fanboys will warn you. Vivo doesn't release Ultras worldwide, Huawei is a joke for global audiences, Honor imo is overrated i don't see them as a top tier flagship they just feel a little lower than other flagships but above oneplus. And finally it's still a miracle that Oppo is releasing their mid Find X8 series globally, the Ultra could be a China only release. That leaves Nothing, Sony, ZTE and Asus. Nothing makes midrangers, Sony is horrendous for the price, ZTE is good but not available and their software aint the best but they have great hardware value at least and Asus is a joke.

                        Yeah you don't take many videos but whenever you do, you can just trust it yk? I haven't been disappointed by Apple's videography yet, their HDR capability is only matched by Sony's HLG implementation but Sony's videography isn't as good as Apple's soooo there's that.

                        Apart from maybe the X200 Pro Mini, no other brand has the same level of bezel thinness, additionally even the X200 Pro Mini's bezels aren't uniform so Apple has the thinnest uniform bezels. The Mini has a chin/the bottom left and right sides are a tad thicker. Watch Vincent Zhong's video you'll know, yeah the difference is absolutely small and the X200 Pro Mini has smaller side and top bezels but uniform bezels are just cooler yk? And yeah the design ain't the greatest but others aren't doing any better either. They're copying the same aesthetic and i really hate those. At least Apple feels familiarly boring, it feels so weird seeing Pixels and Samsungs look like Apple clones. Just pathetic from them. I'm a fan of the 11 Pro and i'll always stand by it, it's the best designed iPhone. I love curves ;)

                        Yeah brightness is equalled and maybe some others have 100-300 nit higher brightness but does that matter? Apple never needs to be the best to get sales. Why should they push for the highest numbers? And like, always remember that brightness is logarithmic, look up " log x curve" to have a visual understanding of what i mean. Basically, the first few numbers have HUGE impacts but like after ~800 nits, each 100 nits is not THAT impressive. You need 200 nit jumps to be impressively different. And then imo you need 300 nits or larger jumps after 1500 nits to be worthy of being ACTUALLY better. Even then, NO phone holds these brightness numbers. Look at the gsmarena beach test. And like, Samsung is dimmer so like, lol.

                        Yeah processors are adequate but like, you've gotta respect how good the CPU is on the Apple phones.

                        Eh you're wrong. Even my mum and dad use the "Vivid" filter all the time. People aren't THAT stupid i think, they can change stuff up if they want to. And even if you think the WB isn't good, some people like it yk? And besides the WB, the global characteristics are the same as Samsung or Google, if not better at times. Also the periscope ain't that big yeah but it's not like anyone REALLY cares. Reviewers online praise Samsung's 3x. So why would the average guy really complain about the periscope? And the selfie cam is small yeah but the aperture is WIDE. 1/3.6" but f/1.9, samsung's selfie is 1/3.2" but f/2.2. So in the end the difference isn't THAT big. Same goes for the periscope, 1/3.2" f/2.6 vs 1/2.52" f/3.4, the differences aren't that huge cus of that. Only Google's doing better in terms of hardware surprisingly, 1/2.55" f/2.8 lens for the periscope. The selfie is f/2.2 but i can't find the size numbers so let's say it's the same as Apple's so yeah. And the UW cam of the Galaxy is the same size as Apple but is 12 MP and Apple's is 48 MP. Though the differences in real life photos are just negligible. Google once again does better with a f/1.7 UW cam compared to a f/2.2 UW cam of Apple's. Google has better hardware than Apple or Samsung but they overprocess stuff and their ISP isn't that great so their photos aren't the best. LOL. Imagine if they partnered with Vivo/Oppo/Xiaomi and got some Zeiss/Hasselblad/Leica type partnership thing, that'd pay off more than pointless dxomark numbers.

                        I agree that Apple's walled garden is annoying, but isn't that what people paid for? And shouldn't Apple have the freedom to make what they want? Apart from USB-C, I don't see any other reason to force stuff on Apple really. I'm never gonna buy an Apple product myself but i understand why someone would, stuff just works a lot of the times, or at least it used to. Apple, by trying to be more customizable and "free", has also brought in bugs and glitches and slowdowns. Android and iOS are closer than you'd think, apart from not being able to sideload apps, i don't think there's a HUGE difference. Like yeah super niche stuff is gonna be easier on android but that's how it's been always.

                        Yk that quote "I Disapprove of What You Say, But I Will Defend to the Death Your Right to Say It." That's it. I think manufacturers SHOULD have freedom. My main problem is when the market leader starts using anti-consumer methods. A walled software isn't anti-consumer. High repair costs, no good third party repair prospects, super hard to repair for a normal person, artificial slowing of the phone with updates and nuking of the battery with updates. These are the stuff that Apple should be held accountable for.

                        You listed down and agreed with so many good things about Apple but somehow irrationally hate them. I agree their walled thing is not for me but compared to Samsung and Google, are Apple REALLY worse? Apple has been an industry follower through and through, and Samsung and Google aren't pushing the envelope by any means. So Apple are just cruising by.

                        Let me ask you, apart from the closed off nature of the phone, what bothers you? The battery is great, screens are great, design is what most people like (everyone looks at me weird when i say curves are good and the 11 pro was great), normies love these speakers, cameras aren't perfect but google and samsung aren't doing much better in photography and Apple's better in videography, performance is light years ahead of Google. Like everything's perfect for a normie. Price is absurdly high but it's not like Samsung and Google phones are cheap.

                          I used to have a 13 pro. Was about to switch to a 15 pro max but got some carrier discounts and ended up with a 16 pro max. Long story short: mixed feelings.

                          What I like on the 16 pro max
                          - doesn't heat up as much as the 13 pro with current iOS while all the overheating that plagued the 15 pro max back at launch are gone for good. 16 pro max is similar to the 15 pro max in terms of heat
                          - runs faster than the 13 pro and it's fairly noticeable but compared to the 15 pro max it really isn't that much a deal
                          - rounded edges feel great to hold but again it's the same as the 15 pro max
                          - main camera is really a lot better compared to both the 15 pro max and my older 13 pro
                          - lightning connector is no more

                          What I dislike about the 16 pro max
                          - random crashes with reboot on some Apple apps and camera. Seems to be fixed now
                          - titanium allows for a lighter device but the stainless steel frame is as solid as it gets. my 13 pro survived being dropped from the top of a car to a stone brick with a minor scratch. the 16 pro max already has a dent thanks to a floor drop from like 1ft.
                          - it heats up all the same while gaming on similar settings.

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                            • me want 2
                            • K18
                            • 02 Nov 2024

                            me want two

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                              • Anonymous
                              • LfV
                              • 01 Nov 2024

                              Anonymous, 01 Nov 2024Samsung being at forefront, good joke. They aren't eve... moreAlso one should ask who's at fault

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                                • Anonymous
                                • LfV
                                • 01 Nov 2024

                                Lister, 01 Nov 2024People criticising Apple for incremental improvements are s... moreSamsung being at forefront, good joke. They aren't even the first ones to implement new display stuff anymore

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                                  • Anonymous
                                  • ajN
                                  • 01 Nov 2024

                                  15 is overheating much more than the 16

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                                    • cyber
                                    • S2D
                                    • 01 Nov 2024

                                    at least 2 generations of phones can make a bigger difference,the excitement of geting a new product is missing these days no matter the brand and i feel saturated with those pale and meager designs which apple and samsung spitting out

                                      jiyen235, 01 Nov 2024idk what phones you have used but i have tried apple phones... moreI mean, I don't have an extremely low opinion of Apple either, but they haven't improved nearly enough on the hardware front, and now they are lagging behind there when they used to improve at the same pace as the average player in the market.

                                      With the video, I am extremely impressed by their video capabilities, but as I don't take videos that much, it's ultimately a nice thing to have for me but not that important. In other words, I probably don't appreciate it nearly enough because I simply don't take many videos.

                                      With the bezels, I absolutely agree, but it was a lot more impressive seeing Apple's efforts at having thin, uniform bezels several years ago when almost no OEM had them compared to now, where everyone does it and it's become almost just another pointless figure to point at on a spec sheet. Additionally, I am not a fan of Apple's flat aesthetic and much prefer the rounded look of the iPhone X-11 series than anything that came after it (even if the camera bump looks comically small by today's standards).

                                      The screen brightness was true up until relatively recently, in which Apple is now equalled by almost everyone. This isn't bad per se, it just means that even in a stagnating market, at least everyone is competitive on the display front, at least with their flagships.

                                      Battery life is ABSOLUTELY true, and I wholeheartedly agree with you there. The chips are competitive, but as I don't play AAA games on my phone (nor my PC for that matter, I'm just not interested in most of them), I don't really get much of the benefits, so it's the kind of thing I gloss over nowadays. In the past, it would've mattered, but nowadays almost all phones have adequate processors for everyday use so it really doesn't matter.

                                      For camera experience, it's serviceable, but Apple's default white balance is so yellow that it's definitely a healthy detractor from what it could be. I know that Apple has different white balance profiles, but for the average user, they're not going to fiddle around with that, so it's just a case of bad defaults ruining the experience. Hardware-wise, the cameras are serviceable if not impressive, and the 5× periscope and the selfie camera are downright insulting with how small their sensors are (even if IBIS on a selfie camera is undoubtedly cool and useful) even compared to mainstream Western brands.

                                      I think, though, the biggest reason why I am so critical of Apple, is because fundamentally I hate walled gardens and want to see them completely outlawed. This is probably my most authoritarian stance on anything (which is to say, this is uncharacteristically authoritarian of me), and it comes from the fact that I believe walled gardens are a complete attack on people's freedoms, and against the whole idea of being able to do what you want with your own possessions. As someone who can use and does use Linux on my desktop, I abhor the length that phones go to to stop people from installing whatever they like on it, and Apple is especially disgustingly restrictive when it comes to this. Whenever I see Apple do this kind of thing, I have a special hatred burning inside me against them, and only console manufacturers (and especially Nintendo due to everything they've done to restric people from modifying their Nintendo Switch even right down to restrictions through hardware design) can beat them.

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                                        • Anonymous
                                        • 0p}
                                        • 01 Nov 2024

                                        Only 1 camera has 4k@120. Should be all 3.
                                        Failure.