Other Coming from 16 Pro, which is better? 16 Pro Max or Air?

[dmk1974]

I upgraded my wife from her 16 Pro Max 256gb to a 17 Pro Max. I was thinking of upgrading from my own 16 Pro to either her 16 Pro Max or an Air. Which do you think is the better choice?

Both have bigger screens than the regular 16 Pro which is great for my 52-year-old eyes. Main trade offs i guess are better cameras and better battery vs newer chip and lighter weight. Thanks!

 

[ElPaso]

16 Pro Max -- Awesome phone, no cost. No brainer!

 

[MarkX]

16 Pro Max, no question. The chip difference between the air and the 16 Pro Max will not be noticeable but the battery life will be.

 

[Brettka7]

I went from a 16PM to an Air. I have zero regrets. The benefits are obvious - it’s appearance, feel, and weight.

Battery is only slightly worse than 16 Pro, and about even with 15 Pro. The MagSafe battery pack gives you 70% more battery if you have a long day of screen time and it’s always on sale these days. I put it in my wallet pocket and it’s so slim that I don’t feel it.

The one I don’t see discussed often is the heat. The Air is unbelievably cool all the time. By far the coolest phone I’ve owned, iOS or Android. Never overheats during CarPlay like my 16PM and 14PM. My 16PM in comparison was my warmest phone ever.

Do you go to a lot of concerts and want to take photos or videos? The Air camera sucks there. It’s good when you don’t need to zoom far. Speaker is fine, not amazing, but nowhere near as bad as the complainers say. I can easily hear my music in a shower.

 

[James6s]

Choose the 16 Pro Max if you use and will miss the ultra wide and telephoto cameras and need an iPhone with a big battery. Are you ok with the size and weight of the 16 Pro Max?

The Air has a 0.4mm smaller but better & brighter screen than the 16 Pro Max, it is significantly thinner and lighter with an incredible in hand user experience.

Are you a heavy user? Battery life on the Air will be close to your current 16 Pro and punches well above it’s capacity having all Apple optimised chips - the C1X modem, N1 chip & the A19 Pro which is paired with 12GB RAM, great for longevity & will allow it to run the full powerful Apple Intelligence in iOS 27 (this may not matter to you)

 

[dmk1974]

Thanks for the comments. Looks like a split decision on the votes so far!

I used the 16 PM for a couple days and then to the Air for a couple days now. Both have all the same pros/cons you listed. Air is so much better for longer in-hand, comfort in-hand, and to carry in-pockets. 16 PM better only a little bit with battery, but the superior cameras and even larger screen (noticeably heavier in comparison though).

Maybe back and forth I'll go for a bit. 🙂

 

[cuzo]

Obvious difference in width and that's very important, I have the sir and looking to sell to get the 16 pro Max.