iPhone 16 Pro Max: Review and Unboxing

[AndyUnderscoreR]

If you're going from a 2018 phone to the latest, the "minimal improvements" is a false impression, but also intentional on Apple's part. You've been able to upgrade to a vastly more powerful phone without having to learn a new phone. That's their goal, and it seems to be a success in your case.

No, it's a genuine impression. It's weird that you think you know more about my personal impression of my personal phone than I do.

The phone might well be 'vastly more powerful', but with the exception of the camera it doesn't actually do anything vastly better, the practical improvements are limited to a small bevel size improvement, slightly snappier opening of a few slow apps and a modest battery life improvement. It does many things worse for no reason other than bad design. My old phone didn't wobble on a flat desk, didn't cut so much of the corners of the image off, didn't pop up constant unnecessary game mode messages and had a notch that was less intrusive than the island. It was also better at detecting the 'swipe up from the bottom' gesture.

 

[Sora]

Just picked up the iPhone 16 Pro for my wife and and the Pro Max for myself. An upgrade from the 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max.
It feels larger. That JND, just noticeable difference is real.

 

[wbeasley]

Maybe it's because I've always been a photography enthusiast even before smartphones but I've always shot photos and videos on my phone in landscape orientation unless the situation specifically works better for portrait mode. I don't get the people who never rotate their phones.

i think it's a generational thing.

the Influencer Generation: grab your phone and live stream your life like someone is interested and will give you stuff for free...

For live streaming and disposable content vertical is fine.

But when you see something dramatic happening that is newsworthy, and then they continue to hold the phone vertical... ignoring the rebroadcast format. ;(

 

[wbeasley]

Good to hear trading 13PM for 16PM also like being able to standardize on USB-C cables, bye lightning.

the cable is less important to me. often AirDropped files to other phones or computer.
just used it for charging and basically left the cable plugged in ready to use.
so it was hardly a big deal.

i always find devices that use micro USB B cables are more painful as 99% of the time you pick the wrong plug direction

that was the cable that NEEDED to go away...

 

[Aslak3]

Entering every possible category (foldable, ring, etc.) with any generic product like every other company doesn’t sound like a risk or innovation to me. Launching a couple of products a year does sound like a risk.

I imagine their experience with the Vision Pro is going to put them off further and they will retreat. They do need to take *calculated* risks to prosper. Not by copying as you suggest, but they must push the envelope somewhere. I remain very worried that Apple’s best days are behind it, and it’s friggin sad.

 

[jimmy_uk]

I imagine their experience with the Vision Pro is going to put them off further and they will retreat. They do need to take *calculated* risks to prosper. Not by copying as you suggest, but they must push the envelope somewhere. I remain very worried that Apple’s best days are behind it, and it’s friggin sad.

Perhaps it's because some of their most creative members have been leaving in recent years. SKUs have ballooned and profit + services are the sole driving force of the company, just like the Apple of old.

 

[Downhilltenago]

Man the wait to get mine is going to feel like forever.

 

[joshuaiz]

The audio sounds remarkably good when you consider this is recorded only with the iPhone's microphone. All you people above realize that, don't you?

My default desk speakers are the Apple Studio Display speakers which are not professional audio monitors but much better than the speakers on my MacBook Pro M1 16". When listening through these as I always do with Dan's videos, I did notice a little extra reverb from the room and not as full of a sound as using a professional microphone but that is to be expected.

My guess is the audio was placed pretty much as-is into the video without much eq or processing in order to demonstrate the sound so with that in mind this is pretty remarkable quality.

Would I use it for professional videos without any correction? No. But in a pinch, doing a quick video the sound would be good enough.

 

[black_knight]

A few initial impressions based on an hour of light use. I’m coming from an iPhone 13 Pro.

1. Speed. This seems so much faster than the 13 Pro, which wasn’t slow. It’s hard to describe but everything seems instantaneous.

2. The Dynamic Island is great. I know some people don’t like it, but it’s a nice visual indicator and shortcut to functions.

3. The phone feels about the same weight (it’s slightly lighter).

4. The bezels are tiny. The extra screen size is appreciated.

5. The camera control button will be used a lot. It fits nicely with my thumb in portrait mode and is more useable in landscape.

6. I like the action button. I’ll find the best shortcut for me.

7. The speakers are amazing for this small phone. You have to hear them to appreciate how good they are. Decent bass and they get plenty loud.

I haven’t tried out the camera much or other things. More tests to come tomorrow.

It’s good to see someone with a positive attitude. Gets old with the wining and complaining that many people here exhibit.

 

[Technomad42]

I was going to leave a very similar comment. I have never used one of these stickers, nor have I seen them used anywhere. And you're right about their concern over the environmentalists' finger pointing, I'm sure.

If we’re not all environmentalists these days, we’re finished…

 

[HDFan]

it doesn't actually do anything vastly better

It doubles my WiFi connection rate to an upstairs room. Previously ~300 Mbps, now ~882 Mbps.

Edited: a later test dropped back to the old bitrates. So it can do it, just have to figure out if I can make it consistent.

 

[gtjacket123]

The camera button is a joke.

Right now it’s kinda lame. Pressing it to take a photo either (1) moves the phone (you know what I mean if you’ve tried it) (2) opens up the zoom scroller (and scrolls!!) or both. None of it feels fun or clever. A lot of room to make this better so I’m hopeful for future iterations. Unfortunately that will likely mean hardware changes to not require a hard click to snap a shot.

A couple of more thoughts- I DO really like that no matter where I am in my phone I can click the button to bring up the cam, it’s basically a dedicated shortcut. I don’t care about the button from there, I will use the on screen controls for everything else (until they improve the UX as I was describing earlier).

FYI for some reason if you migrate from an existing iPhone the button may require 2 clicks to pull up the cam. This appears to be a bug as it didn’t affect me when I set up from scratch. (Meaning it was one click to open the app no matter if my screen was on or off).

Also visual intelligence is coming which will mean I will expect to use my camera even more when out and about, so I’m excited for “one click” to get there.

If you are reading this and have a 15 none of this is important, don’t worry about upgrading your phone, it’s a break even- cool idea that will require software and hardware updates to reach its potential.

 

[sjsharksfan12]

It's all about the cameras again, even the new button is about the camera... there's nothing else to this new iPhone.

I think my biggest pet peeve with reviewers and phone tech these days is everything revolves around the camera. The Camera really is the least used feature on the phone for me and while I know more people use it, I feel like 70% of a review is about the Camera. I want to know about stuff like the speakers, how light or heavy the phone is, the display, how smooth the phone is, and stuff like that. I know we are basically at a peek level for a phone, but I wish the Camera wasn't as highly rated as it is.

 

[gtjacket123]

I think my biggest pet peeve with reviewers and phone tech these days is everything revolves around the camera. The Camera really is the least used feature on the phone for me and while I know more people use it, I feel like 70% of a review is about the Camera. I want to know about stuff like the speakers, how light or heavy the phone is, the display, how smooth the phone is, and stuff like that. I know we are basically at a peek level for a phone, but I wish the Camera wasn't as highly rated as it is.

What really bothers me is that I care about the camera and have not noticed a substantial improvement in the past few years. I know they are upping the numbers for whatever (pixels! Zooms!) but the practical impact I feel is blah.

 

[neuropsychguy]

It’s good to see someone with a positive attitude. Gets old with the wining and complaining that many people here exhibit.

It’s a great phone and device. It does what I need. I won’t complain about it. I’ll offer criticism if I have specific suggestions about feasible improvements.

 

[sjsharksfan12]

What really bothers me is that I care about the camera and have not noticed a substantial improvement in the past few years. I know they are upping the numbers for whatever (pixels! Zooms!) but the practical impact I feel is blah.

I have the Samsung phone and feel like once you see one camera you see them all. What makes one camera better than another? If the picture comes out clear, that's what matters. Last year I had the 15 Pro Max and with all the hype about the Camera, I didn't really see a difference between that and the phone I was replacing. Now if a phone can automatically make a picture clear even if you might move it slightly and it looks blurry, then that's a plus. Until then, I don't really see a difference between one phone and a previous model.

 

[vantelimus]

It's all about the cameras again, even the new button is about the camera... there's nothing else to this new iPhone.

Nothing else? How about an advanced processor that can execute AI models fast enough to keep your private data on the device instead of sending it to a server where it can be added to your dossier so that you can be categorized, collated, and sold?

 

[wbeasley]

I have the Samsung phone and feel like once you see one camera you see them all. What makes one camera better than another? If the picture comes out clear, that's what matters. Last year I had the 15 Pro Max and with all the hype about the Camera, I didn't really see a difference between that and the phone I was replacing. Now if a phone can automatically make a picture clear even if you might move it slightly and it looks blurry, then that's a plus. Until then, I don't really see a difference between one phone and a previous model.

is your Samsung phone the one with the faked moon Space Zoom?

Samsung caught faking zoom photos of the Moon

A photo of a blurry image of the Moon revealed some telling results.

www.theverge.com

 

[sjsharksfan12]

is your Samsung phone the one with the faked moon Space Zoom?

Samsung caught faking zoom photos of the Moon

A photo of a blurry image of the Moon revealed some telling results.

www.theverge.com

I don't think so but with all the AI coming out these days, I'm not surprised that would be a thing. We've already seen some AI fakery this year. It's probably going to get worse and never get better.

 

[wbeasley]

I don't think so but with all the AI coming out these days, I'm not surprised that would be a thing. We've already seen some AI fakery this year. It's probably going to get worse and never get better.

yeah i usually read what proper well known photography sites say about phone cameras these days.

they call out what's crap, what's marketing and if they have graphs and RAW image comparisons it helps explain what is a good camera and what's processing to make you think it is.

https://www.dpreview.com/ is one review site.

 

[ikjadoon]

My initial impressions of the 16 Pro, which is replacing my ageing iPhone XR:

On to the hardware - overall, a bit disappointing, it really doesn't feel like I've gone from a cheap 2018 phone to the top of the range 2024 phone. The thinner bezel is nicer, as is the camera, but the 'island' feels more intrusive than the old notch, the much more rounded corners of the screen cut a lot more off, the screen has a greenish tinge and worst of all, the camera sticks out so much and is so offset that trying to use the phone on a flat surface means it wobbles. I've had to pad the back with blu-tack so I can use the phone. Why don't Apple get that this is a) really bad design and b) incredibly easy to fix? Also, why the hell can't I turn off the constant 'game mode on' pop-ups when switching apps?

Overall, it's ok, but feels hugely overpriced given the minimal improvements over a 6 year-old device.

You're not alone: I jumped 6s Plus → iPhone 12 Pro and was very underwhelmed the first few days. I think part of that disappointment is from:

1. Many new features are from iOS, which older phones get, too.
2. Many HW features require a niche situation, "OK, the 6GB of RAM is nice after 20 apps are open" or "Crap, dropped my phone in the pool! Glad it's IP68 to 6m vs 1m".
3. Plenty of innovation is from fresh third-party apps, e.g., a LIDAR scanning app blew me away.

An amazing LCD isn't massively behind OLED (e.g., millions of LCD TVs still sell today). Like others have said, the iPhone is mostly a tool to do new things that I couldn't do before or do old things significantly better.

I wouldn't touch a new iPhone at retail; luckily, we have good discounts at AT&T, so the 3-year upgrade cycle is fine.

Not that this will align with your experience, but the few things that really made me appreciate my iPhone 12 Pro (over my 6S Plus):

1. Take indoor photos with the ultrawide angle. Made me see my home in a whole new way!
2. Use that LIDAR app above to scan a room. Wonderfully neat, if not useful.
3. Newer movies look stellar on the OLED, but mostly in a dark room.
4. If you have AirTags, now you can track them in "3D" with the Find My app. Handy.
5. Shoot some 4K60 / 4K120 videos: they look stunning, even on a large screen.
6. Macro photos are wild of plants / flowers / even grass!

You upgraded from an XR. At least the screen (lower PPI LCD vs high PPI OLED) is very different. Not to mention the camera and the overall performance of the phone.

I’m only disappointed and decided not to upgrade first time in 15 years because from 15PM there’s nearly no difference. From an XR? It’s fine.

IMO, I also barely could tell a difference between a 6S Plus LCD vs 12 Pro OLED. It's better in some ways, but the gap between TN → IPS is much larger than IPS → OLED to me.

The PPI is hardly noticeable, IMO.

I never saw a difference either when they swapped LCD for OLED...



81% after 2 years? Hmm, that doesn't seem to be right. Mine is at 93%, also 2 years...

I noticed a difference, in certain areas. I wouldn't want to go back to LCD, but OLED is not mind-blowingly better, esp on these tiny little screens. It's a nice improvement on the spec sheet and just a bit better otherwise.

I think battery longevity is best measured by cycle count, instead of years.

 

[ikramerica]

What game was changed? That is by far the laziest phrase in use.

The game was changed from Apple “no buttons necessary” to my 15 year old SONY candybar phone with dedicated photo buttons and sliding lens cover.
Dedicated camera buttons: what’s old is new again

It doubles my WiFi connection rate to an upstairs room. Previously ~300 Mbps, now ~882 Mbps.

I tested my iPhone 12Pro vs my wife’s 16 in 5GUW speed at a location with max coverage.

iP12P 275 down, 53 up
iP16 650 down, 80 up

So there are definitely modem improvements happening even if the phones look similar year to year.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

It's all about the cameras again, even the new button is about the camera... there's nothing else to this new iPhone.

What exactly are you expecting it to do that's revolutionary? Turn into a car? open out into a 70" TV??

Phone of all types are a mature techonology now and camera's are essentially the biggest feature to improve on. Everything else is software.

 

[The Game 161]

What exactly are you expecting it to do that's revolutionary? Turn into a car? open out into a 70" TV??

Phone of all types are a mature techonology now and camera's are essentially the biggest feature to improve on. Everything else is software.

and a lot of the new features for the phones came in IOS 18 and will come when apple intelligence finally launches.

 

[AndyUnderscoreR]

The game was changed from Apple “no buttons necessary” to my 15 year old SONY candybar phone with dedicated photo buttons and sliding lens cover.
Dedicated camera buttons: what’s old is new again

I can see an element of sense in Apple's approach (even if going from an XR to a 16 Pro has tripped me up because the buttons are not all exactly where my muscle memory expect them to be) because learning one new button per generation of phone isn't as much cognitive load as learning a complete new set of buttons.