iPhone 16 Professional Max assessment — Value, efficiency, design

The iPhone 16 Professional Max is a curious gadget. Whereas it has a fractionally bigger display than final time, so does the iPhone 16 Professional.

And whereas it has a brand new Digital camera Management button, so does each mannequin within the iPhone 16 vary.

So the straightforward option to deal with the iPhone 16 Professional Max is that it is the identical as the remaining, and never that a lot completely different to the iPhone 15 Professional Max. That is the straightforward description, and it is not unfair, however in common, each day, prolonged use, it doesn’t really feel correct.

When you’re occupied with stepping into tech writing at no cost stuff, you need to most likely rethink. We purchase all of our personal units, and for the needs of this assessment, it does assist that I upgraded from an iPhone 15 Professional. So even with out every other distinction from the 2023 releases, for me there’s a enormous dimension distinction.

Sooner or later, although, a long run assessment cannot proceed to be concerning the variations between fashions. It must be concerning the telephone itself and what’s good about, what makes it — or would not make it — price shopping for.

So whereas I can not assist evaluating my iPhone 16 Professional Max with my previous iPhone 15 Professional, that is actually about what it has been like utilizing the brand new iPhone continuously since launch.

You usually overlook the scale. That is most likely probably the most sudden a part of utilizing what had initially gave the impression to be an unlimited distinction to the smaller Professional mannequin.

That is regardless of the bigger display than earlier than, which suggests the iPhone 16 Professional Max has a 6.9-inch display. That compares to its predecessor’s 6.7-inch display, however extra considerably for me, it compares to my iPhone 15 Professional’s 6.1-inch show.

It feels a waste that iOS 18 seems the identical on the bigger display because it does on the smaller one. Every app icon is strictly the identical dimension it was, it is simply the spacing that is completely different, and I might have preferred the room for use for extra apps as a substitute.

Then, too, I’d vow that watching films and TV on the iPhone 16 Professional Max is best than on the iPhone 15 Professional, however it might probably’t be. The decision is identical at 460 pixels per inch, and brightness is identical.

There isn’t any denying that the display is greater, so perhaps that is all I am responding to. However the place I used to solely sometimes watch video on my previous telephone, I am now watching rather more.

Then this may’t actually matter as a shock as a result of I hoped for it, however the iPhone 16 Professional Max has delivered on what I used to be in search of in an e-reader. The telephone is heavier than my Kindle Paperwhite, however nonetheless I’ve now learn a few novels solely on it, as a substitute of mainly studying on Kindle or iPad.

The second that I completed transferring every little thing over to my new telephone, it rang. And that caller commented — unbidden — on how clear I sounded.

I am together with her. Each name I’ve made since getting this has been noticeably clearer and sharper.

Unusually, I’ve additionally had the possibility to check that from each side. By probability, I used to be invited to name right into a dozen BBC native radio stations not too long ago and listening again to these reveals now, I can hear that the decision high quality is much better than I had once I did this by my previous telephone.

Mixed with the final audio high quality, the brand new iPhone has subtly modified how I telephone individuals. For some motive, I’m now more likely to go away the telephone on my desk, or throughout the kitchen, and say “Siri, telephone so-and-so on speaker.”

The brand new Siri animation by no means will get previous

The audio system are actually ok for calls, and I’ve listened to music and podcasts fairly fortunately by them. That was partly as a result of my AirPods Professional have been defective and now I’ve changed them, however the speaker can nonetheless be extra handy.

Digital camera Management seems to be a button of two halves for me, with the lesser half being to do with its specified function of taking images. That is though, in idea, this new Digital camera Management should really feel as whether it is constructed for me.

For I by no means keep in mind you could swipe throughout from the lock display to get the digital camera. Then regardless of having the digital camera button on the lock display, I nearly by no means suppose to press it — I at all times open the iPhone and discover the Digital camera app.

So having one button that goes straight into taking a photograph ought to actually be preferrred, however now my listing of forgetfulness consists of not often remembering that there’s this Digital camera Management button. That is not constant, and there are causes I believe I am going to get used to it, plus some occasions it actually is good.

The Digital camera Management button is tough to search out with out trying

It seems to be that my downside decreases the much less I give it some thought, so I’ve taken many very quick images due to Digital camera Management. However every time I’m occupied with it, akin to contemplating altering the zoom or attempting to change to video, my finger cannot discover the button in any respect.

If it have been barely raised and even simply barely extra depressed, my finger would go proper to it. That would not resolve the difficulty of adjusting zoom or the opposite features of Digital camera Management, however it might imply by no means once more having to tilt the telephone to see the place the button is.

So with pictures, I am usually impressed with Digital camera Management when it really works for me, and I am not once I cannot discover the button instantly.

Nonetheless, I am having to cease to suppose easy methods to use it. A medium-length press opens the digital camera, after which taking your finger away and bringing it again to press and maintain, begins video recording.

Frankly, I am saying that to inform myself as a lot as you. And that enterprise of the medium-length press has proved to be key now that I am utilizing the iOS 18.2 beta.

That is as a result of on the dangerous facet, it introduces an actual have to get the timing of your press proper. However on the nice facet, urgent for barely longer begins Visible Intelligence.

And that has utterly modified how I really feel concerning the Digital camera Management button.

Proper now, though I work right here for a dwelling, I confuse myself frequently about which Apple Intelligence options are out, that are within the betas, and that are promised for when. Plus I am within the UK and whereas I can set my area and language to US, I nonetheless do not get every little thing.

So whereas it should not have been a shock once I stumbled into Visible Intelligence, it was.

Utilizing Visible Intelligence on a shed. Inset: a greater view of the textual content end result.)

I used to be attempting to take a photograph of an electrical energy meter to doc a studying for my supplier, and for some motive occurred to recollect the place the Digital camera Management button was. However I pressed it in for too lengthy and as a substitute of a photograph, I acquired a pleasant dialog field telling me what an electrical energy meter is.

The truth that beginning Visible Intelligence takes simply the best size of press makes it really feel much less apparent and easy as Apple was once. Plus there are occasions when what it tells you is not correct, however general I’m hooked on Visible Intelligence.

It’s one factor that jogs my memory I am on a bigger telephone, although. As soon as you’ve got pressed the Digital camera Management button and acquired into Visible Intelligence, you could have three controls towards the underside of the display and I juggle a bit to get to them one-handed.

Nonetheless, I handle in some way, and it has been deeply spectacular. Beneath the beta it was defaulting to telling me the US names for crops and flowers, however it was nonetheless getting them shut sufficient that I sounded impressively knowledgeable.

I am additionally impressed with the brand new Photographic Types — but that is one thing else I do not use. I’ve by no means deliberately or willingly used any sort of filter in my life as a result of I discover they overwhelm a picture and also you’re caught with them. I am going to fiddle in Photoshop or Pixelmator Professional, I am going to fiddle at nice size, however at all times after I’ve taken the shot.

Photographic Types radically and impressively however not destructively

For me, I have to at all times take one of the best, most correct picture I can, and whether or not that is any good or not, edit a replica of it later. Photographic Types sound like a filter in that they apply a sure look to a picture, so initially I shrugged, however it’s vastly higher than that.

As a substitute of simply chucking an orange filter over the entire picture and calling it performed, Photographic Types seems at each shade within the image. Then it subtly shifts each shade to the type you select.

It’s attainable to go to the Settings, Digital camera app and set a most popular Photographic Type that the digital camera will then at all times use. That is notably effectively performed, I believe, but in addition notably pointless.

For whether or not you select shoot every little thing with Photographic Types giving your pictures a rose gold tint or not, you’ll be able to add that type later. And, importantly, you’ll be able to take away it.

I do are likely to shoot extra video than I do take stills, and there was one factor about that. Utilizing my iPad Professional, Last Reduce Professional for iPad, and that app’s multicam function, I’ve tried remotely controlling the iPhone’s zoom.

It does work, you’ll be able to swipe fastidiously on the iPad’s display and have the telephone zoom in on you. However in attempting it out, it was unimaginable to easily zoom from the 0.5 view to the 5x one.

Controlling Zoom exactly is an issue

After which it was unimaginable to cease at 5x, though that’s the restrict of the optical zoom. The iPhone mechanically switched into digital zoom and stored going previous 5x, 10x and on ultimately to a surprisingly efficient 25x.

That is distant controlling the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s digital camera from an iPad, so it is not actually a good criticism of the telephone. It is extra an correct description of my not being excellent at utilizing zoom.

That Zoom actually works.

If I will criticize myself, although, let or not it’s over laziness. Because it occurs, the Friday I acquired my iPhone 16 Professional Max, I needed to go away and as ever, I packed my MagSafe Charger.

I did not use it over that complete weekend. Now, granted, I take advantage of wired CarPlay so my iPhone was plugged in a charging for the hours I used to be driving, however it acquired so I ended occupied with charging.

And that is the lazy half. All this time later, I nonetheless have not acquired round to placing that MagSafe charger again by my mattress.

I am going to cost the telephone up in my automotive, I am going to pop it on a charger at my desk. Very sometimes I’ve left it on different individuals’s chargers for a couple of minutes.

Apple says the iPhone 16 Professional Max lasts for as much as 33 hours while you’re continuously enjoying again video. I’ll simply go a day and a half earlier than I even begin considering I should do one thing about its cost.

Till I wrote that about it being seven weeks, I hadn’t realized. It nonetheless appears like a brand new toy.

I am positively now used to the bigger dimension and as soon as that occurred, I appreciated the advantages of it extra. The longer battery life is nothing in need of candy, I relish studying books on this display, and watching TV on it too.

Utilizing Visible Intelligence to purchase a mug, it’s a must to contort a bit to change from the Digital camera Management button to the entrance controls

None of this appears utterly completely different to the iPhone 15 Professional I had, fairly it is extra of the identical and higher.

It might not be a startling improve from the iPhone 15 Professional Max. However for proper now, the iPhone 16 Professional Max is the state-of-the-art — and it is an excellent state.

• Battery life is great
• Digital camera Management is nice after you have Visible Intelligence
• Dimension is noticeably larger than final 12 months’s

• It is heavy
• The scale requires two palms more often than not
• Digital camera Management takes some getting used to

Thank goodness for the .5. A rating of 4 can be underselling such a superb telephone — and a 5 can be an excessive amount of provided that there is no such thing as a radical improve.

Nonetheless, that Digital camera Management button is a fairly radical replace, or not less than it’s when Apple Intelligence provides it a use past taking images.

There’s not sufficient right here to make upgrading from something newer than, say, an iPhone 13 Professional Max. However for me, coming from an iPhone 15 Professional, it has been very good.

Wi-fi carriers are providing aggressive incentives by invoice credit and trade-in offers on the iPhone 16 Professional Max. At press time, the affords ship as much as $1,000 off the handset, which may be discovered under. You too can go to our iPhone 16 Professional Max Value Information for side-by-side comparability of the present affords.

• Enhance Cell on Amazon: Save as much as $1,000 (no trade-in required)*
• AT&T Wi-fi: Stand up to $1,000 off an iPhone 16 Professional Max with qualifying commerce and plan at AT&T*
• Verizon Wi-fi: Get an iPhone 16 Professional Max at Verizon for as little as $5 monthly*


*Phrases and situations apply. Please see website for particulars.

When you’re in search of promotions on the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Professional, in the present day’s finest iPhone offers may be discovered on the complete vary.