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Table of Contents
Behold! I now crown the iPhone 16 Pro Max as our new smartphone battery life king, kicking the Google Pixel 9 out of its short-lived throne.
You won’t believe how long the top-tier iPhone 16 lasted on a charge.
If you’re confused over whether you should snag the iPhone 16 Pro or the iPhone 16 Pro Max, you’ll find out in this in-depth review that the latter delivers more than just a 6.9-inch mega display.
iPhone 16 Pro Max
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Use the table of contents to skip down to the battery life section if you’re too impatient about the Pro Max’s runtime figure. But if you want to know the breadth of how well the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max performed during our testing, stick around from start to finish.
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max price
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are the iPhones you tote around to impress the impressionable. These are the crème de la crème of the iPhone 16 lineup that show off the latest ready-for-market, cutting-edge technologies out of Cupertino.
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
There are a handful of features the iPhone 16 Pro models have that the entry-level iPhone 16 models don’t — like the ability to play 4K video at 120Hz — that the average Joe doesn’t use regularly. However, for some, being able to say “I’ve got the most premium phone from the iPhone 16 lineup” is enough of an incentive to get people to make the purchase plunge.
If you’re one of those folks, you may be wondering, “What’s the damage?” Let’s get to it.
The iPhone 16 Pro has a starting price of $999 and comes with the following:
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A18 Pro chip
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8GB of RAM (required for Apple Intelligence)
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128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options
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6.3-inch, 2,622 x 1,206-pixel resolution display
The iPhone 16 Pro Max, on the other hand, starts at $1,199:
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A18 Pro chip
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8GB of RAM (required for Apple Intelligence)
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256GB, 512GB, 1TB
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6.9-inch, 2,868 x 1,320-pixel resolution display
I don’t love that the base model iPhone 16 Pro starts at 128GB. In my experience, this storage configuration lasts about a year, give or take some months, before it runs out.
I’d recommend upgrading to the 256GB for an extra $100. Alternatively, you can simply delete unwanted photos and videos periodically — or get an iCloud+ subscription for additional storage.
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max design
When Apple said that the iPhone 16 Pro Max had a larger 6.9-inch display, up from the iPhone 15 Pro Max‘s 6.7-inch screen, I joked that it’s practically a “phablet.” (Hey, there are tablets with 7-inch displays on the market.)
iPhone 16 Pro (left) and iPhone 16 Pro Max (right)
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Despite me “taking the piss,” as my British fiancé would say, I was pleasantly surprised that the iPhone 16 Pro Max wasn’t as unwieldy as I thought it’d be. I expected awkwardness while clutching the premium top model — but nope. I didn’t notice a big difference. (And this is coming from someone with small hands.)
To be fair, though, as a phone reviewer, I’ve been carrying around the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL; both have 6.8-inch displays. As such, the 6.9-inch display on the iPhone 16 Pro Max doesn’t faze me much.
However, if you’re coming from a phone that has a significantly smaller display, you’ll definitely notice the difference. For example, using the smaller iPhone 16 models, like the 6.1-inch iPhone 16 and 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro, it’s easy to navigate the screen one-handed with your thumb. (See below.)
Look how easy it is to navigate the iPhone 16 Pro
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
However, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I find myself having to balance it on my finger for one-handed navigation, making the iPhone 16 Pro more comfortable.
To hold the iPhone 16 Pro Max one-handed, I must balance it on my pinky finger to navigate the display.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
I grabbed my iPhone 15 Pro Max and held it in my left hand while holding the iPhone 16 Pro Max in the other; the latter is definitely heavier. (After all, it does have a bigger battery in it.) I checked the actual numbers and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is marginally more hefty by 0.81 ounces. Interestingly, though, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has the same thickness as the iPhone 15 Pro Max (i.e., 0.33 inches).
iPhone 15 Pro Max (left) and iPhone 16 Pro Max (right)
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
But when you look at the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max, the difference between the two sizes isn’t as large as I thought it’d be (which explains why I didn’t experience any unwieldiness while holding it during my hands-on).
iPhone 15 Pro Max (left) and iPhone 16 Pro Max (right)
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
The iPhone 16 Pro is now 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches. It’s still got a compact form factor (though not as portable as the $799 6.1-inch iPhone 16).
Other design changes? The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have a new button, found on the lower-right side of the chassis, called Camera Control. (More on that later.)
Camera Control
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, still wrapped in a titanium enclosure, have a water resistance rating of IP68, which means they can tolerate approximately 20 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
My only disappointment is that Apple got rid of the Blue Titanium color featured on the iPhone 15 Pro models and replaced it with “Desert Titanium,” which looks mostly beige with a slight hint of pink and gold.
Other colors you can get include Natural Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium.
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max display
As mentioned, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models have bigger displays this time around.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
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iPhone 16 Pro – 6.3-inch, 2,622 x 1,206-pixel resolution, 1,000 nits of brightness (2,000 peak)
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iPhone 16 Pro Max – 6.9-inch, 2,868 x 1,320-pixel resolution, 1,000 nits of brightness (2,000 peak)
On top of that, both models have an ultra-slim frame that surround the display. They’re the slimmest bezels found on an Apple product. If Apple didn’t mention it, I wouldn’t have noticed. I was never bothered by the bezels on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but slimmer bezels never hurt, I guess.
iPhone 16 Pro Max (left) and iPhone 15 Pro Max (right)
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Apple is still trying to make fetch happen with the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 16 Pro models. I do find myself getting hypnotized by some of the animations on the pill-shaped notch, like the funky waveform movements that dance along to my Apple Music playlist.
However, I have a feeling that the Dynamic Island’s days are numbered (I give it until iPhone 19).
On one hand, the Dynamic Island is an iPhone signature. When you see a pill-shaped notch on an phone, you know it’s an iPhone. Plus, Dynamic Island makes good use of the controversial notch that was a bit of an eyesore for some users. On the other, I won’t miss it much if Apple decides to shave it off (or remove it completely) — more screen real estate for me!
On the iPhone 16 Pro models, I watched some of my favorite shows, from The Boys on Amazon Prime Video to Selling Sunset on Netflix, and both displays delivered rich colors as I ogled vivid superhero costumes on The Boys and feasted my eyes on sweeping drone footage of Hollywood Hills.
iPhone 16 Pro Max display
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Of course, don’t expect the screens to be as sharp as your TV set. (Perhaps, to the Selling Sunset cast’s delight, you won’t find many fine lines or subtle details on actresses’ faces, but the overall viewing experience is still top-notch.)
Finally, Apple placed the second-gen Ceramic Shield — Ceramic Shield 2, if you will — across the entire iPhone 16 lineup. (The first-gen Ceramic Shield, introduced with iPhone 12, was touted as its most durable display glass ever.) Now, Ceramic Shield 2 on iPhone 16 is reportedly “50% tougher” than the OG Ceramic Shield.
In other words, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max should be able to handle your clumsiness a lot more than their predecessors.
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max Action Button
There’s nothing new to report regarding the Action Button on the iPhone 16 Pro models (though it’s a novel feature for the lower-tier iPhone 16 variants). Just like the iPhone 15 Pro models, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max continue to sport the Action Button on the upper-left side of the chassis.
iPhone 16 Pro Max
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
For the uninitiated, the Action Button, first appearing on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, replaced the mute switch (though you can still use it to mute if you want). The Action Button was a hit among users. You can assign a number of different tasks and apps to it. You can get it to launch one of the following pre-configured things:
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Silent Mode
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Focus Mode
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Flashlight
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Shazam
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Translate
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Voice Memo
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Camera
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Magnifier
Or, you can get creative with the Shortcuts app and program the Action Button to do certain tasks depending on how you’re holding the iPhone — or even where you’re located. For example, you can configure the Action Button to open Apple Maps when you’re away from home, but once you’re at your residence, it can fire up Netflix.
My partner programmed his Action Button to be a Notes app launcher while he’s holding his iPhone upright, but while he’s holding it horizontally, the Action Button launches the Camera app. When he’s holding the device upside down, it opens Voice Memos.
My only wish is that Apple could introduce multi-tap gestures for user programming.
