Every September , a not - undistinguished lump of iPhone coverage expresses how the newest iPhone is fundamentally a replica of its predecessor — and that ’s true to some extent . Smartphones have mature for the most part , and there ’s only so much a phone Divine can do . This results in a mix ofincremental upgrades and unneeded additionsmade for the sake of variety . However , while small tweaks are generally perceive as slow , they can actually be quite impactful — and the iPhone 16 Pro Max reflects that . Having upgrade from aniPhone 15 Pro Max , I do n’t regret buy 2024 ’s flagship one bit . Here ’s why .
The camera’s got serious Style
The Camera Control button is the iPhone 16 ’s most substantial hardware introduction . While in possibility , it ’s a handy addition that should simplify adjusting television camera preferences and shooting , I ’m yet to get over its unintuitiveness and manage to desegregate it into my photo sessions . To me , the most remarkable tv camera acclivity this year has been a new computer software feature film : the next - gen Photographic Styles .
As a Lightroom partizan , Photographic Styles 2.0 is exactly the kind of coloring material magic I need for nonchalantly editing everyday shots without drop a lot of sentence or cause . There are a totality of 15 option ( include the default ) , with each use a distinct vibration that alters the pic ’s tones , warmth , hues , and more .
Photographic Styles 2.0 is one of the best iPhone camera features in years .
Photographic Styles 2.0 is one of the best iPhone camera features in years.
Foundry
The great thing about Apple ’s new Photographic Styles is that they are non - destructive . Unlike the first - gen execution of the lineament , you’re able to transfer between different “ filter ” after shooting , and the essence are all reversible . you may also make relevant edits on the larger display of a Mac or iPad if you find your iPhone too small .
Unlike the Photos app ’s legacy filters , there are several adjustments you could make to each Photographic Style — beyond increasing or decreasing its amount . This lets you control the tone , people of colour , and palette for each photo found on its individual shades , atmosphere , subject , etc . Despite the conception being relatively basic , the effect really help user take out the best in their picture .
Photographic Styles 2.0 is one of the best iPhone camera features in years.
Other iPhone 16 Pro Max camera upgrades let in the 48MP extremist - wide lens for improved macro shots and support for 4 K video recording at 120 Federal Protective Service with audio commixture . Both additions are nice to have , and together with Photographic Styles 2.0 , the iPhone 16 Pro Max has been a serious upgrade to my work flow .
A redesign where it matters
Over the past several years , the iPhone has n’t exchange much about the way it looks . Instead , Apple has made small changes over multiple years , and this year ’s Pro Max update continue in that venous blood vessel with a somewhat heavy screen and rounder corner . However , Apple has made a braggy upgrade inside this year ’s speech sound feature a new cooling organization and a turgid battery .
The iPhone 16 Pro Max might reckon the same , but it ’s all - new interior .
Now , some may wonder why anyone would ever care about a on the face of it meaningless pinch applied to a hide segment of the phone . Well , if you ever used an iPhone 15 Pro Max for a jolly intensive job you in all likelihood noticed that the upper odd corner would stir up up and , in utmost cases , make it uncomfortable to habituate . Thanks to an all - new evaporation bedroom , my iPhone 16 Pro Max seldom heat up up . And when it does , it disperses restrained heat energy across the entire machine , keeping its overall temperature under control . While this may not be the most exciting climb for free-and-easy user , it has notably ameliorate my experience while using my iPhone 16 Pro Max .
The iPhone 16 Pro Max might look the same, but it’s all-new inside.
Other than the cooling , the iPhone now offers significantly long bombardment life . Instead of blame my phone daily , I now do so once every sidereal day and a half . It ’s particularly helpful when I ’m spending a full day hiking in the wilderness , as now I can continuously swear on it for sailing , music streaming , conduct photograph , and texting Friend without worrying about running out of juice in the heart of nowhere ,
The Maxest display yet
The iPhone 16 Pro Max received two main display upgrades . Most notably , Apple has stretched it from 6.7 inches to 6.9 column inch , making it the large iPhone ever . While I appreciate the increase immersion , part of me finds it severe to reduce on all on - screen mental object simultaneously .
The iPhone 16 Pro Max has the biggest display ever on an iPhone.
So , when I ’m look at the top section , elements towards the bottom become out of focus . As a event , it feels like my orb need to move from one side of the screen to another — rather than spotting everything at all time . Nevertheless , the screen ’s size is still manageable . I just trust Apple does n’t stretch it any further — the 6.3 - inch modelling is too small for my liking , and I ca n’t imagine dealing with an even wider smartphone show .
Beyond that , the screen ’s bezel have been further slimmed down , which further kick in to the futurist glass slab sight of the phone . While some users consequently dealt with decoration rejection issues that made the touchscreen unresponsive , I have n’t personally confront any problems of the variety . ( Besides , Apple has patch the microbe withiOS 18.0.1 , so it should no longer be a concern . )
The more underrated iPhone 16 Pro Max screen upgrade is the unexampled 1 nit minimum brightness . This decreases centre strain when using the phone in a pitch - black way during tardy - night hours . Gone are the day of needing to toggleReduce White Pointin the Accessibility setting to reduce heart fatigue before layer .
While the premature changes are hardheaded , I ’ve also noticed some cosmetic tweak across the board . Most notably , the black titanium frame is now darker , an improvement over the grayish culture from last year . I do , however , escape the brushed metallic element expression compared to the smooth out - out side on the 16 .
The iPhone 16 Pro Max has the biggest display ever on an iPhone .
Add it all up
To be honest , I had very low hope for the iPhone 16 Pro Max before buy it . While Apple extend an yearly upgrade program that make get a new iPhone easy , iPhones are project to last for many class , and most users do n’t buy the late model annually . As such , it ’s irrational to take groundbreaking changes and major introductions every individual year . Those upgrading once every three generations or so will notice a ton of remainder .
Nevertheless , I was perfectly surprised by how meaningful the saltation from an iPhone 15 Pro Max to a 16 Pro Max has been . It now reckon sleeker , lasts me longer on a single charge , remains relatively cool , and does n’t blind me before slumber . More importantly , though , Photographic Styles 2.0 enhance my shots on the go , and the irritating lens flair has ostensibly been minimize . From afar , these may all seem like insignificant readjustment . In reality , however , they plow numerous iPhone imperfection , tally features that we truly want , and make the 16 Pro Max the most polished iteration yet .
