iPhone 16 Pro Max Review 2025

iPhone 16 Pro Max is Apple’s new 2024 flagship smartphone. Pro Max models always stand out for their size, maximum performance and high price tag. This year, Apple unveiled its biggest smartphone yet, the Pro Max, boasting an impressive battery life. Now it barely fits in your pocket but you can use it for up to three days without recharging. In this iPhone iPhone 16 Pro Max review, let’s determine why a smartphone with such monstrous characteristics might be needed, and compare it with its competitors.

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iPhone 16 Pro Max: Brief Review

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max debuted on September 20, 2024. It is Apple’s flagship smartphone with a record 6.9-inch screen, latest A18 Pro bionic chip and prolonged battery life. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is part of the 16 iPhone line, which is the first line of Apple smartphones with integrated AI. The new Pro Max has a classic stylish design with three camera modules on the back panel. The color of iPhone 16 Pro Max can be one of four: Black Titanium, Desert Titanium, Natural Titanium, and White Titanium.

Here’s a small rating of the characteristics of the 16 iPhone Pro Max on a 100-point scale based on compliance with expectations at first glance and impressions of use:

Performance	96
Battery	90
Cameras	94
Display	98
Connectivity	95
Design	95
Overall score	94

iPhone 16 Pro Max Characteristics

The iPhone 16 Max Pro received the most powerful Apple processor available for smartphones. The A18 Pro chip shows excellent results in performance tests and has the ability to support Apple AI. It is equipped with an innovative processor and 8GB of RAM, which can seem not very much compared to some modern flagships of other brands. But the performance of the new Pro Max did not receive any complaints. Also, the new flagship iPhone received increased battery life and faster charging: now, with relatively economical battery consumption, you can charge the phone once every three days.

Chipset	Apple A18 Pro
OS	iOS 18 (updated to 18.1)
RAM	8GB
Storage	256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery	4,685mAh
Main camera	48mp+48mp+12mp
Front camera	12mp
Display	6.9” Super Retina (XDR120Hz OLED) (460 ppi)
Water resistance	IP68
Dimensions	163 x 77.6 x 8.25mm
Weight	227g

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Design

The new Pro Max has a 6.9-inch screen, which is 0.2 inches bigger than its predecessor. The placement of such a large display was achieved, among other things, thanks to thinner side bezels. The increase in iPhone 16 Pro Max size entailed some weight gain. The Pro Max is 6g heavier than its predecessor and 27g heavier than the Pro. Other changes in appearance are minor. The smartphone is not particularly different from the 16 Pro and 15 Pro and Pro Max. The design of the cameras remains the same: three modules in a square on the back panel and a front camera in the Dynamic Island area. The side panels now feature an Actions button, the purpose of which you can define yourself in the settings, and a camera control button. Users really wanted Touch ID to be integrated into one of these buttons, but so far they have to be content with only Face ID. The iPhone 16 Pro Max comes in colors of Black Titanium, Desert Titanium, Natural Titanium, and White Titanium. The iPhone 16 Pro Max Desert Titanium is the most popular one. Apple customers were hoping for a pink color option, but only models 16 and 16 Plus were released in this shade. 

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Display

The Iphone 16 Pro Max screen size is practically insane. The 6.9” display has a resolution of 2,868 x 1,320 pixels at a density of 460 ppi. The display is equipped with Apple ProMotion technology, which is an adaptive refresh rate with a range from 1Hz to 120Hz. Display brightness ranges from 1000 nits to a peak of 2000 nits. This brightness and enhanced contrast allow you to comfortably use the phone in any light level. An oleophobic coating on the screen protects it from fingerprints and glare.

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Camera Characteristics

iPhone 16 Pro Max camera system includes three main modules:

• The main camera of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a 48-megapixel lens with f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). The camera supports Dual Pixel PDAF and has digital zoom up to 5x. The shots taken with the main camera are clear and bright. The accuracy of color does not always satisfy users, but a wide range of settings will allow to get a picture that is as close to reality as possible.
• The telephoto lens has a resolution of 12 megapixels and an f/2.8 aperture. It has 3x optical zoom and up to 10x digital zoom. The telephoto lens also features OIS and PDAF for stable and accurate focusing on distant subjects.
• An ultra-wide lens with a resolution of 48 megapixels and an f/2.2 aperture provides a viewing angle of 120 degrees. The lens supports macrophotography and has a function for correcting distortion at the edges of the frame. It has PDAF as well. The lack of optical zoom may be compensated by the high resolution of the sensor.

The TrueDepth 12mp front camera of the iPhone 16 Pro Max has an f/1.9. The camera supports portrait mode with bokeh effect and gesture control for easy shooting. A 3x digital zoom is also available.

Speaking of the video recording, the 16 Pro Max iPhone shoots videos in resolutions up to 8K at 30 frames per second, as well as 4K at 60 and 120 frames per second. Dolby Vision HDR improves color reproduction and contrast. The OIS and advanced IS mode ensure stable shooting. ProRes recording is supported for professional quality. 

The major update to the camera system was the integration of a Camera Control button. The idea is good, but the result is controversial. Using this button is easy and convenient to quickly take pictures, but adjusting the settings with it is difficult. Also, the surface of the sensor is quite fragile; many users have suffered damage to it. The touch sensor used in this button is as similar as possible to the Home button. So users were really waiting for Apple to integrate fingerprint screen unlocking into the iPhone 16 series, but, unfortunately, this did not happen.

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Audio Quality

The 16th iPhone Pro Max has a stereo system consisting of two speakers located on the top and bottom edges of the smartphone. They support Dolby Atmos, which creates powerful, smooth sound. The iPhone also uses a Haptic Touch technology, which allows you to feel vibrations when interacting with the device.

Software & Performance iPhone 16 Pro Max

The new iPhone Pro Max 16 uses the bionic A18 Pro chipset for the first time. It delivers powerful performance and supports Apple AI. The new processor performs really well in tests and practical use. In addition to the new chip, the iPhone has 8GB of RAM. Games with detailed graphics and demanding applications, such as Lightroom, work great on the iPhone. But to make sure that the characteristics of the new Pro Max are up to date, let’s compare its performance test results with the results of competing smartphones.

Smartphone	Geekbench 6 (single-core)	Geekbench 6 (multi-core)	GFXBench Aztec Ruins test
iPhone 16 Pro Max	3,312	8,086	57.9fps
iPhone 16 Plus	3,091	7,129	57.5fps
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra	2,273	7,056	66fps
Pixel 9 Pro XL	1,961	4,718	43fps

As for the software, the 16 Pro Max came out with iOS 18. A little later, the updated iOS 18.1 was released. The update includes long-awaited support for Apple AI. Key features of new artificial intelligence include an improved Siri assistant, which is now capable of handling more complex queries and giving contextual responses. Apple AI also optimizes camera functioning by automatically adjusting light and color settings. AI technology now can be used to edit photos and videos, providing features such as automatic image enhancement and smart removal of objects from the frame. Additionally, Apple AI also improves protection of your privacy and data on your device. However, users note that Apple’s artificial intelligence still lags behind AI assistants from other brands.

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Battery Characteristics

The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a flagship 4685 mAh battery and impressive battery life. According to test results, the 16 Pro Max can continuously play video at maximum brightness for more than 22 hours. This is less than Apple has claimed, but still a very good result. We can compare the results of this test for other smartphones.

Smartphone	Battery life
iPhone 16 Pro Max	22 hrs
iPhone 15 Pro Max	20 hrs
Samsung S24 Ultra	14 hrs
Pixel 9 Pro XL	12 hrs

With moderate use, the smartphone can indeed not be recharged for 2-3 days. The charging speed of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is also faster now. Wireless charging takes 90 minutes, and wired charging takes about an hour. All iPhones 16 series have a USB-C port and come only with a charging cable, now traditionally, without a charger.

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Our Score Card

After a detailed review, we can rate the characteristics of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Characteristics	Score out of 10	Notes
Performance	10	Impressive performance even with 8 GB RAM. In tests it surpassed its competitors in many ways. Reviews after daily use are also extremely positive.
OS	9	The iOS update did not bring anything revolutionary other than the integration of AI. The Apple AI feature is quite useful and convenient in many ways, but the impression was a little confused by the fact that after purchasing a new iPhone, you still had to wait for iOS 18.1 to get access to it.
Battery life	9	The battery capacity is slightly smaller than competing models, but the battery life and charging speed are very good. Apple claims the battery will last 1,000 full charge cycles.
Screen	10	Large, bright display is great for viewing photos and videos and convenient for creating content.
Cameras	9	All 4 cameras provide high quality images in both light and dark conditions. You can find the color rendering a little inaccurate; the new AI settings reduce the depth of dark colors.
Video quality	10	The iPhone shoots video in 4k and 8k resolutions, the image quality and motion stabilization when shooting are excellent.
Audio quality	9	High-quality stereo sound, good sound transmission when shooting video, a very pleasant experience of playing music on the 16 Pro Max.
Design	9	The iPhone is made of titanium, has a laconic design and looks pleasing to the eye. However, we would like more shades in the palette. Also, the size of 16 Pro Max makes it difficult to fit in one hand or in a pocket.
Durability	8	The titanium case is strong, but the screen and cameras need to be taken care of as usual. We recommend placing your phone in a case immediately after purchase. The Camera Control button now also adds up to the list of iPhone vulnerabilities.
Price	8	The iPhone 16 Pro Max price varies from $1,199 to $1,599 and may seem too much for a phone.
Overall score	9	The new Pro Max features impressive specs and has many more advantages than disadvantages.

Comparison iPhone 16 Pro Max With Others

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is most often put on a par with the flagships of Samsung and Google. We can compare their characteristics.

Specs	iPhone 16 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra	Pixel 9 Pro XL
Processor	Apple A18 Pro	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Google Tensor G4
OS	iOS 18	Android 14	Android 14
RAM	8GB	12GB	16GB
Storage	256GB/512GB/1TB	256GB/512GB/1TB	128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery	4685mAh	5000mAh	5060mAh
Screen	6.9” 2,868 x 1,320	6.8” 3120 х 1440	6.8” 2992 x 1344
Main camera	48mp+48mp+12mp	200mp+50mp+50mp+12mp	50mp+48mp+48mp
Front Camera	12mp	12mp	42mp
Price	From $1199	From $949	From $899

As we can see, nominally the iPhone 16 Pro Max is slightly behind its direct competitors in such aspects as RAM, cameras, screen resolution and battery capacity. But in practice, the 16 Pro Max shows excellent performance and battery life, even surpassing the flagships of Samsung and Google in multiple tests. Photos and videos on the new iPhone Pro Max turn out wonderful, very often this is why buyers choose it among high-end smartphones.

How We Tested the iPhone 16 Pro Max

Our review is based on battery life and performance tests of the new iPhone 16 Pro Max. In testing, the phone performed well, but it turned out that it had a tendency to heat up, which was not noticed during daily use. Let us remind you that users previously noted this problem with iPhones 15 series. Also, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has been tested for battery life, which showed that the smartphone can work for more than 22 hours in active use mode. Additionally, to test the camera in different lighting, photos and videos were taken using all camera modules in the phone.

Verdict About iPhone 16 Pro Max

iPhone 16 Pro Max is the ideal smartphone for content creators. It allows you to take high-quality photos and videos, and then view and edit them on a convenient large screen. Improved performance will minimize any complaints while using even the most demanding applications. The ratings and test results for the iPhone 16 Pro Max are very satisfactory. The only disadvantages may be the high price and relative fragility of some parts of the smartphone.

Pros	Cons
High performance	Pricing
Long battery life	Possible fragility
Good camera quality
Rich image

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FAQs

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