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- Apple’s iPhone 16 family of phones launches in stores on Friday. I’ve been testing the high-end iPhone 16 Pro Max for the past five days.
- Apple Intelligence is launching in beta with some of Apple’s advertised features in October. Much more is expected to come later.
Apple's iPhone 16 family of phones will hit shelves on Friday. I’ve spent the past five days testing the high-end iPhone 16 Pro Max.
This phone has cool updates like a dedicated camera button. It also charges faster over MagSafe than earlier Pro models. The screens are slightly larger than prior versions.
This review is tricky because Apple Intelligence is not coming until later this year. Apple Intelligence is Apple’s suite of AI features for the iPhone.
There are reasons to be excited. A few new AI features, like changes to Siri and photo editing, will launch in beta in October. More additions, such as Apple’s image and emoji generator, will come later.
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I was able to test some of the beta features for this review. Others weren’t available. This makes it hard to give a full review or say if the upgrade is worth it.
Apple shares slid earlier in the week after analysts suggested lighter demand for the iPhone 16 Pro models this year. TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the problem is that Apple Intelligence isn’t out at launch. Barclays also feared it may be because the Chinese language version of Apple Intelligence won’t launch until 2025.
Here’s what you need to know about the new iPhone 16 Pro Max, as of now.
The biggest change you’ll notice is the new camera button. I’m still getting used to it after a few days. I’m already defaulting to just pulling the phone out of my pocket, tapping the button and taking a picture.
My wife rightly asked me why I don’t just hit the camera button on the lock screen like on earlier iPhones. I don’t have a good answer for that. It just feels more natural to push a camera button.
I enjoyed doing a half-press to get camera controls like the zoom during my son’s first soccer game. Though, I found it was easier to sometimes just pinch to zoom. The new 48-megapixel wide-angle lens offers sharper images in zoomed-out shots that can capture more scenery.
Videographers will likely enjoy the 4K 120fps recording offered on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Still, I try to keep my clips in lower quality because I’m sharing them over text messages with family and friends.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max has the best battery life of any iPhone yet. Apple’s new A18 Pro processor paired with a larger battery offers up to 33 hours of video playback, up from 29 hours on last year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max. I was usually able to make it to about dinnertime before needing to charge the 15, and I can make it to bedtime — or beyond — with the new phone depending on how much I’m using it.
I love that Apple increased the speed of its MagSafe charging. I used MagSafe when it came out but ultimately switched back to regular cable charging because it was quicker. Now, MagSafe gives up to a 50% charge in 30 minutes if you’re using a 30-watt charger (not included.)
The screens are slightly larger on this year’s Pro models. The iPhone 16 Pro Max moved from 6.7 inches to 6.9 inches. I didn’t notice a difference and could only tell when I put the two phones next to each other. It’s still a fantastic screen with a high refresh rate, which means scrolling is smooth. It’s colorful and bright and I love the always-on display for seeing notifications without picking up my phone. It’s not new this year but still useful and limited to the Pro models.
