Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max review

This button takes you a few seconds to get the hang of but works well in calling up the camera app and letting you shuffle through different cameras and its settings with just soft presses and finger scrolls. Yes, this is almost like one of the dials on a DSLR that lets you focus on the framing as you get your settings right. In the week, that I used this feature, I loved the genius of it and was convinced that even camera companies might be thinking of adding something similar to their mirrorless lineups soon. But then, a regular iPhone photographer like me has to get used to this new button and remember to use it intuitively. A week is not enough for that.

I used the iPhone 16 Pro Max as my main phone over the past week. And from the first moment I set it up, it just eased into its role, vacated by the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Yes, the display is a bit larger and crisper than the earlier version, but it is not significant enough to impact your experience. I was doing everything I was doing before and was as happy as before, maybe I was a bit happier because it was a more powerful processor doing the same things. The A18 Pro chip will come into use more when the Apple Intelligence part of this phone rolls out to all users and then we will need to revisit this review. Till then this is the fastest phone around, becoming a bit more faster than the earlier version which was also the fastest phone at that point. All this might sound confusing, but the fact is that flagship iPhones are now beyond the realm of human expectation or use cases when it comes to processing power.

Yes, there is one place where the performance of the new phone stood out, and that is with battery life. Where the earlier one went into the red in around 12 hours after a year of use, the iPhone 16 Pro Max goes under the 20% mark only after about 15 hours. I rarely pop it on the wireless charger in my office during the evenings and that is an advantage for those who use the iPhone daily.

Now, don’t start thinking there is nothing new with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple has of course pushed the envelope on certain aspects like it does always. One, of course, is the Apple Intelligence part where the significant features, including the new Siri, will be rolled out in some time, the other is the video camera where Apple is trying to say it is now at par with what is used to record actual movies.

iPhone 16 Pro Max camera

The iPhone 16 Pro Max has two 48 MP cameras. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

There are a couple of significant changes in the camera this time. While the main camera and the telephoto camera are the same as before, their ultra-wide camera is now 48MP. As someone who uses the ultra-wide a lot, this bump-up in clarity and quality made me happy. But where Apple thinks professional users will be impressed is with the phone’s ability to shoot 4K at 120FPS. You can then change the playback speed to 60, 30, or 24 FPS, the latter a cinematic slow-motion hitherto never seen in a smartphone, or most regular cameras. And this shift doesn’t even take a second considering you will need to do significant postprocessing to get the slow-motion output when shooting on a proper camera.

While this slow-motion will make Reel creators queue up for the new phone, for me the one feature that changes my workflow is the new audio mixing capabilities of this camera. Once you have shot a video, you can edit the audio from the standard recording to In-frame, studio, or cinematic. Now, when I am recording videos of significant tech people at crowded seminars or launches, I know the audio will not be that great. And that is why I invested in a wireless lapel mic for the iPhone. Now, however, all I need to do is switch to the in-frame audio mode and any environmental noise will be removed from the video. This is also AI at work and showcasing the power of the A18 Pro as this again does not take any time. Similarly, you can shift to a more podcast-like Studio mode or a wholistic cinematic mode. These features save so much money and time for anyone involved in professional video production.

Now, let’s come to the regular camera uses. I usually click pics on the iPhone and use Snapseed to use some of my custom styles. Now, you can do this directly before shooting with preset styles which can be further tweaked as you shoot.

The dramatic tone is exactly the effect I prefer to update my photos with and now I can use this even as I am shooting. Again, you can do this using the new camera control button, so your entire camera game goes up a notch.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

The macro photos are better too and give you a clarity often missing from these close shots. I did a photo session with my micro animal statues and loved the results. After the photos showed an accumulation of dust on these small curious, I had to clean them. Given how small they are, the naked eye would have been able to detect this easily.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

The 15x video zoom also impressed me as there is hardly any pixelation or noise if you are shooting in good light.

Who should buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max?

One of the most capable smartphones for videography. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)

If you are on the Pro models of the iPhone 14 or 15, the iPhone 16 Pro Max will not seem like a big upgrade in terms of performance. So you will be upgrading primarily to get the new video features and access to the camera control button. For anyone moving from a regular iPhone, the jump will seem significant in terms of performance, camera, and even battery life.

But frankly, I think regular users don’t need the Pro-level use cases of the video camera unless you are already a creator or aspiring to be one who will encash these features on your feeds. In many ways, I would look at the iPhone 16 Pro Max as a professional video camera that is also a smartphone. If your need is for a regular smartphone, you will not look at this premium device. That said, this is still the most complete smartphone out there.