In this long-term review, we are going to look in detail at this phone's design, the performance of its new buttons, display quality, processor speed, battery life, and camera performance. The purpose of this article is to analyze whether this phone will be a worthy choice for your money, even amidst the arrival of new models.
Design & Buttons
A Grade 5 Titanium frame is used in this phone. Because of this, when compared to the previous iPhone 14 Pro Max model, its weight feels slightly lighter to us. However, while the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro Max model was 221 grams, this iPhone 16 Pro Max model weighs 227 grams.
Apple has introduced two new buttons in this model:
- Action Button: This button is very useful for daily use. It allows us to set shortcuts for many important options we need, including the torchlight.
- Camera Control Button: There are a few practical issues with this button. When we hold the phone in our hands and try to press this button to take a photo, the phone shakes slightly. This becomes a reason for the photos to come out blurry. Furthermore, when we mount and use this phone on tools like a selfie stick, this button is often covered. Therefore, we have to look closely and adjust it to use it properly.
Display & Protection
When it comes to the quality of its massive 6.9-inch display, absolutely no complaints can be made. Apple has designed it beautifully. Especially because its black colors and contrast are very deep, it stands out as an excellent display for watching videos.
However, even though the 2024 generation Ceramic Shield glass is used on its screen (Mohs Level 4 protection), if used without a tempered glass, getting minor scratches cannot be avoided. In comparison, when the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra model was used without a tempered glass, it is noteworthy that it did not get scratches to that extent. Therefore, Apple still needs to bring improvements to its Ceramic Shield technology. It is definitely safest for users who buy this phone to put a good tempered glass on it before use.
Performance & Heating
The Apple A18 Pro (3nm) processor delivers excellent performance. Even games with very high-end graphics can be played very smoothly on this phone without any lag. Its benchmark scores (AnTuTu: 17.4+ Lakhs, GeekBench: 8606) prove that it is quite rare for processors in Android phones to provide this level of sustainable power.
When it comes to heating control, although it has fewer heating issues than the iPhone 15 Pro Max model, a moderate heating issue still exists. The phone gets hot when playing high-graphics games continuously. (Note: Since the iPhone 17 Pro Max model uses a Vapor Chamber cooling system, its heating issue will be much lower and even better than this).
Looking at battery life, under normal usage without playing any games, this phone delivers up to 8 hours of screen time.
Camera & Video Comparison
Photography
When taking photos of people on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, it displays their true and natural skin tones exactly as they are. However, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra model brightens and boosts human skin tones somewhat artificially. Because of this natural look, the iPhone's photos appear much better than Samsung's. Nevertheless, when taking photos at night (Night mode) on the iPhone, lens flare or blur occurs. This is a flaw that spoils the beauty of the photos.
Video Quality
When it comes to recording video, this is the best phone in the market. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the iPhone is always at its peak in video recording. Even in low-light environments, its 4K@120fps video quality is fantastic. This is an excellent tool for those who shoot videos.
OS & AI
This phone was released with the iOS 18 operating system. Currently, it has the capability to be updated up to the iOS 26.5 version. Its new Liquid glass design animations look very beautiful, premium, and are brilliantly designed.
However, there are a few bugs in the current iOS 26 version. It is expected that Apple will fix them in upcoming updates. Furthermore, there are no large-scale improvements in the artificial intelligence (AI - Apple Intelligence) features in this new OS update. We have to expect major AI-related changes only in the next upcoming iOS 27 version. In this regard, current Android phones are in the lead with better options in AI features compared to the iPhone.
Technical Specifications
According to the precise details provided by you, the complete technical specifications of the iPhone 16 Pro Max are compiled into the table below:
Iphone 16 pro max FAQs
Q1: What is the current market price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max? A: The price varies depending on the storage capacity. The 256GB model is available from $700 - $750, the 512GB model from $800 - $900, and the 1TB model from $840 - $950.
Q2: How does the Camera Control button perform on this phone? A: Pressing the button while taking photos can cause slight shaking, which may result in blurry images. Additionally, this button gets covered when the phone is mounted on a selfie stick.
Q3: Is the iPhone 16 Pro Max camera better than the Samsung S25 Ultra? A: Yes, the iPhone outperforms the Samsung in delivering natural colors in photos and recording high-quality 4K videos, even in low-light conditions.
Q4: Does this phone have a heating issue? A: It has less heating than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, there is still some moderate heating when playing high-graphics games continuously.
Q5: Is a tempered glass necessary for its display? A: It is definitely necessary. Although it uses Ceramic Shield glass, minor scratches appear if used without tempered glass. It does not resist scratches as well as the Samsung S25 Ultra.