Apple has announced the highly anticipated iPhone 16 series which includes its premium iPhone 16 Pro Max model.
Considering we gave last year’s premium iPhone 15 Pro Max a near-perfect 4.5-star rating, how do the initial specs of its successor, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, compare?
Before we review the iPhone 16 Pro Max, we’ve noted the biggest differences between the two top-end handset models, so you can decide whether or not you want to upgrade.
Price and Availability
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is available to pre-order from September 13 and will launch officially on September 20. Available in a choice between four colours, swapping out last year’s Titanium Blue with Titanium Desert, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a starting RRP of £1199/$1199.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max can no longer be ordered directly from Apple’s website and instead is only available elsewhere, likely while supplies last. Its RRP is currently the same as its successor at £1199/$1199, however we expect this price to drop in the next few weeks.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is bigger
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is not only larger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max but at 6.9-inches when measured diagonally across the screen, it’s the biggest iPhone ever. The iPhone 15 Pro Max instead is 6.7-inches (diagonally).
This equates to the iPhone 16 Pro Max measuring at 163mm (6.42 inches) high and 77.6mm (3.06 inches) wide, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro is a slightly smaller 159.9mm (6.29 inches) by 767.7mm (3.02 inches). Despite the iPhone 16 Pro Max being the larger of the two, it still boasts the same 8.25mm (0.32 inches) thickness of its smaller predecessor.
Perhaps unsurprisingly as it’s a larger model, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is also slightly heavier at 227g compared to the iPhone 15 Pro’s 221g.
Size aside, both handsets have a durable titanium design although the iPhone 16 Pro series boasts the thinnest borders on any Apple product. The iPhone 16 Pro series also has the latest-generation Ceramic Shield glass front, which Apple claims is “2x tougher than glass on any other smartphone” while the iPhone 15 Pro series also has a previous iteration of the Ceramic Shield front.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max runs on the A18 Pro chip
The iPhone 16 Pro Max runs on the flagship Apple chipset – A18 Pro, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max runs on last year’s top-end chipset, A17 Pro.
Apple says that the A18 Pro is not only faster but it’s more powerful and efficient than the A17 Pro, thanks to its second generation 3nm architecture. For a more in-depth look at the differences between the two Pro chips, visit our A18 Pro vs A17 Pro guide.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max has the Camera Control button
New across the entire iPhone 16 series is the Camera Control button which is a faster way to interact with the camera and allows users to quickly launch the camera, capture a shot and start video recording. Apple has also explained that later this year Camera Control will be updated with a two-stage shutter to automatically lock focus and exposure on a subject to let “users reframe the shot without losing focus.”
While the iPhone 15 Pro Max doesn’t include Camera Control it, like the iPhone 16 series, includes the customisable Action Button which launched with the iPhone 15 Pro series.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 48MP Fusion lens
Both handsets sport a Pro-camera system, made up of a main lens alongside an ultrawide and a telephoto zoom.
However, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 48MP Fusion camera with a faster, more efficient quad-pixel sensor and Apple Camera Interface which supports 4K 120fps video recording in Dolby Vision. This is not only the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available on iPhone but it’s also a “smartphone first” according to Apple.
Alongside its 48MP Fusion lens, the iPhone 16 Pro Max sports a new 48MP ultrawide camera that features a quad-pixel sensor with autofocus and retains last year’s 5x Telephoto camera. Both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max can also take spatial photos in addition to videos, which are especially prevalent when using an Apple Vision Pro.
Otherwise, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 48MP main camera alongside a 12MP ultrawide and a 5x Telephoto lens. We found this iPhone 15 Pro Max’s camera to be impressive and “incredibly reliable, producing a usable image pretty much every single time.”
Both support Apple Intelligence
Arguably one of the most highly-anticipated updates coming with iOS 18, both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Pro Max will run the numerous Apple Intelligence tools including the improved Siri, Chat GPT integration and Image Playground.
It’s worth noting that Apple Intelligence won’t come with the iPhone 16 Pro Max and will instead be available with the iOS 18.1 update later this year.
Early Verdict
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is not only the largest iPhone ever but it promises to be the fastest and most powerful too. It also boasts an impressive trio of cameras, including a new main Fusion lens and a bigger ultrawide to last year’s. With this in mind, if you want the best possible iPhone on the market then the iPhone 16 Pro Max is looking like the best option.
On the other hand, the iPhone 15 Pro Max still represents a solid premium smartphone even one year on. Its speed and performance impressed us and it will sport all the Apple Intelligence tools of the iPhone 16 Pro Max too.
