What’s the Best of the Best?

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Key Takeaways

• Both iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max share the vast majority of features including an A18 Pro chip, 5x telephoto camera, new features like Camera Control, and software compatibility with Apple Intelligence.
• The iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch screen, quoted 27 hours of video playback, and starts at $999 for the 128GB model.
• The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch screen, quoted 33 hours of video playback, and starts at $1,199 for the 256GB model (with no 128GB option available).

If you’re considering upgrading to an iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max, comparing screens, cameras, internals, design, batteries, prices, and other factors can go a long way. Here’s how to pick between the best iPhones that money can buy.

Both Models Get Slightly Updated Colors

Like 2023’s iPhone 15 Pros, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max use grade 5 titanium for the housing. Apple says this is a much stronger and scratch-resistant titanium alloy than its competitors. The Pros have always had different color options than standard iPhones, and the 2024 lineup is no different. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are available in Desert Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium.

Apple has said that this year’s Black Titanium is a darker version of last year’s Black Titanium, while White Titanium is now a bit brighter. Natural Titanium has stayed the same as last year, but gold-like Desert Titanium is a brand-new colorway.

We recommend checking these colors out at a store because Apple’s press images don’t do them justice. Also, how great would it be if the flagship iPhone 16 Pro Max came in at least one exclusive color? I want people to know I’m rocking the most powerful model by color alone!

Of course, color won’t matter much if you plan on using a case all the time. We understand some people will go naked. But because these Pros don’t come cheap, a case is always a sound idea.

For comparison’s sake, the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus come in a wide range of vibrant choices—Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, and Black—whereas standard iPhone 15 models are offered in Blue, Yellow, Green, Pink, and Black.

Bigger Displays Means Heavier iPhones

This year’s Pros have bigger Super Retina XDR displays, with the iPhone 16 Pro going from 6.1 to 6.3 inches and the iPhone 16 Pro Max from 6.7 to 6.9 inches. These are Apple’s largest iPhones with the thinnest borders ever. Like before, these are Always-On screens (with upgraded Ceramic Shield protection) and Apple’s 120Hz ProMotion dynamic refresh technology.

Bigger OLED panels pack in more pixels than before so the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have slightly higher resolutions than last year’s models but the density of these displays remains unchanged.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to buy new cases because the iPhone 16 Pros are a bit wider and taller to accommodate larger displays. Thinness hasn’t changed (8.25mm), but the new Pros are heavier than their predecessors.

The iPhone 16 Pro weighs 7.03 ounces (199 grams), and the iPhone 16 Pro Max weighs 7.99 ounces (227 grams). This is perhaps the biggest sticking point to keep in mind when you’re comparing the Pro and the Pro Max. You’ll get more screen real estate with the Pro Max, but you’ll pay for it in weight and heft. You’ll have to decide for yourself whether the bigger display is worth it.

Both Pros Now Have the 5x Telephoto Lens

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have the same camera features, including the telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom across both models. In 2023, the 5x telephoto lens was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The new Camera Control hardware button provides DSLR-like shutter features and is also available on non-Pro models.

The main camera, now called the Fusion camera (previously Wide camera), has a faster sensor with no shutter delay—even when shooting in RAW. It can now capture 4K video at twice the frame rate at 120fps in HDR Dolby Vision (with automatic wind removal and spatial audio capture) in Apple ProRes and Log directly to an external storage device.

The ultra-wide camera used for macro photography and wide shots is now 48MP instead of 12MP. Since cameras are the same on the Pros, photographers and videographers can now opt for a more affordable iPhone 16 Pro without sacrificing that 5x telephoto lens.

The Pro Max Has a Bigger Battery

Apple says the iPhone 16 Pros provide “the best battery life ever.” Compared with its predecessor, the iPhone 16 Pro gets four extra hours of video playback (27 hours), two more hours of streaming (22 hours), and ten more hours of audio playback (85 hours).

The iPhone 16 Pro Max gets four extra hours of video playback (33 hours), four more hours of streaming (29 hours), and ten additional hours of audio playback (105 hours) than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The new Pros might be worth upgrading for these battery gains alone, but if you want the absolute best battery life then the iPhone 16 Pro Max with its 33-hour quoted video playback time dwarfs the iPhone 16 Pro’s 27 by six whole hours. That’s almost a workday’s worth of use!

Like older models, both new Pros support wireless charging via MagSafe, Qi2, and Qi wireless charging protocols. New to both models this year is 25W wireless charging over MagSafe (when paired with a 30W+ adapter). Fast charging (up to 50% charge in 30 minutes) over the built-in USB-C connector requires a 20W or higher charger.

Both Models Have an A18 Pro Chip

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max use the same A18 Pro chip, built on TSMC’s second-generation 3nm technology. Compared with the regular A18 powering the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, the A18 Pro brings an extra GPU core and 20% better-sustained performance when gaming or using other demanding apps. Also, Apple has addressed overheating concerns plaguing last year’s A17 Pro.

Like 2023’s A17 Pro, this year’s A18 Pro has a six-core CPU with two performance cores, four efficiency cores, and improved machine learning accelerators. The A18 Pro speeds up ray tracing in games by 20% over the A17 Pro and enables 2x faster ProRes video encoding.

Coupled with the 16-core Neural Engine for AI neural networks, the A18 Pro runs Apple Intelligence 50% faster vs. the iPhone 15 Pros.

Apple Intelligence All The Way

Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have iOS 18 preinstalled, with Apple Intelligence arriving alongside the iOS 18.1 update in October.

Apple Intelligence enables generative AI features such as Writing Tools. More will come in updates later in 2024 and 2025, including image generation called Image Playground, AI emoji called Genmoji, Siri improvements, and more.

The Pro Max Costs $100 More for Equivalent Storage

The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 for 128GB of storage, with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB versions available at $1,099, $1,299, and $1,499 respectively.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max can be had in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage capacities for $1,199, $1,399, and $1,599, respectively. These are the same price and storage capacities as the iPhone 15 Pros last year.

Storage is one of Apple’s strongest weapons for upselling shoppers to pricier models. But if you need an iPhone 16 Pro for its cameras, you’d be wise to pick the most spacious model the budget allows. You can always connect external storage to either model via USB-C (at USB 3.0 speeds) to shoot 4K ProRes video directly to disk.

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The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have the same software capabilities and almost no crucial hardware differences. Some folks preferred the iPhone 15 Pro Max last year due to its 5x telephoto camera but there is no need to make that trade-off in 2024. The only differences this year are the screen size, the battery life, and the price

Whether you go Pro or Pro Max depends on your budget (with the Pro Max starting at $100 more for the same 256GB storage configuration) and your preference for display size and pocket space.

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  Apple iPhone 16

  Apple’s newest iPhone featuring a camera button, programmable action button, and artificial intelligence features.

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  Apple iPhone 16 Pro

  A version of Apple’s newest iPhone with a larger screen featuring a camera button, a programmable action button, and artificial intelligence features.