The iPhone 16 Pro Max has an identity crisis

1 day ago

I emotion nan iPhone 16 series. I should clarify: I emotion most of nan iPhone 16 series. The iPhone 16 is astir apt nan champion mini telephone ever made — though nan Google Pixel 9 Pro makes it a adjacent conflict — while nan iPhone 16 Pro is my individual iPhone of prime this year. Even nan iPhone 16 Plus feels special. That leaves nan iPhone 16 Pro Max arsenic nan 1 that’s disappointed maine nan most.

Apple’s biggest-ever iPhone is besides symbolic of a problem facing nan company: Where does nan iPhone 16 Pro Max spell from here? Aside from nan surface being 0.2 inches larger, there’s small tangible quality from nan iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Instead of emotion breathtaking and caller for illustration each of its siblings, nan iPhone 16 Pro Max feels old and, frankly, a small boring. It’s an fantabulous phone, but it’s near maine emotion flat. Here’s why.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max lacks a definite pizzazz

iPhone 16 Pro Max adjacent to nan 16 Plus, 16 Pro and regular iPhone 16

How do you amended an already awesome phone? That was nan situation facing Apple, and its reply was to make it a spot bigger. That would person worked astatine 1 point, but nan 6.7-inch show connected nan iPhone 15 Pro Max already pushes nan limits, and nan iPhone 16 Pro Max is excessively large to usage comfortably pinch 1 hand.

It would beryllium easy to forgive this and judge nan discuss if location was a compelling logic to. Yet, having utilized each 4 models, I’ve struggled to find a logic to usage nan iPhone 16 Pro Max complete nan others. Yes, nan artillery life is incredible, but I’m ne'er acold from a charger, truthful it’s not a existent game-changer.

Someone holding nan iPhone 16 Pro, showing nan location screen.

Last year, nan 5x optical zoom successful nan camera was a large logic to upgrade, and I did, opting for nan iPhone 15 Pro Max complete nan iPhone 15 Pro. This year, nan iPhone 16 Pro has nan aforesaid lens, and nan smaller size positive bigger surface makes it overmuch much applicable for mundane use.

Then there’s iOS; Apple still hasn’t figured retired a existent usage lawsuit for a large screen. Even pinch each nan new iOS 18 features, there’s still nary logic to person a large surface different than if you person bad eyesight. Even then, I’d reason that utilizing thing for illustration a Clicks keyboard pinch nan smaller Pro is simply a acold amended combination.

iPhone 16 Pro Max successful Desert Titanium.

Most Android telephone makers now connection immoderate shape of multitasking — particularly successful bigger and foldable devices — and Apple offers this connected nan iPad, but not connected nan iPhone. The 6.9-inch show would beryllium perfect for this; Apple has nan power to connection robust multitasking, and developers would build caller experiences successful days. Instead, it’s conscionable a large phone, albeit a very bully 1 astatine that.

To me, nan iPhone 16 Pro Max lacks a small pizzazz, which is simply a shame arsenic nan remainder of nan lineup is very good. Each of nan iPhone 16 models feels typical successful a circumstantial way, isolated from for one. Don’t judge me? Try this: Can you show maine which iPhone 16 exemplary is successful nan photograph above?

The iPhone 16 Pro is excessively good

iPhone 16 Pro adjacent to nan iPhone 16 Pro Max

Last year, nan quality betwixt nan iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max was stark: nan second had a bigger battery, amended camera, and larger display. This year, nan camera is nan same, and Apple has returned to its erstwhile shape of parity successful nan acquisition betwixt nan 2 devices. It’s a very invited move, but besides a astonishing one. Samsung has proven that having a premium-tier smartphone is bully business, and it’s a exemplary that Apple could person emulated.

Instead, nan iPhone 16 Pro Max is conscionable a bigger phone. Some group will emotion it, and astatine 6.9 inches, Apple is pushing nan boundaries of smartphone sizes arsenic a whole, not conscionable nan iPhone. Over nan past 5 weeks, I’ve gone backmost to nan iPhone 16 Pro Max respective times, and each time, I’ve realized nan aforesaid thing: this is excessively big.

Then I spell backmost to nan iPhone 16 Pro and recognize that I’m overmuch happier. The artillery doesn’t past arsenic long, and it is overmuch smaller, but this is besides its charm. You get nan aforesaid camera and acquisition successful a overmuch smaller assemblage that doesn’t ever consciousness for illustration it’s astir to autumn from your hands. It’s wonderful.

The regular iPhone 16 is arsenic impressive

This is simply a bold statement, but nan iPhone 16 is nan astir enjoyable iPhone I’ve utilized successful galore years. In a world wherever astir smartphone screens are 6.6 inches aliases bigger, nan 6.1-inch surface connected nan iPhone 16 is fabulous. I tin perceive personification susurration thing retired 60Hz correct now, but perhaps you’re wrong.

It’s not nan surface size that makes nan iPhone 16 special, but everything other that has been improved and creates a compelling wide experience. There’s an upgraded camera which, while not having nan afloat capabilities of nan Pro camera, is nan champion connected a non-Pro iPhone. There’s besides a scope of beautiful colorsthat genuinely guidelines out, successful ways that iPhone colors haven’t for a fewer years.

Then there’s nan A18 chipset. This is nan biggest year-over-year improvement. The measurement up from nan A16 Bionic successful nan regular iPhone 15 to nan A18 this twelvemonth is substantial, and it makes nan oaerall acquisition overmuch snappier. All these changes mean location are less trade-offs erstwhile choosing nan non-Pro lineup complete nan Pro, which makes nan iPhone 16 perfect if you want a regular-sized iPhone.

What’s nan constituent of nan Pro Max?

iPhone 16 Plus teal and iPhone 16 Pro Max earthy titanium rear

The iPhone 16 Plus is besides little absorbing than its smaller related (perhaps I person a point against large phones), but it’s still much compelling than nan iPhone 16 Pro Max. It comes successful each nan aforesaid awesome colors arsenic nan iPhone 16 and is powered by nan aforesaid A18 chipset.

However, overmuch for illustration nan iPhone 13 mini, nan iPhone 16 Plus is rumored to beryllium nan past of nan Plus lineup, pinch Apple launching nan iPhone 17 Air successful its place. I deliberation Apple needs to alteration its attack to nan Pro Max astatine nan aforesaid clip and look backmost a fewer years to Samsung.

To me, nan iPhone 16 Pro Max lacks a small pizzazz.

The Galaxy S20 Ultra was a large infinitesimal for nan smartphone industry. Samsung’s trading prowess helped create nan Ultra branding, and each company, from smartphones to laptops, is now utilizing nan Ultra branding connected its devices. They Ultra nickname is meant to awesome nan champion that a institution has to offer, and it tin costs a important premium.

In nan agelong run, however, it doesn’t matter. Apple will proceed building large phones, and millions of group will bargain them. I conscionable wish Apple would effort thing a small different and wish it had done truthful pinch nan iPhone 16 Pro Max. Give america a telephone pinch a ample camera, a large display, and possibly moreover support for nan Apple Pencil Pro. Give nan Pro Max a logic to warrant its ample size and price.

Oh wait, that’s nan Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.