Alright, it’s that time of the year! Apple finally took the plunge and went all out on AI with its new iPhone 16 series. Calling the latest iPhones as built for Apple Intelligence. Of course, the company coined its version of AI, short for artificial intelligence, which the rest of the world uses for its products, but this is Apple, so you know it. However, one big miss is these phones do not come with any Apple Intelligence features out-of-the-box.
We’ve got the new iPhone 16 series and the Watch 10 model. I’m starting the proceedings with the all-new iPhone 16 Pro Max, the biggest iPhone in terms of display and size ever built by 
Daylight photos from the primary camera of the 16 Pro Max
This year, you can play around with your images with all-new Photographic Styles that adjust tones, colours, and more in real time. The new control pad in the Photography Styles puts you on top of your images and makes it convenient. Another small update is that you can now change the style after clicking an image, which wasn’t possible earlier.
Colour accuracy and ample details are highlights of the primary camera
Videography enthusiasts are getting another big update this year with 4K at 120fps support – what Apple calls its highest resolution and frame rate with slo-mo. The best part is that Apple this year is not forcing you to make real-time decisions on the frame rate. You can adjust the playback speed after capture in the Photos app. The addition of these features makes on-the-go editing wonders.
Macro shot
Portrait image
Bokehs come out amazing, too, with natural skin tones and no colour blowout. Something that iPhones are vouched for. Macro shots also come nice. However, you will need to do some work to make sure you nail the shot, or else you may end up with a few close-ups with the subject blurred.
Telephoto (5x) camera samples
The telephoto camera has also received a decent update, and I got some fantastic zoom results. At 10x and 15x, the 16 Pro Max manages amazing results with ample details. This is the first time I have noticed that the iPhone 16 Pro Max did better than the S24 Ultra in some zoom shots.
Shots were taken using an Ultrawide camera
The ultrawide camera is also capable and does an excellent job in daylight. There’s a noticeable upgrade over the 15 Pro Max shots in terms of image details captured.
Jumping to low-light photos, there is considerable improvement in this department. Especially considering the 15 Pro Max lately was disappointing in challenging low-light conditions. Below are some night samples where 16 Pro Max flexes its muscle in low-light conditions.
Low-light photos from the iPhone 16 Pro Max
Portrait at night, shot on iPhone 16 Pro Max
Why not test 16 Pro Max with the current flagship from the Android domain – Samsung Galaxu S24 Ultra? Below are some photos for your comparison. Though note, to merge both the shots, the quality has taken a slight hit, but this is representational to show you how well Apple has improved its low-light cameras on the new Pro models.
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Low-light shots compared
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in low-light conditions
Another iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra night sample
In this image, the 16 Pro Max keeps colours and tone natural while the S24 Ultra blows it away with too much unnatural light
The selfie camera is the same as the 15 Pro Max, and we don’t see any variation in that either. Selfies come out excellent with natural skin tones and colours across different light conditions. The low-light photos, however, have a scope for improvement. Overall, the iPhone 16 Pro Max packs a stellar camera trio, and you cannot put it down compared to any phone in the market.
iPhone 16 Pro Max Battery: Powerhouse
- Battery: Claimed bigger battery capacity
- Video playback: Up to 33 hours (advertised)
- Charging: Up to 50% charge in 35 minutes
By now, you may already know that Apple is the only company that doesn’t advertise spec sheets. So, when it came to battery bump on the new iPhone 16 Pro Max, the only data Apple shared is that it offers up to 33 hours of video playback compared to the 15 Pro Max (and 14 Pro Max), which offered up to 29 hours of video playback. We did our HD video loop test, and 16 Pro Max impressed with a respectable 28 hours and 33 minutes of playback time.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a capable smartphone when it comes to battery prowess
Talking purely about battery performance, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a stellar device that can offer over 8 hours of screen-on time. With heavy usage that included a couple of hours of gaming and streaming and a good 30-40 minutes of camera use for photos and videos, the phone easily lasted over a day with almost 25 percent of battery still left.
In multiple tests we did on the review unit, the 16 Pro Max easily did over 8 hours of active screen on time, and the max we got was 8 hours and 30 minutes with 13 percent juice left. Of course, you can derive more battery backup if you turn off the always-on display and reduce camera use. On days with moderate use, the iPhone 16 Pro Max gave us nearly two full days of battery life.
A MagSafe case by beats, a Silicone Case from Apple, and a case from Daily Objects for the iPhone 16 Pro Max
Apple has really pushed the envelope when it comes to battery performance, which is something that will be tough for competition to match.
However, wired charging speed remains the Achilles heel of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. In an era where phones offer full charging within 30 minutes, the 16 Pro Max reached 55% charge in 35 minutes. A full charge with a 20W adapter takes about 100 minutes and, at times, can take up to 120 minutes, depending on multiple factors.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max isn’t a small phone by any means
iPhone 16 Pro Max Verdict
Who should buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max? The answer is simple – for iPhone users who are not already using the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Get it, of course, if your budget allows. For those who still prefer an under Rs. 1 lakh phone and are okay with compromising on some aspects, there’s the base iPhone 16 with mostly all the goodies this year minus a 120Hz refresh rate display and a third telephoto camera. The best thing is that this is a sale season, and you can grab some great deals if you prioritise switching to an iPhone, as discounts are available across models in both online and offline stores.
Camera Control is one of the highlights of the new 16-series
Compared to the 14 Pro and 13 Pro series, the iPhone 16 Pro Max packs some of the biggest upgrades, while the 15 Pro Max now looks underrated. It has the biggest display on an iPhone yet. In my testing, the 16 Pro Max delivered unprecedented battery performance, and of course, this is a Pro device, so even heavy-duty users can go for this. The display is incredible, and the only downside is the slow wired charging, which seems to be taking forever to be upgraded.
One big bummer is that there are no Apple Intelligence (read, stable) features on the 16 Pro Max, which certainly makes it look like not a great deal at the moment. But remember, these phones are built from scratch to work with Apple Intelligence, so an iOS update with all the goodies may drop in a few weeks.
The two biggest alternatives to the iPhone 16 Pro Max are the iPhone 15 Pro Max (Review), retailing at all-time low prices during the festive sales in India. And, the second is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Review), the closest flagship that can take on the 16 Pro Max.
