iPhone 16 Pro Max Long-Term Review: Love or Let Down?

Summary

The iPhone 16 Pro Max impresses with its sleek design, durability, and outstanding camera capabilities, especially for night videography. After 7 months of use, the phone's performance, battery health, and display are still solid, though issues with the screen's fragility, software glitches, and inconsistent CarPlay functionality remain. Despite these drawbacks, the phone's video quality and photography features, such as the 48MP ultrawide sensor and natural tone control, set it apart. While an upgrade from the iPhone 14 Pro Max is appealing, those on the iPhone 15 Pro Max might find little incentive to upgrade until the iPhone 17 arrives.

Takeaways

• 😀 The iPhone 16 Pro Max remains in pristine condition after 7 months of use, despite being dropped frequently and housed in a thin, minimal case.
• 😀 Apple's ceramic shield on the front glass is not very durable, resulting in deep scratches and gouges on the display, even from light use.
• 😀 The phone's cooling system is improved, handling heat better than previous models, though it can still get warm during heavy usage like gaming or streaming.
• 😀 The display is praised for its stunning colors and excellent HDR content, although the anti-reflective coating lags behind competitors like the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
• 😀 While the iPhone 16 Pro Max's display is bright and vibrant, it doesn't hit the full 120Hz refresh rate as smoothly as Android competitors, with some touch responsiveness issues.
• 😀 The battery health remains at 100% after 174 charge cycles, with the phone consistently lasting through a day of heavy use, including social media, emails, and media streaming.
• 😀 Software performance, particularly with iOS 18, is still buggy, with app crashes, freezes, and delayed launches at launch, though improvements have been made with updates.
• 😀 CarPlay is inconsistent, sometimes failing to produce audio for music or calls, with the classic 'turn Bluetooth off and on again' fix working only 60% of the time.
• 😀 Apple's AI features, particularly Siri and notification summaries, are still underwhelming and not as reliable or fast as third-party tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity.
• 😀 The iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera system continues to be one of the best, especially for night videography, capturing clear 4K 120 fps footage with minimal noise, but the camera button is unintuitive and often causes accidental presses.
• 😀 Despite some bugs, the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers an impressive hardware upgrade, but if you already have the iPhone 15 Pro Max, there’s no urgent reason to upgrade, as the iPhone 17 is on the horizon with potentially more refined features.

Q & A

How durable is the iPhone 16 Pro Max in terms of physical wear and tear?

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is surprisingly durable, with the phone remaining pristine after several drops, thanks to a slim, minimalistic case. However, the front glass, despite Apple's Ceramic Shield, is prone to scratches after minimal use, particularly from just being placed in an empty pocket.

What issues were encountered with the front glass of the iPhone 16 Pro Max?

Despite Apple's Ceramic Shield, the front glass of the iPhone 16 Pro Max easily accumulates scratches and micro gouges, even from light contact. After just a week of use, the display began to show deep scratches that worsened over time.

How does the cooling system in the iPhone 16 Pro Max perform during heavy usage?

The cooling system in the iPhone 16 Pro Max works well, especially with its new graphite and aluminum components. It manages heat better than previous models, but it still gets warm during extended gaming or streaming sessions. However, it doesn’t get hot enough to make the phone uncomfortable to hold.

What stands out about the iPhone 16 Pro Max's display?

The iPhone 16 Pro Max's display is stunning, with perfectly calibrated colors, great HDR performance, and excellent outdoor visibility. The reduced bezels and the larger screen size offer more real estate without making the phone too bulky, though it is still not ideal for one-handed use.

Is the iPhone 16 Pro Max display's brightness and anti-reflective coating up to par compared to competitors?

While the iPhone 16 Pro Max's display offers great HDR and outdoor visibility, its peak brightness is lower than some high-end Android competitors. The anti-reflective coating works decently but doesn’t match the matte display quality of devices like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

How does the touch responsiveness on the iPhone 16 Pro Max compare to other devices?

There have been some touch responsiveness issues on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, particularly near the camera control button and the top left corner of the screen. Additionally, despite the display supporting ProMotion technology, it often maxes out at around 80 Hz instead of the advertised 120 Hz, affecting smoothness.

How is the battery performance on the iPhone 16 Pro Max after 7 months?

After 7 months and 174 charge cycles, the iPhone 16 Pro Max's battery health remains at 100%, which is impressive. With heavy use like social media, emails, and video streaming, the phone usually ends the day with 45-50% battery remaining. Battery drain issues with certain apps were resolved through updates.

Has iOS 18 improved over time since its launch?

iOS 18 had significant issues at launch, with frequent app crashes, freezes, and delays. While updates have improved the system, it still doesn’t feel as smooth as it should, and it lags behind the performance seen on Android systems.

What issues have been encountered with CarPlay on the iPhone 16 Pro Max?

CarPlay has been inconsistent on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Sometimes, there’s no audio for music or calls when connecting to the car, and the common fix is to turn Bluetooth off and on again, though this solution works only about 60% of the time.

What is the experience with Siri and Apple's AI features on the iPhone 16 Pro Max?

Apple’s AI features, like Siri and the notification summaries, have not lived up to expectations. Siri is primarily used for basic tasks like setting timers or turning on lights. For anything more complex, the reviewer prefers using tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity due to faster and more reliable results.

How does the iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera perform, especially for video and night shots?

The camera on the iPhone 16 Pro Max excels in video quality, especially for night videography, capturing 4K footage at 120 fps with minimal noise. Regular photography has been outpaced by some Android competitors, but the iPhone still leads in video. The new 48 MP ultrawide sensor provides better detail retention, especially for macro shots.

What are the drawbacks of the iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera system?

Despite its impressive video and photo quality, the iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera system has some flaws. The camera button is unintuitive, causing accidental presses and a noticeable delay in response. The camera app still suffers from freezes and focus issues, affecting the overall experience.

Should you upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro Max if you already own an iPhone 15 Pro Max?

If you already own the iPhone 15 Pro Max, there's no strong reason to upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro Max unless you're specifically looking for performance improvements or features like Wi-Fi 7. With the iPhone 17 around the corner, it may be worth waiting for more refined software and AI tools.

Is the iPhone 16 Pro Max worth buying now, or should you wait for the next model?

While the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers great hardware, battery life, and camera capabilities, it launched with some bugs and feels unfinished in certain areas. If you're holding off, the upcoming iPhone 17 could bring better AI features and software stability. Additionally, price drops may occur, making it a better deal later on.