I borrowed a new iPhone 16 Pro Max from my friend to review it. Here is what I found.

I borrowed a new iPhone 16 Pro Max from my friend to review it. He was kind enough to lend me the device before setting it up. 

Here are the pros and cons I noticed with the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max. 

Larger size and Display compared to its predecessor 

 iPhone 16 Pro Max is larger, with a 6.9-inch display. Its borders are reduced to give more display space. It has a larger screen size, it has no other improvement over the last model. Its sapphire display is sturdy as it was. But you know, it's comparably larger than other phones available in the market. If you were a 15 pro max user, you may not experience any discomfort in carrying a big phone in your side pocket. I have a small stature, so comparably my pockets are small, carrying it and sitting down was very discomforting for me. 

Body and chassis 

Still big, but with very strong metal encasing, you can feel the strong titanium body and its cold texture when you hold the device. The back panel of the device is smoother now. I couldn't find the old texture from the last model anywhere. 

The device is Responsive. 

I cannot point out what it is, but the device is fast-reacting. This may be due to the presence of its enhanced A18 Chip Sets. Believe me, these chips and their components are the real deal here. This machine is optimized around this beast. You can say it is a dragon heart. The device is very responsive and very fast. 

Camera Quality 

I couldn't identify any visible changes from the previous model. But my friends say they can notice a slight improvement in its camera performance. As a human, I was unable to point out the difference. The video is also very good. But in my opinion, the iPhones are very good at recording Video. So comparison with other devices will be a pointless exercise here. 

Camera Control button. 

This device is heavy, and the camera button is placed on the rightmost side of the phone. So using the button while balancing the device is very hard in portrait mode. But easy in landscape mode. This button reminds me of the old digital cameras I used to take photos. And Apple strictly says this is not a button. You may name this button after you buy an iPhone 16 Pro Max. 

New AI enhancements ??

Well, the store owner told my friend and he told me that, The features will be released later and available as an update. He said there would be camera improvements, Apple intelligence etc in the upcoming software updates. 

Despite my friend, I asked a few users some survey questions, Most of them feel the device doesn't have any significant improvements over the last phone besides its size and screen. Some say battery life has been improved comparing 15 Pro Max. One-hand photography is difficult due to the placement of the camera button/scroller/zoomer. Some enthusiast feels the incompleteness, due to the absence/delay of the new features. 

Overall, the device is a good option, if you are buying it as a necessary device. If you are looking to upgrade, this may not be a good option, wait for a little and buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It'll have significant improvements over 15 Pro max and you'll feel the value of money and getting the most out of your existing device. 

But all these technical reviews don't matter, at the end of the day, Apple devices are luxury and status goods, and owning the new model will be a status symbol. Comparing Apple devices with other phones will feel like comparing gold chains to a steel chain, the steel chain may hold, but the gold chain has more value. It's all about brand value.