Or iPhone Pro Max minus – hey

introduction

Apple is taking a third crack at its low-cost oversized smartphones. That would mean terrible compromises. But which one? And do you care? This year’s model has no shortage of features, including action buttons and a camera control touchpad. We don’t skimp on performance either. However, not all is smooth sailing, and the promised software selling points have yet to materialize.

As someone who has been using an iPhone 15 Pro Max as a daily driver for a year, I was curious to know if the iPhone 16 Plus holds enough “Pro” or if it’s a dud. Let’s dig deeper…

Design: True color

It’s an iPhone. That’s what I thought when I first got this device. Nothing really surprising. But color. Oh my goodness.. The iPhone 16 Pro Max comes in horribly boring “classy” shades, while the new iPhone 16 Plus is gorgeous in pink or blue. (And, you know, teal, white, and black are very nice, but if you choose any over pink or blue, I’ll give you exterior.) These phones are fun to look at and remind me of the latest iMacs. The front is quiet. Party in the back.

So what else is going on? Two new buttons have been added. The action has been beefed up a year late, which is nice to have, but the introduction of camera controls makes it feel a little redundant to me (more on that later).

Apple thinks Ceramic Shield is stronger, but you know, it’s still glass. The frame is approx. 63.7% less fingerprint magnet than Pro. And this blower is also lightweight, weighing the same as an iPhone 16 Pro. It’s Pro. It’s not Pro Max. And yes, it feels like 28g in daily use. I should moonlight as a scale.

Screen and Sound: Tired of 60

Honestly, I couldn’t give two fuss about the slight increase in screen size that the Pro Max has over the Plus. I’m not crying into Cornflakes about Safari or losing one line of text in a book. The most disappointing thing about a phone that starts at £900 (or $900 in US currency) is that the display remains at 60Hz.

yes i know. Some people don’t know the difference from 120Hz. But you can. When scrolling, the movement becomes a little unstable. Response is a little slow. And that means the iPhone 16 Plus doesn’t have an always-on display. When your phone is idle, you might be tempted to see a blank screen. I don’t. I miss clocks, widgets, and notifications.

Look, this is still a good display. It’s crispy. It’s bright. The OLED panel produces great colors and contrast. But come on, Android blowers at this price point or below were moving to higher refresh rates a long time ago, and Apple’s hesitation to do the same now seems like an upsell.

Camera: Extreme close-up

Yes, I’m about to embarrass the photographers with some controversial hot takes. I don’t think most people will notice two of the three camera differences between the Plus and Pro Max. Sure, the Pro Max’s 48MP is great. However, I had a hard time telling the difference between photos taken with both phones. Again, I’m not a professional photographer. If so, you should probably buy the Pro Max. If not, you’ll be happy with the features of the iPhone 16 Plus. generally.

With 12MP ultrawide, maybe Once you start zooming in, you’ll notice a lack of detail compared to the comparable 48MP Pro Max. However, macro shots are still excellent, and I liked some of the photos I took with the Plus even more. I also found the Plus macro to be faster at capturing subjects than its Pro Max counterpart.

What the Plus can’t compete with is the Pro Max’s telephoto lens. Because I don’t have a telephoto lens. Boo. And I really miss the 5x zoom.

Camera control button? My opinion hasn’t changed since using it with the Pro Max. It’s a good idea, but it can be a pain at times and sits too far into the frame on larger iPhones.

Oh, and video: While the phone lacks Apple’s fancy new 4K 120fps slow-motion feature, it does have a fancy video audio mix feature, which surprised me. This allows you to separate the subject conversation from the background noise with little effort. The microphone is better on the Pro, but the effects work well on the Plus for personal capture.

Software: Coming soon

iOS 18 is very good and comes with meaningful new features. The iOS app ecosystem is second to none on mobile. There are many games. But Apple would sooner strap you into a rocket ship and shoot you into the center of the sun than force you to use your iPhone for anything other than a mobile device. In other words, there is no DeX or equivalent that allows the iPhone to be one device to rule them all.

Apple Intelligence is also not yet available. The dribble will probably start soon after this review is published. But the shame of featuring beta software as part of a review will force me to live in the trash forever. So avoid that. Instead, I’ll write about Apple Intelligence later. And say something nice, human! Shi. Quiet, Siri! Aiiii! etc.

Performance and battery life: Plus

In the early days of the modern iPhone, the entire new product line had the same chip, and everything was fine. And in 2022, the iPhone 14 was one generation behind the Pro, which was terrible. This year, Apple had no choice but to put a new chip in every iPhone. That’s because your iPhone should be able to support Apple Intelligence, even if you don’t. (Or, for that matter, even if Apple wasn’t.)

What if you don’t mind your phone being able to make your email ramblings coherent or even provide you with an accurate summary of notifications with just a tap? A18 is here to stay I’m sure you’ll be interested. You can even run AAA games on your iPhone 16 Plus if you are up to the task and at least have a high-quality controller. It’s not as smooth as the Pro Max and has the extra grunt of the A18 Pro graphics. But most people won’t notice any difference between the A18 and its Pro cousin in everyday use.

Otherwise, battery life is impressive. Apple believes you can get up to 27 hours of video playback if you’re watching a very long movie. During my testing, the Plus easily got through the day with normal use, but AAA games predictably drained the battery at a faster rate. At that point, being able to charge it to 50% in 30 minutes using a 20W charger was welcome. What we didn’t like: The phone’s wired speed is USB 2, not USB 3. But, well, most people won’t care about that either.

iPhone 16 Plus verdict

Let’s start with the good stuff. The value proposition of the iPhone 16 Plus is the best since the original iPhone Plus in 2021. It’s all thanks to the tip. my guess This is an anomaly enforced by Apple Intelligence. Don’t be surprised if next year’s iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max will be A19 Pro, while iPhone 17 and 17 Plus will remain A18.

Beyond that, I like the look of this phone better than the Pro Max, and it’s lighter and cheaper. In fact, it’s $200/£200 cheaper than the equivalent Pro Max, and $300/£300 cheaper for the entry-level device if you can stomach 128GB of storage. (Pro Max starts at 256GB.) The flip side is the 60Hz display and lack of 5x telephoto.

As a result, I came to a strange conclusion. “I like this iPhone.” I would happily use it as my daily driver. But I don’t know if I will buy One. Personally, I would pay extra for a better display and telephoto lens, but or You can drop the size down to iPhone 16 Pro for an additional $100/pounds. Or, if you want to save money, you might opt ​​for the lighter (yet equally powerful) standard iPhone 16. Hmm. But if you I value the big display and don’t care about 5x telephoto or ProMotion, but considering how close this iPhone is to the Pro Max this year, it’s a great option.

Apple iPhone 16 Plus technical specifications