How the iPhone 16 Pro Max Made Me Believe in Annual Upgrades

Every September, a fair amount of iPhone media coverage expresses how the latest iPhone is basically a replica of its predecessor, and that’s true to an extent. Smartphones have mostly matured, and there’s only so much a phone maker can do. This results in a mix of incremental upgrades and unnecessary additions made for the sake of change. However, while small tweaks are usually seen as annoying, they can actually have a big impact, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max reflects that. After upgrading from an iPhone 15 Pro Max, I don’t regret buying the 2024 flagship at all. Here’s why.

The camera has serious style

The camera control button is the iPhone 16’s most significant hardware introduction. While in theory, it’s a handy addition that should make adjusting camera settings and switching easier. shooting, I have yet to overcome its unintuitive nature and manage to integrate it into my photo sessions. For me, the most notable camera upgrade this year was a new software feature: Next-Gen Photographic Styles.

As a Lightroom enthusiast, Photographic Styles 2.0 is exactly the kind of color magic I need to casually edit everyday photos without spending a lot of time or effort. There are a total of 15 options (including the default), each applying a distinct mood that changes the photo’s tones, warmth, tints, and more.

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The advantage of Apple’s new photographic styles is that they are non-destructive. Unlike the first generation implementation of the feature, you can switch between different “filters” after shooting, and the effects are all reversible. You can also make meaningful edits on the larger screen of a Mac or iPad if you find your iPhone too small.

Unlike the Photos app’s existing filters, you can make several adjustments to each photographic style, beyond increasing or decreasing its quantity. This allows you to control the tone, color, and palette of each photo based on its individual nuances, mood, subject, and more. Although the concept is relatively basic, the effects really help users bring out the best in their photos.

Other iPhone 16 Pro Max camera upgrades include the 48 MP ultra-wide lens for improved macro shots and support for 4K video recording at 120 fps with mixing audio. Both additions are nice to have, and with Photographic Styles 2.0, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has been a serious upgrade to my workflow.

A redesign where it counts

Over the past few years, the appearance of the iPhone hasn’t changed much. Instead, Apple has made small changes over several years, and this year’s Pro Max update continues in that vein with a slightly larger screen and more rounded corners. However, Apple has made a major upgrade to this year’s phones, featuring a new cooling system and a larger battery.

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Now, some may wonder why anyone would care about a seemingly meaningless tweak applied to a hidden section of the phone. Well, if you’ve ever used an iPhone 15 Pro Max for a somewhat intensive task, you’ve probably noticed that the top left corner heats up and, in extreme cases, makes it uncomfortable to use. Thanks to a brand new vapor chamber, my iPhone 16 Pro Max rarely heats up. And when it does, it disperses moderate heat throughout the device, keeping its overall temperature in check. While this may not be the most exciting upgrade for casual users, it has significantly improved my experience when using my iPhone 16 Pro Max.

In addition to cooling, the iPhone now offers significantly longer battery life. Instead of charging my phone daily, I now do it once a day and a half. It’s especially useful when I spend an entire day hiking in the wilderness, because I can now rely on it constantly to navigate, stream music, take photos, and text my friends without worrying about running out of juice in the middle of nowhere.

The most powerful display yet

The iPhone 16 Pro Max received two main display upgrades. Most notably, Apple expanded it from 6.7 inches to 6.9 inches, making it the largest iPhone ever. While I appreciate the increased immersion, part of me struggles to focus on all the content on the screen simultaneously.

So when I look at the top section, the items at the bottom become blurry. As a result, it feels like my eyeballs have to move from one side of the screen to the other, rather than taking in everything at all times. However, the screen size remains manageable. I just hope Apple doesn’t go further: the 6.3-inch model is too small for my liking and I can’t imagine dealing with an even larger smartphone screen.

Beyond that, the edges of the screen have been made even thinner, further contributing to the futuristic look of the phone’s glass slab. Although some users faced palm rejection issues that caused the touchscreen to become unresponsive, I personally did not experience any such issues. (Plus, Apple fixed the bug with iOS 18.0.1, so this shouldn’t be an issue anymore.)

The most underrated iPhone 16 Pro Max screen upgrade is the new 1 nit minimum brightness. This reduces eye strain when using the phone in a completely dark room late at night. Gone are the days when you had to switch Reduce white point in accessibility settings to reduce eye strain before bed.

While the previous changes are practical, I also noticed some cosmetic tweaks across the board. Most notably, the black titanium frame is now darker, an improvement over last year’s grayish finish. However, I miss the brushed metal look compared to the smoothed sides of the 16.

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Add it all up

To be honest, I had very low hopes for the iPhone 16 Pro Max before buying it. Although Apple offers an annual upgrade program that makes getting a new iPhone easier, iPhones are designed to last for many years and most users don’t buy the latest model every year. As such, it is irrational to demand revolutionary changes and major introductions every year. Those who upgrade every three generations or so will notice a ton of difference.

Still, I was completely surprised by how significant the upgrade from an iPhone 15 Pro Max to a 16 Pro Max was. It now looks sleeker, lasts longer on a single charge, stays relatively cool, and doesn’t blind me before I sleep. Most importantly, Photographic Styles 2.0 improves my photos on the go, and irritating lens flare has apparently been minimized. From a distance, these may all seem like insignificant adjustments. In reality, though, they fix many of the iPhone’s imperfections, add features we really need, and make the 16 Pro Max the most refined iteration yet.