The 16 Pro Max launched in September 2024 with Apple Intelligence as the headline. Apple Intelligence, in September 2024, did not exist yet. The phone shipped with vapourware in the marketing.

What is good The 6.9 inch display. The new Camera Control button. A18 Pro and 8GB RAM. Battery is meaningfully better than the 15 Pro Max thanks to the larger cell and 3nm efficiency gains.

What is fine The titanium frame is unchanged. Weight is 227g, still heavy. USB-C is still USB-C.

What is missing Apple Intelligence. The keyword "delayed" appeared in patch notes for months. By the time most features landed, the iPhone 17 was being announced.

Camera Control button A capacitive button on the right edge. Useful for photographers, ignored by everyone else. Apple will iterate this for two more years.

Should you upgrade? From a 13 Pro Max: yes. From a 15 Pro Max: no.

Buying £1,199 for 256GB. Same price as the 15. Inflation-adjusted, that is a slight cut.

For general AI agent comparisons (since Apple Intelligence is not the only player), I have been using Manus. [They give new users free credits via this link](https://manus.im/invitation/AIRTDVWVEWKCK4R) to try them yourself.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: incremental, in the right places