With iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max on order for pickup or supply beginning Friday, early opinions of the premium handsets are rolling in. Our iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max assessment roundup finds rather a lot to love within the largest upgrades — primarily elevated display screen dimension and the cameras’ beefed up performance.
However with Apple Intelligence nonetheless to return to check the superior new A18 Professional chip, upgrades appear largely iterative, leaving a lot of the eye centered on the massive jumps iPhone 16 and Plus took this 12 months.
iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max assessment roundup: Larger sizes, higher efficiency
Quickly after Apple rolled out iPhone 16 on September 13, it started to look like the bottom fashions would possibly outshine the often flashier Professional fashions is 12 months. And early gross sales figures could bear that out. The reason being bigger-than-average upgrades within the base mannequin in comparison with the iPhone Professional fashions for this 12 months. Early opinions of iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are, certainly, very optimistic. However after all the Professional fashions noticed upgrades, too, and loads of reviewers nonetheless name it one of the best iPhone due to its excellent characteristic set.
Design and show
The iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max characteristic barely bigger shows than their predecessors, with slimmer bezels permitting for six.3-inch and 6.9-inch screens respectively, opinions in TechCrunch and elsewhere identified. Whereas the scale enhance is refined, Tom’s Information famous that the Professional Max particularly feels noticeably bigger, doubtlessly making one-handed use more difficult for some people.
Gizmodo praised the brand new desert titanium colour possibility as significantly engaging, although Wired lamented the dearth of extra vibrant colour selections for the Professional fashions in comparison with the usual iPhone 16. The telephones retain their sturdy titanium body and Ceramic Defend entrance, with Apple claiming 50% improved drop safety.
Efficiency and battery life
Powered by Apple’s new A18 Professional chip, the iPhone 16 Professional fashions ship distinctive efficiency. Tom’s Information cited benchmarks exhibiting CPU efficiency as much as 50% sooner than prime Android opponents. Wired famous that whereas gaming efficiency is powerful, some high-end titles like Resident Evil Village skilled occasional crashes throughout testing.
Battery life sees enhancements, too, significantly on the Professional Max. Tom’s Information recorded over 18 hours of steady internet searching, a 4-hour enhance over the iPhone 15 Professional Max. The usual Professional mannequin provides extra modest good points however nonetheless offers all-day battery life for many customers. Gizmodo highlighted that charging speeds stay unchanged, with Apple nonetheless not supporting sooner 45W charging regardless of some rumors.
Cameras and pictures
The digital camera system receives notable upgrades, with each Professional fashions now that includes an identical setups together with a 48MP fundamental sensor, 48MP ultra-wide, and 5x telephoto zoom, reviewers famous.
Key enhancements embrace:
- A brand new 48MP “Fusion Camera” system promising “zero shutter lag” for sooner seize after you press the button, plus improved low-light efficiency. As a assessment Engadget identified, the pace is shocking. The reviewer stored taking the shot prematurely, anticipating not less than a little bit of lag.
- In AM, reviewer Austin Mann stated he was most excited in regards to the ultra-wide-angle functionality, which he demonstrated fairly properly in Kenya, Africa (see his video beneath).
- Enhanced Photographic Types with extra granular colour changes and pores and skin tone choices.
- 4K video recording at 120fps for smoother slow-motion footage.
- Improved “Audio Mix” options for isolating voices in noisy environments.
Whereas reviewers usually reward digital camera high quality, opinions are combined on whether or not it constantly outperforms prime Android opponents just like the Google Pixel 9 Professional. Wired famous that in some situations, comparable to panoramas and ultra-wide pictures, it most well-liked the Pixel’s output.
New Digital camera Management button
A standout {hardware} addition is the brand new Digital camera Management performance and its button. The customizable, touch-sensitive button offers fast entry to the digital camera app and numerous taking pictures controls.
Reviewers had combined emotions about its utility:
- TechCrunch discovered it sooner than utilizing on-screen controls for capabilities like zooming.
- Gizmodo famous it may be awkward to make use of, particularly for left-handed customers.
- Wired finally most well-liked it as a easy shutter button somewhat than utilizing its extra superior gesture controls.
Apple Intelligence options
A big focus of the iPhone 16 Professional is its Apple Intelligence AI capabilities. Nevertheless, most of those options weren’t obtainable through the assessment interval and can arrive through software program replace in October. Primarily based on beta testing, reviewers shared preliminary impressions:
- Tom’s Information: Improved Siri with a brand new visible design and skill to deal with follow-up questions.
- Gizmodo: “Clean Up” picture enhancing much like Google’s Magic Eraser.
- Wired: Writing instruments for summarizing textual content, adjusting tone and proofreading, plus real-time transcription in apps like Voice Memos and through telephone calls.
Wired famous that whereas some options like good replies really feel like catch-up to present Android capabilities, Apple’s implementation focuses on privateness and on-device processing. Gizmodo argued this cautious method could profit customers in the long term in comparison with extra aggressive AI rollouts from opponents.
Nice options in iOS 18
Reviewers additionally famous the brand new iPhones ship with iOS 18, bringing welcome new options like:
- Additional residence display screen customization choices
- Redesigned Images app
- RCS messaging help for improved texting with Android customers
- New password administration app
Conclusion: Significant upgrades, however actual take a look at may include Apple Intelligence
Reviewers usually agreed that the iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max are glorious gadgets that deliver significant enhancements to digital camera capabilities, efficiency and battery life. Nevertheless, the dearth of instant availability for closely marketed AI options leaves some uncertainty about their real-world affect.
Tom’s Information concluded that whereas it’s an iterative replace, the iPhone 16 Professional Max “retains its title as the best phone” because of its mixture of efficiency, digital camera high quality and battery life. Wired emphasised that the variations between Professional and non-Professional fashions really feel much less important this 12 months, doubtlessly making the usual iPhone 16 a compelling possibility for a lot of customers.
Finally, these due for an improve will seemingly be proud of the iPhone 16 Professional’s refinements, however house owners of latest fashions could need to wait to see how Apple Intelligence options materialize earlier than making the soar.
Pricing and availability
The iPhone 16 Professional begins at $999, with the Professional Max starting at $1,199. Pre-orders can be found now, with gadgets transport and in shops Friday. In the event you go for one, don’t neglect to get a protecting case for it from amongst our picks for one of the best ones to this point.