What can you do with an extra $300 in your pocket? Based on the current iPhone 16 pre-order sales, the figures hint that the iPhone 16 Plus is the biggest winner so far with the most pre-orders in the lineup. It’s a strange departure from the norm, which is why an iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max face-off is necessary to determine which big iPhone you should get.
In our iPhone 16 Plus hands-on review, we detail how this year’s Plus model gains even more features that have typically been reserved for the Pro models — like the ability to capture spatial videos and photos, the addition of the Action Button, and Apple Intelligence features that will come in a future software update. Factoring in its sizable display and how its predecessor had the longest battery life in an iPhone last year, there are more compelling reasons to get the 16 Plus.
But that’s not to say that there’s less of a convincing reason to pick up the largest model in the lineup, which we detail in our iPhone 16 Pro Max hands-on review. With a slightly new redesign that packs more screen without adding too much to its size, upgraded ultrawide camera, and some nifty video capture features, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is still the phone to get for people that want to get the most out of their iPhone.
In our iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max face-off, we’ll dial into every aspect of both phones to find out which one could be right for you.
iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Specifications
iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Price
Just like last year with the iPhone 15 models, there’s a $300 price difference separating the Plus and the Pro Max. Since it’s the cheaper of the two, the iPhone 16 Plus inherently has an edge for those looking to save more money with its $899 cost. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Pro Max commands a $1,199 price that makes it a little bit out of reach for some shoppers.
It’s worth pointing out that you’re getting 128GB and 256GB base storage options for the iPhone 16 Plus and 16 Pro Max respectively. And for those who prefer physical storage as opposed to cloud-based options, you’ll be able to get more with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which does come at a cost. Specifically, you’ll pay $1,199 for an iPhone 16 Plus with 512GB of storage and $1,599 for a 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max.
iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Design
Given how you’re paying more for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, you’re getting a slightly more premium design with a titanium alloy frame on the Pro Max providing better durability and protection. It’s also slightly bigger and heavier, but the accompanying heft does give it a more solid construction when held in the hand.
However, you can make an argument that the iPhone 16 Plus has a more charming design due to how it’s available in brighter colorways that give it an even more attractive quality. Available in five different colors, the iPhone 16 Plus certainly draws attention due to its vibrant colors — like pink, teal, and ultramarine. These bolder colors do a better job of standing out than the neutral colors of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Both phones feature Ceramic Shield glass that’s reportedly tougher than anything other smartphone glass on the market, as well as the same IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. And lastly, their designs are identical in a way because they’re adorned by the Action button, Camera Control button, and USB-C port. That said, the iPhone 16 Pro Max benefits from faster USB 3 support for up to 10Gb/s speeds.
iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Display
In years past, the Plus and Pro Max models featured the same-sized displays, but that’s not the case with the iPhone 16 lineup. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a larger 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR Display, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a 6.7-inch one. While the size difference doesn’t seem much on paper, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is able to cram in more screen real estate with only a modest increase in height from its predecessor because of the slimmer bezels around the display.
In terms of detail, the Pro Max and Plus technically share the same pixel density of 460 ppi. You’ll find the higher 2,868 x 1,320 resolution with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but due to its smaller 6.7-inch screen and 2,796 x 1,290 resolution, the iPhone 16 Plus crams just as many pixels as its more expensive sibling. But resolution alone doesn’t dictate the better display because other factors do matter.
One area we’re eager to see tested is how bright their screens can get. That’s because Apple has the same peak 3,000 nit rating for both models, but we’ve seen how the iPhone 15 Pro Max shines brighter in our benchmark testing over the iPhone 15 Plus, making it more visible under direct sunlight.
We expect no change this time between the iPhone 16 Plus and 16 Pro Max, but it would only benefit the latter to justify its higher cost. And finally, it’s worth pointing out that the iPhone 16 Pro Max benefits in a substantial way with its 120Hz ProMotion display, which makes it more suitable for gaming. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Plus is annoyingly stuck with a 60Hz display refresh rate.
iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Cameras
There’s plenty of buzz around cameras on both phnes, especially how they come equipped with the new Camera Control button for greater control in how photos and videos are captured. There’s a learning curve in mastering all the gestures that are needed to switch between the modes using Camera Control, but it’s actually more of a boost here for the iPhone 16 Plus because it shares identical functions as the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Also worth pointing out that the iPhone 16 Plus now gains the ability to capture Spatial photos and videos due to the redesigned vertical arrangement of its dual cameras.
When it comes to the hardware itself, the iPhone 16 Pro Max still gets an edge largely for its triple camera system — which consists of a 48MP main, refreshed 48MP ultrawide, and a 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Plus is still reserved to a dual camera system that’s made up of a 48MP main shooter paired with a refreshed 12MP ultrawide. Just as before, Apple’s answer to the lack of a dedicated zoom camera in the iPhone 16 Plus is to use pixel binning with the main camera to provide 2x zoom with “optical quality.”
You’d think there would be an edge for the pricier iPhone 16 Pro Max, but it packs the same 12MP selfie camera like the 16 Plus.
Of course, we’re eager to take comparison shots with both iPhones in hand to really discern if there are any differences between them. Historically, the Pro Max models have delivered better dynamic range and low light performances than the Plus models — so we anticipate for it to be no different this time.
Apple definitely makes video recording more of a priority this year, but it’s much more apparent with the 16 Pro Max. Video shooters will be delighted by the 16 Pro Max’s increased video capture of 4K 120 fps, which opens up more creativity by slowing down the footage. The iPhone 16 Plus can still shoot video at up to 4K 60 fps.
Video is one part of the equation, but Apple also adds in a new feature on both iPhones to get even better sounding audio. The new Audio Mix leans on the four microphones on both models to isolate sounds, so that you can adjust the sound later on through the Photos app. However, the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers “studio-quality” mics that should capture better audio.
iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Performance
Bucking the trend of using last year’s chipset, the iPhone 16 Plus actually benefits from using Apple’s latest silicon. The A18 chip powering the iPhone 16 Plus uses a 3nm manufacturing process, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max uses a turbo charged variant — the A18 Pro — that comes with a 6-core GPU (versus the 5-core GPU in the standard A18). Both chipsets feature 6-core CPUs with two performance and four efficiency cores, along with a 16-core Neural Engine to tackling new AI features with Apple Intelligence.
Naturally, we expect larger performance gains with the A18 Pro chip in the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but you still can’t count out the iPhone 16 Plus despite having only a 5-core GPU because it now offers hardware ray tracing support, just like the iPhone 16 Pro Max. We can’t make a definitive call yet on which is better, but we’d put our money on the 16 Pro Max given what we’ve seen historically.
iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Battery life
Apple doesn’t disclose the battery capacities in its phones, but the company does make the claim that the power packs inside the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max are larger than before.
But as much as the iPhone 16 Pro Max might have the larger battery, it might not end up having the longer battery life. That’s because the iPhone 15 Plus outlasted the iPhone 15 Pro Max when we tested them last year, which may turn out to be the case this time once we’ve properly tested them out.
Even though it doesn’t seem like Apple has upgraded the wired charging speeds with the entire iPhone 16 lineup, they do get upgraded with faster 25W speeds with MagSafe wireless charging — up from the 15W speeds from before.
iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Software
Now that iOS 18 is officially out, both iPhones are expected to ship with that version of Apple's iPhone software out of the box. So their software experiences won’t differ because they’ll have access to new iOS 18 features like home screen customization features, RCS support in Messages, and a redesigned Photos app. There’s actually nothing different about their experiences, which is a testament of how Apple often sticks to a uniform release with its software. We dive into all the nitty gritty in our iOS 18 review.
However, the biggest impact to the experience will no doubt be Apple Intelligence — which will actually come out later in a subsequent upgrade. From the looks of it all, both the Plus and the Pro Max will get access to nearly the same set of Apple Intelligence features, like the new Siri, Writing Tools, and the Photo Clean Up tool. And later on this year, they’ll both gain Visual Intelligence that will allow users to conveniently search stuff with the camera. You’d think that Apple would possibly keep a few extra exclusive ones for the 16 Pro Max to give people another reason to choose the more expensive model, but there’s nada.
This is all excellent news for the iPhone 16 Plus, which means it won’t sacrifice one bit of the experience. There could be differences in how quickly the phones can execute these new Apple Intelligence features, mainly due to how the A18 Pro chip is better optimized to handle them, but time will tell if there’s a big difference in how they perform.
iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Outlook
You'd think that the gap between the two iPhones would widen each year, but that's far from the truth. Much of the iPhone 16 Pro Max's value hinges on how it outclasses the iPhone 16 Plus in areas like its display, processing performance, battery life, and cameras. That's because we didn't expect for the iPhone 16 Plus to gain much of the same stuff, like the Camera Control button and Apple Intelligence features.
Looking more at the $300 price difference between the two devices, you’re paying the premium mainly for the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s larger (and better) 120Hz ProMotion display, more cameras with a dedicated telephoto lens, a presumably faster A18 Pro chip, and 4K 120 fps video recording. These may not be enough to convince people right now, which is probably why the iPhone 16 Plus is exceeding expectations with pre-order sales at the moment. But things could change once a full review provides more details on how the two iPhones perform.
