All aboard the hype train - it's almost new iPhone time. While last year's iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max were mostly focused on performance, the Action Button, and the new Titanium case, there's every chance Apple is going to be focusing heavily on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max making the most of iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence this time around.
To that end, we expect an even more powerful chip for on-demand AI processing. That'll go alongside what's expected to be the best iPhone camera around, as well as an even larger 6.9-inch display - at least if early leaks are anything to go by.
Add to that a video-focused Capture button and you've got a recipe for a fantastic smartphone that's worthy of being the top dog in a lineup that's expected to do big things this year.
Here's all we know about the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple's latest, greatest, and largest new smartphone.
iPhone 16 Pro Max: The headlines
- What is it? Apple's next "Pro Max" iPhone
- When can we expect it? September 2024
- Rumored upgrades: A18 Pro chip, Capture button, Apple Intelligence, battery
iPhone 16: Meet the lineup
iPhone 16 Pro Max : Release date rumors
While we don't have a confirmed release date for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, common sense indicates Apple will launch the new phone in September, alongside the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and iPhone 16 Pro. It usually hosts an event early in the month, with pre-orders on the following Friday, and a release date one week later.
Despite Apple going all in on iPhone 15 Pro Max production last year, a recent report suggests that the iPhone 16 standard range is predicted to be the biggest seller for Apple this year.
iPhone 16 Pro Max: Display
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a large 6.7-inch display, but the rumors claim that Apple is getting ready to go bigger next time out, just as is the case with the iPhone 16 Pro.
According to those rumors, Apple will take the current 6.7-inch OLED panel and stretch it to a new, larger 6.9-inch size. It's expected that the display itself won't get any notable new features, but there have been tentative rumors of a switch to a more power-efficient display, with The Elec reporting that Apple may use micro-lens technology next time out. It remains to be seen if this will come to fruition, however.
It was reported in March that Apple will use new Border Reduction Structure Technology (BRS) to shrink the bezel of both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, presumably including the Pro Max. BRS ""is a borderless display technology that designs the border at the bottom of the panel to be as thin as possible. It reduces the bezel area underneath by rolling the copper wires at the bottom upward," and should reduce the already-slim bezels on iPhone in September.
We've also heard that Apple might introduce a smaller Dynamic Island, reducing the shape to a hole-punch over the current pill-shaped notch.
In June, it was reported that Apple was exploring adopting Samsung's M14 organic OLED panels to give a boost to brightness and display longevity in the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max.
iPhone 16 Pro Max: Colors
It seems all iPhone models will gain access to at least one new color, at least according to longtime Apple leaker Ming-Chi Kuo.
According to Kuo, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will gain White as a colorway, while the Pro and Pro Max will see the addition of Rose. Considering the Pro models' Titanium finish, that means it could look a lot like the Rose gold of yesteryear.
iPhone 16 Pro Max: Chip and specifications
Apple's Pro iPhones are both expected to get upgraded chips, building on the 3nm A17 Pro that powers the current iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. Analyst Jeff Pu expects that to mean that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will benefit from an upgraded 3nm chip that will carry the A18 Pro moniker.
If the rumors are true we can expect Apple to switch to TSMC's latest N3E manufacturing process, one that makes it cheaper to produce 3nm chips which makes for a better option for Apple. Details regarding core counts and clock speeds are yet to leak, but we can expect the new chips to be even more performant than the already very capable A17 Pro. If Apple is going to push forward with its gaming focus for the next Pro iPhones, new GPU improvements are to be expected.
iPhone 16 Pro Max: Cameras
With Apple set to bring the 5x tetraprism telephoto lens from the iPhone 15 Pro Max down to the smaller iPhone 16 Pro, the differentiation between the Pro and Pro Max models could be smaller come September 2024.
There have been rumors of a new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, upgraded from the 12-megapixel offered currently, while there is also the suggestion that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will gain a new telephoto lens that will allow for improved zoom quality, while there has been talk of a so-called "super zoom" feature that would allow for an increased focal length. Information is sparse, however, and we should expect to learn more in the coming months.
According to a report in January, backed up in May, Apple is expected to adopt Sony's IMX903 sensor. This sensor is larger than the iPhone 15 Pro's IMX803, enabling better lighting and results in low-light conditions. The new IMX903 sensor includes 14-bit ADC (analog-to-digital converter) and DCG (digital gain control) to reduce noise.
iPhone 16 Pro Max: Action and Capture button
When Apple launched the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro they were the first models to gain the Action button. Similar to the button of the same name found on the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2, it allows people to configure actions that can then be run by pressing a single hardware button. By bringing that to the iPhone, Apple made it possible for people to more quickly launch apps, run shortcuts, and more.
Before those iPhones arrived there was a suggestion that the Action button would be capacitive, and now we're told that's going to be the case with the iPhone 16 Pro Max instead. Alongside the Action button, there are rumors of yet another button being added to the mix. That button is currently called the Capture button, but it isn't clear what the Capture button will do.
It's also important to remember that Apple's plans could well change before the new iPhones ship, so this might be one of those features that gets pushed back to 2025 or beyond.
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 5G and Connectivity
It's no secret that Apple has designs on ditching Qualcomm and using its own 5G modems in future iPhones, and there's always an outside chance that it could pull that off in time for the next iPhone. However, that seems more unlikely than ever right now, so expect the Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 to be used which should offer improved 5G download speeds and other improvements.
There are also rumors that Apple will introduce Wi-Fi 7 to the Pro iPhone lineup for 2024.
iPhone 16 Pro Max: Pricing
Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max was a bit more expensive than the previous models because it comes with 256GB of storage as standard, rather than 128GB. If Apple sticks to this pricing model the iPhone 16 Pro Max would cost $1,199.
iPhone 16 Pro Max: Battery
A recent report from Ming-Chi Kuo, a notable Apple insider, suggests that the iPhone 16 Pro Max could receive a huge new battery upgrade. In this report, it says that the energy density of battery cells will receive an upgrade, allowing for better battery life out of the same battery. This will either mean the iPhone 16 Pro Max will get a battery bump or the physical battery will get smaller and allow for the same battery life.
It has been reported that Apple could introduce a new more easily-replaceable battery into one iPhone 16 model this year, but we don't know which one. Apple is reportedly dabbling with a battery that uses electricity to loosen its adhesive, making it easier to repair. The stainless steel technology will also reportedly give a 5-10% density boost, meaning the batteries should also last longer on a single charge.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max battery was leaked in a video in June purporting to show off the component for 2024.
