So, you’ve weighed up the pros and cons of the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro and you’ve decided on the top-end model. If you’re now deciding between the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, I’m here to help – essentially, the key difference is the size and battery life of the bigger phone.
Both of the best iPhones offer Apple’s newest technology, like the A18 Pro chip and a super-smooth display, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max gives you a bigger screen and a slightly longer battery life. If you love having a large display for watching videos or working on the go, the Pro Max might be your best bet, while the Pro is a great choice if you prefer something a bit more compact and easy to handle.
Since 2018 when the iPhone XS Max came out, Apple’s “Pro Max” models have been the top-of-the-line option for users who want the biggest screen and best battery life. If you’re interested in this model, it really just depends on whether you want a larger phone or a more portable one that still packs all the same power.
It’s worth saying right away that there are very few differences between the iPhone 16 Pro and the 16 Pro Max – unlike last year, when the 15 Pro Max was the only Apple handset to get a handy 5x zoom lens. For the new batch, both Pros share the exact same camera system, screen tech, materials, and charging speeds.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Pros
- The same high-end camera system as the Pro Max
- Improved battery life over the 15 Pro
- Useful extra buttons
- Slightly arger screen and thinner bezels than the 15 Pro
Cons
- An incremental update overall
- You may want more battery than this
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Pros
- Massive screen
- Extensive battery life
- Same excellent cameras
- Same Camera Control and Action buttons
- More base storage by default
Cons
- Quite large to hold
- Heavier than 16 Pro
- It's fairly pricey
How are they different, then? Well, there are only four things to note: storage, screen size, battery life and price.
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro Max storage: The base iPhone 16 Pro starts at 128GB, while the 16 Pro Max starts at 256GB.
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro Max screen size: There’s of course a size difference – those after the biggest screen will like the sound of the massive 6.9-inch panel of the Max, while the main Pro has a 6.3-inch screen (which is still bigger than last year’s Pro).
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro Max battery life: On battery life, the Pro Max packs in an extra six hours of battery life during video playback, for a total of 33 hours. The 16 Pro lasts up to 27 hours for video playback.
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro Max price: Lastly, the Pro Max starts at £1,199 for these extras, compared to the £999 of the Pro.
My take? Get the phone that’s going to feel the most comfortable for you to use over the long term. I have spent much of the past year using the 15 Pro Max and occasionally struggling with its oversized dimensions. In contrast, the 16 Pro is far more comfortable to hold.
Simon Cocks is Good Housekeeping UK’s Technology Editor, overseeing tech shopping content and strategy for the title. He previously also worked across other titles including Esquire UK, Digital Spy, Men’s Health UK and Women’s Health UK.
Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, e-book readers and smartphones. He's reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.
A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.
He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and money-saving advice guides and edited thousands of in-depth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.
He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.
You can follow Simon on Instagram, on Bluesky, on LinkedIn and on Threads.
