iPhone 16 Pro Max in practice: it’s basically a “phablet”

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is essentially a “phablet” — it has a larger 6.9-inch screen, up from the 6.7-inch screen on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. So you can’t tell me the iPhone 16 Pro Max isn’t some kind of phone-tablet hybrid.

But you know what? I’m not complaining. I’ve never been in the “Waa! Phones are getting too big” camp. My jeans pockets have always been big enough to fit my giant phones.

Smaller phones aren’t my cup of tea. (Sorry, but I don’t miss the iPhone mini!) A smaller case usually means a smaller battery, which often leads to shorter battery life. No thanks! Give me a mega phone with mega battery life.

That said, I had the chance to experience the iPhone 16 Pro Max in my hands. Is it as bulky as it seems?

iPhone 16 Pro Max in practice

The first thing I wanted to check about the iPhone 16 Pro Max, especially with its new 6.9-inch display, was whether it would feel too big in my hands.

However, when I picked it up, it was surprisingly comfortable to hold when I squeezed it. I was a little surprised by that. How is it possible that it’s not awkward? It doesn’t even feel heavy, thanks to the titanium casing.

During the iPhone 16 reveal at Steve Jobs Theater, I couldn’t resist the temptation of the Desert Titanium color scheme. Ahead of the September 9 “Glowtime” event, where the new iPhone 16 series was unveiled, leakers couldn’t agree on the exact shade of Desert Titanium.

Some have suggested it’s pink, dark gold, or even brown. But Desert Titanium is a barely-there shade. How best to describe it? It’s like someone threw a little pink into a bucket of beige paint.

That’s why the Desert Titanium shade is more sand than camel. (iPhone 16 Pro Max is also available in White Titanium, Black Titanium, and Natural Titanium.)

Mashable Speed ​​of light

The “Camera Control” button on the iPhone 16 Pro Max

Surprisingly, Apple didn’t reserve the new camera button for iPhone 16 Pro models. (Apple usually saves all the cool new features for higher-end phones.)

I tried out the camera button on both the base iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro. As you might expect, the former is obviously a bit easier to use, since the 6.1-inch phone is lighter and more compact than the 6.9-inch model.

However, it was still possible to use the camera control button on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

(I did a separate demo of the camera control button; read on to find out why I think the video recording option could be better.)

Fewer frames, more screen space

The iPhone 16 Pro Max also has ultra-slim bezels. In other words, the bezel around the phone is slimmer, which allows for a higher screen-to-body ratio. I’ve never been someone who really cares about thin bezels, but I can see how appealing they are.

Still, if Apple wants to create a distraction-free experience with the display, I wonder if Dynamic Island will go out of style anytime soon. I’ve always been a little indifferent to that vaunted notch feature. Sure, the animations that tell you what your phone is doing are pretty cool, but honestly, if Apple removed Dynamic Island from the iPhone 17 series, I wouldn’t miss it too much.

But what excites me the most is the fact that the iPhone 16 Pro Max could have incredible battery life. I value long battery life and power efficiency more than anything else. I can’t wait to test this little beast and see how long it lasts on a single charge.

Is iPhone 16 Pro Max worth buying?

Other new features coming to the iPhone 16 Pro Max include a new 48MP Ultra Wide camera (making your landscape and other wide-angle shots better than ever) and the ability to record 4K video at 120Hz.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max also offers improved microphone quality, as well as the ability to layer audio over another in the Voice Memos app.

They’re exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro models, but unless you just want the latest and greatest iPhone to show off, most people will not benefit from the above mentioned benefits.

The iPhone 16 will be perfectly fine for you, especially since it has a camera control button.

iPhone 16 Pro Max prices start at $1,199 on the official Apple online store.