iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max Put Apple’s AI in the Biggest iPhones Ever

During Apple’s Glowtime event, the company unveiled its next pair of top-of-the-line phones, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The phones are largely similar to their predecessors, but they feature better hardware, improved cameras, and, of course, Apple Intelligence — including an extra button dedicated to using AI with the camera.

The premium phones are larger but thinner, with the iPhone 16 Pro having a 6.3-inch display and the iPhone 16 Pro Max having a 6.9-inch display — the largest iPhone ever made. The iPhone 16 Pro has 128GB of storage for $999, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max has 256GB of storage for $1,199. Both models are available for pre-order starting September 13, with a release date of September 20.

Apple Intelligence (cutely abbreviated as AI) is a suite of artificial intelligence tools the company is introducing with the iPhone 16 series. Features include changing the tone of messages, an improved Siri, expanded photo and video search, and new camera controls (more on that below). While Apple Intelligence will also appear in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, Apple is positioning its new AI as an incentive for most older iPhone owners to upgrade.

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max also have something new over the more affordable iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models: a dedicated button (both clickable and capacitive) for Visual Intelligence (located under what used to be the antenna socket below the lock button on the right side of the phone). This is the camera-focused aspect of Apple Intelligence: Just press the button, and the phone will suggest insights, reminiscent of Google Lens. There are other possibilities, like lightly tapping (not pressing) the button to open camera options like zoom and aperture for depth — you can simply swipe your finger back and forth to do things like zoom in and out.

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have the Apple A18 Pro chipset, as Apple continues its policy of providing only the most advanced silicon for its two most premium iPhone models. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have the A18 chipset.

Unlike their predecessors, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are no longer the only phones of this generation to have an Action button, which was added on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.

But the top-of-the-line iPhone 16 models retain a few features only available on the premium models, like telephoto lenses. This year, both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have a 5x optical zoom that only the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max had, a plus for fans of smaller phones. Now, the only thing that separates the iPhone 16 Pro from the Pro Max is the larger battery.

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max also have a 48-megapixel main camera, which has a new sensor that allows for 2x macro zoom and, in an Apple first, 4K video at 120 frames per second. The phones also have a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera to complement the trio of rear cameras.

The phones have four audio microphones arranged around the phone, and they can also record spatial audio to enhance spatial videos shot on the phones to be viewed on the Apple Vision Pro. There are also professional audio recording settings: a trio of options, including In Frame, Studio, and Cinema, that change the way loud voices and background sound appear in the final recording.

Voice Memos also has improved capabilities, letting users listen to audio — say, a song — and speak or sing along to it. The phone’s advanced processing then removes the background music to preserve the user’s voice.

A new capacitive camera button means new cases, and Apple has a few that will enable MagSafe finger control and

Developing…