With the 17 Pro Max out, last year’s flagship has quietly become the value pick of the Pro line. At a glance Spec Detail Display 6.9-inch LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 2000 nits Chip A18 Pro Telephoto 5x tetraprism (120mm) Extras Camera Control button The 5x lens Apple walked back The headline argument for the 16 Pro Max in 2026 is the 5x telephoto. The 17 Pro Max replaced it with a shorter, sharper 4x, which is the right call for most people, but if you photograph wildlife, stages or sports from the stands, the extra reach here still matters. Everything else holds up The A18 Pro is still quick, the titanium build still feels great, and the battery still clears a heavy day. iOS support runs for years yet. The Camera Control button remains divisive, but you can largely ignore it. Who it’s for Buy it if you want a Pro iPhone, do not need the newest chip, and value the longer 5x zoom. Skip it if you want the aluminium redesign, the cooler-running A19 Pro or the two-day battery of the 17 Pro Max. Alternatives worth a look iPhone 17 Pro, newer, cooler, better everyday telephoto, similar money after trade-ins. The verdict: Still an excellent phone, and now the smart-money choice in Apple’s Pro range. Sources GSMArena specifications
The headline feature of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a physical button, which tells you how incremental this generation is. The Camera Control sits where your index finger lands in landscape, opens the camera from anywhere, and takes a half-press to lock focus and exposure. After a month it is genuinely useful for launching the camera fast, and genuinely fiddly for the slide-to-zoom gesture Apple keeps demoing. Everything else is a steady step forward. The 5x tetraprism telephoto from last year's 15 Pro Max is now paired with a 48MP ultrawide, so the whole system finally feels consistent. The A18 Pro runs cool under sustained 4K120 capture, battery comfortably clears a heavy day, and the 6.9-inch panel hits 2000 nits outdoors. If you have a 15 Pro Max there is no reason to upgrade. From a 13 Pro or older, this is the most complete iPhone Apple has shipped.
Two 200MP-and-5x versus 48MP-and-5x systems, two very different philosophies. Samsung's S24 Ultra leans on resolution and reach: the 200MP main bins to bright, detailed 12MP shots, and the dedicated 5x periscope plus a 3x lens covers portrait ranges cleanly. Apple's 16 Pro Max shoots flatter, more color-accurate files and pulls ahead on video, where Dolby Vision, ProRes and log recording are still a category of their own. In daylight it is a wash and comes down to whether you like Samsung's contrastier processing or Apple's neutral look. At night the iPhone holds highlights better; the S24 Ultra brightens shadows more aggressively. For zoom past 10x, Samsung wins outright. For anyone who records more than they photograph, the iPhone is still the safer pick.
Three phones, three clear use cases. Buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max if you record video, want the longest software support paired with the widest app and accessory ecosystem, or simply already own AirPods and a Mac. It is the most predictable, most resold, least surprising choice, and that is a feature. Buy the Galaxy S24 Ultra if you want the most versatile camera hardware, the biggest bright display, an S Pen, and Samsung's seven-year update commitment on Android. Buy the Pixel 9 Pro if you want the cleanest Android, the best point-and-shoot photography, and the most useful on-device AI features shipping today, in a body that is finally comfortable to hold. You cannot go wrong; you can only pick the ecosystem you want to live in.
