iPhone 16 Pro Max : Current Events, Speculations, and our Current Understanding

If money is no object, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the greatest iPhone available and among the greatest devices produced by any manufacturer. It makes sense that we’re excited about the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Which has some sleek innovations and a new, smarter Siri with ChatGPT skills, even though we probably won’t see this phone officially until September. It follows that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have access to Apple Intelligence and a plethora of AI-focused capabilities.

There are many improvements Apple can make beyond simply increasing power, and based on what we’ve heard thus far, it sounds like the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be a major boost, with rumors of a larger screen, an additional button, and an optical zoom with a greater range among other things.

All of the leaks we’ve heard about this phone are included below, and we’ll keep this post updated with fresh information as it becomes available. Alternatively, you can explore our wish list in further detail by reading the second half of this post, which contains our specifications for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Anticipated Pricing and Release Date for the iPhone 16 Pro Max

Likely to begin operations in September 2024’s first half
The estimated shipping date is going to be a week or so later.
Potentially more expensive than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

In the first or second week of September, Apple typically launches the iPhone on a Tuesday or Wednesday and puts the phones on sale the following Friday.

As a point of comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was revealed on September 12 during Apple’s September event. The standard 256GB model was priced at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199, and it was available for pre-order on September 15 and went on sale on September 22. Additionally, there is a 512GB model at the middle of the range and a 1TB model at the top that costs $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,899 dollars.

Along with the remainder of the iPhone 16, we anticipate that the release date for the iPhone 16 Pro Max will resemble this availability quite closely. In fact, September 10 is the most likely date, according to leaker Mark Gurman, and the debut date with Apple Intelligence (which is scheduled for October) won’t be postponed.

However, one source claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s camera enhancements will drive up the price, meaning it may cost more than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, a greater price might deter consumers, per an iPhone owners’ poll.

There’s presently no reason to believe Apple will deviate from its customary release schedule, since we’ve also heard that the iPhone 16 line’s production is allegedly proceeding as planned.

iPhone 16 Pro Max or Ultra ?

Before the announcement of the iPhone 15 series, there was a lot of conjecture over when Apple would unveil the ‘Ultra’ model in 2023. This suffix is already used by rival phone manufacturers including Samsung, Motorola, and Xiaomi.

Given that there was not even a hint of an iPhone 15 Ultra during the company’s “Wonderlust” event, it seems reasonable that any mention of an Ultra iPhone entry would have to do with Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup, which is anticipated to launch in late 2024.

It’s unclear right now if the Ultra will launch alongside the Pro Max or take its place when it does. Apple will be able to charge even more for its newest and greatest iPhone if it chooses the latter course, raising the bar for the iPhone portfolio.

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Anticipated Design and Display

larger 6.9-inch ‘ProMotion’ screen rumored to run at 120Hz
Under-display Face ID technology could exist
most likely a titanium frame similar to the 15 Pro Max
For every model, a new capacitive “Capture” button is rumored.

There has been a lot of discussion lately on the design of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

According to a rumor from the South Korean website The Elec, the Face ID system—which was initially moved to the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro line—will eventually make its way beneath the screen’s pixels, leaving the 16 Pro Max’s front camera as the only visible component.

Regarding the screen, Apple succeeded in reducing the bezels on the two iPhone 15 Pro models; however, a major analyst at Display Supply Chain Consultants anticipates that the panel as a whole would get larger in size the next year. If accurate, the screen size of the iPhone 16 Pro Max would be 6.9 inches, as opposed to the current 6.7 inches of the 15 Pro Max, making it the largest iPhone to date. Ross Young, a senior analyst at DSCC, also speculates that Apple may finally move away from the 19.5:9 aspect ratio seen on the previous several iPhone models and toward a 19.6:9 ratio. As a result, the iPhone 16 Pro range would be somewhat smaller and taller than the 15 Pros.

This looks rather possible because another source has also indicated the larger iPhone 16 Pro Max screen size, and a third source also points to a 6.86-inch screen for the device.

Another source confirms that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch display, but it also notes that the phone’s overall size may not rise because of the thinner bezels. A third source claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max may feature the tiniest bezels of any phone, measuring just 1.15mm, while still another source confirms that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has thinner bezels. It appears like reduced bezels are expected.

This has been confirmed by another report, which claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has 1.153mm bezels all around and that its 6.883-inch screen makes it larger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 163.024 x 77.575 x 8.26mm.

Another report (from The Elec again) claims that a new “Multi-Lens Array” (MLA) AMOLED screen will far outperform the already brilliant displays found in Apple’s iPhones. MLA technology reportedly enabled LG make its TV panels 60% brighter, while Samsung is already reportedly adopting MLA AMOLED screens on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. MLA technology is believed to be exclusive to the Pro (and potentially Ultra) members of 2024’s iPhone family.

The trade-offs associated with MLA technology include the potential for lower viewing angles and higher panel costs. Should Apple choose to pursue this path, this might have a direct impact on the 16 Pro Max’s ultimate cost.

Beyond this, it’s quite likely that the Action button on the side of the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, which takes the place of the long-standing silent/ring switch, will remain on the device for the model that comes out the following year. Furthermore, it is reported that every iPhone 16 model—including the iPhone 16 Pro Max—will feature solid-state buttons, which were first anticipated for the Pro iPhones of 2023.

Furthermore, there have been rumors that the iPhone 16 Pro Max and its siblings would receive a whole new solid-state “Capture” button in its place. The rumor’s source doesn’t specify the button’s purpose, but a subsequent leak suggests that the Capture button is a dedicated video recording button.

This seems possible because we’ve already heard that the entire iPhone 16 series will include a new button, and that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will likely have solid-state/capacitive Action and Capture buttons.

However, a more recent leak indicates that the Capture button will actually be mechanical and provides additional information about how it looks to function. It is supposedly compatible with both photographs and movies, and you can zoom in and out by swiping over the top of it. Next, you can focus the camera by lightly pressing, and you can trigger the shutter by firmly pressing.

In the meantime, the new lightweight titanium frame and the USB-C port that was introduced this year will definitely return. Though the current lineup seems a little… boring, let’s hope Apple offers more intriguing colors for the Pro Max in the following year’s model assortment.

Alongside the iPhone 16 Pro, we’ve now seen potential images of the iPhone 16 Pro Max according to mockups from MacRumors, which claim to be based on Apple’s internal designs. One of these is seen up above.

These have a 6.9-inch screen and the much-rumored Capture button, but other than that, the design appears to be mostly carried over from the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which means—at least based on this information—that there won’t be any under-display Face ID.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max appears to be being tested in the same color schemes as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but there may be an additional mystery color planned as well, according to this leak.

Since then, as you can see below, leaked mockups of the entire iPhone 16 series have supported this design. This style is also seen in a second set of dummy units from the iPhone 16 series.

Despite the expected larger screen, another iPhone 16 Pro Max dummy unit with same design has emerged as well. same time, it is seen next to an iPhone 15 Pro Max, which it is only marginally larger than.

Another report, however, contradicts several features of this design by stating that the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro would have a triangular block housing for its three camera lenses. Though we doubt this, we would argue that the design in the aforementioned photographs is more likely for the time being.

Speaking of colors, it has been revealed by another source that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will come in Space Black, White, Gray, and Rose. With the exception of Rose, which may really be more of a Rose Gold, those are comparable to the current colors. Rose is also expected to replace the Titanium Blue of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Since then, we’ve heard about this same range of iPhone 16 Pro Max color options from another source. All of those colors—aside from rose—have also been revealed in a photo, which you can view above.

More recent sources, however, indicate that rose will not be seen; instead, the iPhone 16 Pro Max may be available in bronze or even a tint known as “Desert Titanium,” which is supposedly more of a dark gold.

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Expected Specs and Features

presumptive Apple A18 Pro CPU
8GB of RAM minimum, similar to the 15 Pro Max

Apple also released the Xcode 15 Release Candidate on the same day as the iPhone 15 Pro Max launch, revealing that the phone has 8GB of RAM, up from 6GB on earlier models. Thus, it is anticipated that the specifications of the iPhone 16 Pro Max will maintain this pattern, enabling the A18 Pro SoC, which is expected to be the replacement for the most recent A17 Pro chipset manufactured by Apple and which makes its debut in the 15 Pro Max.

In fact, a leak has already explicitly stated that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max would use the A18 Pro with 8GB of RAM.

The same source has also stated that the iPhone 16 Pro Max would contain a new 5G modem that will enable faster data speeds than the existing models, in addition to supporting Wi-Fi 7. Another source has since repeated the Wi-Fi 7 assertion.

And some months after the original report, one of the aforementioned sources has reiterated that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will come with a new 5G modem and 8GB of RAM. In addition to enabling speedier 5G, the latter may also be more power-efficient, extending battery life.

Should that be the case, the iPhone 16 Pro Max may not have as much AI power as it once did due to its 8GB of RAM. However, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, in order to utilize many of Apple’s AI features, you’ll need either an iPhone 15 Pro or an M1 Mac, or better. This suggests that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max should work just fine.

Regarding storage, a leaker claims the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 2TB maximum instead of the existing 1TB. It appears that this is because a different kind of storage is being used, which has slower write rates but requires less space and is less expensive to make.

One year after switching, Apple doesn’t seem likely to alter the model’s USB-C interface in terms of charging or data rates, but we can hope.

To help keep the phone cool, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is rumored to include a metal battery case and a graphene heat sink. This is one modification we might see to the internal materials. To further support the above, purported photos purporting to show the iPhone 16 Pro battery inside a metal casing have surfaced.

Regarding the battery, a source states that it will be 4,676mAh in the iPhone 16 Pro Max instead of the 4,441mAh in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 16 Pro Max’s battery capacity has been cited several times, while another source states more vaguely that the device will have a larger battery than the current model and the longest-lasting iPhone battery to date.

Additionally, there have been rumors circulating that Apple may employ a greater energy density battery for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. This might indicate that Apple will either decrease the size of the battery without compromising its capacity, or that the battery will have more capacity to last longer.

Regarding charging, it is possible that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will allow for 40W cable charging and 20W wireless charging, which is an increase from the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s approximately 27W and 15W, respectively.

Additionally, it’s anticipated that Apple will include some AI capabilities in the iPhone 16 series, perhaps through Google Gemini. According to one source, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will be the only devices to receive at least some of these AI functions.

According to rumors, the A18 Pro chipset, which powers the iPhone 16 Pro Max, may have a lot more cores than the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro Max for its Neural Engine, which manages AI operations. Additionally, the A18 Pro chipset may feature a larger die area, which should improve on-device artificial intelligence.

The A18 Pro is only marginally more powerful than the A17 Pro, according to a leak, thus it may not have much more raw power. Meanwhile, a different rumor implies that the A18 Pro may not have as much power as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 found in competing Android phones.

Additionally, the A18 Pro might not support RAM as quickly as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, which could restrict the capabilities of the iPhone 16 Pro Max with regard to on-device AI operations.

Additionally, there have been rumors that the iPhone 16 Pro Max (as well as the other iPhone 16 models) may get better microphones so that the AI-powered Siri update that we anticipate later this year would be able to hear you clearly.

Though these suggested improvements for the iPhone 16 range may seem strong so far, there is a rumor circulating about the iPhone 17’s possible specifications, which suggests that this phone range may be worth waiting for.

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Expected Cameras

‘Super telephoto’ periscope camera talk
Also mentioned in one source is a 48MP ultra-wide.
There are rumors that a layered sensor could enhance performance in low light.

The last two generations of iPhones have seen a significant advancement in camera hardware. The iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max, for example, has a new 48MP main sensor (up from 12MP previously) that adds a lossless 2x zoom through sensor cropping in addition to a few other new photographic techniques.

Let’s fast-forward to this year’s iPhone lineup. The iPhone 15 Pro Max sports Apple’s first periscope telephoto lens, which has a 5x zoom, in addition to an improved 48MP primary sensor. However, other reports indicate that its replacement will go much farther.

Popular tipster Digital Chat Station claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max camera may finally pose a threat to Samsung in one important area: it may have a “super telephoto” camera in the model that launches the following year. This suggests a camera having a focus range that approaches or surpasses 300mm. This would be able to zoom in farther than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is now its main opponent in this regard.

Apple’s strategy for the sensor could result in a lower-profile camera module using either an extended prism design (similar to Samsung’s Ultra phones) or a folded prism design (like to the tetraprism found on the 15 Pro Max’s 5x telephoto snapper). As an alternative, the business might accomplish this remarkable target zoom range by combining its current prism and sensor-cropping technology.

Additionally, rumors have said that Apple may use thinner molded glass in the iPhone 16 Pro Max to help achieve this longer zoom. This would imply that the final lens would be smaller than it would be if Apple used any of the aforementioned methods.

If the primary sensor of the iPhone 16 Pro Max keeps its current 24mm focal length like the 15 Pro/Pro Max, then a larger sensor (the Pro Max currently has a 12MP telephoto sensor) that supports a 2x zoom sensor crop could be used in conjunction with a 6x telephoto camera (with a 150mm focal range) to achieve the elusive 300mm mark.

As was previously mentioned, it’s still unknown if the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Ultra will both include this ultra telephoto camera or if they are the same device. In any case, we’re crossing our fingers that this technology will appear on the iPhone in 2024. However, this hasn’t been addressed all that much in recent leaks, so we wouldn’t bank on it.

Apple’s utilization of Sony camera hardware might go beyond the high-profile long-range camera and encompass the stacked Exmor T for Mobile sensor technology present in the Xperia 1 V and Xperia 5 V. Sony has managed to create a smartphone camera that can capture more light while maintaining the same resolution by rearranging the internal arrangement of the sensor; veteran Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, for example, believes the iPhone 16 Pro versions will also have this camera sensor improvement.

A 48MP ultra-wide camera is one of the major improvements that esteemed tech analyst Jeff Pu predicts the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will receive over the iPhone 15 Pro. Pu made this claim in October.

According to a different source, the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 48MP ultra-wide camera in addition to a redesigned 48MP main sensor; however, the telephoto lens will remain unchanged from the previous model.

In fact, the rumors of a “super telephoto” lens have subsided, so we no longer believe that will happen this year.