Now that Apple’s big iPhone 16 and 16 Pro reveal has come and gone, what are your key takeaways?
Yes, we know: A lot of stuff was introduced. Some gadgets that we expected to come, like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, did not happen. There was a lot of talk about Apple Intelligence features, which won’t be available at launch. And Apple’s top phones, the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, were shown at the very end (the iPhone 16 was unveiled earlier), with focus on advanced videography features that most buyers, I reckon, will rarely use.
It was, in a nutshell, easy to get lost in this event. But after meticulously going through the specs sheets of the new phones, I can see two very big reasons to upgrade to the new iPhone 16 Pro and the 16 Pro Max.
More display, more pixels, less bezel
One is display size. The displays on the new Pro models have gone up 0.2 inches each, while their bezels have shrunk. Now, the iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is truly “max” with a 6.9-inch display.
The bezels are visibly thinner than before, and we’re here for it.
Credit: Apple
The smaller bezels do make a difference visually, and the added screen real estate is always welcome. Even the resolution on these displays has gone up a little; the iPhone 16 Pro has a 2,622 x 1,206 pixel resolution (up from 2,556 x 1,179 pixels) while the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 2,868 x 1,320 pixel resolution (up from 2,796 x 1,290 pixels).
It is worth mentioning that the new models are slightly bigger and just a tad heavier than before, but the difference is small enough that most people won’t notice.
Big battery boost
The other key feature is still, in part, an unknown, but the numbers on paper are looking good.
Mashable Light Speed
Streaming lots of videos on your phone? The new iPhone 16 Pro Max’s battery lasts up to 29 hours of video streaming.
Credit: Apple
Yes, I’m talking about battery life, which got a huge boost on these new models.
Here are Apple’s exact figures:
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Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Up to 27 hours of video playback, up to 22 hours of streamed video playback, and up to 85 hours of audio playback
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Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Up to 23 hours of video playback, Up to 20 hours of streamed video playback, and up to 75 hours of audio playback
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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: Up to 33 hours of video playback, up to 29 hours of streamed video playback, and up to 105 hours of audio playback
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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: Up to 29 hours of video playback, up to 25 hours of streamed video playback, and up to 95 hours of audio playback
This is, roughly, a 15 percent increase across the board, which is huge given that the new models have larger displays.
Apple says it achieved this with an optimized internal design, which fits bigger batteries, working in tandem with the A18 Pro chip which isn’t as power-hungry as its predecessor.
Of course, official specs are one thing, and actual, real-life usage is another. But if these numbers are close to accurate, then this is a battery boost worthy of the “Pro” moniker.
What else?
The new Pro models come with a number of other improvements, such as the new A18 Pro chip, the new, 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, 4K,120fps, Dolby Vision video recording (also in slow-motion), new Desert Titanium color, and a bunch of Apple Intelligence features which will be slowly rolled out over the next months (unless you’re in Europe, where they’re delayed until an unspecified time in 2025).
But I reckon that most buyers, when deciding whether they need a new phone, focus on just a couple of big upgrades to justify their purchase. Call me old-fashioned, but for me, it’s all about the larger display and the bigger battery.
For everything Apple announced at its Sept. 9 event, Mashable’s got a full guide.