I’m an iPhone expert: why you should skip iPhone 16 Pro Max for the cheapest iPhone 16

I’ve always been a “Pro Max,” “Ultra,” and “XL” stan. Whether it’s an Android or iOS device, I want the latest and greatest offering from Samsung, Google, and Apple.

For example, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is a beast of the phone, with a “can’t stop, won’t stop” battery life runtime that blew us away. Plus, its Super Res Zoom is pretty sick. Meanwhile, I wouldn’t even look at the cheapest Pixel 9. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra sports an S Pen that I would never give up for a stylus-less base model.

As for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I love that I can experiment with Apple Intelligence, which is currently in a super early beta version of iOS 18, while the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models lack Apple’s new suite of AI features. Yawn!

Now that the iPhone 16 has dropped, I thought I’d lean more toward the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but for the first time ever, the entry-level model (i.e., non-Pro iPhone 16) caught my eye.

iPhone 16: Why it’s more attractive than ever

Apple has been known to reserve its spotlight new features for Pro models (before, at times, rolling it out to the lower-tier models the following year.)

For example, on the iPhone 13, the Pro-only headliner was debatably the LiDAR scanner, which supports augmented-reality (AR) capabilities that lets users play around with apps that blend their real-world surroundings with fun virtual overlays.

LiDAR was the hot new thing when iPhone 12 launched.
Credit: Mashable

On the iPhone 14, Dynamic Island was the hot new feature exclusive to the Pro models while the lower-tier models kept their yawn-worthy notches.

Dynamic Island had everyone talking.
Credit: Mashable / Stan Schroeder

Last year, the Action Button was arguably the most eye catching new feature on the iPhone 15 series, allowing users to assign their favorite apps to the new upper-left side key for easy access.

Credit: Apple

Another striking perk that hit the iPhone 15 line last year? The new “tetraprism” telephoto feature, which is just marketing mumbo jumbo for a new 5X optical zoom capability (up from 3X). This feature was reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, so the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and iPhone 15 Pro were left out of the party.

This time around, with the launch of the iPhone 16, Apple is a little less stingy. The marquee feature for this current-generation of iPhones is Camera Control, a new button on the lower-right side of the iPhone that lets you quickly use intuitive gestures to access popular Camera app features, like zoom, Photographic Styles, and more.

Using the Camera Control button
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Surprisingly, Camera Control isn’t a Pro-only feature — it’s available across the entire lineup. I hope Apple isn’t reading this (because I don’t want them getting any ideas), but as someone who always snaps up the pricier Pro Max, Ultra, or XL models for that “crown jewel” feature, I have to admit — for the first time in years — I don’t feel the need to with the new iPhone 16.

I suspect I’d be “complete” with the iPhone 16, which is a rare feeling when it comes to entry-level smartphones these days.

Sure, I’ll lose out on the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s new features like 4K video capture at 120Hz, studio-quality mics, a spacious 6.9-inch display, audio track layering in Voice Memos, and more, but I could live without those.

Holding an iPhone 16 Pro model in Desert Titanium
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

At just $799, the entry-level iPhone is more attractive than ever with the following new perks:

Colorways of recent iPhone generations have been too “blah” for me, but the new Pink, Ultramarine, and Teal shades finally have that punchy vividness I’ve been looking for.

iPhone 16 in Pink
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Even though the iPhone 16 doesn’t a telephoto sensor, Apple discovered a way to somewhat compensate for this, so much so that you can reportedly get high-quality zoomed-in photos by up to 2X. Not as appealing as the 5X optical sensor on the iPhone 16 Pro models, but it’ll do.

iPhone 16 in Ultramarine
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The only thing that gives me pause is the fact that the iPhone 16 Pro Max, in terms of battery life, will reportedly have the longest runtime of any iPhone. I’m a sucker for power efficiency, but without performing an in-house test first, I’m not quite sold yet.

Anyone else leaning toward the entry-level iPhone for the first time? Leave a comment down below.

The iPhone 16 entry-level models start at $799. The iPhone 16 Pro variants start at $999.