My first iPhone was a 3GS and it had to play second fiddly to my BlackBerry for quite some time. It didn’t feel like a real phone to me with a lack of serious apps and it was just too far removed from the Treo 650 and BlackBerrys that I had been using.

After about a year I started to use it properly and have owned almost every iPhone since. I missed the iPhone 12 and 14 series, and must admit that the changes have been on the edge of making little difference in recent years.

I have often pondered if a Max would be a good idea, but quickly put the thought out of my mind. For some reason, and the fact I could get an unusually good deal, I paid up for a 16 Pro Max last week.

My 15 Pro was really struggling with battery, to the point that I was charing 3 times a day and no matter what I did the problem persevered. My suspicion was that it is the software setup I have whether that be the combination of apps or the settings I use, but if it was permanent at least the Max would have a better battery spec.

This is one of the weird oddities of iPhone ownership because the Max has proved to be a powerhouse in terms of battery for me and with exactly the same setup I am finishing the day on 40-50%. Even odder, my son tried my 15 Pro and he is getting excellent battery life from it. I can’t explain it and I can’t be bothered to think too much about it, but we now have 2 phones that are upgrades for each of us.

What really surprised me was how quickly I got used to the bigger size of the Max. I was concerned that it would be unwieldy and that it would not fit in my pocket, but within a few hours my wife’s 13 Pro felt like a toy. I have fairly big hands and they can cope with the Max, but when a thicker case is installed it added to a sense that I was at my limit. For example, the Apple silicone case doesn’t feel right on it, felt great on the 15 Pro, and so I ended up with a NOVADA leather case which is fantastic for only £24. It is easily as good as the leather cases Apple used to make and about a billion times superior to the terrible Finewoven nonsense that Apple soon gave up on.

The camera on the 16 Pro Max, to me, is a big upgrade on the 15 Pro snapper and it has made me want to take more photos and videos than previously. It’s still just a very decent camera and good enough for daily use, but when you push it for macro etc it can be less than brilliant.

Overall I am really liking the 16 Pro Max and I never really expected to. If anything, I’m a bit annoyed at myself for not going to the Max sooner.

Categories: Apple, iPhone, Product Reviews, Reviews