On September 12, Apple launched a quartet of latest iPhones to the world. Whereas the usual fashions inherited a number of extras from the earlier yr’s Execs, this yr’s iPhone 15 Professional Max stood out in entrance of the smaller iPhone 15 Professional with a novel digicam setup that surpasses any earlier entry within the collection.
As you will now know when you’ve learn our full iPhone 15 Professional Max overview, we completely cherished the brand new telephone’s cameras, describing it as providing ” implausible picture high quality, which ought to make any smartphone proprietor envious.”
Regardless of sitting in a category of its personal, nevertheless, and setting the bar by which the Samsung Galaxy S24 collection and each different competing flagship telephone shall be measured for the subsequent yr, there have been nonetheless shortcomings that Apple might have addressed and maybe ought to handle with subsequent yr’s high iPhone. That may, presumably, be the iPhone 16 Professional Max – assuming Apple would not observe by on rumors that can render it the ‘iPhone 16 Extremely’ as an alternative.
Earlier than we get to the wishlist for the corporate’s subsequent uber-flagship, nevertheless, there are a number of tidbits of knowledge on Apple’s 2024 smartphones already out within the wild. We have collated them right here and can proceed so as to add to them as extra rumors, leaks and official info emerges over the course of the subsequent yr.
Lower to the chase
- What’s it? The larger-screened/batteried model of the iPhone 16 Professional
- When is it out? Most likely September 2024
- How a lot will it value? Doubtless from $1,199 / £1,399 / AU$2,099
iPhone 16 Professional Max: Anticipated launch date and worth
- Prone to launch within the first half of September 2024
- Transport date will in all probability be every week or so later
- Most likely priced across the identical as the present iPhone 15 Professional Max
Apple has a behavior of launching iPhones on a Tuesday or Wednesday within the first or second week of September, normally putting the telephones on sale the next Friday.
For reference, the iPhone 15 Professional Max was unveiled on September 12 at Apple’s September occasion, hitting pre-order on September 15 and happening sale on September 22, priced from $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 for the bottom 256GB model. It additionally has a 512GB construct in the course of the vary and a 1TB mannequin costing $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,899 on the high. We count on the pricing and availability of the iPhone 16 Professional Max to reflect this availability fairly intently (together with the remainder of the iPhone 16 lineup).
iPhone 15 Professional Max or Extremely?
Within the run-up to the iPhone 15 collection’ launch, there was rampant hypothesis about whether or not 2023 can be the yr that Apple launched an ‘Extremely’ entry into the lineup; a suffix that corporations like Samsung, Motorola and Xiaomi already make use of throughout their rival telephone strains.
With the corporate’s ‘Wonderlust’ occasion having now been and gone with out a lot as a whisper of an iPhone 15 Extremely, it stands to cause that discuss of an Extremely iPhone entry should as an alternative apply to Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup, anticipated in late 2024.
At current, there’s ambiguity round whether or not the Extremely will exchange the Professional Max or launch or launch alongside it. Nonetheless, if Apple pursues the latter possibility, it will elevate the ceiling for the iPhone portfolio, permitting the corporate to cost much more for its greatest and brightest iPhone of the second.
iPhone 16 Professional Max: Anticipated design and show
- Rumored bigger 6.9-inch 120Hz ‘ProMotion’ display screen
- Doable under-display Face ID system
- Most likely a titanium body, just like the 15 Professional Max
Whereas we’re nowhere close to something like an entire spec sheet at this early stage, some discuss across the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s design has already surfaced.
One report by South Korean publication The Elec claims that the Face ID system, which was first relocated to the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Professional line, will make its means underneath the pixels of the display screen, leaving solely the entrance digicam seen on the 16 Professional Max.
Talking of the display screen, Apple managed to make the bezels thinner throughout each iPhone 15 Professional fashions, however a key analyst at Show Provide Chain Consultants expects your complete panel to develop in measurement subsequent yr. If true, this might imply the iPhone 16 Professional Max would clock in with a 6.9-inch display screen, in comparison with the 15 Professional Max’s present 6.7-inch providing, and making it the biggest iPhone but. DSCC’s key analyst Ross Young additionally means that Apple would possibly lastly deviate from the 19.5:9 side ratio sported by the previous few iPhones, opting as an alternative for a 19.6:9 ratio. This might make the iPhone 16 Professional vary fractionally taller and narrower than the 15 Execs.
One closing rumor (once more, from The Elec) means that the already-bright shows that Apple locations into its iPhones shall be surpassed in grand vogue by a brand new ‘Multi-Lens Array” (MLA) AMOLED panel. Regarded as unique to the Professional (and presumably Extremely) members of 2024’s iPhone household, MLA tech reportedly helped LG make its TV panels 60% brighter and Samsung is already apparently utilizing MLA AMOLED screens on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely.
The trade-offs with MLA know-how are that viewing angles will be lowered and that the panels are costlier, which might have a knock-on impact on the ultimate worth of the 16 Professional Max, if Apple decides to go down this route.
There are additionally some educated guesses we are able to make about the remainder of the 16 Professional Max’s design. Firstly, the Motion button – which replaces the long-standing silent/ring swap – on the aspect of the iPhone 15 Professional and 15 Professional Max – will virtually actually be retained for subsequent yr’s mannequin. However there’s extra: solid-state buttons, which had been initially anticipated on 2023’s Professional iPhones, will now presumably make their debut on the iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max (and Extremely, if it arrives as a standalone machine).
In the meantime, the USB-C port launched this yr and the brand new light-weight titanium body will all additionally undoubtedly make one other look. This is hoping Apple serves up extra fascinating colours on subsequent yr’s Professional Max, although, as this yr’s lineup appears to be like a bit… bland.
iPhone 16 Professional Max: Anticipated cameras
- Speak of a ‘tremendous telephoto’ periscope digicam
- One report mentions a 48MP ultra-wide too
- Rumors of a stacked sensor that might enhance low-light efficiency
The digicam {hardware} throughout the final two generations of iPhones has represented vital development for the road, with the iPhone 14 Professional/Professional Max embracing a brand new 48MP primary sensor (up from 12MP beforehand) that added lossless 2x zoom by means of sensor cropping, together with a number of different new photographic tips.
Quick-forward to this yr’s iPhone line and, together with an enhanced 48MP primary sensor, the iPhone 15 Professional Max additionally advantages from Apple’s first periscope telephoto lens, which zooms as much as 5x. Some sources counsel its successor will go additional, nevertheless.
In keeping with widespread tipster Digital Chat Station, the iPhone 16 Professional Max digicam would possibly lastly problem Samsung in a single key space – particularly that subsequent yr’s mannequin might boast a “tremendous telephoto” digicam. That suggests a snapper with a focal vary that meets or exceeds 300mm, which might surpass the zoom vary of the Galaxy S23 Extremely, its present key rival on this division.
Relying on Apple’s strategy, the sensor might use both an prolonged prism design (like Samsung’s Extremely telephones) or a folded prism (just like the tetraprism discovered on the 15 Professional Max’s 5x telephoto snapper) for a lower-profile digicam module. Alternatively, the corporate might pair its present prism and sensor-cropping tech collectively to realize this spectacular goal zoom vary.
Assuming the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s major sensor maintains the present 24mm focal size of the 15 Professional/Professional Max, a 6x telephoto digicam (sporting a 150mm focal vary), paired with a bigger sensor (the Professional Max presently sports activities a 12MP telephoto sensor) that enables for a 2x zoom sensor crop could possibly be used to succeed in the magic 300mm determine.
As already touched on, it stays unclear whether or not this tremendous telephoto digicam will come to the iPhone 16 Professional Max or the iPhone 16 Extremely, or if they’re one and the identical. However both means, we’re crossing our fingers on 2024 being the yr we see this tech make its solution to the iPhone.
Past the headline long-range snapper, Apple’s use of Sony digicam {hardware} can also prolong to the stacked Exmor T for Cell sensor know-how presently discovered within the Xperia 1 V and Xperia 5 V. By rearranging the structure of the sensor’s internals, Sony has been capable of construct a smartphone digicam that may suck in additional mild on the identical decision; seasoned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, for one, claims the iPhone 16 Professional fashions may even get this digicam sensor improve.
Individually, fellow revered tech analyst Jeff Pu claims the iPhone 16 Professional and 16 Professional Max will get two extra key upgrades over the iPhone 15 Professional, in that they may arrive sporting a 48MP ultra-wide digicam (in addition to boasting cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 connectivity).
iPhone 16 Professional Max: Anticipated specs and options
- Assumed Apple A18 Professional chip
- A minimum of 8GB, as considered in 15 Professional Max
For all of the leaks surrounding the iPhone 16 Professional line’s design and digicam tech, particulars round the remainder of the internals absent from the rumor mill proper now, leaving us fill within the blanks with knowledgeable hypothesis, based mostly on Apple’s previous practices.
On the day of the iPhone 15 Professional Max’s launch, Apple additionally launched the Xcode 15 Launch Candidate, which revealed that the telephone sports activities 8GB RAM – up from 6GB on earlier generations. As such, it is assumed that the 16 Professional Max will proceed this development, supporting the assumed successor to the newest Apple-made A17 Professional chipset which debuts within the 15 Professional Max – presumably the A18 Professional SoC.
So far as the mannequin’s new-found USB-C connectivity goes, Apple appears unlikely to alter charging or knowledge speeds just one yr after making the swap, however we are able to dream.
iPhone 16 Professional Max: what we wish to see
Talking of goals, as talked about up high, whereas the iPhone 15 Professional Max is an undeniably spectacular piece of package, Apple actually left room for its successor to up the ante, based mostly on what else the market has to supply.
This is what we might wish to see from the iPhone 16 Professional Max.
1. Higher colours
This yr’s titanium-clad 15 Professional and Professional Max arrive in a quartet of colorways, with white, black, blue and ‘pure’ titanium to decide on between.
Whereas discuss of a nano-coating and the 14-hour course of required to realize the ultimate look all sounded very spectacular throughout the reveal keynote, the tip results of these premium finishes is ok, if a bit unexciting.
The iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max felt as if they stepped out of Apple’s consolation zone a bit bit, with the introduction of the Deep Purple hue, nevertheless, no such deviation continued one yr on. And that was regardless of rumors of an thrilling new Deep Crimson colorway probably being on the playing cards.
Our hope with the iPhone 16 Professional Max is that this extra Deep Crimson colorway does lastly make an look, or Apple not less than takes a number of extra dangers with the finishes on its 2024 Professional iPhones.
2. Quicker charging
Apple would not seem to have made any try to hurry up the charging on this yr’s iPhone collection and whereas fractionally bigger batteries and a extra environment friendly chip ought to prolong effectivity, a slight bump to the recharging speeds would not go amiss both.
3. Quicker knowledge switch over USB
European regulators might have pressured Apple’s hand with the adoption of USB-C on the iPhone 15 line, however whereas the corporate did the usual and Plus fashions soiled by leaving knowledge speeds virtually untouched in comparison with the earlier technology’s Lightning port, it did not less than see match to decorate the 15 Professional and Professional Max with USB 3.0 knowledge switch speeds of as much as 10Gbps.
Whether or not by probability or misfortunate, nevertheless, on the identical day of the 15 collection’ launch, Intel revealed its newest Thunderbolt 5 customary, which may attain theoretical switch speeds of as much as 120Gbps – that is 12 instances sooner than the ports on the 15 Professional and Professional Max.
With computer systems anticipated to start out arriving with Thunderbolt 5 ports in 2024 and Apple already embracing the Thunderbolt customary on Mac and its shows, the one factor stopping Apple from placing an excellent faster port on the iPhone 16 Professional Max, is Apple.
4. Beneath-display digicam
Whereas rumors already counsel the Face ID parts will make their means underneath the show on subsequent yr’s Professional fashions, if anybody might crack the conundrum of under-display cameras it would be Apple.
Certain, the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Crimson Magic 8S Professional each serve up under-display digicam know-how, the sheer physics of all of it means image high quality is constantly sub-bar.
If Apple’s prepared to pour as a lot time and vitality into this because it did into the Dynamic Island, there’s little doubt in our minds that it might do wonders for under-display digicam tech on a future iPhone mannequin.
