The deed is done. I have returned the iPhone 16 Pro Max after two months of using the best iPhone that Apple has ever made. That was always the plan. In case you missed it, I used the iPhone 16 Plus for nearly two months last year.
After years of using 6.1-inch iPhones, I knew I wanted a larger display from the iPhone. After years of always using Pro variants, I also knew the non-Pro models were good enough for my needs. Finally, I also knew the iPhone I really wanted was next year’s iPhone 17 Air, an ultra-thin non-Pro device with a display about as big as the iPhone 16 Plus.
With all that in mind, I decided to try the iPhone 16 Pro Max before switching back to a 6.1-inch model. I said at the time this might be the last time I get to use a Pro Max size. I’m eying the iPhone 17 Air for next year, and I’m probably going to try the foldable iPhone as soon as it comes out next year.
I expected an iPhone 16 Plus experience from the iPhone 16 Pro Max, only slightly better. The screen is slightly larger, the processor is slightly faster, and the camera system is upgraded. Also, the bezels are slightly thinner. I did not expect to fall in love with the 6.9-inch phone the way I did. I did not expect to want to hold on to the iPhone 16 Pro Max and forget about my original plan.
But then something happened that made me reassess my priorities and give up on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Before I explain why I returned to my old iPhone 14 Pro, which is over two years old, I’ll tell you I won’t buy another iPhone 16 anytime soon, either.
The main reason I returned the iPhone 16 Plus was its size. It was too big for my taste, and I had problems handling it. Camera Control use was also cumbersome, and the new button was one of my main reasons for wanting an iPhone 16 phone.
Also, in November, I did not have access to Apple Intelligence and Visual Intelligence, both delayed in the EU despite slowly rolling out to US buyers and other international users.
I had no problem returning to the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, but I did miss a few iPhone 16 Plus features. The larger screen and better battery life were undisputed highlights.
That was my mindset when I bought the iPhone 16 Pro Max. I feared I wouldn’t have a different experience than the Plus, and I couldn’t wait to return it. I tell you this because I could take advantage of a loyalty program feature that gave me an extended return window for purchases.
Then, something occurred that I still can’t explain. The iPhone 16 Pro Max somehow felt more comfortable in my hand than the Plus. The Pro Max is the larger handset. It has a 6.9-inch display, it’s 2mm taller and 0.45mm thicker. It’s 0.2mm narrower too. Finally, the Plus weighs 199, which makes it 28 lighter than the Pro Max.
After two months with each phone, I can safely say that the iPhone 16 Pro Max felt more comfortable in my hands and pockets. I even ran a marathon with it and almost didn’t feel it. The Plus was somehow an issue when running, too.
More amazingly, the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s Camera Control worked so much better than the Plus. That is, I’ve been using it consistently to turn on the camera with one hand but not take pictures. As I explained, I’m using the iPhone with my left hand, which makes the Camera Control unreachable on the Plus. The thicker iPhone 16 Pro Max helped with that. On that note, I now worry the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air might make Camera Control use annoying again.
Add the superior camera setup and the even better battery life, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is an incredible device. Add the large screen, and the device becomes a great tool to use, especially when traveling. The iPhone 16 Pro Max was an amazing companion in Tokyo, where I had to navigate a foreign landscape, pull dual-SIM duties, and take lots of pics.
But, like Cinarella, I knew my time would soon expire, and I’d have to return the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Unlike the story’s heroine, I was having second thoughts. As I said, I contemplated keeping the phone and then passing it on to someone in my family when the iPhone 17 Air arrived.
Notice I have not mentioned Apple Intelligence use on the iPhone 16 Pro Max because Apple only rolled it out to European iPhone users in late February. As soon as I got access to it, I turned it on and found I couldn’t care less that it was on.
However, I was rocking the latest iOS 18.4 beta, which meant the smart Siri experience that Apple demoed at WWDC 2024 was about to drop. Little did I know what was going to happen a few weeks later. Apple would announce that the smart Siri features in Apple Intelligence will be delayed at least until 2026.
Apple practically said that the best feature it imagined for Apple Intelligence was vaporware. I am willing to wait for that Siri to become real. Before Apple Intelligence rolled out in beta form to users in Europe, I said I was willing to wait for Apple to make up with the EU. I was already ready to wait a while extra.
But once the Apple Intelligence mess came to light I knew there was only one thing to do: Return the iPhone 16 Pro Max. It’s not the AI phone Apple sold us.
I have repeatedly written that I want Apple Intelligence on my iPhone, and that’s a big reason to upgrade to an iPhone 16 model. Also, AI was the main talking point in Apple ads for weeks before Apple Intelligence actually started rolling out to the iPhone 16.
But the iPhone 16 Pro Max isn’t a better AI device than the two-year-old iPhone 14 Pro because both can use third-party AI apps. Apple Intelligence, without the smart Siri features, is useless. Apple practically deceived buyers with its Apple Intelligence marketing, and the company has yet to fully own its misleading marketing campaign.
I can’t join a class action, and, frankly, I don’t think I could be bothered with it. But I can do something about the iPhone Apple sells as an AI device before that AI is even ready: Return it.
The iPhone 16 will eventually be a great device for Apple AI. It’s not one currently.
It is a tremendous handset, yes. The iPhone 16 has plenty of exciting features that have nothing to do with AI. I also said that in the past. It’s a great upgrade, especially if you’re coming from older models. But I can use the iPhone 14 Pro for another few months until the iPhone 17 Air comes out.
Also, I realize that I’m lucky to be able to return not one but two iPhone 16 variants after using them for several months. That’s more than the average iPhone 16 buyer who might have bought their unit for Apple Intelligence only to find out months later that Siri has a long way to go until it can do what Apple advertised.
That also means I won’t be getting one of the smaller iPhone 16 variants, which I thought I’d end up keeping before the iPhone 17 rolls out.
As for my next iPhone purchase, the main reason for buying the iPhone 17 Air will not be AI or the Camera Control button. I want the new design. I want a thinner, sleeker iPhone with a large display, and I won’t mind the other compromises. I’m already aware Apple Intelligence won’t be ready for a while, so I’ll know that from the moment I buy the iPhone 17 Air.
