iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max launched: All new features, specifications explained

Apple on September 9 hosted the “It’s Glowtime” event at Apple Park, Cupertino which included several crucial announcements regarding new generation hardware. The tech giant launched the new iPhone 16 series with four new models including two standard and two Pro models. Apart from iPhones, Apple also launched AirPods 4 after three years with several new features and the Apple Watch Series 10 with a new design and slimmer profile.
While the launch event stretched, with one announcement after another without any breaks, it included some worth-mentioning features for the iPhone 16 Pro models which may attract smartphone buyers. Here’s a detailed explainer of what the new iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max look like in terms of design, specifications and features.
Apple launched the largest iPhones with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max as it has increased the sizes of its Pro models to 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch. Both smartphones come with a Grade 5 titanium design that features a new micro-blasted finish, giving the devices a more refined and premium look. It is also protected with the latest-generation Ceramic Shield, making it 2x more durable than the iPhone 15 Pro models. Additionally, Apple announced four Titanium finish colours for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max which are Black Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, and the new Desert Titanium. For display, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max feature a Super Retina XDR display with 120Hz refresh rate and up to 2000 nits peak brightness.
This year, Apple announced the new A18 Pro chipset powering the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The chipset is developed with TMSC’s second-generation 3-nanometer technology that is designed to deliver even more powerful performance than last year’s A17 Pro chip. The new A18 Pro includes a 16-core Neural Engine, making it 17% faster in carrying out AI-related tasks by Apple Intelligence. It also includes a 6-core GPU and 6-core CPU for efficient performance.
Also read: iPhone 16 series, new AirPods and everything else announced at Apple event 2024
Apple also announced the roll-out of the iOS 18 update, which comes with a “Game Mode”, enabling the device to manage performance and heat while conducting heavy-duty tasks. Furthermore, the new chipset will enable the iPhone 16 Pro models to provide up to 4 more hours of battery life, therefore, the iPhone 16 Pro Max claims to offer up to 33 hours of battery life whereas the iPhone 16 Pro may offer up to 27 hours of battery.
Apart from these upgrades, the new iPhones will be able to run on-device AI. With the iOS 18.1 update, smartphones will get Apple Intelligence which will include features such as AI writing tools, Call summary and transcription, Clean up, Genmoji, and several other AI features
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max feature triple camera setup with upgraded sensors, to provide Pro camera performance. However, before getting into camera features, Apple announced a new capacitive button called “Camera Control” placed on the right side bottom of the smartphone to manage several functions. The button will allow users to access camera tools quickly as users can use their fingers to adjust camera exposure, zoom, depth of field, and others.
Also read: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro price and storage variants in India announced- All details
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max feature a new 48MP Fusion camera with a quad-pixel sensor, a 48MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP telephoto camera with the iPhone 16 Pro Max retaining a new tetraprism periscope lens for up to 5x optical zoom. On the front, the iPhone 16 Pro models feature a 12MP TrueDepth camera. This year, Apple finally introduced the support for 4K 120fps recording in Dolby Vision.
The iPhone 16 Pro was announced with a starting price of ₹119900 for the 128GB storage variant. Whereas, the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at ₹144900 for a 256GB storage variant. The pre-order for new generation iPhones will start from September 13 and the sale will go live on September 20.