A youtube by @mkbhd — researched and verified by Depth
| Product | Price | vs This |
|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 9 Pro | $999 | AI features shipped at launch (not vaporware), 7 years of OS updates, comparable DXOMARK camera scores, but smaller ecosystem and no ProMotion display |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | $1,299 | 200MP main camera, S Pen, confirmed 45W wired charging, 12GB RAM — more features but larger/heavier and One UI is more complex |
| Apple iPhone 17 Pro | $999 | Current generation (released September 2025), new telephoto camera (4x 48MP sensor), Apple Intelligence fully rolled out, new design — the obvious choice for new buyers in 2026 |
| Apple iPhone 16 Pro (Refurbished) | $759 | Same phone, 12-22% cheaper from Apple directly, new battery and outer shell, same warranty — best value option if you specifically want the 16 Pro |
iPhone 16 — Released September 20, 2024. Starting price: $799 (now reduced to $699 after iPhone 17 launch). Official page: https://www.apple.com/iphone-16/
iPhone 16 Pro — Released September 20, 2024. Starting price: $999. Official specs: https://support.apple.com/en-us/121031
iPhone 16 Pro Max — Starting price: $1,199. As of March 2026, the iPhone 16 Pro has been discontinued from Apple's main store (replaced by iPhone 17 Pro in September 2025), but refurbished units are available from Apple starting at $759 for the Pro and $619 for the base model.
Display: iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion, 460 PPI, 2000 nits peak brightness. iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9-inch. Both have the thinnest bezels of any Apple product to date. The base iPhone 16 remains at 60Hz — a real limitation at $799.
Chip: A18 Pro (3nm), hexa-core CPU, 6-core GPU. All models: 8GB RAM — confirmed by GSMArena and iFixit teardowns.
Battery (verified mAh via teardowns/regulatory filings): iPhone 16 Pro: 3,582 mAh (up from 3,274 mAh on 15 Pro — a ~9.4% increase). iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4,685 mAh. PhoneArena's independent battery test found the Pro Max beat the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro XL by more than an hour.
Cameras (16 Pro): 48MP f/1.8 main, 48MP f/2.2 ultrawide (up from 12MP), 12MP f/2.8 periscope telephoto at 5x optical zoom. LiDAR scanner. 4K 120fps Dolby Vision video (Pro only).
Charging: MagSafe confirmed at 25W (requires 30W adapter). Wired charging is the most contested claim — see below.
Apple Intelligence rollout (the core controversy): Apple Intelligence was NOT present at launch. The first features (Writing Tools, notification summaries, basic Siri animation) arrived with iOS 18.1 on October 28, 2024 — over a month after launch. More features (Genmoji, Image Playground, ChatGPT integration) came with iOS 18.2 in December 2024. The most-marketed features — a deeply personal, context-aware Siri — were not expected until iOS 18.4 (March/April 2025). As of March 2026, Apple Intelligence is still not available in mainland China. The Wikipedia entry on Apple Intelligence notes it "will fully launch by 2026" — meaning the rollout is still ongoing 18 months after the phone launched.
The 45W wired charging claim — REFUTED in practice: The creator stated "all of the new iPhone 16 lineup supports up to 45W wired charging." This is technically based on a China Quality Certification Centre filing showing 15V/3A capability. However, independent lab tests by TechWiser, PhoneArena, and a GaN charger factory found the iPhone 16 Pro Max peaks at ~27-38W in real-world use, with sustained charging around 20-27W. MacRumors confirmed: "just because all iPhone 16 models safely support the USB-C PD 3.0 protocol of 15V/3A = 45W, it has been proven that the devices do not actually charge at 45W speeds." Apple never advertised 45W and only officially states "50% in ~30 minutes with a 20W adapter."
Camera ranking context: DXOMARK ranked the iPhone 16 Pro Max 4th globally at launch, behind Google, Huawei, and Honor. Digital Camera World noted the ultrawide sensor size didn't increase meaningfully, so low-light ultrawide gains are modest. The 5x telephoto is exclusive to both Pro models this generation (previously only Pro Max had it).
Repairability: iFixit gave the iPhone 16 Pro a provisional 7/10 repairability score — a genuine improvement. The new design allows back-glass access to battery, cameras, and speakers without going through the OLED panel.
Wi-Fi 7: The iPhone 16 Pro adds Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) support — not mentioned in the review.
The Panels app controversy and shutdown: The creator launched the Panels wallpaper app alongside this review without disclosing it as a direct financial product he owns and profits from — a significant conflict of interest. The app immediately faced massive backlash: $49.99/year pricing, excessive data collection (location, tracking across apps), insecure API (wallpapers were scraped for free within hours), and poor app quality. MKBHD acknowledged the issues publicly. The app was shut down on December 31, 2025 — just 15 months after launch — after reaching only ~900,000 lifetime downloads and $95,000 in consumer spending. Users received pro-rated refunds. The code was open-sourced under Apache 2.0.
The 60Hz base iPhone 16 is a real problem: At $799 in 2024, the base iPhone 16 still runs at 60Hz. Competing Android flagships at $400-500 offer 120Hz. The creator mentions this briefly but understates how significant this is as a value proposition failure.
Apple Intelligence received mixed-to-negative reviews when it did ship: The Verge called the initial release "underwhelming." The BBC filed a formal complaint after Apple's notification summary feature falsely reported that Luigi Mangione had killed himself. The "smarter Siri" that was the centerpiece of all marketing still had features listed as "in development" on Apple's own website as of the review date.
Visual Intelligence (Camera Control's killer feature) is iPhone 16-exclusive: The ability to use Camera Control to trigger Visual Intelligence (point camera at something to get AI info) arrived with iOS 18.2 and is exclusive to iPhone 16 models — not available on iPhone 15 Pro. This is actually a meaningful hardware-locked feature the creator didn't fully explore.
Alternatives at time of review:
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra ($1,299): 200MP main camera, S Pen, 45W confirmed wired charging, 12GB RAM, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- Google Pixel 9 Pro ($999): Best-in-class computational photography, 7 years of OS updates, Google AI features actually shipping at launch
- OnePlus 12 ($799): 100W wired charging, 50W wireless, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 120Hz AMOLED — dramatically faster charging
- iPhone 15 Pro (discounted): Same cameras as 16 Pro for stills, available at significant discount after 16 launch
The phones support the 15V/3A USB-PD profile (technically 45W max), but real-world testing shows the Pro Max peaks at ~27-38W sustained; the base iPhone 16 charges at ~20W — no meaningful upgrade over iPhone 15 in practice.
PhoneArena and GSMArena confirm iPhone 16 Pro battery is 3,582 mAh vs 3,274 mAh on 15 Pro — a 9.4% increase. Pro Max is 4,685 mAh.
Apple's official spec page confirms 25W MagSafe with a 30W adapter or higher — a 67% increase over the previous 15W limit.
GSMArena and iFixit teardowns confirm 8GB RAM across all iPhone 16 models, including the base model — a first for non-Pro iPhones.
Wikipedia and Apple specs confirm 6.3" and 6.9" displays respectively, with the thinnest borders of any Apple product to date.
iOS 18 Wikipedia confirms Apple Intelligence features were not included in the initial iOS 18 release; first features arrived with iOS 18.1 on October 28, 2024.
Digital Camera World confirms the ultrawide was bumped from 12MP to 48MP, though notes the sensor size is similar so low-light gains are modest.
T-Mobile and Apple's own comparison tool confirm 33 hours for Pro Max vs 29 hours for 15 Pro Max; PhoneArena's independent test found the Pro Max beat Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro XL in battery life.
Brownlee confirmed the 50/50 revenue split with artists publicly, though the app faced massive backlash for pricing, data collection, and security issues before shutting down December 31, 2025.
DXOMARK ranked the iPhone 16 Pro Max 4th globally at launch; Digital Camera World noted Android competition is catching up and secondary cameras lag behind Android flagships.
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