Are you hesitant about purchasing the iPhone 16 Pro Max? We understand you, given its price. Before you buy, choose wisely: we have chosen for you five alternative smartphones to Apple's powerful machine.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a monster: it's Apple's most powerful smartphone, but also the largest… and the most expensive. Priced from 1479 euros on the Apple website, its price can soar to almost 2000 euros if you select the version with the best storage! Is this price justified? Not necessarily, given the meager innovations brought by Apple in this 2024 version. The iPhone 16 Pro Max does not in fact bring much new compared to its predecessor, except a slightly larger screen, a new, even more efficient chip and some ergonomic improvements which were not to the taste of all specialists… In particular the arrival of a questionable “Camera control” button. In short, the iPhone 16 Pro Max will probably not remain among the “great vintages”, even if, let’s be clear, it remains an excellent high-end smartphone. So, why not try an alternative to the iPhone 16 Pro Max? We have selected for you five smartphones that can do the job perfectly.
The best smartphones as good as the iPhone 16 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, a bomb
If there was only one high-end smartphone duel to be had, it would be this one: iPhone 16 Pro Max against Galaxy S24 Ultra! The premium model from the Korean manufacturer is in fact a smartphone technically as good as, or even superior to, that of Apple. The design and finishes are perfect, the screen is excellent, and the performance, ensured by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, matches that of Apple's A18 Pro.
But the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra also goes further than the iPhone 16 Pro Max in terms of photos. It includes a much better defined main sensor (200 megapixels, anyway) and three other sensors, including two telephoto lenses… When the iPhone 16 Pro Max is satisfied with three sensors. All this makes the S24 Ultra the most versatile high-end smartphone in photography.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, when Google faces Apple
This is another very serious alternative to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL first manages to match Apple in terms of finishes: never has a Google smartphone seemed so solid and chic! Google did not only take care of the hardware, it also took care of designing software with great care.
Result: Android is, on this device, a real pleasure to use: it's fluid, the interface is simple, ergonomic… Just like Apple's iOS in short! But the Internet search giant has also equipped its device with stunning and practical artificial intelligence functions… Finally, in photography, the Pixels have always been masters, and that is still the case here.
iPhone 15 Pro Max, it has not said its last word
The iPhone 16 Pro Max does not incorporate any earth-shattering innovations… So why not choose a really smart alternative: the smartphone that preceded it! The iPhone 15 Pro Max still remains relevant: its performance is still at the top, its photo partition is almost identical to that of the iPhone 16 Pro Max… The only really notable difference lies in the size of the screen: Apple has in fact taken advantage of the new generation to stretch the panel by 0.2 inches: it goes from 6.7 to 6.9 inches.
There's nothing to worry about. Especially since the price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max has obviously fallen in the meantime. Honestly a good deal
Huawei Pura 70 Pro, for photo lovers
Here is an atypical smartphone, which is clearly not made for everyone, but which could constitute an excellent alternative for those who choose their smartphone above all for their photo capabilities. The Huawei Pura 70 Pro is in fact the most recent high-end smartphone from the Chinese brand, which was deprived of Google services by the American administration. We therefore do not find all the usual applications on its store (unless we cheat a little).
On the other hand, Huawei is still the “boss” when it comes to photography. Because this Pura 70 pro takes exceptional photos, in particular thanks to its excellent quality sensors, including a 50 megapixel main sensor with variable aperture (f/1.6 to f/4) stabilized. The photos are so good that the Pura 70 Ultra is even at the top of the ranking of photo smartphones established by the DxoMark laboratory. That’s saying something.
Xiaomi 14T Pro, the cheaper premium smartphone
Accustomed to entry-level smartphones, Xiaomi is also trying to make a name for itself with much more prestigious devices, like the 14T Pro. Which can be a great alternative to have a premium phone without spending a considerable amount of money. It indeed has characteristics that have little to envy of the Apple smartphone: a superb, very bright Amoled screen, a powerful processor, 12 GB of RAM, up to 1 TB of storage… Don't throw any away more !
And on the photo front, this Xiaomi defends itself well too. Building on a partnership with Leica, the Chinese giant offers here a very complete copy, with three back sensors, two 50 Megapixels (wide angle and 2.6x telephoto).
Why choose an alternative to the iPhone 16 Pro Max?
At Apple, there are not only good years. And when it comes to the iPhone, 2024 will not go down in history. The Californian giant has in fact this year contented itself with the bare minimum to update its famous smartphones. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is therefore only a very slight evolution of the 15 Pro Max. It's a bit of a shame, and it makes you want to look for an alternative! Especially since this year, Apple's competitors have had a field day. Samsung struck a big blow at the start of the year with its Galaxy S24 Ultra, an almost perfect (but expensive) smartphone. And Google, with whom Apple must now reckon, has released an absolutely stunning Pixel 9 Pro XL, which won over the specialist press… then consumers from its launch.
Some will argue that Apple cannot reinvent the wheel every year. It's true. But there are other factors that can make you choose an iPhone 16 Pro Max alternative. First of all, its dimensions: it's really a large smartphone, and it's also quite heavy. Don't expect to use it with one hand! In this area, some of these competitors do better, with more stretched smartphones, easier to hold.
Finally, there is of course the question of price. But, at the risk of disappointing you, the prices charged by Apple are no longer so exceptional… with brands in the Android world unfortunately taking inspiration from it to raise the prices of their smartphones (and their margins) upwards. However, there are still good deals to be had on Android, where prices are falling significantly faster than at Apple, especially on previous generation hardware.
On what criteria should you choose a smartphone in 2024?
–The finishes and design. Apple has long been the king of design, but today it is overtaken by many brands. But tastes and colors cannot be discussed!
-Processor performance and integrated RAM. Prefer, where possible, powerful processors, which will guarantee you smoother use, which contain at least 8 execution cores. At Apple, no problem: all the processors are excellent! As for RAM, choose Android smartphones that have at least 8 GB of RAM.
–The quality of the screen. We watch it all the time, so it might as well be good! The size of the screen matters, of course, but check the maximum brightness of your panel (a good smartphone exceeds 1000 nits), and its refresh rate: 90 Hz, even 120 Hz are now common. Likewise, almost all modern smartphones feature Oled (or Amoled) technology, which offers better colors and infinite contrast.
–Photo quality. If your budget is limited, it is better to choose a smartphone that has a good main sensor – which you will use more often – rather than numerous poor quality sensors. There is no rule here: a 108 Megapixel sensor can be worse than a 50 Megapixel sensor! Refer to the tests on specialized sites.
–Autonomy. Although smartphones have made enormous progress in recent years, there are still huge differences between devices. Battery size matters (5000 mAh is a good start, generally). Also check if the device you are targeting is compatible with fast charging, it is very useful.
When will iPhone 17 be released?
Apple never communicates about its product launches, but this company is set like clockwork when it comes to iPhones. The new generation of Apple smartphones is always presented in September, generally in the middle of the month. All products are then pre-ordered, and available one week later. The iPhone 17 and its variations should not escape this rule. One thing is certain: summer is the worst time to buy a new iPhone, because it will be replaced by a new model a few weeks later!
This content was produced by an expert from the BFMTV shopping team, independent of the BFMTV.com editorial staff. The prices indicated are given for information purposes only and are subject to change. BFMTV may receive compensation when one of our readers makes a purchase via the links integrated in this article.
