You might think it's hard to improve on perfection. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max were already the best smartphones Apple had made but things have just been taken up yet another notch. The all-new iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are now bigger, last longer, get even more grunt and are about to get one of the smartest Apple updates ever.

Express.co.uk has been using the latest Pro and Pro Max since they were unveiled at Apple Park and it's honestly hard not to be impressed.

Although they look pretty similar to last year's iPhone 15 Pro models - with all featuring a lighter titanium design and soft matt finish on the rear case - there are some significant, and pretty useful, changes in 2024.

Let's start with the screen as the iPhone 16 Pro devices have been boosted in size. That means you get a 6.3-inch display on the iPhone 16 with the Max switching to a whopping 6.9-inch panel.

If you're worried these are going to be far too humungous for your skinny jeans don't fret. Apple has slimmed down the bezels in a bid to keep the overall size similar to the 2023 models. Having put them to the test you get all the benefits of those expanded ProMotion Super Retina XDR OLED screens whilst hardly noticing any difference in size or weight.

Apple's Pro devices have long featured some of the best displays in the business that offer punchy colours and rich blacks - this boost makes sure that tradition continues.

As we mentioned before, the overall design is very similar to the iPhone 15 (other than some new colours - such as Desert Titanium and tougher Ceramic Shield technology) but there is one addition to the new Pros.

Along with the Action Button, which was announced last year, there is now a new Camera Control button as well. This sits neatly on the bottom right of the device and lets you launch the camera app and snap photos via a simple press.

That might not sound all that radical as you can, of course, use volume switches to snap those selfies for social media. However, Camera Control is more than just a shutter button as you can also change settings, add filters and even zoom using swipes and gentle double taps.

Apple has embedded a force sensor that interacts with its Taptic Engine to give you those clever controls and the feeling that you are physically pressing something.

It's a nice addition to the 2024 lineup and we've certainly enjoyed using it. However, the gesture controls do take a bit of getting used to and you'll need some patience to get to grips with all the fiddly features it offers. We also wouldn't call it ground-breaking, it's simply a neat way to add photos to your family albums.

Those are the main changes on the outside but there's also plenty going on under the shell including the blisteringly quick A18 Pro processor.

Apple continues to embarrass its Android rivals when it comes to power and this brain takes things to a whole new level.

in fact, its CPU is around 17 percent faster than the A17 Pro chip and the GPU offers up to 20 percent better peformance than before. The A17 was no slouch and the A18 Pro is now setting another new benchmark that could be tough to beat. That added grunt means photo and video editing is even more effortless and gaming feels just like a next-gen console. It really is impressive stuff and it's also super efficient which means longer battery life.

If avoiding a plug is the most important feature on a smartphone then we'd recommend going for the 16 Pro Max as this now offers the longest life of any iPhone.

We've ploughed through a day of pretty intense usage and still had plenty of juice left in the tank. When things do finally run flat, there is faster wireless MagSafe recharging. During our tests, we were able to go from 30 percent to 70 percent in around 30 minutes.

The only downside is that you will need to buy a new £39 MagSafe puck to take advantage as the older accessories are not compatible with the faster speeds. A 30W power brick is also needed to achieve those quick refills so make sure you have one of those as well or else you might need to spend another £39.

Of course, one of the biggest reasons to go Pro is the triple-lens camera on the rear case. This has been boosted again this year with Apple adding a new 48MP Fusion camera that is faster along with an updated Ultra Wide lens and 5x Telephoto Camera.

This upgrade means photos look better no matter how close or far away you are plus it improves things in low light as well.

The faster sensor also enables zero shutter lag and you can snap images in a number of modes including Apple ProRAW or HEIF.

All of the images we've snapped on the Pro Max look very impressive and thanks to even better image stabilisation there's less shake even when in Macro mode or zooming via the telephoto lens.

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Of course, the iPhone isn't just about photos and there's good news if you are a budding Hollywood movie maker.

The new 48MP Fusion camera with the faster sensor and new image signal processor of A18 Pro delivers Apple's most powerful video capture mode yet. Yes, you can now shoot home movies in stunning 4K 120 fps with Dolby Vision and the results are pretty epic.

There is also super clear Pro Audio which uses the four studio-quality mics inside to record some scintillating-good sound. Once the movie is shot you can even head into the settings and change things via something Apple calls Audio Mix. This can be used to eradicate background sound or hone in on the voices of your actors. It's a nice addition for content creators but average iPhone users might not get a lot of use out of it.

One thing that is worth noting - all of these better photo and video features will eat into your iPhone's memory so, if you think you're going to be snapping endless content make sure you choose a bigger storage option.

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Other features include quick Wi-Fi 7 compatibility, faster USB-C 3 transfer speeds and it ships with the latest iOS 18 software. You also get things found on older devices including the Dynamic Island notch, Crash Detection and SOS satellite text messages.

It's also the same price as last year with things starting from £999. Be warned, a fully loaded iPhone 16 Pro Max will push past the £1,500 barrier. Ouch!

Now, we can't continue this review without talking about Apple Intelligence.

It's one thing that's sadly missing from the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max at launch and that's a shame. This huge update, which was announced earlier this year, is aimed at making these devices much, much smarter.

Apple Intelligence is coming soon but if you buy the iPhone 16 Pro or Max right now you won't find features such as automatic proofreading and editing for documents, prioritising your inbox and cleaning up photos without needing a degree in Photoshop.

Apple Intelligence is a massive release from the US firm that also boosts the usefulness of Siri and should make certain laborious tasks a whole lot faster.

We won't know just how good it is until it launches but watch this space. It's worth remembering that only the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro will be compatible with Apple Intelligence which is another reason why this is a good year to upgrade.

The lack of Apple Intelligence is probably our biggest gripe about the iPhone 16 Pro but that should be fixed before Christmas.

We'd also say that if you own the iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max there's probably no need to upgrade as you will also get Apple Intelligence when it launches.

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max get some nice updates including those bigger displays, improved battery life and faster charging.

The A18 Pro chip sets a new standard and the rear camera is better than ever. There's also the addition of that Camera Control button on the side and you get some new colours to choose from including the striking Desert Titanium.

Apple Intelligence will also arrive before Christmas making these devices even smarter.

These are great iPhones but if you have an iPhone 15 Pro in your pocket there's probably not enough here to warrant an upgrade especially as those 2023 devices will also get Apple Intelligence via a software update.

That said, if you haven't upgraded in a while and want the best iPhone of the bunch then the 16 Pro and Pro Max are top-notch call makers that will be contenders for phone of the year.