Does anyone else notice this? 16 Pro Max bezels seem thinner than the regular Pro's, is it really the case? I've seen some youtube reviewers mention this, but couldn't believe until I compared the phones myself at the store. Maybe it's just some kind of optical illusion..? Maybe because 16 Pro I compared was black and the Pro Max was gold, that may have impacted it or the bigger screen may trick your eyes but idk...
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iPhone 16 Pro Max 16 Pro Max bezels thinner than the regular Pro's?
- Thread starter smokesletsgo
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The bezels are indeed slightly thinner on the 16 Pro Max. The ones on the 16 Pro are actually even asymmetrical now, for the first time.
16 Pro: 1.41mm (top & bottom) and 1.44mm (left & right)
16 Pro Max: 1.36mm (top, bottom, left, & right)
irepart.com
en.shiftdelete.net
16 Pro: 1.41mm (top & bottom) and 1.44mm (left & right)
16 Pro Max: 1.36mm (top, bottom, left, & right)
The Evolution of iPhone Bezels: A Look Back
iPhone bezels have been an integral part of its design since its inception. These narrow borders surrounding the screen serve various purposes, including housing essential sensors and providing a comfortable grip
irepart.com
iPhone 16 Pro's screen frame thicknesses are not equal!
A surprising detail was discovered on the iPhone 16 Pro. The device's screen frames are not completely symmetrical. Here are the details.
en.shiftdelete.net
The thing is I already did notice. And brushed it off as an optical illusion, which apparently it isn't 
It's crazy that such small difference is still noticeable. It's not night and day of course, but still better.
This can't be seen on youtube comparisons, they just look exactly the same, in person it's noticeable.
It's crazy that such small difference is still noticeable. It's not night and day of course, but still better.This can't be seen on youtube comparisons, they just look exactly the same, in person it's noticeable.
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Not saying this isn't true, but Apple has not released any of this information. How reliable is this source?The bezels are indeed slightly thinner on the 16 Pro Max. The ones on the 16 Pro are actually even asymmetrical now, for the first time.
16 Pro: 1.41mm (top & bottom) and 1.44mm (left & right)
16 Pro Max: 1.36mm (top, bottom, left, & right)
The Evolution of iPhone Bezels: A Look Back
iPhone bezels have been an integral part of its design since its inception. These narrow borders surrounding the screen serve various purposes, including housing essential sensors and providing a comfortable gripiPhone 16 Pro's screen frame thicknesses are not equal!
A surprising detail was discovered on the iPhone 16 Pro. The device's screen frames are not completely symmetrical. Here are the details.
They have. You can go view their Accessory Design Guidelines document and calculate the bezel dimensions yourself.
(Currently page 292 for the 16 Pro Max, and page 296 for the 16 Pro.)
You’re talking about 0.8 mm difference. I seriously doubt you would be able to tell the difference if the phone was in a case.
Of course it’s your money and your purchase, but also consider the 53 mm size difference. You will notice that. Maybe that’s a good thing for you but maybe that’s not.
You’re absolutely correct. My math was not correct.
So with this new information, we’re in the range of human hair diameter or thickness. I’m not sure how noticeable that would be.
Not at all! I think it’s been perceived for a long time that the pro max bezel was smaller, but it always had been an optical illusion. The bigger screen made the black boarder look smaller. I guess this year is actually true, but there is absolutely no way anyone could actually see the difference. Again the bigger pro max just appears to have a smaller bezel because of the larger screen.
What difference does it make if the bezels are a bit smaller? This isn’t a rhetorical question; I’m genuinely curious.
You’re upgrading from a 7 year old phone and that is your only concern… that’s pretty, sad
Uhm, you first saw it in a video and then „noticed“ it when looking at exactly that, I assume. I would be inclined to let you your achievement of being fixated on something completely irrelevant, IF you had also „noticed“ that the bezels aren’t the same width all around the 16 Pro Max. Now, it just seems like you confirmed your bias.The thing is I already did notice. And brushed it off as an optical illusion, which apparently it isn't
This can't be seen on youtube comparisons, they just look exactly the same, in person it's noticeable.
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Exactly, „let me get the much bigger and more expensive phone because the bezel, which has already shrunken incredibly over the past year 5 years, is O.O8mm thinner over the standard Pro…“
So many threads about the differences in specs, meanwhile all we had to focus on were those incredibly important O.O8mm around the screen.
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Apple has released all of this information…
Case and screen protector manufacturers don’t just guess.
True but some people get excited about a smaller number or a larger number when it comes to specs. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you have to take into account the bigger picture. The bigger change is the overall phone size. If you want a small phone, it would be silly to buy the much larger one just because of the bezels are thinner by a human hair. Of course it’s whoever spending the money that has to make the final decision.
I think people get hyped up about specs. Companies love getting customers hyped up to buy a new product that’s only slightly improved. It’s easy to get caught up in it. I definitely have been.
Maybe that’s the one thing he doesn’t like about his current phone. Some people don’t take pictures often so at that point it’s just a screen. That just shows how you can actually keep an iPhone for years and it still works perfectly.
Except for that in this case Apple didn’t care to put that info into our heads, meanwhile OP here got himself obsessed about 0.08 like he’s Jony Ive. Numbers are one thing, but 0.08mm thinner bezel in 6 years is ridiculous. There are bigger and actually important specs out there.
100% agree! That would be silly to buy a phone bigger than you want because “it looks like the bezels might be smaller”.
Well of course I'm just grasping for staws here trying to justify a new iPhone purchase... If only my Xs wouldn't have had a sudden stroke... I wouldn't even care about none of this. Would have probably dragged out until 17 or even longer because rumors are Xs is even getting iOS 19.
But I need a new phone now and besides the screen there will be close to 0 difference from the Xs for me. Cameras are still just a phone camera, even 20 year old DSLR is still better, no miracles there, will appreciate the 5x though. Oh, the battery definitely will be better, so thats a big big plus. 17 series will probably have even thinner bezels so getting the thinnest 16 would make it age a bit slower.. And all of the iPhones are very expensive, so might aswell get the best one which will last most. I will use it until it also gets a stroke anyway, lol.. Or until it no longer receives latest iOS updates.
The overall size doesn't matter that much as I expected at first, the Pro Max in reality doesn't look THAT oversized, in fact it's some what similar to my backup fossil Xiaomi Note 5 AI and im comfortable with it (which laughably looks more beautiful, has a better gold shade than 16 Pro series, LMAO, and that thing has a combination of plastic/aluminum). I'm definitely disappointed in the new designs, I like the island more than the notch but colors look so dull, definitely a downgrade from the Xs in that department. But these things are not top priority, although nice to have.
I wouldn't even care about none of this. Would have probably dragged out until 17 or even longer because rumors are Xs is even getting iOS 19.But I need a new phone now and besides the screen there will be close to 0 difference from the Xs for me. Cameras are still just a phone camera, even 20 year old DSLR is still better, no miracles there, will appreciate the 5x though. Oh, the battery definitely will be better, so thats a big big plus. 17 series will probably have even thinner bezels so getting the thinnest 16 would make it age a bit slower.. And all of the iPhones are very expensive, so might aswell get the best one which will last most. I will use it until it also gets a stroke anyway, lol.. Or until it no longer receives latest iOS updates.
The overall size doesn't matter that much as I expected at first, the Pro Max in reality doesn't look THAT oversized, in fact it's some what similar to my backup fossil Xiaomi Note 5 AI and im comfortable with it (which laughably looks more beautiful, has a better gold shade than 16 Pro series, LMAO, and that thing has a combination of plastic/aluminum). I'm definitely disappointed in the new designs, I like the island more than the notch but colors look so dull, definitely a downgrade from the Xs in that department. But these things are not top priority, although nice to have.
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It could be an optical illusion because of the bigger screen or the color difference. The larger display might make the bezels look thinner, but they might actually be similar between the Pro and Pro Max. It could also change depending on the lighting or the angle you're looking at them.