I agree with you at this point.
XS Max and 15 Pro Max, even are physically different from the back. XS Max has two cameras, while the 15 Pro Max has three, so aesthetically are very different.
On the other hand, 11 Pro and 16 Pro have a very similar 3 cameras module. The difference is that in the 11 Pro the camera module is tiny and discreet, while the one at the 16 Pro is huge and extroverted.
And boy, I’m not telling that the 16 Pro is a bad phone, obviously not. I’m just telling that I truly expected a much more different experience between my old phone and the new one. That’s just what I’m saying.
It seems that we’ll have to wait for a new generation iPhones, for us to see a real and significant leap as we saw when the X was introduced.