The iPhone 16 Pro Max had its work cut out for it when I took it to Illumi, a dazzling light, sound, and multimedia event in Singapore.
With over 20 million LED lights illuminating nine immersive worlds, including a 47-meter-tall tree of lights, this event was the perfect canvas to test the camera capabilities of Apple’s latest flagship device.
Camera Control – A New Level of Precision
Thanks to the 48MP Fusion Camera with its faster quad-pixel sensor, every shot I took at Illumi felt like a professional-grade photo or video. I was able to capture these beautiful memories and movements in stunning clarity, with 4K120 fps video recording.
One of the standout features of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is its Camera Control. This innovative system transforms how you interact with the camera, and I found it invaluable while exploring Illumi. Instead of fumbling with traditional touch controls, Camera Control offers a tactile switch and high-precision force sensors.
With just a light press on the switch, I could quickly launch the camera, switch between modes, and adjust exposure without missing a moment. The sensor made zooming in and out as simple as sliding my finger across the screen.
Another breakthrough in video recording is that now, I can ‘pause recording’ for my video, and continue when I have adjusted to the next shot. I found this very useful in also helping save storage space in my phone as I am only capturing the essential details.
One of my favourite shots of the night came from The Illumi Tree—the world’s tallest tree of lights (stands 47 meters tall, 5 Merlions stacked),. The Ultra Wide 48MP lens allowed me to capture the entire scene in one frame, with the vibrant colours of the LEDs popping against the night sky. The Ultra Wide sensor’s advanced autofocus ensured every element was crisp and sharp.
Illumi takes place entirely at night, the ProRAW feature enabled me to capture photos in full resolution, while the Night Mode worked its magic, reducing noise and highlighting details that my eyes couldn’t even register at the moment. The phone captured it all with no graininess, producing images that were clear and richly detailed.
While taking pictures of the beautiful displays, I used the Camera Control to fine-tune the depth of field, making the lights in the background slightly blurred, so the intricate details in the foreground stood out. The seamless transition between manual adjustments, like exposure and white balance, gave me full creative control.
With the latest generation of Photographic Styles on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I have more creative control over my photos than ever before. It’s amazing how I can personalize each shot to reflect my style truly. I can easily reverse or fine-tune any style after taking a photo, aligning it with the exact aesthetic I want. The new creative styles let me play with the mood of my photos by adjusting colours, and the control pad makes tweaking tone and colour simultaneously so intuitive. What I love most is the intensity slider. Rather than applying a generic filter, I can dial in the specific colours I want to emphasize.
Beyond the hardware, Apple Intelligence is a game-changer, seamlessly working behind the scenes to elevate the photography experience. This AI-powered feature taps into the processing power of the A18 Pro chip, intuitively adjusting settings based on context. During the event, Apple Intelligence automatically detected scenes with varying light levels and adjusted the brightness and exposure to optimize the shot.
For example, when I moved from a brighter to darker area, the iPhone 16 Pro Max shifted into night mode effortlessly. It recognized the need for longer exposure and stabilization, giving me perfect low-light photos without me having to tweak anything.
Studio-Quality Sound Edits
While the camera steals most of the spotlight, the iPhone 16 Pro Max also brings a whole new dimension to audio capture and editing. With four new studio-quality microphones and innovative Audio Mix features, the phone makes it easy to not just record high-fidelity sound but also edit it to professional standards.
Post-event, I decided to put the Audio Mix feature to the test. This tool allowed me to isolate background noise from the main sound source—whether it was the music playing or the voices of the crowd—offering three distinct voice options: In-Frame Mix, Studio Mix, and Cinematic Mix.
I used Studio Mix to reduce crowd chatter and focus on the rhythmic beats in the music installations, which made it sound like I was recording in a professional studio rather than an open, crowded space. Check it out in my vlog.
iOS18 Gives A Polished Interface
The overall layout and fluidity of iOS 18 make everything feel effortless. The Always-On display, enabled by the power-efficient Super Retina XDR screen, was useful for quickly checking notifications and updates without having to wake the phone. Navigating through apps, editing photos and videos, and even multitasking were buttery smooth, thanks to the A18 Pro chip and the phone’s increase in system memory bandwidth.
After spending an entire evening at Illumi with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I walked away thoroughly impressed by how well this phone performed in every aspect. From its innovative Camera Control system that gave me DSLR-like precision to its studio-quality sound edits that captured the immersive audio of the event, this phone proved itself as a true creative powerhouse. The Apple Intelligence features enhanced my experience by making everything smarter and more intuitive, while the battery life held strong, even through hours of intense use. And let’s not forget about the iOS 18 interface, which made navigating through apps, photos, and edits feel like second nature.
To find out more about the iPhone 16 Pro Max click here.
