Apple’s iPhone 16 Professional launched simply over three months in the past. I’ve used the machine every day ever since, and there’s quite a bit to like about it—however it’s not all excellent news. Right here’s how the newest flagship iPhone has fared for me three months in.
Setting the iPhone improve context
Earlier than diving into all the nice issues about Apple’s newest iPhone, and its drawbacks, it is best to know two issues:
- I purchase the brand new iPhone yearly, so my impressions are formed by evaluating the 16 Professional to final 12 months’s 15 Professional.
- If you happen to aren’t upgrading from an iPhone 15 Professional, you’ll have far more new options to like concerning the 16 Professional than I did.
Taken as a standalone machine, there’s way more that could possibly be written concerning the iPhone 16 Professional. However for me, I can’t assist however evaluate it to final 12 months’s iPhone.
All the nice issues
iPhone 16 Professional has pleasantly shocked me in quite a lot of methods. A few of its finest options had been issues I anticipated to like, however others flew beneath the radar and have made an even bigger impression than I ever thought.
Listed here are all of the optimistic options that stand out most about my iPhone 16 Professional:
- Higher battery life: Apple actually undersold the battery life upgrades with the 16 Professional. That is the primary time I haven’t needed to fear about battery in any respect, even on journey days. That’s a recreation changer.
- 5x telephoto lens: I form of hate to jot down this, as a result of subsequent 12 months’s iPhone 17 Air will drop the telephoto lens. However getting 5x on my iPhone 16 Professional (I’m not a Professional Max man) has been actually nice. I’ve captured a lot of moments with the 5x lens that I by no means might earlier than.
- 1 nit minimal brightness: My sleeper hit of the 12 months is the iPhone’s new 1 nit minimal brightness. Any time I take advantage of my iPhone in mattress with my spouse or child son close by, I’m grateful for this function. In these moments, the darker my iPhone display screen can go, the higher.
- Digital camera Management after iOS 18.2: I shortly realized that the flagship Digital camera Management function was not ultimate for portrait images, solely panorama ones. So I turned off most of its performance. However iOS 18.2 introduced key adjustments which have made me actually admire the brand new button as a quick Digital camera launcher and AI device.
- Improved thermals: iPhone 15 Professional famously obtained overheated far too simply, and I’m joyful to report that my 16 Professional has been so a lot better on that entrance. Solely as soon as have I been unable to seize a photograph because of the telephone working too scorching—one thing that occurred typically on my 15 Professional.
Taking the checklist above into consideration, this was a fairly stable 12 months for iPhone enhancements. However sadly, the entire expertise hasn’t been optimistic.
Drawbacks and disappointments
Apple made some adjustments to the iPhone 16 Professional which have, for me no less than, felt like regressions. Or in some circumstances, new options that ought to have made an even bigger distinction simply haven’t.
Listed here are my 16 Professional drawbacks and disappointments:
- Greater with no profit: iPhone 16 Professional is each taller and wider than the 15 Professional, sporting a 6.3-inch show in comparison with final 12 months’s 6.1-inch mannequin. For some customers, this has been an incredible change. For me, I haven’t had a single second when I discovered the bigger measurement worthwhile. I can nonetheless use the 16 Professional comfortably with one hand, however it’s bulkier than earlier than, and with no obvious profit. I want I had my 15 Professional’s measurement again.
- Weighs extra: On that observe, the 16 Professional weighs extra too. It’s unlucky as a result of final 12 months’s 15 Professional introduced an enormous weight discount that felt nice, and Apple gave up a few of that floor only a 12 months later.
- Macro mode disappoints: This 12 months’s Ultrawide lens obtained an enormous 48MP improve that I believed would resolve my macro mode drawback. Whereas I’ve observed some minor enhancements, as a rule I’ve nonetheless been deactivating macro mode. The principle digicam constantly produces higher images, even when it may’t get fairly as shut.
- A18 Professional vs. A17 Professional: Lastly, I anticipated that the A18 Professional chip may really feel noticeably extra highly effective than final 12 months’s A17 Professional, particularly with Apple Intelligence duties. Whereas I haven’t performed a side-by-side comparability, I haven’t seen a lot distinction in my testing. Perhaps future AI options will change that.
iPhone 16 Professional three month wrap-up
General, I’m nonetheless very proud of my iPhone 16 Professional. It’s introduced significant enhancements that make the iPhone higher than ever.
That stated, it might have been actually nice to achieve these enhancements with out sacrificing the load and measurement I beloved with final 12 months’s iPhone 15 Professional.
How does my iPhone 16 Professional expertise line up with your personal? Tell us within the feedback.
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