Apple’s iPhone 16 Professional launched simply over three months in the past. I’ve used the machine each day ever since, and there’s lots to like about it—but it surely’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’s 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.
- Should you aren’t upgrading from an iPhone 15 Professional, you’ll have far more new options to like in regards to the 16 Professional than I did.
Taken as a standalone machine, there’s rather more that may very well be written in regards to 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 stunned me in a wide range of methods. A few of its finest options had been issues I anticipated to like, however others flew underneath the radar and have made an even bigger affect 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 type of hate to put in writing 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 exploit my iPhone in mattress with my spouse or child son close by, I’m grateful for this characteristic. In these moments, the darker my iPhone display can go, the higher.
- Digicam Management after iOS 18.2: I rapidly discovered that the flagship Digicam Management characteristic was not excellent for portrait pictures, solely panorama ones. So I turned off most of its performance. However iOS 18.2 introduced key adjustments which have made me actually respect the brand new button as a quick Digicam launcher and AI software.
- Improved thermals: iPhone 15 Professional famously obtained overheated far too simply, and I’m comfortable to report that my 16 Professional has been so significantly better on that entrance. Solely as soon as have I been unable to seize a photograph as a result of telephone working too sizzling—one thing that occurred usually on my 15 Professional.
Taking the listing above into consideration, this was a reasonably strong 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 a minimum of, 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 amazing change. For me, I haven’t had a single second when I discovered the bigger dimension worthwhile. I can nonetheless use the 16 Professional comfortably with one hand, but it surely’s bulkier than earlier than, and with no obvious profit. I want I had my 15 Professional’s dimension again.
- Weighs extra: On that be aware, the 16 Professional weighs extra too. It’s unlucky as a result of final 12 months’s 15 Professional introduced a giant 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 a giant 48MP improve that I believed would remedy my macro mode drawback. Whereas I’ve seen some minor enhancements, as a rule I’ve nonetheless been deactivating macro mode. The principle digital camera constantly produces higher pictures, even when it could possibly’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 carried out 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
Total, I’m nonetheless very pleased with my iPhone 16 Professional. It’s introduced significant enhancements that make the iPhone higher than ever.
That stated, it will have been actually nice to achieve these enhancements with out sacrificing the burden and dimension I cherished with final 12 months’s iPhone 15 Professional.
How does my iPhone 16 Professional expertise line up with your individual? Tell us within the feedback.
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