It’s been about a month since Apple released the iPhone 16 lineup. As an iPhone 15 Pro Max user, I was honestly pretty disappointed following the rumors as it didn’t sound like Apple had anything interesting in store other than a larger display.
But there’s one important upgrade to the iPhone 16 lineup that hasn’t necessarily been rumored, and that’s what made me pull the trigger.
This is not the first time this phenomenon has happened to me. Most recently, the iPhone 14 Pro looked like a very boring upgrade, with the notch simply replaced by a dual punch-hole cutout. But when Apple actually announced the phone, it came with the far more exciting Dynamic Island. This was a proprietary software implementation on top of tedious hardware changes.
As an iPhone 15 Pro Max user, I was very happy. It had USB-C, a nice new titanium finish (which made the phone much lighter), an action button, and great battery life. I also got a 5x telephoto camera. I found this to be much more useful than my previous 3x telephoto camera.
In my head, I thought there was no reason to upgrade my phone this year, but once the phone actually went on sale, my opinion changed.
Why upgrade?
The iPhone 16 Pro presents a unique opportunity for me to downsize. The iPhone 16 Pro lineup features larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays compared to the iPhone 15 Pro’s 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays. I never wanted a phone bigger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. So I knew from the beginning that the next iPhone I’d buy would be a smaller one. However, I was worried about the battery life.
Smaller iPhones have traditionally had much shorter battery life. However, the iPhone 16 Pro has turned that around.
According to Tom’s Guide’s battery tests, the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery life is about the same as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with both lasting just over 14 hours in our tests.
Apparently, the 16 Pro Max lasted even longer, lasting around 18 hours in our testing. But the fact that I wasn’t downgrading from the 15 Pro Max in terms of battery life was really appealing. Additionally, I’ve always wanted a smaller phone, but as I mentioned earlier, I didn’t want to impact battery life.
Other reasons
Another important upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro is that the smaller model now has a 5x telephoto camera, which was previously exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This means you won’t compromise on either camera or battery life when using a smaller phone. The camera upgrade had been rumored all year, and now that it’s here, it makes the decision easier.
And finally, there’s Apple Intelligence. Yes, the iPhone 15 Pro and its A17 Pro chipset support Apple Intelligence, but the iPhone 15 Pro suffered from overheating issues. To be honest, I didn’t notice any overheating issues after launch, other than the occasional heat while charging. But things changed when I ran the iOS 18.1 beta with Apple Intelligence.
At the time, I noticed that my iPhone 15 Pro Max was running noticeably hotter than the iPhone 16 Pro, even though they were both running the same iOS 18.1 Beta 4. At first, I just assumed it was the beta version that caused the 15 Pro Max to run hot all the time, but when I put the two phones side by side, it became clear. The iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro chipset and new thermal system are the game-changers.
For now, this is just a temporary issue and it’s very likely that the iPhone 15 Pro won’t experience similar thermal issues when running Apple Intelligence once the final version of iOS 18.1 is released. is. But the difference was obvious during testing, and it influenced my decision.
final thoughts
So, I’ve always wanted a smaller phone, and the iPhone 16 Pro was the perfect opportunity to make the switch. The 6.3-inch form factor feels comfortable in the hand, yet it doesn’t feel like a small display. And for the first time in a small professional iPhone, battery life is exceptional.
However, just for the record, I no longer run iOS 18.1 beta using Apple Intelligence. For some reason, my phone’s battery would drain abnormally and I would often have to charge it multiple times a day. Shortly after iOS 18.0.1 was released, I ended up downgrading and got similar battery life to the 15 Pro Max.
I’m looking forward to trying Apple Intelligence again on my iPhone once it’s available for general release, probably on October 28th.
As for my thoughts on camera control, I really like this feature. At least on a small phone, the button placement doesn’t feel strange at all. I set the slider to adjust the exposure. This is very useful. Because it’s easier to adjust in a pinch than fiddling with the screen while trying to capture a quick shot.
However, I’m a little divided on whether or not to actually press the button to take a photo, and I found myself changing what the button and display show depending on the situation.
I also really liked the Desert Titanium color. They didn’t call it “gold”, but it’s still my favorite iPhone gold color in years.
The iPhone 16 Pro is otherwise an okay phone, but the eventual size reduction was enough to make it worth it for me.
What do you think about the iPhone 16 Pro? Let us know in the comments.
Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Threads, Instagram
FTC: We use automated affiliate links that generate income. more.
