After spending a week with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, it’s clear that Apple has introduced several new features aimed at enhancing performance, photography, and the user experience. But are these improvements substantial enough to warrant an upgrade? Here’s our review of the iPhone 16 Pro series based on a week of use.
Apple Intelligence: Promising, But Still in Beta
One of the major talking points of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max is the introduction of Apple Intelligence, a system designed to assist with tasks across apps using Apple’s new generative models. The beta version available so far shows promise, with decent task management and privacy protection through Private Cloud Compute, which shifts between on-device processing and cloud models seamlessly. However, in its current state, Apple Intelligence feels like a work in progress. For most users, it doesn’t yet feel like a necessity, and its functionality will likely improve over time as it’s fine-tuned.
Camera Control and Visual Intelligence: Helpful but Incremental
The new Camera Control button allows for easier access to essential camera settings like zoom, exposure, and depth of field. It’s a nice improvement, particularly for users who frequently switch between settings, but it’s not a game-changer. The button does make the photography experience more intuitive, but it doesn’t offer a revolutionary leap over previous models.
Visual Intelligence, which will allow users to identify objects, locations, and more in real time, is still pending future updates. For now, the Camera Control feature feels like a minor improvement, waiting for its full potential to be unlocked with Visual Intelligence integration.
48MP Fusion Camera: Impressive for Videographers, Less Noticeable for Average Users
The 48MP Fusion Camera with a quad-pixel sensor and 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision is a notable upgrade, especially for video enthusiasts. The 5x Telephoto and 48MP Ultra Wide cameras offer flexibility in photography, and the video quality is among the best you’ll find on a smartphone. However, for the average user who doesn’t push the camera to its limits, the difference in daily photography between the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro may not be immediately noticeable.
That said, macro photography with the Ultra Wide camera is excellent, capturing impressive details in close-ups. If you’re a content creator or someone who values top-tier video capabilities, these features will stand out, but casual users might not fully appreciate the upgrades.
A18 Pro Chip: Speedy, But Is It a Leap Forward?
The A18 Pro chip delivers faster performance, especially for resource-heavy tasks like gaming, photo editing, and AI-powered features. Apps load quickly, multitasking is seamless, and it handles intensive tasks without breaking a sweat. However, for everyday tasks like messaging, web browsing, and social media, the performance jump compared to the iPhone 15 Pro isn’t mind-blowing.
For those upgrading from older models like the iPhone 14 or earlier, the A18 Pro chip will feel like a significant boost, but for current iPhone 15 Pro users, the speed improvements
may not justify an upgrade unless you’re using the device for heavy gaming or professional editing.
Battery Life: Solid, But Not Drastically Different
The battery life on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max has been solid throughout the week, with the Pro Max lasting up to 33 hours of video playback and the Pro offering up to 27 hours. These numbers align with Apple’s claims, and both devices easily last a full day with moderate to heavy use. However, the battery life improvement over the iPhone 15 Pro models isn’t substantial.
While the battery life on both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max is reliable and capable of lasting through a full day of use, it doesn’t represent a dramatic improvement over the previous generation. If you're coming from an iPhone 14 or earlier, the longevity will feel more noticeable, but for iPhone 15 Pro users, the extended battery life isn’t a significant leap forward. The addition of fast charging—with about 50% battery charged in 30 minutes—is still convenient, but it’s a feature that’s been around for a while.
Display: Bigger, but Not Dramatically Different
The 6.3-inch display on the iPhone 16 Pro and the 6.9-inch display on the iPhone 16 Pro Max are certainly gorgeous. Both models come equipped with Super Retina XDR, Always-On Display, and ProMotion technology, ensuring smooth animations and vibrant visuals. The larger screen on the Pro Max is ideal for media consumption and multitasking, but in terms of display quality, the improvements over the iPhone 15 Pro are subtle.
While the larger display sizes are nice, especially on the Pro Max, the overall experience of using the display remains largely similar to the previous generation. It’s bright, colorful, and responsive, but unless you’re moving up from an older model, it might not feel like a game-changer.
Design and Durability: Lightweight but Familiar
Apple’s choice of a titanium frame for the iPhone 16 Pro series makes the devices lighter and slightly more comfortable to hold than previous models. The Ceramic Shield continues to offer strong protection against drops and scratches, and the enhanced heat dissipation helps the device stay cool even during heavy use. The titanium design feels premium, but the overall look and feel aren’t drastically different from the iPhone 15 Pro models.
In terms of durability, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are well-equipped for everyday wear and tear, but if you’re used to the robust build of previous models, you won’t notice a huge shift in design language.
Final Verdict: Should You Upgrade?
After a week of use, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max offer solid upgrades, but whether they’re worth the investment depends on what you're looking for.
If you're coming from an older iPhone model like the iPhone 14 or earlier, the jump in performance, camera capabilities, and battery life will likely feel substantial. The A18 Pro chip brings faster performance, and the 48MP camera offers impressive video capabilities that content creators or avid photographers will appreciate. The Apple Intelligence system, while still in beta, shows promise for more integrated, personalized assistance.
However, if you're using the iPhone 15 Pro, the differences may not be enough to justify an upgrade. The performance boost, while noticeable in intensive tasks, isn’t a game-changer for everyday use, and the improvements to the battery and display are more incremental than revolutionary. The new Camera Control button is useful but not transformative, and the design changes, while premium, don't make the device feel radically different from last year’s models.
In conclusion, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are impressive devices, but their appeal depends largely on what you value most. For power users and content creators, the enhanced cameras and processing power may make the upgrade worthwhile, but for many iPhone 15 Pro owners, waiting for more substantial changes in future models might be the smarter choice.
