iPhone 16 Pro three months later: The final verdict is mixed

Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro was released more than three months ago. I’ve used the device every day since then and there’s a lot to like about it, but it’s not all good news. The following is my experience with the latest flagship iPhone over the past three months.

Set iPhone upgrade context

Before we dive into all the pros and cons of Apple’s latest iPhone, there are two things you should know:

1. I buy a new iPhone every year, so my impressions are formed by comparing the 16 Pro to last year’s 15 Pro.
2. If you’re not upgrading from the iPhone 15 Pro, you’ll enjoy the 16 Pro’s new features more than I did.

As a standalone device, the iPhone 16 Pro has a lot to write home about. But for me, I can’t help but compare it to last year’s iPhone.

all good things

The iPhone 16 Pro surprised me in many ways. Some of its best features are ones I expected to like, but others flew under the radar and made a bigger impact than I imagined.

Here are all the highlights of my iPhone 16 Pro:

• better battery life: Apple really underestimated the battery life upgrade of the 16 Pro. this is my first time Don’t worry about batteries Not at all, even on travel days. This is a game changer.
• 5x telephoto lens: I kind of hate writing this because next year’s iPhone 17 Air will Put down the telephoto lens. But getting 5x on my iPhone 16 Pro (I’m not a Pro Max user) is really cool. I captured many moments with the 5x lens that I had never captured before.
• 1 nit minimum brightness: mine Top Hits of the Year Is the iPhone’s new minimum brightness of 1 nit. I appreciate this feature every time I use my iPhone in bed with my wife or young son. In those moments, the darker my iPhone screen, the better.
• Camera controls after iOS 18.2: I quickly learned that the flagship camera controls are not meant for portraits, only landscapes. so i closure most of its features. But iOS 18.2 brings key changes This makes me really appreciate this new button as both a quick camera launcher and an AI tool.
• Improve heat dissipation: iPhone 15 Pro Famous overheated It’s so easy and I’m happy to report that my 16 Pro is already much better at it. Only once did I fail to take a photo because the phone was too hot – something that happens all the time with my 15 Pro.

Considering the list above, this has been a pretty solid year for iPhone improvements. But unfortunately the whole experience was not positive.

Disadvantages and disappointments

Apple has made some changes to the iPhone 16 Pro that, at least to me, feel like a throwback. Or in some cases, new features that were supposed to have a greater impact didn’t.

Here are my shortcomings and disappointments with the 16 Pro:

• There are no benefits to being bigger: The iPhone 16 Pro is taller and wider than the 15 Pro, with a 6.3-inch display compared to 6.1 inches on last year’s model. for some userswhich is a big change. for me i not a moment When I found the larger size was worth it. I can still use the 16 Pro comfortably with one hand, but it’s bulkier than before and offers no discernible benefit. I wish I could get the 15 Pro size back.
• heavier: For that matter, the 16 Pro is also heavier. Unfortunately, last year’s 15 Pro brought significant weight savings and felt great, but just one year later, Apple has given up some of that advantage.
• Macro mode is disappointing: This year’s ultra-wide-angle lens has been significantly upgraded to 48MP. I thought it could be solved My problem with macro mode. While I’ve noticed some minor improvements, I still disable macro mode most of the time. The main camera always takes better photos, even if it doesn’t get that close.
• A18 Pro vs. A17 Pro: Finally, I expect that the A18 Pro chip may be significantly more powerful than last year’s A17 Pro, especially in Apple Intelligence Mission. While I didn’t do a side-by-side comparison, I didn’t see a huge difference in my testing. Perhaps future AI capabilities will change this.

iPhone 16 Pro three-month summary

Overall, I’m still very satisfied with the iPhone 16 Pro. It delivers meaningful improvements that make iPhone better than ever.

That said, it would be nice to get these improvements without sacrificing the weight and size of last year’s iPhone 15 Pro.

How is my experience with the iPhone 16 Pro like yours? Let us know in the comments.

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