It’s been one week since the iPhone 16 Pro launched. I upgraded to a 16 Pro from my iPhone 15 Pro. After a full week of use, here are the four reasons I don’t regret upgrading this year.
Much improved 16 Pro thermals and battery upgrade
Apple has changed the iPhone’s internal battery system, and it’s a huge upgrade from last year’s 15 Pro. The battery itself is bigger, which is great. But if I’m honest, getting more battery life hasn’t been as important to me as the improved thermals.
My iPhone 15 Pro would regularly overheat outdoors, particularly in very inconvenient moments when I was trying to capture a special memory.
Because of the internal changes made to the 16 Pro, I can’t remember my iPhone getting overly warm a single time in the last week. With improved cooling, the 16 Pro is able to maintain peak performance in a variety of environments.
1 nit minimum brightness
The iPhone 16 Pro’s Super Retina XDR display gains several upgrades over last year’s model. The screen is larger, and it has a stronger Ceramic Shield. The most noticeable change for me, though, is how dim it gets.
iPhone 16 Pro can go as dim as 1 nit of brightness. Apple hasn’t published the minimum brightness of the 15 Pro, but in comparing the two side-by-side, it’s definitely a noticeable change.
If you’re ever using your iPhone in bed next to a loved one who’s trying to sleep, or just in dark spaces in general, the dimmer 16 Pro display is a surprisingly nice upgrade.
5x telephoto lens
I haven’t used a Max phone in years, so my iPhone 15 Pro was limited to 3x optical zoom with the telephoto lens. The 15 Pro Max, however, offered 5x zoom.
Now with the iPhone 16, both Pro models get 5x, and I am very much here for it.
The vast majority of my photos are of course taken with the main camera. But I use my telephoto often too. And as many of last year’s Pro Max users observed, going from 3x to 5x is a huge jump.
It’s taking a little time adjusting to the new zoom level for the telephoto, but I’ve already been impressed and excited by the shots it’s made possible.
Desert titanium
Top comment by Jer21
Gotta be the most disappointing year from a color standpoint. It's literally just a return to a light brushed gold.
After seeing Apple’s photography, and hands-on videos from other press, I struggled to decide if desert titanium would be the right color for me.
Fortunately, I happen to love it. Most of the time it definitely looks gold—what is what I wanted. Even when certain lighting makes the gold more subtle, the titanium accents bring a special shine that make the color undeniable. It’s not in-your-face, but more like a nice champagne or rose-like gold. However you want to describe it, I’ve been loving desert titanium.
iPhone 16 Pro upgrade: wrap-up
Year-over-year iPhone upgrades are totally unnecessary. The changes aren’t significant enough to make it worthwhile for most people. But if you always want the best iPhone, I get it—I’m right there with you. The iPhone 16 Pro has a lot of advantages over the 15 Pro. But in everyday use, we’ll all have our own list of features that make the biggest difference for us. For me, the upgrades have been well worth it.
Are you considering an upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
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