4 issues I’ve realized proudly owning an iPhone 16 Professional for a 12 months

Though I’ve lined Apple tech for a few years at this level, fall 2024 might be essentially the most deeply I’ve ever been concerned within the iPhone hype cycle. Previous to then, I used to be content material to purchase older fashions, or a minimum of wait just a few weeks after launch, as I did with the iPhone 13. However final 12 months, I made a decision I not solely needed a flagship machine — the iPhone 16 Pro — however to get it on launch day. That meant shedding sleep to pounce on pre-orders, then obsessively checking on order standing, proper by means of to the day my telephone was delivered. I might already converted to it full-time by the point my shift was over.

I am largely happy with my choice, the eye-watering pricetag however. I’ve come away with quite a few classes, although, each concerning the 16 Professional and iPhone possession usually. They’ve already influenced my angle in direction of this 12 months’s iPhone 17 lineup, and even the iPhone 18 collection due in 2026.

5

At all times-on show tech is the very best Professional characteristic

An all-day, on a regular basis comfort

One of many issues I used to be most trying ahead to with a Professional was StandBy mode. Sure, StandBy technically works on any iPhone, however it’s not practically as helpful with out an always-on show. With AOD tech in tow, an iPhone turns into a kind of makeshift good show, letting you test the time, date, climate, and typically different information with out having to get shut. I am a lightweight sleeper, so with the ability to roll over and see the time with out having to choose something up is genuinely helpful.

Even higher, because it seems, is having an always-on lockscreen. I knew I might be making use of lockscreen widgets, however glancing at my iPhone for the climate and my Apple Watch battery has step by step turn out to be a behavior, all of the moreso since I’ve began using electric unicycles and have to know whether or not it is too scorching, too chilly, or too wet/snowy. Throughout my workday, having the Notification Heart “stick” onscreen means I am much less more likely to miss an vital piece of data, whether or not in my private or skilled life. It virtually makes me marvel how I ever lived with out it.

The excellent news for society at massive is that Apple is lastly bringing always-on-display tech to cheaper iPhones as of the iPhone 17, assuming the rumors are right. It is laborious to justify the Professional cut up when so many Android telephones have already beat Apple to the punch. With this variation in thoughts, I would think about downgrading from a Professional in some unspecified time in the future in an effort to save money.

4

Apple’s telephoto cameras aren’t pretty much as good as they need to be

Hopefully, that is poised to vary

A drumbeat I am going to hold pounding ceaselessly is {that a} telephoto is way, way more helpful on a smartphone than an ultra-wide. One of many first rules of photography is to fill the body along with your topic, and in lots of instances, the very best or solely manner of doing that’s with zoom. After I was doing skilled photograph work, an 80-200mm f/2.8 lens was my default — I virtually by no means introduced out my 10-20mm ultra-wide until I used to be taking pictures cramped interiors.

For that motive, I used to be excited to lastly personal an iPhone with a telephoto digital camera, however Apple’s implementation within the iPhone 16 Professional leaves one thing to be desired. The sensor Apple makes use of merely cannot deal with a lot exterior of ultimate lighting circumstances. Noise and/or blur rapidly rear their heads, regardless of processing and optical picture stabilization — typically in circumstances that my previous Nikon D300 would’ve been in a position to deal with. And whereas 5x zoom is okay, it is nonetheless powerful to get as shut as I might wish to some topics.

There’s some promise for the longer term. The iPhone 17 Professional ought to improve from a 12-megapixel telephoto to a 48-megapixel one, and down the road, Apple could also be getting ready a sensor shut in sensitivity to the human eye. Colour me skeptical — even when I’ve the price range for a Professional, I am going to need to see photograph samples first.

3

2

Apple Intelligence is a bust besides for 2 options

ChatGPT to the rescue

At this level, Apple has publicly acknowledged its failures with Apple Intelligence to date. It is nonetheless a tentpole for the iPhone 16 collection, however Siri upgrades like contextual consciousness and App Intents have formally been delayed into 2026. The corporate has additionally altered its advertising and marketing, for example pulling a high-profile advert that includes Final of Us star Bella Ramsey. Behind the scenes, Apple is shaking up its company construction in a bid to get again on observe.

I do not make a lot use of the Apple Intelligence options we did get. I am an expert author, so Writing Instruments are redundant, and I’ve even much less use for issues like genmoji and e mail summaries. Notification summaries and precedence alerts can often be helpful, however solely when the AI will get it proper. Apple infamously stopped summarizing information notifications for some time as a result of the outcomes could possibly be wildly inaccurate.

There are solely two options I really get pleasure from, the very best being ChatGPT integration. Till iOS 18.2, Siri would usually level you to the online for something however essentially the most fundamental of information questions. Now I can maintain down the facet button and get a direct reply to virtually something, though I’ve to doublecheck some information. The opposite characteristic is Visible Intelligence, which might simplify making telephone calls or Calendar occasions, and describe objects in entrance of you. Due to ChatGPT, you may ask elaborate follow-up questions as nicely.

1

Processor energy is more and more unimportant

Bandwidth is the brand new king

Many eons in the past, processor upgrades had been one of many issues iPhone followers cared most about. They enabled vital new capabilities, or a minimum of made apps considerably faster to run or set up. For some time, certainly one of my unscientific measures of progress was how rapidly and easily an iPhone might begin navigating in Google Maps.

I first seen diminishing returns after I upgraded from an iPhone XR to an iPhone 13, and that development has solely intensified with the 16 Professional. It is uncommon that I discover any enhancements in velocity. Certainly, I just lately switched to a 5G carrier, and that had a extra dramatic affect on in-car navigation than splurging on $1,000 {hardware}. About the one respects during which processor energy nonetheless issues are 3D gaming, AI, and video, and I might quite play a recreation on my Steam Deck or laptop if I’ll make it a spotlight.

All this makes it much less possible I’ll purchase an iPhone 18, a lot much less a 17. Who is aware of, although — might Apple Intelligence will finally turn out to be the promoting level Apple thinks it’s, at which level I would desire a sooner telephone to crunch Siri instructions. Even then, a whole lot of that’s going to be occurring within the cloud.