Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro models pack some big upgrades, like a faster and more efficient A18 Pro chip and a more durable Ceramic Shield glass. While impressive, as an iPhone 15 Pro Max user, I don’t think it’s worth upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro series. Let me tell you why.
1 No Front and Telephoto Camera Upgrades
Apple has not upgraded the iPhone 16 Pro’s cameras significantly. Thanks to a newer sensor, the primary and ultrawide shooters promise some image quality improvement. However, the 12MP 5x telephoto and the 12MP front TrueDepth cameras remain unchanged.
The only “upgrade” is that the smaller iPhone 16 Pro now also packs a 5x telephoto camera, which was previously exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The best Android camera phones sport 5x optical cameras with 48MP or higher resolution. The Google Pixel 9 Pro even sports a 42MP selfie camera with a wide field of view. The higher resolution would have allowed the telephoto and the front cameras to capture more detailed images with improved sharpness.
2 Poorly Located Action Button
First introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro, the Action button seems useful on paper. You can customize the Action button to trigger shortcuts, open third-party apps, toggle the flashlight, and more. Yet, Apple faltered in a big way in its execution with its placement. It’s placed too high, making it inconvenient to use regularly.
With the iPhone 16 Pro series, Apple has kept the Action button in the same location, limiting its usefulness. The button’s customization and potential are useless when it’s hard to reach. This is an even bigger issue now since the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max sport larger displays, making them slightly taller than the iPhone 15 Pro series.
3 No iPhone 16 Pro-Exclusive Apple Intelligence Features
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max use Apple’s newest A18 Pro chip. Based on TSMC’s second-gen 3nm fab, it promises a significant performance leap for the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine. Apple also heavily talked about Apple Intelligence while unveiling the iPhone 16 Pro series.
Despite packing so much power, the new iPhones do not get exclusive access to any Apple Intelligence features. Like the iPhone 15 Pro series, they only run certain AI tasks on-device, with the rest processed on the cloud.
Down the line, though, the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro chip, with its faster Neural Engine, should flex its muscles and may gain new AI features. But for now, that’s not the case.
4 iPhone 15 Pro Still Performs Great
The lack of any exclusive Apple Intelligence features on the iPhone 16 Pro series stings even more when considering how well the iPhone 15 Pro still performs. A year after its release, the A17 Pro chip inside the iPhone 15 Pro can hold its own, running all your favorite iOS apps and games smoothly.
iOS 18.1 will introduce Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT integration is also expected to arrive by the end of 2024. So, there’s hardly any difference between the software experience of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro, making the upgrade to the latter almost pointless.
5 No Breakthrough Hardware Upgrades
Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro series only packs the usual yearly hardware upgrades: a faster chip, bigger display, and smaller bezels. The capacitive Camera Control button is the only major addition this year. But it won’t significantly benefit your workflow unless you use your iPhone to take hundreds of pictures almost every week.
Similarly, the larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch screens are welcome improvements but not a necessity today. Plus, Apple isn’t offering new multitasking options on the iPhone 16 Pro Max to take full advantage of its larger 6.9-inch display.
As an iPhone 15 Pro Max user, I don’t see how upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro Max will improve my daily user experience. The newer iPhone does promise a more polished experience, especially with its longer battery life and better thermal management. However, these reasons alone are not compelling enough to upgrade. You’re better off saving your money and upgrading to the iPhone 17 Pro in 2025.
