For the previous a number of iPhone generations, I’ve owned a Professional mannequin. First it was the dimensions—I purchased an iPhone 13 Professional Max earlier than the Plus cellphone was a factor—nevertheless it’s different options as properly: the ProMotion show, 5X telephoto digicam, A17 Professional chip, Dynamic Island, and so forth. I’ve by no means actually thought of not getting a Professional mannequin… till this yr.
For the primary time because the iPhone 12, I’m getting a “commonplace” iPhone this yr, the iPhone 16 Plus. There’s a wide range of causes, which I’ll clarify beneath, however the primary think about my determination is that the Professional options are higher-end than I would like. The largest unique new options this yr are Dolby Imaginative and prescient as much as 4K at 120 fps and barely bigger screens, neither of which makes the higher-end iPhones vital, a minimum of for me.
In fact, it’ll be a downgrade in some areas, primarily the show. Whereas the iPhone 16 Plus is identical dimension because the iPhone 15 Professional Max it’ll be changing, I’m giving up ProMotion and the always-on show. To arrange myself, I turned off always-on and restricted the show to 60Hz (Settings>Accessibility>Movement>Restrict Body Fee) and it hasn’t been as dangerous as I believed. After a day or so, I barely seen.
In any other case, many of the new options can be found on the usual fashions, together with Digicam Management and the brand new Photographic Types. And in comparison with earlier years, the Professional and common fashions aren’t all that completely different:
Processor: After a technology hole on the iPhone 15 and 14 fashions, the iPhone 16 and 16 Professional fashions every have an A18 chip. The primary distinction is an additional GPU core on the A18 Professional, however most customers are most unlikely to note.
Digicam: There nonetheless isn’t a telephoto lens on the usual fashions, however the {hardware} will get an improve to a 48MP Fusion digicam, together with quite a few new options, together with spatial images and movies, and the most recent Photographic Types. However the largest improve to the usual telephones is Apple’s glorious macro mode, which has been a Professional unique for years.
Show: The Professional fashions get ever so barely bigger shows and nonetheless have ProMotion 120Hz shows as an unique characteristic for the high-end telephones. As I mentioned above, adaptive refresh is sweet however Apple’s 60Hz screens are nonetheless fairly good. And all telephones get the one new characteristic this yr: brightness that goes all the best way all the way down to 1 nit.
Design: As soon as once more, the iPhone 16 Professional fashions are fabricated from titanium versus the aluminum on the usual fashions. (Although the Plus fashions are nonetheless barely heavier than their commonplace counterparts.) The designs are similar to final yr’s mannequin as properly, however the usual fashions get a a lot smaller and svelter digicam array.
Colours: The Professional colours are as soon as once more very drab and boring whereas the usual fashions get a lot brighter hues. I ordered teal, and after utilizing Pure Titanium for the final 12 months I’m trying ahead to some shade.
In any other case, the telephones are basically the identical: 5G, quicker MagSafe charging, and naturally, Apple Intelligence. Apple has considerably diminished the hole between the usual and Professional telephones this yr, and whereas I’m going to overlook some Professional options, the iPhone 16 Plus has almost the whole lot I would like. So I’m going to check out the usual iPhone for a yr. And save just a few hundred bucks within the course of.
