Brief Summary
After a year of daily use, the iPhone 16 Pro is reviewed, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. The phone's durability, battery performance, design, display, camera capabilities, and overall performance are assessed. The review also touches on Apple's marketing strategies, software updates, and connectivity issues. Ultimately, the iPhone 16 Pro is praised as possibly the best "Pro" iPhone to date, with a recommendation to consider purchasing it used after the release of the iPhone 17 for a better value.
- The iPhone 16 Pro has held up well in terms of durability, with only minor scratches despite multiple drops.
- Battery health declined to 93% after a year, but daily battery life is comparable to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
- The design is considered stale, but the smaller bezels and increased display size are appreciated.
- The camera is still considered top-tier, especially for video, with excellent performance on social media.
- The A18 Pro chip provides smooth performance, and the phone is recommended for gaming.
iPhone 16 Pro after almost a year
The iPhone 16 Pro was marketed as being built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence, but the promised features have been less exciting than expected. Many longtime iPhone users are losing faith in Apple due to the lack of innovation. The video aims to discuss the experience of using the iPhone 16 Pro and whether it's worth buying now or waiting for the 17 Pro.
Apple's confusing marketing
Apple's marketing for the iPhone 15 focused on Titanium, but it was only a small part of the frame. Similarly, the iPhone 16's big marketing push was Apple Intelligence, particularly a more personalized Siri that can perform in-app actions. However, a year later, these new Siri features are still not available, though they are expected in iOS 26.4 in the spring of next year.
iOS 26 does make 16 Pro better though
iOS 26 adds some new Apple Intelligence features like auto-translation and a circle-to-search equivalent when taking a screenshot. However, the main desire is still for the promised new Siri features.
Durability without a case
The iPhone 16 Pro has held up surprisingly well in terms of durability. The phone is typically used without a case but with a screen protector. Despite being dropped multiple times, there are only minor scratches. Apple introduced the second-generation ceramic shield with the 16 Pro, claiming it's 50% tougher than the previous generation. A screen protector is still recommended to avoid hairline scratches. The phone is also IP68 dust and water-resistant and has been submerged in water without issues.
Battery Health is cooked on my iPhone 16 Pro
The iPhone 16 Pro's battery health has declined, likely due to heat exposure. The battery capacity remained at 100% until about month seven, after which it gradually declined. The decline accelerated with the use of iOS 26 betas in early June.
It's better because of this, though
The 16 Pro has an improved thermal design compared to previous models. This upgrade helps to mitigate heat-related issues and maintain better performance.
Revealing the Battery Health numbers
After almost a year of usage, the iPhone 16 Pro's battery capacity is at 93% after 454 cycles.
Incogni
Incogni helps clean up your name online by automatically reaching out to data brokers and people search sites that sell your personal information. It helps remove personal info from sketchy websites, preventing spam and potential identity theft. Incogni is simple to use: create an account, specify the data to be removed, and let the system do its work.
Battery Life makes me scratch my head
The iPhone 16 Pro gets about the same battery life as the iPhone 15 Pro Max in day-to-day usage. Apple claims the 16 Pro gets about 17% longer video playback versus the 15 Pro, which is four additional hours. The phone lasts almost the entire day, with the first charge typically around 5 to 6 p.m. The iPhone 16 series can charge at 25 watts wirelessly, compared to 15 watts on the 15 Pro.
The design is stale, except for THIS
The overall design of the iPhone 16 Pro looks similar to previous models, which is pushing some people away from Apple. However, the smaller bezels on the 16 Pro are noticeable and appreciated, providing a more full-screen look. The display size increased from 6.1 inches on the 15 Pro to 6.3 inches on the 16 Pro, which makes a big difference in daily use.
I don't miss the Pro Max size
The iPhone 16 Pro feels perfect in hand, and the Pro Max size is not missed. The Pro is more manageable, especially when wearing flimsy shorts.
Apple, PLEASE add this ASAP
An anti-reflective display should be added, similar to the Samsung S25 Ultra, as it significantly improves usability in reflective environments.
Display
There are no complaints about watching videos on the iPhone 16 Pro, as the screen is plenty big. The display has a 120 Hz promotion display, which makes everything feel fluid, especially with iOS 26. The Samsung S25 Ultra's display is better in certain scenarios, especially with its anti-reflective coating, contrast and brightness.
iPhone is king here..and it's not close
The speakers on the iPhone 16 Pro are amazing, especially for spoken word content. The volume gets high, and the sound is very clear.
People are losing faith in Apple
Many lifelong iPhone users are losing faith in Apple because the iPhone has been the same for a long time. Samsung's ZFold 7 has attracted many switchers. Apple is planning to launch their foldable within the next year or so.
Camera Control is useless?
The camera control button was initially controversial, but after a month, it became useful. However, after almost a year, it's rarely used. It's most useful when taking landscape videos, but most videos are taken in portrait mode, making the button less convenient. Camera control is only needed when zooming or changing focus.
Why iPhone 16 Pro camera is top tier
The iPhone 16 Pro's camera is amazing and still the favorite smartphone camera, especially for video. It has a powerful triple-lens setup with a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto lens, a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens (which also provides macro mode), and a 48-megapixel main sensor. The camera can shoot video in 4K 120, but typically shoots in 4K 30. Videos come out of the camera looking so good that they rarely need color correction or adjustments. The iPhone performs much better for social media video compared to Android phones, avoiding choppiness or glitches.
Good AI camera features
The iPhone 16 Pro has good AI camera features, including wind noise reduction and audio mix. Wind noise reduction eliminates wind noise without needing post-processing. Audio mix allows removing background noise, and the studio setting makes voices sound better by eliminating background noise.
Performance after a year
The iPhone 16 Pro has the A18 Pro chip, which is super powerful. There have been no complaints about performance, even with beta testing. The A18 Pro chip is especially powerful for gaming, and thermal throttling is lower due to improved thermals.
Cell connectivity woes
The iPhone 16e got better cell connectivity in terms of 5G and LTE than the 16 Pro, despite the 16e having Apple's C1 modem. The 16 Pro has Wi-Fi 7 support, but it wasn't noticeable due to not having a Wi-Fi 7 router.
Is this peak Pro iPhone?
It's hard to find anything negative to say about the iPhone 16 Pro after almost a year of usage. It's possibly the best Pro phone that Apple has ever released. The 16 Pro got the display size increase and the same cameras as the Pro Max, with better battery life.
Buy or wait for 17 Pro?
If considering buying the iPhone 16 Pro, it's recommended to wait for the iPhone 17 series to come out to see the new features. When the 17 series comes out, Apple will not be selling the 16 Pro anymore, so it will have to be bought used or from a carrier. The upside is that the 16 Pro can be bought at a discount. Buying it used on eBay or somewhere else is recommended, especially when people start selling them for cheaper than usual after the new one comes out.
Thoughts?
The iPhone 16 Pro is the favorite pro phone to date.
