WithApple’srelease schedule for its products, there always comes a time when you need to ask yourself, “does this new device offer enough new features to make it worth upgrading to?” If it’s been a while since you’ve purchased a new iPhone, the company has a solid record of offering enough new features that the answer is typically a resounding “yes.” However, that question is not as simple if you already have aniPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.
For those who need to be on the cutting edge, the good news is the iPhone 16 Pro’s design features a revamped button layoutthanks to its new Camera Control input(this button is also available on the iPhone 16).
This year’s iPhone 16 line blurs the line between the “Pro” and the base-level iPhone by offering a new camera button and the Action Button, alongside the A18 chip.
iPhone 16 Pro
Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro line features a few notable upgrades over last year’s iPhone 15 Pro, including a dedicated camera button, a new A18 Pro chip, a bigger screen, and several AI-powered Apple Intelligence features.
Why I’m buying the iPhone 16 over the Pixel 9
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Most of the iPhone 16 Pro’s new features are part of iOS 18
If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, you’re already getting the best of the upgrade
If you really paid attention to what Apple billed as the iPhone 16 Pro’s main offerings, you likely noticed something a bit disappointing. While there are a lot of really cool features coming as part ofApple Intelligence, most are also making their way to the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. There’s a long list of features coming to the newiPhone 16 models and the iPhone 15 Pro/iPhone 15 Pro Max, including the following:
These features are all part of iOS 18 rather than the iPhone 16 Pro specifically. Yes, if you have an older phone, you won’t get access to them, and if you don’t have an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max yet, then you’ve already missed out on them since Apple discontinued last year’s devices shortly after revealing the iPhone 16 series (you can likely still find the iPhone 15 Pro/iPhone 15 Pro Max at carriers and other retailers).
The question is whether those things are enough to get you to pay another $1,000 to upgrade or whether it might be worth waiting until next fall for whatever the iPhone 17 has to offer.
That isn’t to say that the iPhone 16 Pro doesn’t offer new features. Of course, there’s the newCamera Control buttonand a slightly larger screen size. The question is whether those changes are enough to get you to pay another $1,000 to upgrade or whether it might be worth waiting until next fall for whatever the iPhone 17 Pro has to offer next year.
Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro and AirPods Pro aren’t worth it now
With the AirPods 4th gen and the iPhone 16 offering similar features for the same price, is it time for most people to ditch Apple’s Pro devices?
The new camera features are designed for content creators
Does the average user need cinematic slow-motion video?
There are several new features that someone who makes their living making content will love when it comes to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. One of the coolest features related to shooting video and audio is the ability to focus on different aspects of dialogue. There’s no doubt there are all sorts of things that can be done with this, even if you’re not a professional content creator.
Shooting a video with your family and friends and being able to focus on what the subjects at the front are saying makes for a much nicer keepsake. But it’s also a feature that will almost certainly only be used every once in a while. I feel the same way about the Camera Control button that makes shooting pictures and video easier.
Features like 120fps 4K video with Doby Vision, 24fps footage, and frame-by-frame color grading all directly target this specific audience.
There are people out there who have a use for every single feature the latest iPhone has to offer – they’re professionals. Their jobs rely on making sure that a photo is just a little bit sharper and that their video footage is properly color graded. Everyone else is likely better off waiting until next year orupgrading to the base-level iPhone 16.
For those who rely on camera quality in order to make a living, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro’s more advanced camera features will likely be very helpful. Features like 120fps 4K video with Doby Vision, 24fps footage, and frame-by-frame color grading all directly target this specific audience. There are absolutely reasons to upgrade, even for people who already have the iPhone 15 Pro, but the average user is likely better off waiting another year before upgrading or opting for the standard iPhone 16.
Some Apple Intelligence features may not arrive until March 2025
The first Apple Intelligence features are coming but some of the best ones could still be months away.
