Disappointed with the iPhone 16 Pro. Why I bought it but returned it to the iPhone 15 Pro

I buy a new iPhone Pro model every year.

I use them for work and personal purposes, so I always choose the latest models. In the past few years, I feel like I'm not getting a new user experience even if I buy a new one, but this year there have been so few changes that I'm having a hard time deciding whether I should buy a new one or not one.

　I bought it on the day it was released, but I ended up going back to the iPhone 15 Pro as my main device.. What is the reason? Let me introduce you.

Improvements in iPhone 16 Pro compared to 15 Pro

First, I'll explain what's different about the iPhone 16 Pro. I think most people already know this, but just in case.

There are also some surprising changes, like the addition of camera controls and a thinner bezel, but when I used it, I didn't notice much benefit from the changes.

What I don't like about the iPhone 16 Pro

First of all, there is the “Camera Control Button” that has been added to this game. You can perform different operations by moving or pressing the buttons, but I found it difficult to use due to poor positioning.

I think a lot of people probably feel the same way.My fingers can't reach the buttons when I hold them sideways.. If you are a foreigner or someone with long fingers, you may be able to reach it easily, but I think it must be quite long. I don't think it suits most Japanese people.

It would be a little better if you tried to turn it on when changing direction. Use your left thumb to control the camera and your right index finger to press the volume button to take a photo. However, I feel that zooming in on the screen allows for slower motion and smoother movement.

In the end, I settled on long-pressing the action button on the iPhone 15 Pro to launch the camera and take photos. …Isn't that good with the iPhone 15 Pro?

Is it a button that users have to explore in different ways? How you use it is up to you. I use it sometimes to change zoom etc.

It kind of reminds me of the Touch Bar installed in MacBool a while ago. I have no problem without it, isn't this just adding more restrictions to the case? That's what I thought. It looks like a future update will support half-press focus adjustment, so I'm looking forward to future improvements…

By the way, I'm glad that the 16 Pro is also compatible with the 5x prism optical zoom feature that was exclusive to the Pro Max, which expands the range of photos you can take. The optics and sensors of the telephoto camera are very good, so you can capture distant views clearly.

The other thing I was concerned about was the weight.

The iPhone 16 Pro has a larger screen size than the 15 Pro due to its bezel-less design. However, the weight of the main body is also 12 grams heavier. I thought a larger screen would be more convenient because it would provide more information, but when I actually used it, I felt like there was no difference in the error level.

On the other hand, I definitely felt the change in weight at 12 grams, and it definitely felt solid when I held it. I just gained weight, so it doesn't give me a good impression.

The iPhone 16 Pro is equipped with the A18 Pro and it has improved the overall performance. It's hard to notice a difference in performance in everyday use, but will there be a difference when doing heavy processing with Apple Intelligence? If that happens, my rating may change again.

However, in the current situation, I do not have the impression that there are many situations in which AI is widely used on smartphones. It's useful when deleting unnecessary topics, but my opinion is that it doesn't provide much insight into advanced usage scenarios that can take full advantage of the A18 Pro chip.

Perhaps due to the new chip, heat generation during gaming has been suppressed, and battery life has improved. The complaints I had with the iPhone 15 Pro regarding the SoC have been improved, and I think you'll benefit from it when playing heavy games like Genshin.

If you're someone who considers this important, you might want to switch from the 15 Pro to the 16 Pro.

Who should buy the iPhone 16 Pro?

Apple's proprietary “Apple Intelligence” artificial intelligence system, which will be available in the future, will also be available on the iPhone 15 Pro. I decided to sell my iPhone 16 Pro and use the iPhone 15 Pro.

My conclusion is that people using an iPhone 15 Pro don't need to trade it in, and those using an older model deserve to.

Starting with the iPhone 14 Pro, there have been many improvements, such as weight reduction due to the change to titanium material, improved performance around the camera, and Type-C and Apple Intelligence support. iPhones have excellent resale value, so trading them in can reduce the burden of switching.

I had some expectations before purchasing, but sometimes you don't know that until you actually touch it. I hope this is helpful for those who are thinking about purchasing the iPhone 16 Pro.