The IPhone 16 Pro: The first ever Iphone that I'm returning

Summary

In this video, the creator explains why they are considering returning the iPhone 16 Pro despite being a longtime Apple fan. They highlight three major issues: no significant improvement in image quality, the camera control button causing blurry photos, and the phone overheating during use. While the phone offers some new features like 4K 120fps video and spatial audio, the user feels these benefits don't justify the upgrade, especially given the inferior battery life compared to the 15 Pro Max. They suggest saving for a new MacBook instead.

Takeaways

• 📱 The reviewer is an Apple fan but is considering returning the iPhone 16 Pro after buying it.
• 📷 Reason 1: The image quality of the iPhone 16 Pro is not significantly better than the 15 Pro Max, and in some cases, the older model outperforms the new one.
• 🤔 The 16 Pro's 1X, 2X, and 5X cameras show noise and artifacts in certain conditions, even though the settings are the same as the 15 Pro Max.
• 🖲️ Reason 2: The new camera control button requires too much pressure, which could result in camera shake and blurry images, especially when used one-handed.
• 🙌 Holding the phone in landscape mode makes using the camera control button easier, but it's still more efficient to use the touchscreen for quick photos.
• 🔥 Reason 3: The iPhone 16 Pro tends to overheat, making it uncomfortable to hold during tasks like video shooting or after leaving the camera app open for a short time.
• 🎥 Despite the overheating, the 16 Pro can shoot in 4K at 120fps, which the reviewer enjoys using, especially for videos of their dogs.
• 🔊 The phone's spatial audio feature is appreciated for content creators without wireless mics, but it's not something the reviewer personally uses often.
• 🔋 The iPhone 16 Pro's battery life is shorter than expected, particularly compared to the Pro Max models, requiring more frequent charges throughout the day.
• 💻 The reviewer is considering saving money by returning the 16 Pro and putting the refund towards a new MacBook instead of keeping the phone.

Q & A

Why does the speaker consider returning the iPhone 16 Pro, despite being an Apple fan?

The speaker is disappointed with several aspects of the iPhone 16 Pro, such as image quality not being better than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, issues with the camera control button, and the phone getting uncomfortably hot during use.

How does the image quality of the iPhone 16 Pro compare to the iPhone 15 Pro Max?

The speaker notes that in good lighting, the image quality of the iPhone 16 Pro is not significantly better than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. In some cases, such as with the 2x camera, the iPhone 15 Pro Max even outperforms the iPhone 16 Pro, showing less noise and fewer artifacts.

What specific issue does the speaker have with the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera control button?

The speaker mentions that the camera control button requires too much pressure to press, which can cause camera shake and result in blurry photos, especially when using the phone one-handed.

When does the speaker feel that the camera control button works best?

The speaker finds that the camera control button works best when the phone is used in landscape mode, as it allows for a stable grip and easier control of settings without straining the thumb.

What concerns does the speaker have about the iPhone 16 Pro overheating?

The speaker noticed that the iPhone 16 Pro gets uncomfortably hot during certain activities, such as leaving the camera app open for a few minutes or shooting 4K 120 video. The phone heats up all over, unlike the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which only gets hot at the top.

What positive aspects does the speaker mention about the iPhone 16 Pro?

The speaker likes that Apple didn’t hold back on features for the smaller model, praising its ability to shoot 4K 120 video and the inclusion of spatial audio, which is useful for content creators without wireless mics.

How does the speaker feel about the battery life of the iPhone 16 Pro?

The speaker is disappointed with the battery life of the iPhone 16 Pro, stating that it lasts only half a day compared to the full-day battery life of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Does the speaker notice any significant design changes in the iPhone 16 Pro compared to previous models?

The speaker remarks that the iPhone 16 Pro looks and feels nearly identical to previous models, despite the smaller bezels.

What is the speaker’s overall opinion on upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro?

The speaker feels that upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro is not worth it, especially considering that the iPhone 15 Pro Max performs better in several aspects. They are considering returning the iPhone 16 Pro and using the savings for a new MacBook instead.

How does the speaker justify buying a new iPhone each year, and why is this year different?

The speaker usually justifies buying a new iPhone due to the amount of work they do on their phone, such as shooting reels and taking photos. However, this year they feel the iPhone 16 Pro doesn’t offer enough improvements to make the purchase worthwhile.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Why I'm Returning the iPhone 16 Pro

The speaker, a long-time Apple fan and yearly buyer of the iPhone, shares why the iPhone 16 Pro will be the first model they return. Despite their love for Apple products, they find the iPhone 16 Pro disappointing after testing it alongside the older iPhone 15 Pro Max. A personal photoshoot revealed that the image quality of the 16 Pro does not significantly improve, and in some cases, the 15 Pro Max performs better, particularly in mid-range and low-light shots. They notice strange artifacts and noise in 16 Pro images, which raises doubts about the device's overall camera capabilities.

05:00

📸 Camera Button: A Gimmick or Innovation?

The speaker discusses their concerns with the iPhone 16 Pro's camera control button, despite admiring its haptic feedback and sleek design. As a professional photographer, they note that the physical pressure required to use the button increases the likelihood of camera shake, especially when using it with one hand. This could lead to blurry photos, particularly for users trying to take quick shots. While the button works better in landscape mode, where the phone is more stable, they argue that using the touchscreen is faster and more practical for most users, labeling the button a gimmick overall.

🔥 Overheating: A Major Issue with iPhone 16 Pro

One of the major drawbacks the speaker mentions is the iPhone 16 Pro's tendency to overheat, particularly during intensive tasks like shooting 4K 120fps video. They compare it to the 15 Pro Max, which heats only at the top, while the 16 Pro becomes warm all over, making it uncomfortable to hold. The overheating problem was noticeable even during regular use, such as taking photos or watching videos. The speaker humorously pivots to promoting their sponsor, Squarespace, highlighting how easily one can set up a website using the platform.

💡 Positives of the iPhone 16 Pro

While the speaker finds major issues with the iPhone 16 Pro, they acknowledge that the phone is packed with features. They appreciate that the smaller model isn’t lacking compared to the Pro Max, particularly enjoying the 4K 120fps video capabilities. They find the spatial audio useful for content creators, although they miss the extended battery life of the larger model. Despite its small form factor, they struggle to justify the high cost given the minimal differences from the 15 Pro Max and conclude that upgrading isn’t worth it. They plan to return to their 15 Pro Max and save for upcoming MacBook releases instead.

Keywords

💡iPhone 16 Pro

The iPhone 16 Pro is the latest smartphone model from Apple being reviewed in the video. The speaker, a regular Apple user, is disappointed with this device compared to previous models, such as the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It is described as having image quality issues, overheating, and subpar battery life, which are reasons why the speaker considers returning it.

💡Image Quality

The term refers to the visual clarity and detail captured by the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera. The speaker claims that the image quality isn't significantly improved over the iPhone 15 Pro Max, despite being a newer model. They mention that the ultra-wide camera performs slightly better, but in other camera modes like 1X, 2X, and 5X, the older model often outperforms the new one.

💡Camera Control Button

The camera control button is a new feature on the iPhone 16 Pro that allows users to take photos with a physical button rather than touching the screen. However, the speaker criticizes it for requiring too much pressure, which could lead to camera shake and blurry photos. This is especially problematic for one-handed use, which makes it more of a gimmick rather than a useful addition.

💡Overheating

The iPhone 16 Pro reportedly gets uncomfortably hot, especially when performing resource-heavy tasks like shooting videos in 4K at 120 fps or leaving the camera app open. This is a significant issue for the speaker, who compares it to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which only gets hot in specific areas, unlike the 16 Pro which heats up all over.

💡iPhone 15 Pro Max

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the speaker's previous phone, which is used as a benchmark to compare the iPhone 16 Pro. The speaker notes that in many instances, the 15 Pro Max performs better, especially in image quality and heat management, which makes it difficult for them to justify upgrading to the newer model.

💡Battery Life

Battery life refers to how long the iPhone 16 Pro lasts on a single charge. The speaker notes that the battery life on this smaller model isn’t as good as what they experienced on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, forcing them to recharge the phone halfway through the day, a drawback considering that a new phone typically has longer battery endurance.

💡4K 120fps

4K 120fps is a high-resolution video recording format supported by the iPhone 16 Pro. The speaker appreciates this feature for creating high-quality, slow-motion content, especially when filming their dogs. However, they note that using this feature can cause the phone to heat up quickly, adding to the device's overheating problem.

💡Spatial Audio

Spatial audio refers to the feature on the iPhone 16 Pro that allows for immersive, 3D sound in video recordings. Although the speaker doesn’t use this feature often, they recognize its value for content creators who don’t have a wireless microphone, offering a solution to improve audio quality without additional equipment.

💡Squarespace

Squarespace is an online website-building platform that sponsors the video. The speaker praises Squarespace for making it easy to set up websites, run online stores, and even schedule appointments. They promote a specific feature called Blueprint AI, which helps customize site designs to align with personal branding.

💡MacBooks

MacBooks, specifically the upcoming models, are referenced as an alternative investment for the speaker, who is considering saving money for a new laptop instead of upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro. The speaker mentions potentially using the money from returning the iPhone 16 Pro to purchase a new MacBook, which they anticipate upgrading to this year.

Highlights

The iPhone 16 Pro is the first iPhone that the reviewer is considering returning despite being an avid Apple fan.

In good lighting, the image quality of the iPhone 16 Pro is not noticeably better than the 15 Pro Max, and the 15 Pro Max even outperforms it in some cases.

The 1x, 2x, and 5x camera performance of the iPhone 16 Pro does not show significant improvements over the previous model.

The 15 Pro Max produces less noise and fewer artifacts in the sky when compared to the iPhone 16 Pro in certain scenarios, like shooting with the 2x camera in RAW.

The camera control button on the iPhone 16 Pro, although well-implemented with haptic feedback, may cause blurry images due to the amount of pressure required to press it.

Using the camera control button one-handed can cause thumb cramps and camera shake, potentially leading to blurry photos.

The reviewer finds the camera control button more useful in landscape mode, but overall considers it a gimmick.

The iPhone 16 Pro gets uncomfortably hot, especially when using the camera for extended periods or when shooting 4K 120fps video.

The reviewer noted that the iPhone 16 Pro heats up all over the device, while the 15 Pro Max only heats up at the top when shooting high-demand video.

Despite the overheating, the reviewer praises the ability to shoot 4K 120fps video on the smaller model of the iPhone 16 Pro.

The iPhone 16 Pro's spatial audio feature is highlighted as a good option for content creators who may not have access to a wireless mic.

The battery life on the iPhone 16 Pro is shorter than expected, particularly compared to the Pro Max models.

The reviewer appreciates the smaller form factor of the iPhone 16 Pro but does not find the reduced bezel size to be particularly noticeable.

The reviewer questions whether the iPhone 16 Pro is worth the upgrade, given the minor improvements and higher price tag.

Considering the minimal differences, the reviewer is leaning towards keeping their 15 Pro Max and saving the upgrade cost for a new MacBook instead.

Transcripts

this video is sponsored by Squarespace

here are three reasons why the iPhone 16

Pro is going to be the first iPhone that

I ever return and I buy the iPhone every

single year I am the biggest apple

Fanboy this one is just not it though

it's not it now I've been testing the

iPhone 16 Pro alongside my old 15 Pro

Max for the past week I even did a mini

stylized photo shoot here in my bedroom

and the results are very revealing

I

[Music]

know reason number one the image quality

isn't any better in good lighting I can

see that the ultra wide does perform

slightly better in the corners maybe a

tiny bit in the middle depends on what

I'm shooting but anything coming out of

the 1X 2x 5x

camera I just I don't see an improvement

on the 16 Pro Look the weirdest part

about these comparisons is noticing that

the 15 Pro Max my old phone actually

outperforms the 16 Pro most of the time

like here with the 2x camera both shot

and raw the 16 Pro shows noise and weird

artifacts in the sky and look at the

settings they're exactly the same same

even in low light the files of the 15

Pro Max looked better like sure the

ultra wide photos are slightly better on

the 16 Pro but there is no reason why

the old model should be outperforming

the new

model reason number two is the camera

control button now don't get me wrong I

think Apple did a great job implementing

the button in the sense that it's a

haptic and physical button and I love

the graphics and animations and

everything like that but there's just

one really big issue with this okay

coming from again professional

photography background I can see a lot

of people using this button and they're

going to get there's going to be a lot

of people getting blurry photos out

there it actually takes a good amount of

pressure to physically press the button

and especially if you use one-handed it

can cause camera Shake resulting in a

blurry image Now using the camera

control onehanded now I guess it all

depends on the size of your hands and

what you get so on the 16 Pro I find

that to get a good grip on the phone and

then use it onehanded with and just

controlling it with my thumb my thumb

will kind of sort of get cramped

especially when I'm at the you know I'm

stretching it all the way down and I'm

trying to fine-tune something my thumb

starts to cramp if I use it with two

hands I find it to be better but at that

point I might as well just use the

touchcreen because I just I can do

everything a little bit faster if I'm

using it landscape this is where I feel

like the camera control button makes the

most sense because I'm holding the

camera pretty stable and I can you know

change the settings and everything like

that from up here where I'm not

stressing out my thumb for people that

pull out their phone and want to take a

quick photo they're not going to use the

camera control button I think that

they're going to be using the screen you

can just do you can do everything a lot

faster but overall I do think that this

is a gimmick reason number three that

this phone can get uncomfortably hot at

times now when I was doing a little

photo shoot here in my room I would put

the 16 Pro down to take photos with this

one and the couple minutes that this

phone was sitting with the camera app

open I picked it up and it was already

really warm to the touch I mean the

entire phone was warm to the touch and

I've noticed that when I'm playing

videos for a long time or even shooting

let's say 4K

120 on this phone I mean it gets really

really warm I know that this isn't an

Apples to Apples comparison but this is

what both phones look like shooting the

their most demanding video for about a

minute the 15 Pro Max gets hot at the

top of the device where as the 16 Pro

gets hot everywhere and it makes it

uncomfortable to hold also you know

what's even hotter than the iPhone 16

Pro making a website with Squarespace

Squarespace makes it so easy and

seamless to set up a website for your

business whether that's an online store

a blog or a personal site like mine

gspace has this them called blueprint AI

that gives you unique Des design and

styling options to best align with your

brand a feature that can give your site

some personality I'm currently tinkering

with it right now cuz I plan on doing an

entire redesign pretty soon it's also

been effortless to manage my online

store selling my presets and even more

recently I've been building out an

appointments feature that will allow my

viewers and site visitors to schedule a

mentorship call with me in just a few

quick steps so if you use the coupon

code Manny you will get 10% off your

first purchase

with Squarespace so check them out link

will be in the description okay so

besides those three deal breakers for me

there are some things that I do like

about this phone so for one I do like

that Apple didn't hold back on the

smaller model maybe I shouldn't be

complaining about the overheating right

because this phone is feature packed I

it's not crippled at all against the pro

Max version uh I love being able to

shoot 4K 120 on here I've been having a

little bit too much fun with the the

4120 and my dogs I think the quality

looks great I also think that the

spatial audio although I may not use it

I think it's great for people that are

creating content on their phone and they

don't have a wireless mic I think that's

a great option for those people one

thing surprised me I the battery life

isn't as good as I remembered on the

smaller models now maybe it's just

because I'm coming from a pro Max

phone I can't get I go maybe like half a

day you know usually when you when you

have a brand new phone battery lasts all

day I get like maybe half day battery

life and then I got to charge it I mean

it charges up really quick but I do miss

the battery life of the pro Max I have

to say but I really like the forign

factor of this phone I mean they talk

about the the bezels being smaller I I

barely even notice it the phone looks

exactly the same it feels exactly the

same I can't it it's really it's a

really it's really hard to justify

they're giving me like over like $600

for my Pro Max I bought this for like

what 1,200 with the the 500 gigs I

always justify a new phone especially

since I do so much work on my phone for

like you know reals and stuff like

that and take BTS photos with it but

this is like the first time in in a

while that I'm like what's the point I

can't say that is worth it I think with

the new MacBooks coming out this year I

may just save up that

$600 go back to my 15 Pro and then put

that 600 toward the new Macbook because

I'm probably going to be upgrading this

year yeah