iPhone 16 Professional
MSRP $999.00
“The iPhone 16 Professional is a superb iPhone with top-notch digital camera options. If the common iPhone 16 is not sufficient for you, that is the one to get.”
Execs
- Digicam Management is a stunning addition
- Nice show and efficiency
- 5x telephoto digital camera on a small iPhone
- The brand new Photographic Kinds
- 4K 120fps video recording
Cons
- Disappointing battery life
- Apple Intelligence not but out there
- The common iPhone 16 is SO good
The iPhone Professional is often a straightforward advice. In the event you’re looking for a brand new iPhone and have a bit extra money to spend, splurging for the Professional is usually a no brainer. However this 12 months is totally different.
The common iPhone 16 is one of the best non-Professional iPhone launched in ages, and it’s so good that it makes justifying the iPhone 16 Professional extra difficult than you’ll have thought. That’s to not say the iPhone 16 Professional is a foul telephone (it’s superb!), however the group of people that ought to go for it over the common mannequin is smaller than in previous years. Do you fall into that group? Let’s discover out.
About our iPhone 16 Professional assessment
The iPhone 16 Professional was launched on September 20, 2024, and our assessment was initially revealed on September 30 by Joe Maring. On November 4, the assessment was up to date by Christine Romero-Chan together with her ideas within the “iPhone 16 Professional: a second opinion” part.
iPhone 16 Professional specs
| Specs | iPhone 16 Professional |
|---|---|
| Dimension | 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25 mm (5.89 x 2.81 x 0.32 inches) |
| Weight | 199 g (7.03 oz) |
| Display |
|
| Working system | iOS 18 |
| Construct | Titanium with textured matte glass again |
| Buttons | Motion button Digicam Management |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Processor |
|
| Digicam | Rear:
Entrance: |
| Video | Rear:
4K, as much as 120 fps Entrance: 4K, as much as 60 fps |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, dual-band
Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Ports | USB-C Gen 3.2
DisplayPort |
| Water resistance | IP68 (most depth of 6m as much as half-hour) |
| Battery & charging |
|
| Colours | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Pure Titanium, Desert Titanium |
| Worth | Begins at $999 |
iPhone 16 Professional: a second opinion
I’ve been utilizing the iPhone 16 Professional as my main telephone since launch day. Although I’m not a fan of how the design has not modified from earlier years, I have been quite happy with the iPhone 16 Pro — for essentially the most half.
The largest cause I’m proud of the iPhone 16 Professional is the cameras. I had the iPhone 15 Professional final 12 months, and although I liked the dimensions, I used to be irritated that it solely had a 3x optical zoom telephoto digital camera. Apple gave each Professional fashions equal digital camera characteristic parity this 12 months, and I’ve been very comfortable about that. Not do it’s a must to get the most important telephone to get one of the best digital camera.
With the improved telephoto digital camera, I can get even nearer to topics than ever earlier than. Although you possibly can do 5x zoom with the iPhone 15 Professional, it was digital zoom, which meant a lack of high quality the nearer you bought. Now, I don’t have to fret about that with the iPhone 16 Professional, and I like the extremely detailed pictures I’m getting with the 5x optical zoom. As somebody who likes to take photographs of wildlife, it’s been delivering wonderful outcomes — and I don’t should disturb the animals.
The ultrawide lens is now 48MP on the iPhone 16 Professional as an alternative of 12MP, and the results are also a big improvement. Out of the three lenses, I believe the ultrawide is my least used in comparison with the opposite two, however it does come in useful for sure conditions. With the upper decision, particulars are sharper than earlier than, and it really works even higher in lowlight situations. Macro pictures, which use the ultrawide lens, additionally find yourself trying a lot clearer, with much less distortion.
Now, let me discuss just a little bit about Digicam Management. I used to be trying ahead to this new little button, however after over a month, it’s simply develop into my devoted digital camera launcher and nothing else.
It’s not that I don’t like the Camera Control — it’s simply in a foul place for me. If it had been just a little bit decrease and simpler to press, it will have been higher. The present place is a bit awkward for panorama photographs for me, and it nonetheless wants a little bit of stress (even after changing it to the lightest setting) to press, which may trigger digital camera shake and might find yourself with a blurry picture. I additionally discover it quicker to alter settings on the display than utilizing the Digicam Management’s finicky half-press and slide gestures.
Although the iPhone 16 is very good this 12 months, it nonetheless lacks options I would like which might be solely out there within the Professional variant. And for me, as somebody who prefers smaller telephones, Apple did job this 12 months with the iPhone 16 Professional. It has equal cameras with the bigger Professional Max, 1TB storage, A18 Professional, and barely higher battery life than its predecessor.
Whereas I’d have loved a pink iPhone 16 this 12 months, the iPhone 16 Professional is healthier for me.
Nice {hardware}, acquainted design
The iPhone 16 Professional is an extremely well-built smartphone. Just like the iPhone 15 Pro, it has a titanium body with a matte end. It’s beautiful and significantly improved from the outdated stainless-steel body Apple used on its older Professional smartphones. The flat sides are simple to grip, the rounded corners are snug in your hand, and the general match and end are second to none. It’s basically the identical {hardware} expertise from final 12 months’s Professional, although that’s not essentially a foul factor.
The Motion button returns for one more 12 months and is simply as handy as ever. I want Apple had allowed extra customization, however with the ability to press and maintain the button to activate the flashlight, begin a voice recording, or do no matter else you need stays a terrific addition. This 12 months, it’s additionally joined by the strange Camera Control.
The iPhone 16 Professional is an extremely well-built smartphone.
Digicam Management is a brand new button on the precise facet of the iPhone 16 Professional. On the floor, it’s very easy. Press the button to open the digital camera app, press it once more to take an image, and press and maintain the button to file a video. Nevertheless, flippantly urgent and sliding your finger throughout the button permits you to choose and modify quite a few digital camera controls — together with your zoom, depth of subject, aperture, and extra.
The entire system takes a while to get used to, however when you’ve obtained the grasp of it, it turns into a implausible addition to the iPhone. It’s satisfying to make use of, frees up the Motion button to do one thing else, and has rapidly develop into my favourite approach to launch the digital camera. I additionally love that you could flippantly customize the Camera Control, equivalent to altering it to open Instagram as an alternative of the common digital camera app. I want it had been positioned barely decrease on the body, however in any other case, it’s wonderful.
Objectively, the iPhone 16 Professional’s {hardware} is pretty much as good because it will get. Subjectively, I desperately want Apple had accomplished one thing to clean up this design. The iPhone 16 Professional seems to be equivalent to the iPhone 15 Professional, which already appeared a lot just like the iPhone 14 Professional and iPhone 13 Professional. In a 12 months when the common iPhone 16 obtained a (admittedly refined) digital camera redesign and phenomenal new colours, the iPhone 16 Professional’s aesthetics are a bit too acquainted for my style.
A wonderful (and larger) display
For the primary time for the reason that iPhone 12 Professional, Apple has made the show of its latest Professional iPhone greater. Gone is the 6.1-inch display we’ve had for the previous couple of years, and as a substitute is a 6.3-inch one.
Due to this, the iPhone 16 Professional is barely taller and wider than the iPhone 15 Professional, although not dramatically so, because of decreased bezels. It’s nonetheless simple to achieve all 4 corners of the show single-handedly, and the slimmer bezels are fairly spectacular.
Additionally spectacular is the standard of this show. The OLED panel produces attractive colours, the 120Hz refresh charge is splendidly easy, and the always-on show (AOD) seems to be pretty much as good as ever. It’s irritating {that a} 120Hz refresh charge and AOD stay restricted to Apple’s Professional telephones, however there’s no denying simply how wonderful they’re. Mix all of this with 2,000 nits of peak out of doors brightness, and there’s nearly nothing to complain about with this display.
The digital camera is the actual cause to go Professional
Apple has at all times reserved its finest cameras for its Professional iPhones. However greater than ever earlier than, it feels just like the upgraded cameras are the cause to get the iPhone 16 Pro over the iPhone 16 this 12 months.
When it comes to specs, you get a 48-megapixel main digital camera, a 48MP ultrawide digital camera, and a 12MP telephoto digital camera. The first digital camera is actually the identical as final 12 months’s, whereas the ultrawide digital camera is new. Moreover, the 5x telephoto digital camera is similar one used within the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is critical for the reason that iPhone 15 Professional was caught with a worse 3x telephoto shooter.
As you in all probability suspected, the iPhone 16 Professional takes unbelievable photographs. Photographs from the first digital camera are top-notch in each regard; photographs are detailed, colourful, and constantly nice. There’s little or no to complain about.
- 1.
Macro mode - 2.
Macro mode - 3.
Macro mode
I’ve additionally been actually proud of the brand new ultrawide digital camera. Not solely do 0.5x ultrawide photographs look higher than ever however so do macro photographs. In the event you like taking macro pictures (like I do), this is a superb digital camera for that. The 5x telephoto digital camera can be a stunning contact. Whereas not the longest zoom size you will get on a telephone right now, it’s a high-quality sensor, and it’s nice getting the identical 5x zoom on the 16 Professional and 16 Professional Max this 12 months.
Just like the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Professional additionally will get Apple’s new Photographic Styles. Consider them like Instagram filters, besides that they individually change the tone and colour of your photographs slightly than making use of a single, generic look over the complete factor. That is how Photographic Kinds have at all times labored, however new for the iPhone 16 household, you possibly can change them after you’ve taken a photograph and fine-tune the appear and feel of every type.
- 1.
Normal Photographic Type - 2.
Dramatic Photographic Type - 3.
Amber Photographic Type - 4.
Stark Black and White Photographic Type
As somebody who has by no means bothered with Photographic Kinds on earlier iPhones, I’ve had a ton of enjoyable taking part in with them on the iPhone 16 Professional. I contemplate myself a fairly informal photographer, however I’ve loved stretching my artistic muscle mass by toying with Photographic Kinds. It’s a lot less complicated than capturing in RAW and taking photographs into Photoshop, but extra professional-looking than slapping on a filter. I believe it’s a implausible center floor that lots of people are going to like.
That stated, for the individuals who do need to take their cell pictures expertise up a notch, that’s the place the iPhone 16 Professional units itself other than the iPhone 16. The iPhone 16 Professional additionally offers you Apple ProRAW capturing, evening mode portraits, 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient video recording at 120fps, ProRes video recording, Log video recording, and a “studio-quality” four-mic setup.
These are spectacular options, and for somebody who desires to make use of their iPhone as a artistic software for his or her YouTube channel or moviemaking, it’s simple to have a look at these additional digital camera options as respectable causes to purchase the iPhone 16 Professional over the bottom mannequin. However if you happen to don’t care about these issues, it actually comes right down to how badly you need the telephoto digital camera and the improved ultrawide sensor.
Efficiency, battery life, and charging
It shouldn’t be shocking that the iPhone 16 Professional is a quick smartphone. Whether or not you’re bouncing between totally different apps, taking part in the most recent video games, or spending a lot of time within the digital camera app taking part in with the brand new Photographic Kinds, the iPhone 16 Professional handles every part with ease.
That is all because of Apple’s new A18 Professional chip. It’s one of the vital succesful chips you will get in a smartphone right now, and it doesn’t matter what you throw on the iPhone 16 Professional, it could actually deal with it simply.
My one efficiency concern lies with how sizzling the iPhone 16 Professional can get. At some point, whereas bouncing forwards and backwards between Microsoft Groups, Asana, and Arc (an excellent web browser) on a 5G connection, my iPhone 16 Professional obtained actually sizzling — nearly to the purpose the place it was uncomfortable to carry. This hasn’t occurred since then, and I used to be admittedly utilizing my telephone loads that day, however I assumed it was price mentioning. This one gaff apart, efficiency on the iPhone 16 Professional has been nice.
Battery life, alternatively, has been disappointing. If I begin my day at round 6:30 or 7 a.m. with a full 100% battery, I’m hitting 20% or decrease by round 5 p.m. That’s with 4 to 4 and a half hours of display time every day and utilizing apps like Snapchat, NFL Fantasy, TikTok, and Duolingo — nothing over-the-top by any means.
Battery life has been disappointing.
That is noticeably worse than the battery life I noticed with the common iPhone 16, which will get to round 11 p.m. with over 30% battery remaining with comparable utilization. I’m curious to see if the iPhone 16 Professional’s battery life will get higher the longer I exploit it, however after a few weeks with the telephone, it’s firmly remained a tool I must top-up within the early night. I like utilizing the iPhone 16 Professional, and I want I may use it longer earlier than needing to hunt out my charger.
As for charging, wired cost speeds are nonetheless as much as 50% in half-hour, whereas MagSafe charging has elevated to 25W when utilizing a 30W or quicker charging block. The quicker MagSafe charging this 12 months could be very good, although I desperately want Apple would ramp up its wired charging. In a world the place the OnePlus 12 can cost from 0 to 100% in half an hour, needing over an hour to completely cost the iPhone 16 Professional is a ache.
iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence
iOS 18 is out there on the iPhone 16 Professional proper out of the field, and with that comes some fairly important adjustments. The house display, for instance, is now far more customizable — allowing you to change app icon colors and place widgets/apps wherever you’d like. I don’t personally love how tinted app icons look (like within the image above), however I do know different individuals who do, and for personalisation followers, this can be a large win.
Talking of customization, there’s the brand new Management Heart. There’s loads new right here. You may add/take away controls proper from the Management Heart (no extra going to the Settings app to do that), place and resize controls with a lot higher flexibility, and have a number of pages in your Management Heart (I’ve a devoted one for good residence controls). It’s a bit finicky to get every part trying simply the way in which you need it, however total, I’m proud of it.
There’s much more in iOS 18, too. RCS support means you possibly can lastly textual content Android telephones and get learn receipts, kind indicators, and high-quality photograph sharing. With the ability to substitute lock display controls is lengthy overdue however a really welcome contact. The brand new Photographs app, which takes some getting used to, has lots of nice new options and customization choices.
Sadly, one of many principal attracts to iOS 18 — Apple Intelligence — is nowhere to be discovered on the iPhone 16 Professional. You can test the features now with the iOS 18.1 beta, however it gained’t be out there as a steady replace till later in October. I’m curious to lastly use Apple Intelligence as soon as it’s prepared. Nevertheless, it’s irritating to see Apple market the iPhone 16 Professional so closely round its AI options once they aren’t prepared but. Apple Intelligence could possibly be unbelievable, or it could possibly be a flop. I gained’t know for certain till I’ve used it, and I’ll replace this assessment accordingly as soon as I’ve.
iPhone 16 Professional value and availability
The iPhone 16 Professional is out there for buy now. It begins at $999 for 128GB of storage, with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB fashions out there for $1,099, $1,299, and $1,499, respectively. Pure Titanium, Black Titanium, and White Titanium — all colours out there final 12 months for the iPhone 15 Professional — return for the iPhone 16 Professional. This 12 months’s flagship colour is Desert Titanium that, to my eyes, seems to be loads like gold.
With its $999 beginning value, the iPhone 16 Professional is priced about the identical as different competing Android smartphones — specifically the Google Pixel 9 Pro. However the iPhone 16, arguably the opposite telephone most iPhone 16 Professional customers will probably be taking a look at, is simply $799. A $200 value distinction will not be insignificant, and you need to actually take into consideration if the iPhone 16 Professional is price an additional $200 for what it brings to the desk.
Must you purchase the iPhone 16 Professional?
The iPhone 16 Professional is a well-made, highly effective, and high-quality smartphone in nearly each sense. I’ve had a good time utilizing it, however is it the iPhone you need to rush out and purchase? I’m not so certain.
The largest downside with the iPhone 16 Professional is simply how good the common iPhone 16 is. It has the identical Motion button and Digicam Management, a really comparable main digital camera, equally nice efficiency, and — in my expertise — higher battery life. It additionally has the identical iOS 18 software program, will get the identical Apple Intelligence options, and has a lighter, extra snug, and extra colourful design. It additionally prices $200 much less.
The iPhone 16 Professional is a well-made, highly effective, and high-quality smartphone in nearly each sense.
In the event you want the 120Hz display or the additional digital camera options, the iPhone 16 Professional has respectable benefits over its cheaper sibling — and I believe you’ll have a good time with it. However if you happen to can dwell with out these issues, the bottom iPhone 16 is the way in which to go this 12 months. It’s the model I ordered for myself and the iPhone I believe most individuals should purchase.
