I’ve been a “Pro” iPhone person for years – almost all of them. Except for a brief stint as an iPhone 13 mini user, I’ve opted for the iPhone Pro option every year the company has offered it.
And it wasn’t just for the iPhone. I also used to be the person who owned the MacBook Pro, Apple Watch Ultra (not technically a Pro, but you know what I mean), AirPods Pro, iPad Pro – if Apple mentioned Pro in the name, this was the person I bought.
However, over the years, the regular versions of Apple products began to gain many features of the Pro versions. First came the 6th generation iPad mini, which won me over as a reading device. Then came the M2 MacBook Air, which moved me away from the Intel MacBook Pro.
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After announcing today iPhone 16I think Apple is forcing me to admit that I’m no longer what the company considers a “Pro” user.
I go down in name only
After seeing all the features announced with the iPhone 16 – Apple Intelligence, the Camera Capture button, the Action Button, and the camera features – I realized that the Pro Motion, Always On display, and even more crazy camera features offered on the iPhone 16 Pro weren’t things I would actually use or justify spending an extra $200 on.
The iPhone 16 is great. I actually prefer how the aluminum holds up to stains over the Titanium as I do iPhone 15 Pro all sides are blurred. The regular iPhone is also smaller and lighter, two things I appreciate as much as I love the iPhone 13 mini. I’m also not a photographer or videographer who would ever come close to using these features iPhone 16 Pro the camera system is assembled.
So while I plan on downgrading the name and features, going from a Pro iPhone to a regular iPhone will be quite an upgrade for me. I’ll save the money and buy a phone that’s better suited for what I’m using it for. I’ll also worry less about breaking it because it’s a little less rewarding.
The iPhone 16 isn’t the only place I’m considering downgrading from the Pro. I’m also considering downgrading from my Apple Watch Ultra 2 Apple Watch Series 10. It’s once again a case of getting almost all the features that matter to me in a more affordable and lighter version – things I appreciate.
After next week, the only Pro Apple product I can hold on to might be the AirPods Pro. It came out with Apple AirPods 4 and if you bring the noise cancellation to regular headphones, the noise cancellation on the AirPods Pro 2 still seems to be better. As someone who uses AirPods Pro 2 on a plane to block out the engine noise (and the boys are good at it), I think I’ll stick with them for now.
Other than that, I think it’s time to admit that I’m no longer a Pro user, and that’s okay.
We’re live streaming all Apple iPhone 16 event announcements as they happen. Don’t let us all down iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.
