I have always seen the iPhone Pro and Pro Max as polar opposites, even though the lineup is meant to represent Apple’s best. It’s like personal style, often skewing down one of two paths. One is extreme: the larger Pro Max is like a Gucci bag, with the GG logo overplayed and in-your-face — people love it and flaunt it. The other path Apple has taken with the smaller iPhone Pro is to blend in and disappear, embodying “quiet luxury.” Think of Loro Piana.
The iPhone 16 Pro is like a cashmere sweater — at least, that’s how I see it. It may come across as “boring” and easily overlooked. It still exudes a quiet premium quality, appealing to a different audience, falling somewhere between a pro-sumer and a casual consumer or a mix of both. While the iPhone 16 Pro doesn’t have that “look-at-me” smartphone vibe, the thrill lies in its subtlety and its ability to be invisible.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro price in India (as reviewed): Rs 1,69,900
Bigger display, but it’s still compact
The iPhone 16 Pro has a much better display (with always-on). ( Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
I’ve had the iPhone 15 Pro for almost a year, and instead of upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I chose the iPhone 16 Pro. For me, comfort and a seamless transition between devices that feel familiar matter more than anything.
While the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers a larger screen, which means you can do more on the device, the bigger form factor isn’t convenient for my everyday use. I’m not a YouTuber or social media manager who values the convenience of a large screen and the form factor to get the real work done on the device itself. That’s a key difference between me and a professional creator. The truth is, even though I’m a heavy iPhone user, my Mac and iPad help me get work done more productively.
Frankly, the iPhone 16 Pro’s form factor is perfect for me. I have no real complaints about how it feels in the hand; it has a solid feel and remains pocketable, even with the screen size increase from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches. In terms of aesthetics and design, there’s no leap forward from the past few iPhone Pro models, and the 16 Pro feels very familiar from the outside. You still get the same textured titanium frame, frosted glass back, and two small cutouts on the screen surrounded by the interface element called Dynamic Island.
As with last year, the colour selection is dull, to say the least, and I wonder why Apple isn’t more experimental with colours on the Pro models. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s bad — Apple is playing it safe, sticking with what worked well last time and might work again this time. It’s not that Apple needs to step away from simplicity, but adding a bit more intimacy to the design — if not drama and fantasy — could make a difference.
A new ‘old’ way to take photographs
It’s still early days for me with the Camera Control features. ( Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
I recently took out my Canon DSLR for a spin to relive the heyday of traditional cameras. Using the camera’s shutter button made me feel nostalgic — it’s such an intuitive UI that it quickly became second nature. On the iPhone 16 Pro, Apple has added a new physical button in addition to the existing Action Button (a customisable shortcut) called Camera Control. But before you call it a camera shutter button, be warned it’s not exactly that. While it has the nostalgic feel of a camera shutter button, Apple has implemented it differently. The new button can open the camera, take a photo, and record a video. When lightly double-pressed, it brings up a mini menu of camera utilities like zoom, exposure, and depth. Once selected, you can slide your finger across the button to zoom in and out.
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It took me almost three weeks to get used to how the Camera Control button works after using it on both the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro. However, I must say the Camera Control button isn’t as intuitive as the iPod’s click-wheel interface. Since the Camera Control button is an optional feature, unlike the iPod’s click wheel or a traditional camera’s shutter button, I might never fully adapt to it. While I still find the camera app’s onscreen controls much easier and faster to use, the Camera Control button isn’t bad.
This one has a real camera shutter button. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
I feel some things could have made the Camera Control a lot better. For example, the location of the button doesn’t feel ideal, whether you’re holding the phone vertically or horizontally. What’s also missing is the ability to half-press the button to lock focus and exposure, a key difference from a real camera shutter button.
I don’t have a controversial view on the Camera Control button, unlike others. That’s because Apple’s new hardware button is designed with the upcoming Visual Intelligence feature in mind, which will add context to whatever your iPhone’s cameras are pointed at, similar to Google Lens. I feel the iPhone’s Camera Control button is still a work in progress, and it remains to be seen how Apple will improve it in the future.
iPhone 16 Pro camera sample. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
iPhone 16 Pro camera sample. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
iPhone 16 Pro camera sample. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
iPhone 16 Pro camera sample. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
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iPhone 16 Pro camera sample. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
iPhone 16 Pro camera sample. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Ideal for everyday use
The iPhone 16 Pro is a great size – perfect for one-handed operation. ( Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
I am not someone who gets too excited about a new processor with every new generation of iPhone launches. I find the iPhone 15 Pro just as good as the iPhone 16 Pro in everyday use. I’m not a heavy gamer, nor do I do much video or CPU-intensive work on my iPhone. For my needs, the iPhone has always felt overpowered. However, the A18 Pro processor in the iPhone 16 Pro does improve battery life, and I can say that for sure.
When I was using the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple Intelligence (which is still in beta and coming to select markets in the coming months) did impact battery life. In comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro lasts much longer, almost a full day, but not beyond that. After being out of the house for 10-12 hours, I usually return home with around 15 per cent of the phone’s battery life remaining. This was after I turned on Apple Intelligence as well as 5G on my device. The bigger iPhone 16 Pro Max definitely has an edge over the 16 Pro in terms of battery life but then the larger form factor has its pros and cons.
Impressive cameras, but videos take it to another level
The iPhone 13 mini next to the iPhone 16 Pro. Hopefully, this will give a better understanding of the latter’s size and footprint. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/ Indian Express)
The iPhone’s camera has always been my excuse for justifying the camera upgrades year after year, even though other improvements have been mostly incremental or barely visible to average consumers. With the iPhone 16 Pro, the camera continues to improve, although the video camera shines over still photographs this time around.
For starters, there’s a sharper 48MP ultra-wide camera, a faster 48MP main Fusion Camera with “zero shutter lag,” and the 5x tetra-prism zoom on the 16 Pro, which was previously reserved for the Pro Max series. Yes, I know camera specs don’t matter much to iPhone users, and while the changes aren’t drastic, I would say the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera holds its ground well.
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Images appear sharp, and the iPhone 16 Pro does a far better job than other flagship phones in balancing the shadows and bright extremes of a photo. In one shot, the iPhone 16 Pro captures a crisp, vivid image of a Shivling against a rich orange backdrop. In another photo, which I took just before dusk, you can see how natural the trees look — it’s striking to see this quality from a phone camera.
On the other hand, I also noticed that the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera tends to overexpose shots, especially those taken in extremely bright sunlight. However, in low light, the iPhone 16 Pro excels, and I can see a major improvement over the iPhone 15 Pro’s camera. The iPhone 16 Pro’s camera also shines in macro and portrait shots. The new 5x zoom camera is quite impressive; while the lens can’t quite get me that close, I was able to take shots in ways that no other iPhone camera has ever allowed. I especially enjoy capturing close-up shots of birds wherever I travel.
The ability to shoot video in 4 K and 120 fps (up from 60fps) was another star addition to the iPhone’s camera prowess. Once you see one of your videos shot in 4K, it would be nearly impossible to go back to shoot with anything else.
Apple Intelligence is there (actually not)
Siri is a big part of Apple Intelligence. (Image credit : Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
The iPhone 16 Pro will be a showcase device for Apple Intelligence, a set of AI-powered features that initially feels very similar to Google’s but is deeply integrated into the apps on Apple devices. However, Apple Intelligence is not out yet. When it does launch as part of iOS 18.1, the AI features will roll out to US users, and the India launch may happen sometime early next year. So, you are paying for a suite of Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16 Pro, but the feature has yet to roll out.
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I have been using Apple Intelligence for months now, and all I can say about the new “AI” features is that they are basic, to say the least. I assume you are already using features like smart replies in Gmail, adjusting the tone of sentences, or creating summaries with AI. However, Apple Intelligence does the same but is available throughout the operating system.
Arguably, the most helpful AI features for me as a journalist are the new transcription tools in the Notes, Voice Memos, and Phone apps. Just hit record in Voice Memos and Notes, and the apps will transcribe conversations in real time. If you’re on a phone call, tap the record button, and after both parties are notified, it will start recording the call, and you’ll get a transcription saved to your Notes app. I have been using these features for months on my iPhone, and I see real value in such AI functionalities. Additionally, Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, is evolving with the help of machine intelligence and is becoming more conversational. I can speak naturally, as if I am having a one-on-one conversation, and I can even type my query.
Should you buy the Apple iPhone 16 Pro?
iPhones have been so fast for so long, it’s now impossible for me to push beyond a point. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
The iPhone 16 Pro is quite boring, and I feel Apple intended it to be that way. That may not be the case with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which appeals to customers seeking a bigger screen, better battery life, and a larger form factor, along with a desire to make an opulent statement. Both the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are Pro devices that offer the best design, screen, camera, and performance. Still, I believe the iPhone 16 Pro has an understated elegance that appeals to consumers looking for quality and longevity, rather than those who want to create a trend on social media.
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