iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro Buyer's Guide

[DrWojtek]

Photographer here. Damn it apple stop with the 120mm lens and give us usable focal lengths
13mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, and 120mm is an insane hole in the most needed focal lengths. 13, 24,35, 50 ,75 would be so much better. 120 is too long for hand holding video. and not a normal need,

Yeah they should go with a 16mm wide, a 26mm main and a 90mm zoom.

Their current setup:
main is almost always too wide, and the wide is far too wide to do anything useful, and distorted.

A 120mm is too narrow FOV.

The should throw the 120mm out and put a decently sized sensor at 48MP with 90mm and you can crop to 12MP 180mm if need be. Higher digital zoom than that is crap anyway. But you can do some good portraits with it at 90mm.

 

[a.borque]

I always appreciate these comparisons with older devices to see what an upgrade brings.
Even though I may be part of a minority, I usually use my devices until the end of software support (with major versions).
@MacRumors: could you also make such a comparison for devices that will not get the next iOS?

 

[joeblow7777]

Not sure that this is enough for me to upgrade my 14 Pro Max this year. I won't decide until I see the actual reveal, but I'm not really seeing any features or improvements, (or even colours) that I care about.

 

[CloneBB]

Yeah they should go with a 16mm wide, a 26mm main and a 90mm zoom.

Their current setup:
main is almost always too wide, and the wide is far too wide to do anything useful, and distorted.

A 120mm is too narrow FOV.

The should throw the 120mm out and put a decently sized sensor at 48MP with 90mm and you can crop to 12MP 180mm if need be. Higher digital zoom than that is crap anyway. But you can do some good portraits with it at 90mm.

Buy a real camera.

 

[citysnaps]

Indeed. My ten year old DSLR blows away anything an iPhone can do.

For some, photography is about having the best cameras and gear - ie "real cameras."

For others, photography is about the ability to see, compose (what to include and exclude in the frame), the photographer's life experiences/imagination/education/curiosity, being able to judge the quality of light and being able to take advantage of it, understand the importance of potential narratives that can be conjured in a viewer's mind when looking at a photograph, understanding how surrounding elements can enhance or detract from a photograph, knowing when to let some details drop into shadows to create/inspire mystery, recognizing and taking advantage of gesture, and on and on. That's what makes a great photograph.

All of which have nothing to do with the camera.

Today I shoot with an iPhone, though in the past I've used various dSLRs/mirrorless cams, and an Arca-Swiss 4x5.

Photography is not about using "real cameras."

 

[Wanted797]

I'm really annoyed that they're getting bigger. My 13 Pro is already uncomfortably large in jeans pockets. I miss my 5.8" 11 Pro, that was perfect.

100%. As a mini user I don’t mind a slightly bigger phone but that X/11 design I think was the sweet spot.

The 15 pro is the closest we had to that size.

 

[mrpither]

Until Apple starts financing sim free phones again my upgrades are done.

Also curious to see effect of requiring latest phones for greatest(?) new features is.

 

[DotCom2]

Not sure that this is enough for me to upgrade my 14 Pro Max this year. I won't decide until I see the actual reveal, but I'm not really seeing any features or improvements, (or even colours) that I care about.

I have the 14PM and deff see upgrades for my needs. The higher screen brightness for sure! I will be able to see my screen better outdoors! YAY! Oh, and the better UW Chip also!

 

[Lyrca]

13PM user since day one, had the battery replaced just over a year ago. Still on the fence about jumping to a 16PM, but more inclined to stick with my actual as for my needs I can’t seem to justify the upgrade. Only the larger screen size might get me to switch but that’s about it as I believe that after a couple of days I won’t notice the difference that much. Still a solid 2 weeks until release day and plenty more after to decide !

 

[WarmWinterHat]

For some, photography is about having the best cameras and gear - ie "real cameras."

For others, photography is about the ability see, compose (what to include and exclude in the frame), the photographer's life experiences/imagination/education/curiosity, being able to judge the quality of light and being able to take advantage of it, understand the importance of potential narratives that can be conjured in a viewer's mind when looking at a photograph, understanding how surrounding elements can enhance or detract from a photograph, knowing when to let some details drop into shadows to create/inspire mystery, recognizing and taking advantage of gesture, and on and on. That's what makes a great photograph.

All of which have nothing to do with the camera.

Today I shoot with an iPhone, though in the past I've used various dSLRs/mirrorless cams, and an Arca-Swiss 4x5.

Photography is not about using "real cameras."

iPhone cameras are fine; I just prefer color accuracy above most things.

That and most of my photography is nature and scenery. The iPhone isn't great for that.

 

[spartan1967]

Will all of these “take my money” peeps on this thread be enough to bring the Apple plane back into an ascent or at least level it off at this point?

 

[Nugget]

Like what’s the big deal about wifi 7?

WiFi 7 is much better at handling high numbers of devices. Any place you go where you're on "public" WiFi in a large crowd you should enjoy better connectivity and lower battery consumption.

 

[bb9]

I'm really annoyed that they're getting bigger. My 13 Pro is already uncomfortably large in jeans pockets. I miss my 5.8" 11 Pro, that was perfect.

Agreed, give us the opt of a Pro Mini

 

[DrWojtek]

Buy a real camera.

Oh ok, so I should get a real camera so my phone can continue to use lesser choices? What for?

/Sony A7III owner

 

[DrWojtek]

iPhone cameras are fine; I just prefer color accuracy above most things.

That and most of my photography is nature and scenery. The iPhone isn't great for that.

Of course it sucks at those things, it has far too wide optics. Except for 120mm which is too narrow.

The 75mm or whatever was on 14 Pro would have been great if they had only used at least a 1/2 sensor and better lens. Preferably with 48MP. Instead it was a small **** 12MP sensor with subpar plastic elements.

But what is truly missing is a 35 mm. We’re probably never gonna get that though.
I could go with 20/30/75 across the three sensors, it would be great. If you’re taking a photo of a group of people you can always back up a step or two if need be. But if you get close with a 24mm to fill the frame you get a distorted photo.

The wide wide is practically useless at 15mm or below.

 

[citysnaps]

But if you get close with a 24mm to fill the frame you get a distorted photo.

Can happen with a 35 (my fave lens on a “real camera”) if you shoot too close. Big hands, purses, weapons, noses, etc. Always have to remind myself to stand back a bit. And then crop in post.

 

[TechWhisperer]

I’m going to rock my 14 Pro until the end of time. This phone is a powerhouse, and I couldn’t be happier with it.

 

[N0ughtsAndCr0sses]

Has anyone noticed they’re replying to a necro from February?

 

[TechWhisperer]

Many of the so called improvements looks like typical corporate town hall presentation bullet points, not real improvements. Rounded corners with rectangle, brushed body, iPhone 14 Pro has OLED display as well which it is cleverly not mentioned, they didn’t mention exactly how many NP in 16 Pro, lightening port (is more compliance than improvement), thermal design (14 Pro is not heat prone like 15 Pro hence many may not consider this as an improvement) etc…Big improvements could be Size, Processor, RAM, material if you are so particular about Titanium (which gave heat issues in 15 Pro is another matter).

Couldn’t agree more. It’s like they took a marketing 101 class and decided to call it innovation. Rounded corners and a new finish? Groundbreaking! Meanwhile, the real improvements are either minor or come with trade-offs, like the “fancy” titanium that doubles as a hand warmer. Sometimes, sticking with the tried and true like the 14 Pro is the smarter move imo.

 

[bcburrows]

For about a decade, cellphones just kept getting smaller and smaller, until the keys got impossible to type on. Then came the touchscreen phones, and the shrinking trend reversed. Now it seems evey generation of every phone, iOS, Android or whatever, has to be larger than the last.

What I'm waiting for is the SE that is rumored to debut in 2025, to replace the 2020 SE I have now. As an avid bicyclist, I need a phone small enough to fit sideways in one of my jersey's back pockets. That way, it doesn't fall out when hitting a bump or other surface imperfection. Best case, it lands on a soft surface and isn't damaged. Bad case, hits pavement and breaks. Worst case, you don't notice it fell out, and the wrong person finds it.

Quadlock case and bike fix - perfect solution - worked for me for last 6-7 years.

 

[CJM]

Yeah they should go with a 16mm wide, a 26mm main and a 90mm zoom.

Their current setup:
main is almost always too wide, and the wide is far too wide to do anything useful, and distorted.

A 120mm is too narrow FOV.

The should throw the 120mm out and put a decently sized sensor at 48MP with 90mm and you can crop to 12MP 180mm if need be. Higher digital zoom than that is crap anyway. But you can do some good portraits with it at 90mm.

Ah I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds the standard main lens to be too wide.

 

[Soonerpet]

I just wish they would stop with the constant size increases. I really hate these big phones. I purposefully always buy the smallest phone they have, getting the small Pro version, but every year they keep getting bigger. I have an iPad Pro and multiple Macs, I don’t want a huge phone in my pocket, that’s what the other devices are for. I’m on a 13 Pro now, looking to upgrade, but it’s getting really hard for me to keep upgrading iPhones knowing each one keeps getting bigger.

 

[ShabbaRanks]

Doesn’t look much different to me.

 

[currentinterest]

I will be going from my iPhone 15 Pro Max to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. I always enjoy having the latest features. fortunately, I have the luxury of being able to upgrade. My older phone will go to a family member.

 

[Easybook]

ill get the 18 ultra pro max that is super thin and 48 hr battery life.