5 surprising issues I want I knew earlier than upgrading to the iPhone 16 Professional

My trusty iPhone 12 Professional simply celebrated its fifth birthday — that is 35 in iPhone years. Nice, Apple has by no means mentioned age translations for its units, however I wish to think about my 12 Professional as a

millennial
who simply discovered their first grey hair.

As a lot as I might wish to image my iPhone 12 Professional in that still-young stage of life, I concern {that a} extra correct portrayal could be that of a 60-year-old who bought a untimely hip alternative, and whose eyesight began going 5 years in the past. All that at 60 years previous? Tough, I do know. Inform that to the poor 12 Professional sitting on my desk — its well being declined a lot quicker than everybody thought it ought to.

In the end, I made a decision it was time for an early retirement for my 2020 cellphone final week. I used to be capable of snag a fairly surprising deal by means of

Verizon
and bought round $830 off of the brand-new

iPhone 16 Pro
(how might I say no). Since it has been 4 generations since I final upgraded, I knew there have been loads of variations in retailer — on each the software program and {hardware} aspect of issues. Sure, Digicam Management was on that record, nevertheless it barely caught my consideration.

1

The display appears wildly higher

And brighter

Whereas each the 12 Professional and 16 Professional have Tremendous Retina XDR show, the very very first thing I seen concerning the latter was the ProMotion expertise. I’ve used different folks’s telephones with the tech, however normally simply so as to add my contact to their system. I hadn’t performed round with it by scrolling alone Instagram, for instance, and it made all of the distinction there and on my morning

Substack
learn.

ProMotion first appeared on the

iPhone 13 Pro Max
. It dynamically adjusts the refresh fee of your display to match the content material on it (between 10hz and 120Hz). It is what makes scrolling noticeably smoother, in addition to extra responsive. Upon additional analysis, I discovered that it additionally conserves battery life by firming down refresh charges the place it may well.

If I ever introduced my iPhone 12 Professional outdoors, I might barely make out what was on the display at full brightness — sunny or overcast, it did not matter. Specs-wise, it checks out: the iPhone 12 Professional has 800 nits for max brightness (typical) or 1,200 nits for peak brightness (HDR) whereas the iPhone 16 Professional has:

• 1,000 nits max brightness (typical)
• 1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR)
• 2,000 nits peak brightness (outside)

All of this to say, if I solely upgraded for the display expertise, it might be nicely price it. However wait, there’s extra.

Associated

Are you using the iPhone 16’s Camera Control button?

I used to be very excited for the iPhone 16’s Digicam Management button when Apple’s newest iPhone line was first revealed. Whereas I nonetheless use my DSLR so much, I additionally snap a ton of pictures with the iPhone. On the outset, the iPhone 16’s Digicam Management button appeared superior. Fast entry to Photographic Types? The flexibility to half press to lock focus identical to with a DSLR? Signal me up.

However within the seven months for the reason that iPhone 16 collection’ launch, I discover I hardly ever contact the Digicam Management button. It is simply too finicky, and most of the time, I appear to unintentionally swipe it after launching the digital camera app, ensuing within the Pictures Type flipping to one thing I do not need. The lock focus function, which solely launched a couple of months in the past, is not as helpful as I anticipated both, and I’ve but to search out Visible Intelligence to be the asset Apple presents it as.

With all of this in thoughts, how do you are feeling concerning the iPhone 16’s Digicam Management button? Are you utilizing it on a regular basis, or like me, do you discover that you just rar

2

USB-C shock

Goodbye, candy Lightning

I let loose an audible sigh once I lastly transferred all my information over to my new 16 Professional, crawled into mattress that evening, and fumbled in the dead of night to attach my Apple EarPods (lightning) to do my night meditation. It took me a full (embarrassing) minute to keep in mind that Apple had made the transition over to USB-C again with the iPhone 15. Unlucky, certainly — that’s till Amazon’s fast transport introduced a shiny new pair to me the following day.

Nonetheless, I am nonetheless caught utilizing my MacBook Professional as a charging station, as the brand new cellphone solely got here with a twine and no block. Certain, Apple — after all it is all within the title of environmental affect. I am glad the brand new $15 block is arriving two weeks from now. Main champagne issues, I do know, however why should you make me resort to one more retail big, Apple?

Along with my EarPods, I am a loyal person of a specific set of discontinued Bose wired headphones, so I needed to buy an extra USB-C to three.5mm dongle. A complete of $25 and one other week of wait time later, and I will be good to go. I want Apple had the courtesy to make the transition just a little simpler after it compelled us so “shockingly” into the Lightning ports method again when. Possibly not for the 16 lineup, however a minimum of for the iPhone 15 collection, proper?

0:49

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3

The motion button

Why will not you travel?

I used to be instantly enthusiastic about this one. Right here at Pocket-lint, we have lined all the brand new quirks to be discovered on iPhones, and the chatter concerning the usefulness of the motion button can’t be understated. I settled on the flashlight operate, and although I am consciously making an attempt to make use of it on a regular basis, my muscle reminiscence hasn’t fairly caught on. I nonetheless maintain making an attempt to toggle the darn factor forwards and backwards to silence my notifications.

In concept, it is a terrific thought. Possibly I want to decide on one thing else to make use of it for, like Acknowledge Music or Voice Memo. Then once more, I might at all times come again to what I do know and use it for Do Not Disturb or Silent Mode. It simply would not really feel the identical as shifting it bodily forwards and backwards — I do know explicitly if it is on or off that method, fairly than clicking this new button again three or 4 instances to ensure.

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A not too long ago launched patent by Apple exhibits an iPhone with three configurable Motion Buttons as a substitute of only one.

4

Floating island

The place did my map go?

In the course of writing this text, I needed to go choose up my grandmother from the prepare station throughout city. As a comparatively new inhabitant of this metropolis and fewer than hopeless with regards to instructions, I threw the Amtrak tackle in my Apple Maps and hit the street. At a stoplight, I exited out to change my Spotify playlist, and once I went to click on again into Maps utilizing the blue pulsing icon within the high left nook, I used to be met with the digital clock as a substitute.

Thank goodness I used to be at a pink mild, as a result of I used to be thrown for a fast loop. The place was my beloved shortcut? That is once I really used my mind and seen the sunshine blue arrow that had taken up residence on the brand new floating island on the high of my display. I had solely seen music there earlier than, and I did observe that it had been bumped to its personal mini island to the correct. Alas, I used to be again within the Map with a number of seconds to spare earlier than the sunshine turned inexperienced, and I used to be hopelessly misplaced on the streets I drive daily.

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5

At all times-on show

Enjoyable till you are anticipating a textual content

The most important shock in my transition from the iPhone 12 Professional to the 16 Professional wasn’t one I used to be anticipating, and fortunately, it was one thing I might change straight away. As quickly as I migrated my information over, I seen that my show by no means actually turned off. My first thought was, “Oh enjoyable! I can use this as a pleasant little show beside my pc at work.” A day later, I had fairly actually essentially the most unproductive day of my life.

Any system I’ve ever owned lit up when a notification arrived. The display went from off to on, and that was what caught your consideration when it was mendacity flat on a floor. I discovered, in a short time, that I didn’t just like the dim to vibrant in any respect. I saved gaslighting myself — dozens of instances — {that a} notification was there, just for there to be nothing to learn in any respect.

Woe is me, after all. I attempted to power myself to belief the method and are available to get pleasure from Apple’s new default, however I caved and turned off the setting with simply a few faucets. I am embarrassed to inform the quantity of aid it introduced me.

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