iPhone 16 pro (not Max)
iPhone 16 Pro First Impressions
Don’t sell the 13 just yet… I’m not so sure about this one.
It’ll take some time to get used to the smaller screen. I like the size and weight overall; it’s more comfortable to hold, but adjusting to a smaller display is going to be a challenge.
My first reaction was positive: the more compact size is easier to manage, and the lighter weight makes day-to-day use feel simpler. But I’ve grown so used to large screens that this will be quite the adjustment.
And now that I’m older, I do wonder how the smaller size might affect my eye comfort over time.
That said, typing this journal entry on the 16 Pro has been surprisingly smooth. My accuracy isn’t great, but the keyboard still works well enough.
Content consumption, though, is a different story. Watching video on this screen just isn’t the same. I’ll likely stick to short bursts or use the Samsung for most of my media viewing. The screen itself is beautiful—I just wish it were larger so I could enjoy the detail more. Still, even without the extra size, it’s undeniably sharp.
Second Impressions
Even early on, I can already tell the size is going to take a lot of getting used to. Honestly, I don’t love it right now, and I miss my old phone. But it’s still Day One, and I haven’t truly given it a fair shot yet.
I’m not diving deep into camera tests at the moment, but I will say the shutter control feels awkwardly placed. I set the Action button to launch the Translate app since I’ve been using that a lot lately. Initial tests weren’t great, probably not good enough for a live conversation, but it’s a start. These features are new to me, so I’ll explore more over time.
I keep wondering: will I start squinting? Will I need to bump up the font size to make this phone work?
Hardware & Design
It’s really nice. The build quality feels premium—solid materials, satisfying buttons—and in hand, it reminds me of older iPhones, like the iPhone 5. That nostalgic feel, scaled up to a larger size, could be perfect.
The 14-Day Return Window
I’m keeping that return policy in mind. I might stick with my 13 Pro Max or exchange this for the 16 Pro Max if I continue to feel unsure.
If I do swap, I’d go for the Natural Titanium over black. It’s close in tone to my 13, but more visually interesting. The black looks clean, but it looks a little boring to me.
That said, I still have my S23 Ultra for anything that really needs a big screen. The main idea with getting the smaller iPhone was to lighten the carry load. And since there’s feature parity between the Pro and Pro Max, this should be an easy switch.
Does This iPhone Make Me Want to Use My Samsung More?
When I used the Pixel, it actually made me appreciate the iPhone more. If the opposite happens here, if this iPhone makes me reach for my Samsung more often, that’s a sign I may have chosen the wrong device.
I still rely heavily on iOS for several key parts of my life:
Health tracking and Apple Watch
Bear Notes (though I can migrate most things to Notion)
Safari, which I use for personal browsing
Apple Pay
Blue bubble messaging and group chats
Weighing General Use vs. Media & Creative Work
There’s a real case to be made for the smaller phone. It’s easier to carry and use casually. But for media consumption and reading, bigger screens are objectively nicer.
Looking at the bigger picture, I should consider my entire ecosystem—how many devices I use regularly, and what role each plays. This phone is the most important one simply because I always have it on me.
For creative work like Lightroom editing or setting Fuji film recipes, a larger screen would absolutely help—but I can do that on my iPad or the S23 if needed. Much of that workflow is already cross-platform between my Apple and Android setups.
Size & Weight Comparison
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is very close in size and weight to the S23 Ultra, just slightly smaller and lighter.
Since the S23 Ultra hits a sweet spot for me, getting another phone in that range wouldn’t be a problem. But for now, I’m seeing how far I can go with the smaller 16 Pro and a lighter daily carry.
