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iPhone 16 Pro 13 Pro to 16 Pro Upgraders - Glad you upgraded?

dmk1974

dmk1974

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Sep 16, 2008
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I went from the 13 Pro to the 16 Pro. Very similar in-hand, but definitely a few things I like (namely the battery, bit brighter display, and 5x optical zoom). For my use I barely notice the 0.2" larger screen and the speed difference with 3-gen newer processor, but the same speed 120hz screen just makes things so buttery smooth anyway.

For me, the only negative is the net ~$600 cost to upgrade (bought unlocked from Apple and then selling the 13 Pro). Aside from that, seems to be a fine phone.

What do you other upgraders think that went from the 13 Pro to the 16 Pro?
 
I went from a iPhone 12 Pro to a 16 Pro just to give you my take and I wished I kept my 12 pro another year. Not gonna send the 16 pro back, but I could’ve got another year out of the 12 pro without any issues. 16 Pro is OK but for my needs it’s not much of a great upgrade.
 
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13 Pro to 16 Pro here. I'm not blown away, but I didn't need or expect to be. I upgraded for a few very specific reasons (mostly the satellite texting/SOS, camera improvements and better battery life), and I'm glad to have all those things.

A lot of the other upgrade features I don't really care about, so while I'm fine with getting them as part of the upgrade, they're no big deal to me. I don't care about AOD, being able to arrange my home screen icons, tinted/dark mode icons, silly childish embellishments to Messages and emojis, the forthcoming AI functions, etc. I'm apparently one of the few who actually likes having the Camera Control button even though it wasn't a feature I hoped for or desperately wanted, so I'll put that one in the 'plus' column.

My 13 Pro still served my needs and I could have just slapped a new battery in it and kept it for another 2-3 years, but there were just enough improved features in the 16 Pro to make me want to move on. I knew exactly what I was getting into with the upgrade (both the phone and the accompanying iOS 18), so my expectations were set accordingly. I don't regret upgrading, and am glad to have those few improvements I really wanted. The rest of the changes (including the somewhat less-than-desirable new Photos app), I can live with. I don't see any downside to the upgrade.
 
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Went from 13P to the 16P. Honestly I hesitated a lot. I'm so glad I made the switch. Mainly the cameras are so much better, and a lot of new features for content creation (I'm a photographer/videographer). And I was happy with my 13P.
Also the design and feel is much more balanced, the screen is noticeably bigger for me.
My mint condition 13P will continue to service as I'm giving it to my mom to replace her shattered i11.
 
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I upgraded from a 13 Pro to 16 Pro. I wasn't sure how much of a difference it would be as I was mainly upgrading to start a chain of hand-me-down upgrades for my family, but after a bit of time, I am happy about the upgrade.

The biggest notes for me are:
- Finally, USB-C! I can now use just one cable to charge my phone, laptop, headphones, etc.
- It actually does feel a bit snappier at launching apps and general usage
- The AOD I do find useful for quick glances
- The thinner bezels are nice, but the jump in display brightness is great, especially using it outdoors in the sun! It's so much brighter now!
- The dynamic island is actually quite handy at displaying things like what's currently playing, my car's charging, etc.
- 5x camera zoom is a nice upgrade and I might be in the minority but I don't mind the Camera Control switch either
- Battery life is an upgrade, even compared to the 100% health replacement battery in my 13 Pro
- Speakers are a nice upgrade as well. They sound more full compared to the 13 Pro
- I do wish the weight was decreased a bit more, both phones are quite heavy
 
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What I would like to know if the camera is better than the 13Pro. I've never been happy with the quality of photos my 13Pro produced, specially low light.
Is it better or about the same? how's the 5x zoom?
and how about the screen in direct sunlight? I can't see anything on my 13 in direct sunlight even if I have the right settings
 
azhava said:
13 Pro to 16 Pro here. I'm not blown away, but I didn't need or expect to be. I upgraded for a few very specific reasons (mostly the satellite texting/SOS, camera improvements and better battery life), and I'm glad to have all those things.

A lot of the other upgrade features I don't really care about, so while I'm fine with getting them as part of the upgrade, they're no big deal to me. I don't care about AOD, being able to arrange my home screen icons, tinted/dark mode icons, silly childish embellishments to Messages and emojis, the forthcoming AI functions, etc. I'm apparently one of the few who actually likes having the Camera Control button even though it wasn't a feature I hoped for or desperately wanted, so I'll put that one in the 'plus' column.

My 13 Pro still served my needs and I could have just slapped a new battery in it and kept it for another 2-3 years, but there were just enough improved features in the 16 Pro to make me want to move on. I knew exactly what I was getting into with the upgrade (both the phone and the accompanying iOS 18), so my expectations were set accordingly. I don't regret upgrading, and am glad to have those few improvements I really wanted. The rest of the changes (including the somewhat less-than-desirable new Photos app), I can live with. I don't see any downside to the upgrade.
Click to expand...

Good point about the satellite texting. I almost forgot about that! For people who could use it, it’s a big deal.
 
Infinitewisdom said:
Good point about the satellite texting. I almost forgot about that! For people who could use it, it’s a big deal.
Click to expand...
It's huge for anybody who's into outdoor recreation and/or traveling in remote areas with minimal/no cell coverage. It was one of the biggest factors in my upgrade decision.
 
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I'm very happy with the upgrade so far. Better cellular connection and the speakers seem better. AOD, USB-C , Action Button and Dynamic Island are all great. No real problem with the camera control button since I've set it to trigger with double click and operate with a light press.
 
Guacamole said:
What I would like to know if the camera is better than the 13Pro. I've never been happy with the quality of photos my 13Pro produced, specially low light.
Is it better or about the same? how's the 5x zoom?
and how about the screen in direct sunlight? I can't see anything on my 13 in direct sunlight even if I have the right settings
Click to expand...
It's much better. The 5x camera has a noticeably better sensor/optics. I also noticed that the 16P is more confident to switch to the 5x camera even in lower light rather than default to 1x digital zoom.
The main and the ultrawide pictures are more detailed and better in low light.
 
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I went from 13Pro to 16Plus. No regrets, this device is phenomenal. I’m using it caseless this time around too, the feeling in hand is much better than the harsh edges of the 13Pro. Despite going up to the bigger screen it also feels lighter and better weight distributed. The teal colour is fantastic. The camera is also good and with the improved main camera I feel it’s an upgrade overall despite losing the telephoto lens. The battery lasts a genuine whole day. It’s nice to have usb-c now across all my devices. I do not notice a difference with the lack of Promotion.

Would definitely recommend looking at the standard 16 and 16Plus, especially if wanting to change it up, these feel like totally different generations.
 
mkjnkn said:
I went from 13Pro to 16Plus. No regrets, this device is phenomenal. I’m using it caseless this time around too, the feeling in hand is much better than the harsh edges of the 13Pro. Despite going up to the bigger screen it also feels lighter and better weight distributed. The teal colour is fantastic. The camera is also good and with the improved main camera I feel it’s an upgrade overall despite losing the telephoto lens. The battery lasts a genuine whole day. It’s nice to have usb-c now across all my devices. I do not notice a difference with the lack of Promotion.

Would definitely recommend looking at the standard 16 and 16Plus, especially if wanting to change it up, these feel like totally different generations.
Click to expand...
Did you notice 60Hz of 16 Plus vs 120Hz of 13 Pro?
 
mkjnkn said:
Not at all
Click to expand...
I saw on my Pro if you go into Settings>Accessibility>Motion, you can scroll to the bottle and toggle Limit Frame Rate to change the rate from 120Hz to 60Hz. When I toggled it, I definitely noticed the difference. Not the end of the world, but certainly noticeable.
 
Treborray said:
I went back to my 13 Pro
Click to expand...
I'm thinking about doing the same. Probably will replace the battery on my 13 Pro and then see what the 17 Pro has in store next year. The main negative is losing the USB-C jack which is really convenient since my iPad and MacBook charge with it. But hard to justify the net $600 cost increase just for that while the 13 Pro still seems good.
 
I'm keeping my 13pro for another year too, I have decided. I keep reading the 16 is half baked and some people having issues with the screen and camera.
I would like the 5x zoom but I can manage another year, the 17 seems a better upgrade so far
 
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Treborray said:
I went back to my 13 Pro
Click to expand...
I had a few more days with the 16 Pro and I did the same, but I went back to the 12 Pro. I think it was the touch issue that pushed me over to go back. I’ll wait for a 17.
 
Went back to my 13 Pro. 16 Pro was fine, but just not worth the $1k to update (I buy my phones w/out carrier).

Thought the collection of new features would be worth it - but it really was no different in my day to day use. It’s a testament to how good of a device the 13 Pro still is.
 
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I can't imagine anyone needing to upgrade to the 16 Pro if they have the 13 Pro. FWIW, I have the 14 Pro.

The 13 Pro is one of Apple's top "longevity models". It gave huge advances to the camera, 5 hours more battery life than 12 Pro, and introduced ProMotion. The only thing it doesn't have is the Dynamic Island which ain't exactly a must have and an Always On Display (I have mine shut off to preserve battery). I feel like us 14 Pro users bought a stop gap model, although I consider the 16 Pro a stop gap model too..

The 14 Pro is stuck with the same 6GB RAM so even the 14 Pro won't get Apple Intelligence and both can't run Resident Evil 7. So the 13 Pro is essentially the same thing as the 14 Pro in my opinion. Since Apple Intelligence isn't even fully realized yet and not released, there's zero reason to upgrade from a 13 Pro. You might as well wait one more year for the 17 Pro when Apple Intelligence hits the masses.
 
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went from 13 pro to 16 pro and wasnt expecting much, but the changes are pretty nice , im enjoying the dynamic island, autofocus on the front facing camera and snappier perfomance (not that my 13 Pro was slow), overall it was a nice upgrade that i dont regret , the photos look better for me on the 13 Pro (the colors), but the 16 Pro has much more detail especially in RAW + i can set the new photographic styles to simulate the look from the 13 which i prefer
 
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