I’ve been a “Pro” iPhone person for years – almost all years. Aside from a short stint as an iPhone 13 mini user, I’ve chosen the iPhone Pro option the company offers every year.
And it wasn’t just for the iPhone. I also used to be a person who owned a MacBook Pro, Apple Watch Ultra (not technically a Pro, but you know what I mean), AirPods Pro, iPad Pro – if Apple slapped the Pro name on it, I bought it.
However, over the years, regular versions of Apple products have begun to acquire many of the features of the Pro versions. First came the 6th generation iPad mini, which won me over as a reading device. Then came the M2 MacBook Air, which pulled me away from my Intel MacBook Pro.
Today, after the iPhone 16 announcement, I think Apple is forcing me to admit that I’m no longer what the company would consider a “Pro” user.
I’m discounting by name only
After seeing all the features announced with the iPhone 16—Apple Intelligence, the Camera Capture button, the Action Button, and the camera features—I realized that the features offered in the iPhone 16 Pro, like Pro Motion, Always On Display, and even crazier camera features, weren’t things I’d actually use or feel justified spending an extra $200 on.
The iPhone 16 is great. I actually prefer how aluminum holds up to smudges over titanium because my iPhone 15 Pro smudged all over the place. The regular iPhone is also smaller and lighter, two things I appreciate that made me like the iPhone 13 mini. I’m also not a photographer or videographer who will ever come close to using the features that the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera system includes.
So while I plan to downgrade in name and features, going from a Pro iPhone to a regular iPhone will actually feel like a bit of an upgrade. I’ll save money and get a phone better suited to what I use it for. I’ll also be less worried about breaking into pieces because it’s a little less premium.
The iPhone 16 isn’t the only place where I’m thinking about downgrading from the Pro. I’m also considering downgrading from the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to the Apple Watch Series 10. Again, it’s a case of getting almost all the features I care about in a more affordable and lighter version – things I appreciate.
After next week, it could be that the only Pro Apple product I keep is the AirPods Pro. While Apple came out with the AirPods 4 and brought noise cancellation to regular headphones, it seems that the noise cancellation on the AirPods Pro 2 is still much better. As someone who uses my AirPods Pro 2 on the plane to cut out engine noise (and boy are they good at it), I think I’ll stick with them for now.
Other than that, though, I think it’s time to admit that I’m no longer a Pro user, and that’s a good thing.
We cover all Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don’t miss all of ours iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.