The iPhone 16 hit the shelves on Friday and many, including Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, now have the new device in their hands. Gurman got the iPhone 16 Pro Max and shared his first impressions in the new edition of the Power On newsletter.
As nearly everyone on the internet has noted, the 2024 models look nearly the same as the last few iPhones. Gurman says that the slimmer bezels, which are hardly noticeable, disappear when the phone is put in a cover. Similarly, he believes that unless someone is upgrading from a variant that's older than the iPhone 12, the bigger displays won't make much of a difference during day-to-day use.
iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro. | Image Credit - Majin Bu, X
Gurman praised the new Camera Control button and the battery life improvements.
Gurman also says that the new A18 Pro chip, which is 15 percent faster compared to the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro, is impressive and makes everyday tasks like opening apps and jumping between windows faster.
He does point out that the processor and other hardware in the new handsets aren't meaningfully better for AI. Additionally, Apple is promoting Apple Intelligence as the main reason to buy the iPhone 16, even though the company's AI features haven't been rolled out yet and will also work on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Last year's Pro models have 8GB of RAM, which, according to Apple, is one of the main requirements for running AI features.
That's why, Gurman thinks that Apple is being a little dishonest with the iPhone 16's marketing campaign, the underlying theme of which is that the iPhone 16 was the first phone built for Apple Intelligence.
He also says that Apple's AI features are not as capable as those offered by rivals, so even if all of the tools were available today, including Image Playground and the revamped Siri, they still wouldn't have been enough to make these must-buy products.
With so much criticism coming Apple's way for not making more of an effort with this year's lineup, it'll be interesting to see whether any of this ends up putting a dent in its sales.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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