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The biggest iPhone 16 Pro upgrades will be lost on the average Joe, which means most people should probably get an iPhone 16 this year as the only real day-to-day “pro” feature you’d be missing out on is the 120Hz ProMotion display.
Apart from that, the upgrades to the iPhone 16 Pro lineup are aimed at creators and actual professionals, which makes this lineup ironically controversial.
The reason is because for years the “Pro” iPhone wasn’t Pro at all as it did everything the vanilla model did. This attracted some criticism online, and for one reason or another, Apple slowly shifted towards a different strategy - to load the Pro lineup with actual pro-grade features like LOG video, which has been a game-changer for the right (pro) user base.
A game-changer for creators - iPhone 16 Pro might be the only “pro” smartphone out there now
Chances are that if you don’t know what LOG is - you don’t need it. And that’s the case with the new pro-grade features in iPhone 16 Pro like the 120fps 4K video feature, which is clearly aimed at creators and YouTube filmmakers.
But Apple went a few steps further this time around by adding something called “Audio Mix”. iPhone 16 Pro has four “studio-quality” mics, and Apple promises these will help musicians and other creators capture high-quality audio without the need for external mics, which could be a game-changer.
In case you don’t know, famous artists like Charlie Puth use the iPhone’s Voice Memos app to capture song/melody ideas as they pop into their head - it’s the most convenient and quickest way to do so.
Audio Mix is available on iPhone 16 Pro, which has four brand new microphones for capturing “studio-quality audio”.
Singer-producer Charlie Puth has an album named after the iPhone’s Voice Memos app, which pays tribute to the convenience it provides for capturing quick music soundbites as you go. The album is called “Voicenotes”.
Not only are the quad microphones on iPhone 16 good at capturing audio - Apple has created special software baked into the Voice Memos and Photos apps, which lets you mix individual audio channels/tracks. And in case you’ve never messed with digital audio stations or pro-grade video editing software, all I can say is that this is an absolute game-changer for creators.
It means I can play a guitar melody over a beatbox beat, being able to record the two tracks separately and layer them on top of each other. And that’s on-my-iPhone. No need to fire up my MacBook, my pro-grade audio interface, my expensive microphone, and my even more expensive DAW (the software, which you use to make music on your laptop).
Bad news for the average iPhone user - iPhone 16 Pro is incredible for pro creators but might be a disappointing upgrade for most
You probably shouldn’t buy an iPhone 16 Pro if you don’t know what the new “pro” features mean - you might be much happier with the iPhone 16
See, while I’m not saying these features can’t be useful for the average consumer - in fact, I can immediately tell you that TikTokers will take advantage of the iPhone 16 Pro’s audio-mixing features to layer voices and sounds for their TikTok videos.
What I’m pointing out is that if you feel like the iPhone 16 Pro is a disappointing upgrade over the iPhone 15 Pro, it’s:
Because you are right
Because it’s not the right upgrade for your needs
In fact, despite being available on all new iPhone 16 models, the new Camera button Apple spent so much time talking about, is another pro-grade upgrade - this time on the hardware side of things.
All the zoom, exposure, focus, and double-stage shutter options the button enables, are most certainly something the enthusiast will find more useful than the average consumer.
Most people pull out their phone and click a photo/video, but while the iPhone’s always been the most popular “point-and-shoot” camera, those who care about taking advantage of the pro-grade features it has to offer, will probably love the new “Camera Control” button, 120fps video, and Audio Mix magic.
Is Apple’s “pro” iPhone strategy right, or should Tim Cook & Co make a “pro” phone for everybody (instead of just the creators)?
This makes me wonder if Apple has chosen the right strategy to sell more “Pro” iPhones. In the end, the “professional” iPhone is also Apple’s most “premium” iPhone.
And there are way more people who like splurging for the “best” iPhone than creators looking to buy a “pro” iPhone. If that makes any sense - it did in my head.
Anyway… if I’m an average user who doesn’t even know what words like track layering, DAW, and 4K 120fps mean, I’d 100% lean towards getting the more affordable, way more colorful, and almost as powerful iPhone 16 instead of the iPhone 16 Pro, which is a true “creator’s upgrade”.
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Martin, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, brings a unique blend of humor and insight to his work. His fascination with smartphones began with a Galaxy Young and evolved through a series of trades and upgrades, making him a self-proclaimed smartphone nerd. Martin's content often combines current analysis of market trends with historical references and future predictions. Whether it's a deep dive into technical issues or a first-person commentary on industry events, Martin's articles are designed to inform and engage. His critical perspective is driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to keep readers informed, not by any corporate sponsorship.
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