I've been a "Pro" iPhone person for years — all the years, almost. Other than a short stint as an iPhone 13 mini user, I've chosen the iPhone Pro option every year the company has offered one.
And it wasn't just for the iPhone. I also used to be the person that owned the MacBook Pro, Apple Watch Ultra (not technically Pro but you know what I mean), the AirPods Pro, the iPad Pro — if Apple slapped a Pro on the name, that was the one I was buying.
However, over the years, the regular versions of Apple's products started to gain a lot 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 announcing the iPhone 16, I think Apple is getting me to admit that I'm no longer what the company would consider a "Pro" user.
I'm downgrading in name only
After seeing all of 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, the Always On display, and the even more insane camera features weren't things I would actually use or feel justified in spending the extra $200.
The iPhone 16 is great. I actually prefer how Aluminum holds up to smudges to Titanium as my iPhone 15 Pro has gotten smudgy all over the sides. The regular iPhone is also smaller and lighter, two things I appreciate having loved the iPhone 13 mini. I'm also not a photographer or videographer who is ever going to come close to using the features that the iPhone 16 Pro camera system packs in.
So, while I plan to downgrade in name and features, switching from a Pro iPhone to a regular iPhone is actually going to feel like a bit of an upgrade to me. I'll save money and get a phone that is better tailored for what I use it for. I'll also feel less anxious about smashing it to bits since it is slightly less premium.
The iPhone 16 isn't the only place I'm thinking of downgrading from a Pro. I'm also considering downgrading from the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to the Apple Watch Series 10. It's once again a case of getting almost all of the features that matter to me in a more affordable and lighter option — things that I appreciate.
After next week, it could be that the only Pro Apple product I retain are the AirPods Pro. While Apple did come out with AirPods 4 and bring noise cancellation to the regular earbuds, it appears that the noise cancellation on the AirPods Pro 2 are 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, however, I think it's time to admit that I'm no longer a Pro user, and that's just fine.
We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.