People often ask me which iPhone they should buy. My default answer is: Just get the latest iPhone. Right now, that would be the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro models. While I’d say it’s easier to recommend an iPhone 15 or iPhone 16, as Apple still provides a premium experience on its base models, I can’t say the same about the Pro iPhones, which, theoretically, are better options.
However, if you just want a Pro iPhone, but not the latest one, I wouldn’t recommend the 15 Pro or the 14 Pro. That said, if you’re coming from an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13, you’re out of good options, because the last great iPhone Pro was the 13.
Not only was this iPhone beautiful, but the cameras were great, the battery life was solid, and those who are still rocking this device are probably having a blast, and can look forward to upgrading to the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro. While current customers of this smartphone couldn’t be happier, I’d say buying the 13 Pro right now for the next few years might be a bit tricky, so you’d have two options.
Issues with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro
Despite being different generations of devices, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro share a few frustrating flaws: overheating and disappointing camera post-processing.
In the case of the iPhone 14 Pro, a report revealed that the A16 Bionic chip suffered from an “unprecedented” GPU issue discovered late in development. As a result, the chip’s performance fell short of Apple’s original goals. The camera wasn’t much better. Despite the introduction of a more powerful 48MP sensor, Smart HDR 4 processing often produced poor results, undermining image quality.
That said, the iPhone 15 Pro had even worse battery life, but with Apple’s first 3nm chip. It was more powerful on paper, but it also made the iPhone overheat very quickly. In over a year of owning this device, I’ve grown accustomed to the iPhone 15 Pro feeling warm in my hands. Also, Apple only added a 5x telephoto lens for the Pro Max, which was less than expected. While you can fix the camera by using a third-party camera app, such as Halide or Project Indigo, there isn’t much you can do about battery life or overheating issues.
Get the iPhone 16 Pro with a discount or wait for the iPhone 17 Pro
That being said, the iPhone 16 Pro fixes most of those camera issues. Thanks to the new Photographic Styles, fixing your photo in post-production is a piece of cake, even for those not familiar with fancy editing software. The battery is also better, even though I think Apple could’ve gone a step further, and the chip is more power-efficient. While I still have issues with the iPhone overheating, the experience was better than with the previous two Pro phones.
So, if you can find this device at a discount, it’s probably worth the purchase. On the other hand, rumors and reports suggest that Apple will fix many of these issues with the iPhone 17 Pro. Here’s how:
- Camera fixes: Apple will upgrade all the main cameras to 48MP, and the front camera will get a 24MP lens.
- Improved heat dissipation: Apple is said to be moving back to glass and aluminum on the iPhone 17 Pro models — materials which are better at dissipating heat than titanium.
- Bigger battery life: Not only is the iPhone 17 Pro Max expected to feature a bigger battery, but the new chip is expected to be more power efficient than that of the previous generation.
Besides that, Apple is introducing a new design on these devices, and that alone will be reason enough for some consumers. That said, while finding the right Pro model is difficult right now, it should be an easier decision soon.
