This dawn , at 5 a.m. PT/8 a.m. ET , Apple formally open preorders for the newiPhone 16andiPhone 16 Pro . When I went to layer last dark , I had successfully not set up a preorder onwards of meter and fell asleep lofty of myself for not having bought the shiny new iPhone .

However , 20 minutes after preorders rifle live today , I caved . But I did n’t get the high - end iPhone 16 Pro Max or the small , but equally up to iPhone 16 Pro . I did n’t even get the iPhone 16 Plus for its bountiful screen and ( probably ) first-class battery life-time . alternatively , I preordered a nucleotide model iPhone 16 for the most preposterous ground .

Why I preordered the iPhone 16

As someone who pen about phones for a living , I always require the estimable of the best . If there ’s an Ultra phone available , I ’m on it . If there ’s a Pro version of a earphone , I ’m there . I care having the good camera , the nicest displays , and the most feature article , and that ’s why I typically carry phones like theGoogle Pixel 9 Proor theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra . Naturally , I ’ve been using aniPhone 15 Pro Maxas one of my daily sound since it launched last year .

Based on that , it would only make sense for me to preorder the iPhone 16 Pro or the iPhone 16 Pro Max . So , why did I go for the regular iPhone 16 instead ?

One of the main reason is wholly lightheaded and inordinate . The iPhone 16 Pro is a very premium and well - made smartphone , but I find its plan soboring . It ’s efficaciously the same design we ’ve had since the iPhone 13 Pro , and I ’m tired of it . The camera intention has n’t changed , the colors are as gloomy as can be , and there ’s nothing visually exciting about it .

Meanwhile , the iPhone 16 look phenomenal . The new camera design is round-eyed and fun , the frosted deoxyephedrine back felt outstandingduring my script - on time with it , and this year ’s colours are nothing short of amazing . Teal and Pink are both gorgeous , but I ultimately went for Ultramarine . It ’s a beautiful blue and purple combo and hands down one of the best iPhone colouring I ’ve seen in days .

On a more virtual promissory note , I ’m also tired of big phone . TheiPhone 15 Pro Max ’s Ti design makes itmuchmore usablethan the stainless steel iPhone 14 Pro Max , but it ’s still a very self-aggrandizing gadget — and I ’ve felt it after using it all these month . The prospect of switching to something so small and light-colored with the iPhone 16 excites me .

Changing priorities

Of course , switching from last year ’s Pro Max iPhone to this yr ’s base poser will come with some downsides . I ’m go to overleap out on the telephoto camera . I wo n’t have nearly as large of a display . I ’ll need to put up with a 60Hz refresh rate or else of a 120Hz one .

Those are all logical drawback I ’ll necessitate to put up with . peradventure I ’ll find a manner to administer with them , and they wo n’t be an matter . Perhaps I ’ll come up the switch too jarring and return my iPhone 16 for a Pro fashion model . I ’m not sure how it ’s extend to shake out just yet , and that ’s part of what makes this preorder so slaphappy . However , I also think it ’s indicative of a couple of of import things .

For one , the opening between the base manakin iPhone and the Pro is small than ever . My iPhone 16 will have the Action button , the newfangled Camera Control , the Dynamic Island , and the same 48MP primary tv camera as the 16 Pro . The large thing I ’m missing are the telephoto camera , the upgraded ultrawide camera , a 120Hz screen , and … that ’s about it .

second , I intend I ’m at a point where I want something dissimilar out of my smartphone . Joe from a few years ago would n’t have even considered buying the base iPhone over the Pro . But this year , when I was calculate at Apple ’s website , I could n’t avail but think how much I bang the iPhone 16 ’s colors and light design and how little I cared about a telephoto camera or more megapixels for my ultrawide triggerman .

Will this all be a failed experiment and a bad idea ? It very well could be ! But right now , I just get it on I ’m frantic to get my small , weak , and blue iPhone in the post in a few day — and I think that ’s o.k. .