I downgraded from the iPhone 16 Plus to the iPhone 14 Pro after just two months. Here’s why I did it and what follows next.
The iPhone 16 Plus is the first Plus-sized iPhone I’ve ever bought. It’s also the first non-Pro iPhone I’ve owned since Apple introduced the iPhone X, which effectively spawned the Pro series. I’d usually look at Pro iPhones before even considering a non-Pro model. The iPhone 14 Pro actually made things clear to me: I could easily “downgrade” to non-Pro devices.
After nearly two months of using it, the iPhone 16 Plus is also the first iPhone I have returned. I’m now back to the purple iPhone 14 Pro, the 2022 flagship phone that served me for precisely two years before I switched to the oversized iPhone 16. I do miss the iPhone 16 Plus, but I have reasons for wanting to get rid of it, which I’ll explain below.
The iPhone 16 Plus is too big
I’ll start things off by pointing out the two big iPhone 16 Plus features I loved all along. The 6.7-inch screen is a welcome upgrade over the iPhone 14 Pro’s 6.1-inch display. I’ve wanted a larger screen, and now I hate looking at the smaller one.
But there’s no denying the iPhone 16 Plus’s footprint is noticeable. It takes up too much space inside my pockets, and it’s not as easy to use one-handed as the 6.1-inch iPhone.
Put a case on it, and the iPhone 16 Plus becomes even larger. This is an even bigger problem when running while carrying the phone. Anyone who keeps the iPhone inside the pockets of their running pants must know what I’m talking about. And no, I’m not leaving the phone behind; that will never happen.I’m not using the Camera Control as much as I thought I would
I would have kept the iPhone 16 Plus for longer if I had a use for some of its signature features: the Camera Control button and Apple Intelligence.
