The 13 Pro Max still feels fast, takes excellent photos, and easily lasts all day on a full charge even at 88% battery health. The usual improvements you expect from a new iPhone—faster processor, better cameras, longer battery life—would be lost on me in day-to-day use.

There's a cost-effective iPhone Pro if you want to prepare for Apple Intelligence, but Apple will not sell it to you.

The front of the iPhone 16 Pro still uses a 12-megapixel True Depth camera array for Face ID and selfies. Complete with an f/1.9 aperture, Focus Pixels, and a six-element lens, and depth mapping capabilities.