Larger displays on iPhone 16 Pro and Apple Watch Series 10: Worth it?

1 month ago 12

iPhone 16 Pro and Apple Watch Series 10 larger displays

Last month Apple introduced the latest iPhone 16 Pro and Apple Watch Series 10 models together, and they had one key upgrade in common: larger displays. I’ve been using the new, larger iPhone 16 Pro and 46mm Apple Watch Series 10 for nearly three weeks now. Here’s what my experience with the screen size changes has been.

The fine details of larger iPhone and Watch displays

Recent history has shown that bigger screens are a popular change for Apple’s customer base.

Often when there’s a brand new, larger iPhone size, it tends to be a hit. The Apple Watch Ultra proved that Watch buyers love big screens too.

So this year, Apple gave the people what they wanted.

iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3-inch display, up from 6.1 inches
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9-inch display, up from 6.7 inches
Apple Watch Series 10: both models are larger, and the bigger of the two even exceeds the Ultra’s screen size

In the lead-up to Apple’s big September reveal, I was excited for the Apple Watch Series 10, but a bit confused by the size increases coming to the iPhone.

Not only did the iPhone seem large enough to me already, but the reported increases seemed so small, I wasn’t sure what they would accomplish.

Here’s how I feel after a few weeks owning the devices.

Apple Watch Series 10 display: Nice, but held back

After first putting the Apple Watch Series 10 on my wrist, it felt noticeably larger. As tends to happen, though, that difference went away quickly. At a glance, the Series 10 now looks and feels mostly like my old Series 9.

In use though, there’s been some positive improvement, with one key disappointment.

For positives: interacting with tiny buttons inside watchOS is now a bit more doable than before. I’ve found myself typing out messages and reminders on my wrist more capably than ever. I still make errors, but fewer of them now.

When Apple first introduced the Apple Watch 10 years ago, it pitched it as a versatile computer for the wrist. Like we would be interacting with apps all day, tapping away like we do on our iPhones.

With a Series 10 or Ultra-sized screen, that vision still isn’t quite a reality, but it is just a little bit more possible.

Here’s the downside though: like all Watch users, the majority of my time interacting with watchOS involves my watch face. And this is an area the Series 10 is underutilized.

That’s because it doesn’t gain any watch faces that truly take advantage of the larger display.

There are two faces for Apple Watch Ultra that would be perfect for the larger Series 10:

Modular Ultra
Wayfinder

I would especially love to get Modular Ultra on my Series 10. I have a larger display than what the Apple Watch Ultra offers, yet Apple has chosen to keep that face Ultra-exclusive.

And none of the existing or new Series 10 faces benefit much from having a big screen.

iPhone 16 Pro display: Still a mystery

Where my experience with the Apple Watch’s larger display has some positives, I am still mostly unsure why the iPhone’s screen is bigger.

My iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch display, up from the 6.1-inch models I’ve been using for the last few years.

But I can’t think of a single example where I’ve found that larger display worthwhile.

I was hoping the larger screen might enable more apps or widgets on my Home Screen. But it doesn’t. Instead, there’s just more blank space.

When using apps, the little bit of extra height is noticeable if I think about it. But it hasn’t benefited me in any way. Maybe there are apps where the screen will make a bigger difference, but I’m still waiting to find them.

I’m glad Apple was able to pack in the larger screen without increasing the overall size of the phone much. While it is noticeably larger, it hasn’t been a negative for me. I just wish there were some positives I could share.

Wrap-up: Untapped display potential

The larger displays on the new iPhone and Apple Watch seem largely, for now, like they have untapped potential.

On the Watch, Apple could share the Ultra faces for a quick fix. Longer term, there’s more work that could be done to optimize existing faces and apps for larger displays.

With the iPhone, I’d love to see more Home Screen flexibility, app upgrades, or some other change to make the size upgrade more valuable.

I would also love to hear from readers if your experience has differed. Maybe the iPhone size change has enabled Pro Max users to switch more comfortably to the Pro. Or you’re finding the bigger Watch screen a great upgrade.

Let me know in the comments about your experience.