Ordered Wrong iPhone - Keep or Return?

I ordered the new iPhone on launch day, and today, I excitedly came home to unbox my shipment. That’s when I realized I had ordered the iPhone 16 Pro instead of the Pro Max for the first time in years. I’ve gotten so used to the larger screen and longer battery life of the Pro Max.

Since a lot of my work is done on my laptop, I’m considering just keeping the 16 Pro. However, I do miss that extra screen real estate, and it’ll probably be at least another month of waiting if I decide to exchange for the Max.

What do you think? Should I keep the 16 Pro or send it back and wait for the Pro Max?

@Justin_Pierce I would return it and buy the right one. The pain of having to live with it every time you see it and hold it is not worth it. If you have the means to afford by all means get the device that would make you happy holding it.

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YOLO… change is good and refreshing. I say keep it.

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Why keep a phone with a screen that’s too small for you?

  • Impatient to wait for the Max to arrive? (Not a reason, I’d say)
  • Cost? (If you are realizing that the extra money is perhaps too much just for a bit of extra screen, that sounds like a reason to keep the Pro)
  • Appreciate the more compact size? (Having used an iPhone mini for several years, I’d be with you on that one)
  • As others noted: appreciate change? - sure, try it out. But then you need to consciously take it as an experiment, otherwise (as others noted) you’ll just be annoyed by the screen multiple times a day.
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Definitely get the iPhone you want to have! If you have to wait, wait! It is worth it.

And don’t judge me, but now I cannot get this out of my head: You Can Get It If You Really Want | YouTube.

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How often do you buy a new phone?

The longer it is, the less likely I’d be to keep something you don’t absolutely love. And as long as you want the 256 GB, the difference in cost between Pro and Pro Max is only $100.

That’s another point though. Since you accidentally ordered the wrong phone, did you accidentally get the “base” Pro with 128 GB? Do you need the 256 GB?

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Good point. I’m thinking through the different implications in this trial period

@Topre I am wondering if maybe so. Especially with the pain transferring data between phones and activation…yeesh! And there are times that I have used my phone that maybe I should have used a larger device like an iPad or Mac.

@toffy Good points. I ordered on launch day and now would need to wait another month or two probably. Cost is fine. I am really thinking about the smaller size and if it might be better for me as someone who uses my hands. Check out this article.. This was a Plus with a 5.5 inch screen. Now the regular Pro is 6.2.

@Christian That is hilarious. Saving that.

@webwalrus Usually annually and we switch around phones in our family. I ordered the storage I wanted - 1 TB, so we are good there. I am considering whether other folks in my family might want a smaller phone in the future.

The screen diagonals don’t equate because the aspect ratios are different. Those old Plus iPhones with home buttons had huge bezels and the iPhones that replaced them have taller, skinnier screens.

Nominally, the 8 Plus had a 5.5-inch screen and the iPhone X introduced at the same time had a 5.8-inch screen, but the 8 Plus screen was considerably larger in surface area and none of it was consumed by a notch or rounded corners. As a result, the 8 Plus got Plus/Max features like a two-column landscape view in Messages and the X didn’t.

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Thanks! That is helpful

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