iPhone 16 overview: Almost excellent

I really feel like I write this nearly yearly, however, in terms of the iPhone 16 line, there are only a few causes to purchase the “Pro” iPhone over its base counterpart.

The iPhone 16 contains a enjoyable, extra colourful design; each the brand new Digital camera Management button and the Motion Button that debuted on final 12 months’s iPhone Professional; Apple’s highly effective A18 chip; an even bigger battery; and new sensible “Photographic Types” and “Moods.” The listing goes on. This 12 months’s key “Pro” differentiators come right down to a 5x optical telephoto lens, 4K 120fps video assist, and, after all, the 120Hz ProMotion display screen. It is ridiculous Apple nonetheless hasn’t up to date the bottom iPhone’s show refresh price.

After all, the iPhone 16 isn’t perfect. Past the dearth of a better refresh price show, the cellphone would not supply any Apple Intelligence options but, with some arriving later in October and others releasing in early 2025. To the common iPhone person, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional will appear almost equivalent, solely the previous machine contains a extra eye-catching design. However regardless of being a really full package deal, the iPhone 16 just isn’t that a lot of an improve over the iPhone 15, except you are within the new Digital camera Management and Motion Button. Which means these nonetheless utilizing an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 can seemingly sit this 12 months out.

Beneficial

iPhone 16

This 12 months’s iPhone 16 line blurs the road between the “Professional” and the base-level iPhone by providing a brand new digital camera button and the Motion Button, alongside the A18 chip.

Execs

• New colors look nice
• Total spectacular smartphone package deal
• Pictures Types and Digital camera Management Button are nice

Cons

• Nonetheless no 120Hz show
• Apple Intelligence options are nowhere to be discovered
• In some methods, not that a lot of an improve over the iPhone 15

Value, availability, and specs

Apple’s iPhone 16 starts at $800 and the iPhone 16 Plus prices $900. The iPhone 16 contains a 2,556 x 1,179 pixel decision 6.1-inch OLED display screen, whereas the iPhone 16 Plus gives a 2,796 x 1,290 pixel decision 6.7-inch OLED show. Sadly, neither cellphone gives a 120Hz show refresh price, that means they’re each locked to 60Hz. In consequence, neither machine gives an always-on display screen, identical to final 12 months.

Different specs embody Apple’s A18 chip, a considerable improve from the iPhone 16’s A16 processor. Each the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus characteristic a Digital camera Management button for simple entry to the Digital camera app, and the Motion Button, which was solely featured within the iPhone 15 Professional line final 12 months. Rear digital camera specs embody an f/1.6 48-megapixel fundamental digital camera and an f/2.2 12-megapixel ultra-wide digital camera. The front-facing digital camera options an f/2.2 12-megapixel selfie shooter.

Apple Intelligence options like AI-assisted writing, object elimination within the Photographs app, and a extra contextual Siri aren’t but out there however ought to launch within the coming months. This 12 months’s surprisingly vibrant colours embody ultramarine (which is featured on this overview), teal, pink, and black.

iPhone 16 construct and design

Vivid, saturated colours and a cool-looking digital camera bump

Let’s get essentially the most fascinating adjustments out of the way in which first. First, the rear twin digital camera array is now vertical and aligned, which seems higher than I anticipated. The bump’s define can be barely darker than the remainder of the smartphone, giving it an odd however cool-looking glow underneath sure gentle, particularly in comparison with the iPhone 16 Professional Max’s drab digital camera bump.

Talking of colours, this 12 months’s stark choices look nice, particularly in comparison with the washed-out colours of the previous few years (which, for the report, I additionally favored). They stand out from different smartphones, particularly Samsung’s low-key coloured Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, and definitively look completely different from the iPhone 15. Ultramarine is my favourite, however teal and pink are additionally nice trying; Apple actually nailed the iPhone 16’s colours this 12 months.

Different additions embody the ‘Motion Button,’ which I nonetheless have not discovered a helpful goal for but. It is a programmable button that can be utilized to launch just about something in case you use the Shortcuts app. Admittedly, I have not actually given it a lot of an opportunity as a result of I discover launching apps from my Dwelling Display screen or lockscreen simply as straightforward. I nonetheless steadily discover myself lacking the traditional mute change from the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 Professional, however I additionally know that lots of people actually just like the Motion Button.

The iPhone 16 additionally options the identical Digital camera Management button because the iPhone 16 Professional. Apple would not need individuals to name it a button as a result of there’s extra to it, but it surely nonetheless presses inwards, so so far as I am involved, it is a button. One press launches the digital camera app and a further press snaps a photograph, turning your iPhone 16 right into a futuristic point-and-shoot. As somebody who grew up utilizing easy cameras, I actually recognize the Digital camera Management button, and I am trying ahead to the two-step shutter coming in an replace within the coming months.

The Digital camera Management button might be finicky, although, notably when swiping between the extensive and ultrawide shooters or altering the “Photographic Type” or “Temper” (extra on this later). However when you get the grasp of the Digital camera Management button, it is a streamlined approach to entry key digital camera options, amounting to probably the most fascinating additions to the iPhone line in years.

Past the above adjustments, the iPhone 16 contains a design that’s similar to its predecessor. This contains coloured, squared-off aluminum sides, a matte again that repels grease and smudges, the Dynamic Island cutout that made its approach to the base-level iPhone 15 final 12 months, and a USB-C port that also options USB 2.0 speeds (given I not often switch information with a USB-C cable, I do not see this as a problem). And lastly, the iPhone 16 options the identical next-generation Ceramic Protect expertise because the iPhone 16 Professional, which ought to enhance its potential to resist drops.

iPhone 16 show

Nonetheless no 120Hz or always-on show

The largest difficulty with the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus is the dearth of a 120Hz show. That is the type of characteristic that when you have skilled a 120Hz display screen, it is troublesome to return. However, in case you’ve by no means encountered a silky {smooth}, excessive refresh price smartphone display screen, you most likely will not discover the distinction and shall be completely superb with the iPhone 16’s display screen. Regardless, it is 2024 and a 60Hz display screen is fairly unforgivable since almost each Android smartphone value shopping for options not less than a 90Hz display screen.

On a extra optimistic word, the display screen seems nice and as much as par with the iPhone 16 Professional’s by way of vibrancy and coloration, although it nonetheless options fairly chunky bezels. Brightness is available in at 2,000 nits at its peak, making the iPhone 16’s show straightforward to view underneath direct daylight, and it may well additionally crank all the way in which right down to 1 nit for darkish environments. The bottom-level iPhone nonetheless would not characteristic an always-on show just like the Professional tier units. This is not a significant loss for me as a result of I’ve turned the always-on show off because it arrived with the iPhone 14 Professional. I do not discover it helpful sufficient to be definitely worth the battery life trade-off.

iPhone 16 digital camera

Pictures Types, however no telephoto digital camera

Just like the iPhone 16 Professional, the vast majority of the iPhone 16’s upgrades are associated to the digital camera — however solely on the software program facet. Relating to {hardware}, the rear digital camera options an f/1.6 48-megapixel extensive and an f/2.2 12-megapixel ultra-wide shooter, whereas front-facing digital camera options an f/2.2 12-megapixel selfie shooter.

The important thing improve this 12 months autofocus coming to the 12-megapixel ultrawide, permitting the lens to shoot surprisingly handsome macro images which might be almost as much as par with the iPhone 16 Professional. On one other word, 2x zoom remains to be out there by means of sensor cropping, however I want Apple simply supplied actual optical zoom with the iPhone 16 (I do know this can be a key differentiator between the 2 telephones, however I can nonetheless dream). Like in years previous, that is the important thing characteristic I miss shifting from the iPhone 16 Professional to the iPhone 16 (apart from the dearth of a 120Hz refresh price).

Digital camera efficiency, typically, appears marginally higher than the iPhone 15, however there is not a large leap. It is also troublesome to discover a actual distinction between iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional pictures. There’s extra definition and better distinction, notably with shadows, however you really want to look intently (the common individual will seemingly assume the images are equivalent).

Sticking with images, all of the Photographic Types and Moods from the iPhone 16 Professional can be found with the iPhone 16. That is an fascinating transfer on Apple’s half, as I might contemplate these Professional options. They will let you tweak your images exactly the way you need, earlier than and after you shoot them. Are you searching for slightly extra pop in your pictures? Then the “Vibant” Temper is what you are searching for. Possibly you need a gloomy look to your images? Then go for “Stark B&W” and dwell out your emo images goals. These Photographic Types and Moods can be tweaked manually with a considerably awkward-to-used d-pad-like settings sq..

It is value noting that as nice because the Photographic Types are, they are not excellent. For one, they’re solely out there in HEIF, a file format that does not all the time work properly with third-party apps. However I have not encountered any points but. I am hoping Apple adjustments the characteristic to work with normal JPEGs quickly.

Pictures Types have additionally been out there previously. What’s completely different is now you can add them after capturing a picture. They’re additionally smarter and might differentiate between faces, the sky and different objects, as an alternative of working like a extra conventional picture filter that layers throughout your entire photograph in a uniform method. Usually, the addition of Photographic Types solves all the problems I’ve had over the previous few years with the way in which the iPhone processes images, together with firming down the awful-looking, blown-out HDR highlights that I hate a lot. So far as I am involved, that is a large win.

In a welcome addition, new mixing options can change the way in which audio sounds and shift its high quality after you shoot a video. For instance, “Studio Mode” removes background noise, whereas “Cinematic Mode” focuses on individuals speaking within the heart of the body. It is all the time been doable to tweak audio with third-party apps, however bringing this performance on to the Photographs app makes the method much more streamlined. That is additionally the kind of characteristic Apple sometimes reserves for its Professional tier iPhone, so it is nice to see it make its approach to the iPhoen 16.

iPhone 16 efficiency

AAA video games hit the base-level iPhone

This 12 months, the iPhone 16 gives the A18 Professional chip, a bounce from the iPhone 15’s A16 processor (this implies the base-level iPhone skips the A17 completely). I have not skilled efficiency points with an iPhone in years, so as soon as once more, the A18 is overkill for many duties. Nonetheless, it does open the smartphone as much as AAA video games like Resident Evil and Murderer’s Creed Mirage.

I spent a short period of time taking part in Murderer’s Creed Mirage, and it runs slightly worse than it did on the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro chip. This implies it is playable, however there’s the occasional stutter, and aliasing points are considerable (turning down the graphics helps a bit). Nonetheless, the truth that it is now doable to play large cellular ports on the bottom iPhone is fairly cool. The iPhone 16 does get fairly scorching when taking part in resource-intense video games, nevertheless (typically, I’ve discovered that the iPhone 16 runs heat this 12 months, no matter what you are doing with the cellphone). Should you care about benchmarks, the iPhone 16 hits 3,233 for single-core and seven,880 for multi-core with Geekbench 6.

I obtained a couple of extra hours out of the iPhone 16 in comparison with the iPhone 16 Professional, pushing late into the night after a day of doom-scrolling on numerous social media platforms, watching podcasts and sending a few emails. That is seemingly attributable to its barely bigger battery. I’ve heard that the iPhone 16 Plus will get even higher battery life, however I have not examined the machine myself.

iPhone 16 software program

Make iOS 18 as ugly as you need

The addition of the A18 chip additionally implies that the iPhone 16 shall be able to operating Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI options coming later in October and subsequent 12 months. This contains AI writing instruments, an AI Picture technology app referred to as “Picture Playground,” a extra contextual Siri, and extra. It is clear Apple designed the iPhone 16 to drop alongside Apple Intelligence, however the launch schedules did not line up.

That is additionally why the cellphone options the Digital camera Management button, which is ready to double as a approach to launch the digital camera to make use of Apple’s AI-powered identification characteristic Apple says can do issues like figuring out canine breeds and including dates from a flyer to your calendar. If this appears like a barely extra superior model of Google Lens, you are heading in the right direction. None of those options are completed or formally out there but, although, so I do not know if any of them shall be a motive to purchase the iPhone 16 (the iPhone 15 doesn’t assist Apple Intelligence).

That is to not say that Apple would not supply new options in iOS 18. Simply to call a couple of, you possibly can change the colour of your app icons with usually terrible trying tints, customise the Management Heart, and prepare icons nevertheless you need. With its newest cellular OS replace, Apple is absolutely letting you make the iPhone your personal, which is a refreshing change of path from the tech big.

Must you purchase the iPhone 16?

Except 2x optical zoom and a 120Hz refresh price show are necessary to you, most individuals can buy the iPhone 16 over the iPhone 16 Professional. The improve is extra substantial this 12 months, even in case you’re coming from an iPhone 15, although I might by no means suggest upgrading your iPhone yearly. These with an iPhone 12 or an iPhone 13 will get essentially the most out of the iPhone 16’s key upgrades, together with the A18 chip, the Motion Button, the brilliant new colours and flashy digital camera bump, and the considerably finicky, however nonetheless nice Digital camera Management Button.

Me, although? I can not return to a 60Hz display screen, and I recognize optical zoom far an excessive amount of to present it up, however I spotted years in the past that I am not the common iPhone person.

Beneficial

iPhone 16