iPhone 16 assessment: Almost excellent

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

The iPhone 16 encompasses a enjoyable, extra colourful design; each the brand new Digicam 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 Kinds” and “Moods.” The record goes on. This 12 months’s key “Pro” differentiators come all the way down to a 5x optical telephoto lens, 4K 120fps video assist, and, in fact, the 120Hz ProMotion display. It is ridiculous Apple nonetheless hasn’t up to date the bottom iPhone’s show refresh charge.

After all, the iPhone 16 isn’t perfect. Past the shortage of a better refresh charge show, the telephone does not provide any Apple Intelligence options but, with some arriving later in October and others releasing in early 2025. To the common iPhone consumer, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional will appear practically an identical, solely the previous gadget encompasses 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, until you are within the new Digicam Management and Motion Button. Because of this these nonetheless utilizing an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 can seemingly sit this 12 months out.

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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 digicam button and the Motion Button, alongside the A18 chip.

Professionals

• New colors look nice
• General spectacular smartphone package deal
• Images Kinds and Digicam 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

Worth, availability, and specs

Apple’s iPhone 16 starts at $800 and the iPhone 16 Plus prices $900. The iPhone 16 encompasses a 2,556 x 1,179 pixel decision 6.1-inch OLED display, whereas the iPhone 16 Plus affords a 2,796 x 1,290 pixel decision 6.7-inch OLED show. Sadly, neither telephone affords a 120Hz show refresh charge, which means they’re each locked to 60Hz. In consequence, neither gadget affords an always-on display, similar to final 12 months.

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

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

iPhone 16 construct and design

Shiny, saturated colours and a cool-looking digicam bump

Let’s get probably the most fascinating adjustments out of the way in which first. First, the rear twin digicam array is now vertical and aligned, which seems to be higher than I anticipated. The bump’s define can also 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 digicam bump.

Talking of colours, this 12 months’s stark choices look nice, particularly in comparison with the washed-out colours of the previous couple of years (which, for the document, 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 wanting; Apple actually nailed the iPhone 16’s colours this 12 months.

Different additions embrace the ‘Motion Button,’ which I nonetheless have not discovered a helpful function for but. It is a programmable button that can be utilized to launch just about something should 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 House Display or lockscreen simply as straightforward. I nonetheless continuously discover myself lacking the basic 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 Digicam Management button because the iPhone 16 Professional. Apple does not need folks to name it a button as a result of there’s extra to it, however it nonetheless presses inwards, so so far as I am involved, it is a button. One press launches the digicam app and an extra 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 admire the Digicam Management button, and I am wanting ahead to the two-step shutter coming in an replace within the coming months.

The Digicam Management button might be finicky, although, notably when swiping between the vast and ultrawide shooters or altering the “Photographic Fashion” or “Temper” (extra on this later). However when you get the dangle of the Digicam Management button, it is a streamlined option to entry key digicam options, amounting to one of the vital fascinating additions to the iPhone line in years.

Past the above adjustments, the iPhone 16 encompasses 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 option 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 knowledge 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 know-how because the iPhone 16 Professional, which ought to enhance its means to face up to drops.

iPhone 16 show

Nonetheless no 60Hz or always-on show

The largest situation with the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus is the shortage of a 120Hz show. That is the type of characteristic that after you’ve got skilled a 120Hz display, it is tough to return. Then again, should you’ve by no means encountered a silky {smooth}, excessive refresh charge smartphone display, you most likely will not discover the distinction and can be completely high-quality with the iPhone 16’s display. Regardless, it is 2024 and a 60Hz display is fairly unforgivable since practically each Android smartphone value shopping for options at the very least a 90Hz display.

On a extra optimistic be aware, the display seems to be nice and as much as par with the iPhone 16 Professional’s when it comes to vibrancy and shade, although it nonetheless options slightly 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 could possibly additionally crank all the way in which all the way down to 1 nit for darkish environments. The bottom-level iPhone nonetheless does not characteristic an always-on show just like the Professional tier gadgets. This is not a serious 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 well worth the battery life trade-off.

iPhone 16 digicam

Images Kinds, however no telephoto digicam

Just like the iPhone 16 Professional, the vast majority of the iPhone 16’s upgrades are associated to the digicam — however solely on the software program facet. Relating to {hardware}, the rear digicam options an f/1.6 48-megapixel vast and an f/2.2 12-megapixel ultra-wide shooter, whereas front-facing digicam 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 pictures which can be practically as much as par with the iPhone 16 Professional. On one other be aware, 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 it is 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 (aside from the shortage of a 120Hz refresh charge).

Digicam efficiency, normally, appears marginally higher than the iPhone 15, however there is not an enormous leap. It is also tough to discover a actual distinction between iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional pictures. There’s extra definition and higher distinction, notably with shadows, however you really want to look carefully (the common particular person will seemingly assume the pictures are an identical).

Sticking with images, all of the Photographic Kinds 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 would contemplate these Professional options. They mean you can tweak your pictures exactly the way you need, earlier than and after you shoot them. Are you in search of somewhat extra pop in your pictures? Then the “Vibant” Temper is what you are in search of. Perhaps you desire a gloomy look to your pictures? Then go for “Stark B&W” and reside out your emo images goals. These Photographic Kinds 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 Kinds are, they don’t seem to be excellent. For one, they’re solely out there in HEIF, a file format that does not at all times work nicely with third-party apps. However I have not encountered any points but. I am hoping Apple adjustments the characteristic to work with customary JPEGs quickly.

Images Kinds have additionally been out there prior to now. What’s completely different is now you can add them after taking pictures a picture. They’re additionally smarter and may differentiate between faces, the sky and different objects, as a substitute of working like a extra conventional picture filter that layers throughout the complete photograph in a uniform approach. Generally, the addition of Photographic Kinds solves all the problems I’ve had over the previous few years with the way in which the iPhone processes pictures, together with firming down the awful-looking, blown-out HDR highlights that I hate a lot. So far as I am involved, that is an enormous 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 folks speaking within the heart of the body. It is at all times been attainable to tweak audio with third-party apps, however bringing this performance on to the Images app makes the method way 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 option to the iPhoen 16.

iPhone 16 efficiency

AAA video games hit the base-level iPhone

This 12 months, the iPhone 16 affords the A18 Professional chip, a soar 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. Nevertheless, 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 plentiful (turning down the graphics helps a bit). Nonetheless, the truth that it is now attainable to play huge cell ports on the bottom iPhone is fairly cool. The iPhone 16 does get slightly scorching when taking part in resource-intense video games, nevertheless (normally, I’ve discovered that the iPhone 16 runs heat this 12 months, no matter what you are doing with the telephone). In the event 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 as a result of its barely bigger battery. I’ve heard that the iPhone 16 Plus will get even higher battery life, however I have not examined the gadget myself.

iPhone 16 software program

Make iOS 18 as ugly as you need

The addition of the A18 chip additionally signifies that the iPhone 16 can be able to working 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 known 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 telephone options the Digicam Management button, which is ready to double as a option to launch the digicam 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 seems 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 can be a motive to purchase the iPhone 16 (the iPhone 15 doesn’t assist Apple Intelligence).

That is to not say that Apple does not provide new options in iOS 18. Simply to call a couple of, you may change the colour of your app icons with usually terrible wanting tints, customise the Management Middle, and prepare icons nevertheless you need. With its newest cell OS replace, Apple is basically letting you make the iPhone your personal, which is a refreshing change of path from the tech big.

Must you purchase the iPhone 16?

Until 2x optical zoom and a 120Hz refresh charge show are vital to you, most individuals can purchase the iPhone 16 over the iPhone 16 Professional. The improve is extra substantial this 12 months, even should you’re coming from an iPhone 15, although I would by no means suggest upgrading your iPhone yearly. These with an iPhone 12 or an iPhone 13 will get probably the most out of the iPhone 16’s key upgrades, together with the A18 chip, the Motion Button, the brilliant new colours and flashy digicam bump, and the considerably finicky, however nonetheless nice Digicam Management Button.

Me, although? I am unable to return to a 60Hz display, and I admire optical zoom far an excessive amount of to present it up, however I noticed years in the past that I am not the common iPhone consumer.

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iPhone 16