Apple delivers a great new flagship phone yet again

The iPhone 16 and 16 Professional launched some time in the past with one loud shout: Apple Intelligence. This makes reviewing the marketed product troublesome, as Apple Intelligence isn’t rolling out till mid-to-late October (and its full set of options received’t be round till March subsequent 12 months). So, in case you’re coming to a brand new iPhone for AI, possibly wait till subsequent 12 months.

Having mentioned that, the iPhone 16 affords loads of enhancements over earlier generations, so anybody with something older than the iPhone 15 ought to really feel pleased upgrading to it. Higher but, it will get some hand-me-downs from the Professional line, that means it’s this 12 months’s most interesting iPhone. With wonderful efficiency, because of a brand new chip and additional RAM, the Motion Button and Digital camera Management, in addition to a beautiful show and design, the bottom iPhone has by no means felt extra Professional. Nonetheless, how does it evaluate to the perfect gaming iPhones of latest years? Let’s discover out.

Worth and availability

The iPhone 16 is out there from Apple and different on-line retailers like Amazon and Walmart. It begins at $799 for 128GB of storage, $899 for 256GB, and $1,099 for 512GB, whereas the iPhone 16 Plus retails for $100 extra in all configurations. All fashions include 8GB of RAM and can be found in attractive Black, White, Pink, Teal, and Ultramarine colorways. The mannequin reviewed right here is the 256GB iPhone 16 in White.

Specs

Listed below are the iPhone 16 specs:

Options and software program

Earlier than we dive into the options, let’s simply say this: we are able to’t evaluation Apple Intelligence proper now outdoors of beta, so whereas it may be a headline function, don’t purchase this telephone for AI. It is probably not as thrilling because the advertising and marketing makes out. That being mentioned, there are some thrilling options to discover with iOS 18 and the iPhone 16.

First up are the brand new buttons, that are the Motion Button from the iPhone 15 Professional and the brand-new Digital camera Management. The Motion Button is a customizable button that replaces the silence toggle, one thing many individuals would possibly discover helpful, although I simply go away it as a silence toggle. You can activate the flashlight with it, activate an app, and even unlock your automotive. You can additionally open the digital camera with it, however there’s not any level in that.

That’s as a result of there at the moment are some ways to open the digital camera from the lock display on an iPhone. One of the simplest ways is the brand new Digital camera Management, a capacitive button that Apple isn’t calling a button. Press down on it and the digital camera opens; press once more to take a photograph; or press and maintain to document video. You too can swipe alongside it to discover some attention-grabbing digital camera options, which we’ll discuss later.

Digital camera Management is an thrilling prospect, however for the big majority of the time, I’m not altering digital camera settings. So, all it’s is a shutter button that opens the digital camera app, and I’m nice with that. It’s a nicer, faster method to snap a photograph, for my part. Nevertheless it’s no nice game-changer.

In the meantime, the iPhone 16 cameras additionally get a rejig so you may document spatial video to observe in your Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. Now, I don’t know the way many individuals spent $3,500 on a Imaginative and prescient Professional after which wish to save $200 by getting the bottom iPhone, however maybe they’re on the market – for them, it’ll be good to have. Past these eight individuals, it’s not all that attention-grabbing.

Even perhaps much less attention-grabbing is the addition of Wi-Fi 7, which can sound a bit meaningless to you. However when you have a router that helps it, you’ll get much better Wi-Fi speeds. Most individuals don’t but, however they’re positive to develop into extra widespread over the following few years.

That’s the extent of the brand new options unique to the iPhone 16. After all, there are a bunch of recent issues with iOS 16, a number of good and a few a bit extra baffling. However everybody all the way in which again to the iPhone XR and XS customers can entry them, so it’s not a motive to improve except your telephone is correctly historical. All in all, the 16 has some good new options, however nothing significantly thrilling.

Design

One of many nicest issues concerning the new base iPhones is the general design. The metallic sides and matte glass again look attractive in all configurations, whereas the display and dynamic island give the entire machine a premium really feel. It’s mild, sturdy, and well-built.

The Motion Button, a minimum of for the 6.1-inch mannequin, is simple to make use of and in place. Nevertheless, Digital camera Management is somewhat bit weirder. It’s very easy to activate together with your left hand, however in case you’re the sort that retains your telephone in your proper pocket, it might be much less easy.

In the meantime, utilizing the Digital camera Management in a horizontal orientation, as feels most pure, is somewhat bit clumsy. You may’t wrap your finger across the rails of the telephone. As an alternative, you must put your finger somewhat bit in entrance of the display. That is no massive situation, however it isn’t a very pure place, like when utilizing most actual cameras.

Show

The OLED show on the iPhone 16 is superb, with excessive brightness and a brand new lowest brightness of 1 nit. When you’re coming from the iPhone 15, it in all probability received’t really feel like an improve, however something older and also you’ll be pleased. The brand new lowest brightness is helpful in solely a handful of conditions, like studying one thing very first thing within the morning, however it provides to the completely different circumstances the place this telephone nonetheless excels, moderately than having weak factors in numerous, much less widespread use instances.

The largest situation for many might be the 60Hz refresh price. A telephone that prices a minimum of $800 with out having a 120Hz display is outrageous. The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G is round $400 and has a 120Hz OLED; the bottom mannequin iPhones are very late to the celebration.

For me, nevertheless, it doesn’t matter. Ever since I upgraded my Xbox, I’ve been incapable of going again to 30Hz gaming. I presently have a 60Hz iPad and MacBook; I worry that an improve to 120Hz on my telephone might end in the identical impact, making my different costly and more-than-capable gadgets really feel older and fewer luxurious to make use of. For that motive, I’m nice with 60Hz.

iPhone 16 cameras

The again cameras on the brand new iPhone 16 actually impress me, although it should be mentioned I’ve upgraded from an iPhone 13, so the distinction is extra dramatic. Whereas on paper there’s no massive improve to the principle digital camera (it’s a 48MP Fusion digital camera as an alternative of a 48MP Important on the 15, the distinction being unclear), the pictures appeared higher after I did a mini check in my native Apple Retailer (I don’t have an iPhone 15 at hand to do a full comparability). The ultrawide boasts a extra apparent enchancment, letting in additional mild and making ultrawide photographs higher at night time.

Probably the most thrilling factor, nevertheless, is the brand new photographic kinds. Apple has rejigged its “Photonic Engine” (no matter which means) so you may seize your pictures in precisely the model you need. Slightly than including a filter excessive after taking a shot, you may select a photographic model beforehand that reacts to various things within the photograph in numerous methods.

These photographic kinds are, nevertheless, not everlasting. When you take a photograph within the Rose Gold model and notice it seems to be higher with the Dramatic one, you may simply change it afterward. The photograph may be edited in a non-destructive means, so you may fiddle round together with your pictures quite a bit with out having to be an enhancing whizz.

What this ends in is the flexibility to utterly change the character of iPhone pictures rapidly and simply. Need it to seem like a wealthy and nostalgic Fujifilm? Gold does a beautiful job. Desire a extra mossy, action-flick vibe? Dramatic is fairly severe. The selection is yours, now — which appears to be Apple’s development now. You can also make your house display and your pictures distinctive; you simply need to wish to.

And that may be the problem. See, how many individuals truly take pleasure in twiddling with settings? I do, as a result of I like expertise, but when I really needed to dive into tweaking my expertise on a telephone, I wouldn’t get an iPhone. So maybe all this customization will go straight over individuals’s heads.

When you go away the digital camera in its regular settings, every part seems to be nice. Photographs really feel very iPhone-y however for me, every part is just too washed out and flat. I now use the Gold photographic model with the tone setting round -.5, and it seems to be actually beautiful.

So, in case you take the time to fiddle a bit with the settings, your relationship together with your iPhone digital camera may develop into very completely different with the entire 16 fashions, however in case you’re not , it’ll simply really feel like one other iPhone.

Efficiency

Whereas the iPhone 16 has a really massive bump in efficiency, noticing it may be fairly troublesome. What it actually affords is longevity (and sufficient RAM for Apple Intelligence when it arrives).

By all of the benchmarks on the market, the iPhone 16 isn’t far off the 16 Professional in efficiency, and that’s with out having to help a 120Hz show. What this implies is that the brand new 3nm chip, the A18, can run massive, triple-A console video games in respectable sufficient high quality.

When you’re worrying about Sweet Crush or different informal cell video games, don’t. You’ll be nice. When you’re worrying about Genshin Influence or Name of Obligation, additionally don’t. You may simply get 60fps with out the telephone getting annoyingly sizzling. Something that your previous iPhone may do, this may do.

Higher but, the improve means which you could now run video games that had been beforehand unique to the 15 Professional. That’s the brand new Resident Evil video games, Murderer’s Creed Mirage, and a complete host of different massive console video games. They appear good, and the iPhone doesn’t get as sizzling as you’d count on.

Now, as I write this on my 6.1-inch iPhone display, I want to say one factor: don’t purchase this iPhone to play AC or RE; it’s too small. Maybe the expertise on the Plus could be higher, however for me, they’re extra marvels of huge graphics in a tiny package deal, moderately than any means you’d truly wish to expertise the environment of Racoon Metropolis or Digital Baghdad.

Battery

All this efficiency doesn’t hurt the battery, both. Due to small battery dimension will increase and maybe effectivity beneficial properties, the iPhone 16 battery is superb. I cost it at night time whereas I sleep and by no means have any worries when the night time out stretches longer than anticipated. That’s adequate, proper?

When you want something higher, the iPhone 16 Plus’ battery is, by all experiences, astoundingly good. However I wouldn’t spend the additional cash only for the battery life except your telephone is consistently looking for a sign since you journey throughout work otherwise you’re utilizing it intensively for gaming. You’ll be nice with a bit much less with the smaller 16.

By way of charging speeds, the iPhone 16 is respectable sufficient, juicing from flat to 100% in round one hour and 45 minutes, or somewhat longer in case you’re wi-fi. That’s nowhere close to the speeds of Android alternate options from the likes of Xiaomi and Honor, however it’s respectable for iPhone and means you will get a 25% increase in round 25 minutes.

Do you have to purchase the iPhone 16?

Total, the iPhone 16 is a neat little piece of tech. There’s actually nothing mistaken with it. There’s extra it may do, positive, however there’s nothing extra I want it to do. On a fundamental day-to-day stage, it seems to be nice, performs and not using a hitch, takes good pictures, and has a wonderful person interface. By the point I finish my day, its battery isn’t perilously low, and by the following morning, it’s able to go once more. Good.

A very powerful query, maybe, is: do you have to purchase it? I might say an improve to the iPhone 16 could be very worthwhile for anybody on a 13 or earlier, particularly in case you really feel like that telephone is struggling. Any earlier Professional customers are sure to note the refresh price distinction, however anybody else shall be pleased.

However, whereas it seems to be a bit completely different, it’s not that completely different from the final technology. Slightly, it’s fairly like the brand new Apple Watch. It feels just like the near-perfect model of a kind issue and thought Apple has labored with for the reason that iPhone X. Maybe the iPhone will take one other shift sooner or later, however who is aware of? Possibly telephones now are simply instruments that put on out and we change. And if yours wants changing, this is a wonderful machine to interchange it with. There’s nothing mistaken, however there’s additionally no actual surprises, which is beautiful, if not particular.

Alternate options

If our iPhone 16 evaluation hasn’t offered you on the Apple flagship, take a look at our recommendations for alternate options under.

Google Pixel 9

In order for you AI proper now, Android is the way in which to go. Google’s Pixel 9 is nice, the pictures are good, and the efficiency is respectable sufficient. And given it prices the identical quantity and has long-term software program updates, the choice is, properly, all the way down to choice. No less than it doesn’t wobble when laid down on a desk; maybe that’s sufficient of a motive.

Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is a bit higher and a bit worse than the Pixel 9, however it’s a worthy different all the identical. Whereas in order for you Android and its AI integration to really feel absolutely full, Pixel is the way in which to go; the S24 has sufficient of it. Oh, and it’s extra performant, and for my cash, the design is nicer. However all in all, it’s an actual toss-up between all three. Basically, smartphones are converging, so that you’re not dropping out an excessive amount of regardless of the place you go. For extra on this one, take a look at our Samsung Galaxy S24 evaluation.