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 yr). So, for those who’re coming to a brand new iPhone for AI, perhaps wait till subsequent yr.

Having stated that, the iPhone 16 gives loads of enhancements over earlier generations, so anybody with something older than the iPhone 15 ought to really feel completely satisfied upgrading to it. Higher but, it will get some hand-me-downs from the Professional line, which means it’s this yr’s most interesting iPhone. With glorious efficiency, due to 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 very best 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 here are the iPhone 16 specs:

Options and software program

Earlier than we dive into the options, let’s simply say this: we will’t overview Apple Intelligence proper now exterior of beta, so whereas it is likely to be a headline characteristic, don’t purchase this telephone for AI. It is probably not as thrilling because the advertising makes out. That being stated, 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 may 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 automobile. You can additionally open the digicam 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 digicam from the lock display screen on an iPhone. The easiest way is the brand new Digital camera Management, a capacitive button that Apple isn’t calling a button. Press down on it and the digicam opens; press once more to take a photograph; or press and maintain to file video. You can too swipe alongside it to discover some fascinating digicam options, which we’ll discuss later.

Digital camera Management is an thrilling prospect, however for the massive majority of the time, I’m not altering digicam settings. So, all it’s is a shutter button that opens the digicam app, and I’m advantageous with that. It’s a nicer, faster technique 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 file spatial video to observe in your Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. Now, I don’t understand how 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 folks, it’s not all that fascinating.

Maybe even much less fascinating is the addition of Wi-Fi 7, which can sound a bit meaningless to you. However if in case you have a router that helps it, you’ll get much better Wi-Fi speeds. Most individuals don’t but, however they’re certain to turn out to be extra widespread over the following few years.

That’s the extent of the brand new options unique to the iPhone 16. In fact, there are a bunch of latest issues with iOS 16, plenty of good and a few a bit extra baffling. However everybody all the best way again to the iPhone XR and XS customers can entry them, so it’s not a cause to improve until 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 screen and dynamic island give the entire system a premium really feel. It’s mild, sturdy, and well-built.

The Motion Button, at the least for the 6.1-inch mannequin, is straightforward to make use of and in place. Nonetheless, Digital camera Management is a bit bit weirder. It’s very easy to activate along with your left hand, however for those who’re the sort that retains your telephone in your proper pocket, it could be much less easy.

In the meantime, utilizing the Digital camera Management in a horizontal orientation, as feels most pure, is a bit bit clumsy. You may’t wrap your finger across the rails of the telephone. As a substitute, it’s important to put your finger a bit bit in entrance of the display screen. That is no large challenge, nevertheless 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 completely satisfied. The brand new lowest brightness is beneficial in solely a handful of conditions, like studying one thing very first thing within the morning, nevertheless it provides to the completely different circumstances the place this telephone nonetheless excels, quite than having weak factors in several, much less widespread use circumstances.

The most important challenge for many might be the 60Hz refresh fee. A telephone that prices at the least $800 with out having a 120Hz display screen is outrageous. The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G is round $400 and has a 120Hz OLED; the bottom mannequin iPhones are very late to the occasion.

For me, nonetheless, 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 could lead to the identical impact, making my different costly and more-than-capable units really feel older and fewer luxurious to make use of. For that cause, I’m advantageous with 60Hz.

iPhone 16 cameras

The again cameras on the brand new iPhone 16 actually impress me, although it have to be stated I’ve upgraded from an iPhone 13, so the distinction is extra dramatic. Whereas on paper there’s no large improve to the primary digicam (it’s a 48MP Fusion digicam as a substitute of a 48MP Essential on the 15, the distinction being unclear), the photographs seemed higher once 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 evening.

Probably the most thrilling factor, nonetheless, is the brand new photographic types. Apple has rejigged its “Photonic Engine” (no matter meaning) so you may seize your photographs in precisely the fashion you need. Somewhat than including a filter excessive after taking a shot, you may select a photographic fashion beforehand that reacts to various things within the picture in several methods.

These photographic types are, nonetheless, not everlasting. When you take a photograph within the Rose Gold fashion and understand it appears higher with the Dramatic one, you may simply change it afterward. The picture could be edited in a non-destructive manner, so you may fiddle round along with your photographs quite a bit with out having to be an modifying whizz.

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

And that is likely to be the problem. See, how many individuals really get pleasure from twiddling with settings? I do, as a result of I like know-how, but when I actually wished to dive into tweaking my expertise on a telephone, I wouldn’t get an iPhone. So maybe all this customization will go straight over folks’s heads.

When you go away the digicam in its regular settings, every part appears advantageous. Pictures really feel very iPhone-y however for me, every part is simply too washed out and flat. I now use the Gold photographic fashion with the tone setting round -.5, and it appears actually beautiful.

So, for those who take the time to fiddle a bit with the settings, your relationship along with your iPhone digicam might turn out to be very completely different with all the 16 fashions, however for those who’re not , it’ll simply really feel like one other iPhone.

Efficiency

Whereas the iPhone 16 has a really large bump in efficiency, noticing it is likely to be fairly troublesome. What it actually gives 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 assist a 120Hz show. What this implies is that the brand new 3nm chip, the A18, can run large, triple-A console video games in first rate sufficient high quality.

When you’re worrying about Sweet Crush or different informal cellular video games, don’t. You’ll be advantageous. 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 outdated iPhone might do, this may do.

Higher but, the improve means that you may 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 large console video games. They give the impression of being good, and the iPhone doesn’t get as sizzling as you’d anticipate.

Now, as I write this on my 6.1-inch iPhone display screen, I wish 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 large graphics in a tiny bundle, quite than any manner you’d really wish to expertise the environment of Racoon Metropolis or Digital Baghdad.

Battery

All this efficiency doesn’t hurt the battery, both. Because of small battery dimension will increase and maybe effectivity features, the iPhone 16 battery is superb. I cost it at evening whereas I sleep and by no means have any worries when the evening out stretches longer than anticipated. That’s ok, proper?

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

By way of charging speeds, the iPhone 16 is first rate sufficient, juicing from flat to 100% in round one hour and 45 minutes, or a bit longer for those who’re wi-fi. That’s nowhere close to the speeds of Android alternate options from the likes of Xiaomi and Honor, nevertheless it’s first rate for iPhone and means you will get a 25% enhance 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 improper with it. There’s extra it might do, certain, however there’s nothing extra I want it to do. On a primary day-to-day stage, it appears nice, performs with no hitch, takes good photographs, 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.

An important query, maybe, is: do you have to purchase it? I might say an improve to the iPhone 16 may be very worthwhile for anybody on a 13 or earlier, particularly for those who really feel like that telephone is struggling. Any earlier Professional customers are sure to note the refresh fee distinction, however anybody else can be completely satisfied.

However, whereas it appears a bit completely different, it’s not that completely different from the final era. Somewhat, it’s fairly like the brand new Apple Watch. It feels just like the near-perfect model of a type issue and concept Apple has labored with because the iPhone X. Maybe the iPhone will take one other shift sooner or later, however who is aware of? Perhaps telephones now are simply instruments that put on out and we change. And if yours wants changing, this is a superb system to exchange it with. There’s nothing improper, however there’s additionally no actual surprises, which is gorgeous, if not particular.

Options

If our iPhone 16 overview hasn’t bought you on the Apple flagship, take a look at our solutions for alternate options under.

Google Pixel 9

If you would like AI proper now, Android is the best way to go. Google’s Pixel 9 is nice, the photographs are good, and the efficiency is first rate sufficient. And given it prices the identical quantity and has long-term software program updates, the choice is, effectively, all the way down to desire. Not less than it doesn’t wobble when laid down on a desk; maybe that’s sufficient of a cause.

Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is a bit higher and a bit worse than the Pixel 9, nevertheless it’s a worthy different all the identical. Whereas if you need Android and its AI integration to really feel totally full, Pixel is the best way 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. Normally, smartphones are converging, so that you’re not shedding out an excessive amount of regardless of the place you go. For extra on this one, take a look at our Samsung Galaxy S24 overview.