Source: iPhone 16 Review: Blurs the Line Between Entry-Level and Pro
Review by Antonio Villas-Boas; edited by John Lynch Oct 12, 2024, 2:01 AM GMT+7
It would be tough for Apple to match the iPhone 15’s sheer number of year-over-year upgrades in the iPhone 16. Yet, the iPhone 16’s list of upgrades isn’t too far off, and it puts on an excellent show.
Premium features once exclusive to the iPhone Pro models continue to trickle down, like the Action button, macro photography, and ray tracing for games. Apple also gave the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus new features and improvements, like the new Camera Control button and faster MagSafe charging. All iPhone 16 users, not just iPhone 16 Pro owners, will also have access to Apple Intelligence features when they roll out in October.
Add a sprinkle of incredible performance that exceeds expectations, an improved ultrawide camera, and Photographic Styles you can add after taking a shot, and the base iPhone 16 models are remarkable devices that continue to blur the line between the entry-level and Pro options.
Apple spoils the mood with the iPhone 16’s outdated 60Hz display, as high-refresh-rate displays remain an iPhone Pro feature for now. You also won’t find a dedicated zoom camera or the more powerful A18 Pro processor in the base iPhone 16 models, but that’s understandable. Either way, Apple is on a roll, and the base iPhone 16 models are well worth your consideration.
Note: Our review covers both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, as both share the same performance and features except for display size and battery life. We updated our original review with additional impressions and testing results. We tested the iPhone 16 in Pink and the iPhone 16 Plus in Ultramarine.
Apple iPhone 16
Apple iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus
Apple’s latest entry-level phones, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, are set to run the company’s new AI suite, Apple Intelligence, and boast some hardware upgrades like useful new buttons and a new-generation processor.
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What we like
Pro features like the Camera Control and Action buttons
Runs Apple Intelligence on a new-generation processor
Redesigned and improved camera system
Stronger Ceramic Shield display with new-low brightness
What we don’t like
Outdated 60Hz display refresh rate
Lacks a dedicated optical zoom lens
Specifics
Processor:
Apple A18
Release date:
September 2024
Rear cameras:
48MP main, 12MP ultrawide
Storage:
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Design: Refined, with useful new buttons
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have a similar design to the iPhone 15. However, the camera island on the back is now a pill-shaped, two-lens oval reminiscent of the iPhone X and iPhone XS. This lens alignment allows the iPhone 16 to shoot stereoscopic spatial videos that would be ideal for viewing with the Apple Vision Pro VR/AR headset.
The iPhone 16 Plus in pink and iPhone 15 Plus in blue side by side laying face down against a glass table.
The iPhone 16 (Plus, left) has the new Camera Control button, Action button, and new camera design. Otherwise, it’s very similar to the iPhone 15 (Plus, right). Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Apple introduced two new buttons to the base iPhone 16 models: the Action button that replaces the ring/silent switch (which was trickled down from the Pro models) and a brand new Camera Control button, which can be found across the iPhone 16 series.
The iPhone 16 Plus in pink against a granite background with a focus on the Action button on the left edge.
The Action button trickled down from the iPhone 15 Pro models. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The Action button is a shortcut to useful functions and features, like toggling the flashlight or a Focus mode that limits distractions. With iOS 18, Apple added in-app functionality to the Shortcuts app for the Action button, like unlocking your car remotely from your carmaker’s app.
It’s more useful than the old Silent Mode switch, and I’m glad it’s on the base iPhone 16, but I wish the button were more prominent to find by feel, as I often mistake it for the volume-up button. In its current iteration, the Action button also supports only a single press, which feels like a lost potential — it could do numerous Actions if it also supported long presses or multiple presses.
I’ve seen evidence in forums like Reddit where the Action button could perform multiple functions with various press combinations using the Shortcuts app, so it is possible. However, using the Shortcuts app to give the Action button multiple functions is infinitely more complex than a simple option provided by Apple.
The iPhone 16 Plus in pink held in a hand against a granite background with a focus on the Camera Control button.
The Camera Control button is on the bottom right edge of the iPhone 16 series. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The Camera Control is a physical button with a capacitive sensor that supports various combinations of presses, light presses, and swipes when shooting photos or videos. I describe the new Camera Control button in more detail in the cameras section further down.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are available in four new color options for the aluminum frame and frosted glass back, including Teal, Ultramarine, and Pink, with deeper saturation than the iPhone 15 series. There’s also a new white option alongside the usual black colorway. Only the iPhone 16 Pro models sport a titanium frame with more neutral and less colorful options.
As with every new iPhone, the base iPhone 16 models won’t fit older iPhone cases due to its design changes and new buttons. See our guides to the best iPhone 16 cases and best iPhone 16 Plus cases for our vetted top options.
Apple Intelligence: Not fully available until October
Apple Intelligence is the biggest software upgrade in the iPhone 16; it’s also supported on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. Yet, Apple Intelligence won’t be widely available if you get an iPhone 16 before October’s iOS 18.1 release.
It’s possible to try it out in the iOS 18.1 developer beta, but developer betas don’t accurately represent a finished product (even less so than a public beta). Although we have been testing it with an iPhone 15 Pro, we can’t definitively comment on Apple Intelligence at the time of writing — we’ll update this review after its release. Still, we can at least give an idea of what’s coming.
Apple executive Craig Federighi presenting Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024
Apple is betting on Apple Intelligence, revealed in June, to boost iPhone sales. Apple
Apple Intelligence introduces several new AI-powered features, like dramatic improvements to Siri’s helpfulness. A major theme is simplifying common tasks by eliminating a few screen taps and reducing the need to switch between apps as often. For example, you can ask Siri to play a song when someone shares a new song name in Messages, and the song will start playing in Apple Music. You can also ask Siri to send a photo to a contact, and it’ll do so automatically in the Messages app.
Siri will also be able to use data in your iPhone to answer questions, like the name of a TV show a friend mentioned a while ago in a Messages conversation or the name of a person you met on a certain day if you had a calendar entry for that meeting.
Siri with Apple Intelligence will also understand whether you’ve fumbled your words during a request, and it’ll let you complete your request without starting over again. You’ll also be able to type to Siri if speaking out loud isn’t possible or appropriate.
Apple Intelligence will also include various text-based AI features, like summarizing notes and emails, and turning short-hand notes into complete sentences. There will also be photo-based features, like finding photos from a textual description and collecting photos that match a description into an album or storyline.
Performance: Exceeding expectations
The iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 16 Plus showing results from a benchmark test on their screens, laying on a wooden desk.
The iPhone 15 (left) is still powerful, but the iPhone 16 (right) is in a different league, at least in benchmark results. The results here are shown on the Plus models. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Apple is using its latest A18 processor for the base iPhone 16 models after repurposing older processors in the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15. The iPhone 16 Pro models run on Apple’s more powerful A18 Pro processor, so there’s still variance between the base and Pro models.
Even though the A18 Pro processor is more powerful than the A18 in every respect, I wouldn’t worry one bit. The iPhone 16’s performance, which we tested with the iPhone 16 Plus, is easily strong enough for most users to run apps and games. In fact, its benchmark scores leave the iPhone 15 utterly in the dust, with even higher results we’d expect from a two-generation leap from the A16 to the A18 processors.
Specifically for gaming, the A18 processor is powerful enough to support AAA game titles previously exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro models. Plus, the iPhone 16 is the first base model iPhone to support ray tracing for better lighting graphics. It’s great that ray tracing is available across the iPhone 16 lineup, as lighting quality can improve the overall look of a game if it supports ray tracing.
A screenshot taken on the iPhone 16 Plus of the “War Thunder” game with ray tracing disabled.
A screenshot of “War Thunder” with ray tracing disabled. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
A screenshot taken on the iPhone 16 Plus of the “War Thunder” game with ray tracing enabled.
A screenshot of “War Thunder” with ray tracing enabled. It looks the same, and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if it weren’t for the timer in the center top. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
However, ray tracing doesn’t necessarily make a game more enjoyable, and it’s not a reason to upgrade on its own. It also might not even be noticeable. I tried ray tracing with “War Thunder,” which Apple showcased during its iPhone launch event, and I honestly can’t tell the difference when I enabled it.
Apple also improved thermal dissipation in the iPhone 16 to maintain smooth performance during longer gaming sessions. We saw a significant 15% improvement relative to the base iPhone 15 in sustained performance in the 20-minute 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test, which falls within Apple’s “up to 30%” claim. Since heat is transferred more efficiently from the A18 processor to the phone’s exterior, the iPhone 16 feels hotter during longer gaming sessions. Some people find hot phones uncomfortable, but without fans to blow heat away from the phone’s exterior, it’s simply part of gaming on all phones, not just iPhones.
While the iPhone 16 Pro running the A18 Pro processor is more powerful, it’s likely you’ll only see and feel the benefits while gaming and other graphic-intensive apps, as it supports faster ray tracing for even better lighting quality and includes an extra graphics core. Apple Intelligence could also be faster thanks to additional components in the A18 Pro processor — something we’ll test when Apple Intelligence rolls out in October.
Display: Down to new lows, in a good way
The iPhone 16 in blue and iPhone 16 Plus in pink laying on a crossed strap surface.
The iPhone 16 (left) and iPhone 16 Plus (right) have bright displays that make easy work of bright conditions. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The iPhone 16’s display can reach up to 2,000 nits brightness, just like the iPhone 15, for easy visibility in super bright conditions like direct sunlight. However, it can also dim to 1 nit, which is noticeably dimmer than previous iPhones and more comfortable on the eyes in a dark room.
The iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 15 Plus side by side showing a web page with their minimum brightness in a dark room.
The iPhone 16 display (left) dims to 1 nit brightness, which is dimmer than the iPhone 15 display (right). Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Apple also upgraded the iPhone 16’s screen to a stronger second-generation Ceramic Shield glass that it claims is 50% tougher than the original Ceramic Shield glass introduced with the iPhone 12 series.
We haven’t tested the claim on our iPhone review units, but improvements are always welcome, even if you maintain your iPhone screen in perfect condition.
I can attest that the original Ceramic Shield glass from previous iPhones is incredibly strong and resistant to scratches, but I also know they’re not indestructible. I haven’t experienced a scratch or crack on the last few iPhones I’ve used, each for a full year without a screen protector. Yet, my wife’s iPhone with the original Ceramic Shield glass has suffered many scratches and cracks, even in a case (no screen protector). So, again, any improvement is welcome.
I’d recommend using a screen protector regardless of Apple’s claims on the display’s durability — check our guide to the best iPhone 16 screen protectors for top options. I’m personally going to start using one after accidentally scratching the display on a different phone from a different company.
Using the iPhone 14’s 60Hz display (left) and iPhone 14 Pro’s 120Hz display (right) as a particularly illustrative example. The discrepancy is not as bad in real-time compared to this slow-motion GIF, but it’s certainly noticeable. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
These are nice upgrades, but the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus displays still run at an antiquated 60Hz refresh rate rather than 120Hz, like the iPhone 16 Pro models and all Pro iPhones since the iPhone 13 series.
There is an undeniable difference between 60Hz and 120Hz. Animations are much smoother at 120Hz, and certain games that support 120 frames per second (fps) can run more smoothly, too. By comparison, animations on a 60Hz display look choppy, giving the impression that the phone’s performance is slow, which absolutely isn’t the case with the iPhone 16.
To be fair, 120Hz is a visual upgrade more than anything, as it doesn’t meaningfully improve functionality. Still, it has a considerable impact on how premium the device feels, and it meaningfully improves the experience of using a phone, whether just scrolling through social media or playing a game. I expect a higher refresh rate on a premium device that starts at $800, and I don’t believe it should be a feature that separates base iPhone models from Pro models anymore. In 2024, even solid budget Android phones that cost as low as $300 have 120Hz refresh rates, like Motorola’s latest Moto G Power.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have the same 6.1 and 6.7-inch displays, respectively, as previous iPhones since the iPhone 14 generation. Only the iPhone 16 Pro models have new larger screen sizes, with 6.3 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro, and 6.9 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Cameras: Better ultrawide photos and new macro shots
Every camera spec Apple makes available suggests the iPhone 16’s 48MP main camera is identical to the iPhone 15’s. By renaming the iPhone 16’s 48MP camera to a Fusion camera, Apple is highlighting the 2x optical-quality zoom option — a feature that also existed in the iPhone 15.
The iPhone 16’s Fusion camera also powers the latest generation of Photographic Styles, essentially high-quality filters that adjust tint and hue with contextual awareness. For example, a vibrant style might deeply saturate colors, but it’ll do so more mildly for faces. There are 11 new styles and enhanced controls to adjust each style to your desired look. The best part of this upgrade is that you can add and adjust Photographic Styles after you take a photo with the iPhone 16 (it won’t work with photos from older iPhones).
A photo of a stream taken with the iPhone 16 Plus’ main camera.
The iPhone 16 takes great photos, even if it’s not much of an upgrade from the iPhone 15 series. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Otherwise, photos taken with the iPhone 16’s main 48MP camera look just as good as those taken with the iPhone 15’s, and there’s no perceivable difference or improvement here. The iPhone 16’s improved cameras become more appreciable if you have an iPhone 12 or older.
Like the iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 can take 2x zoom photos at full optical quality without downgrading to digital zooming. It’s made possible by cropping out the middle 12MP of the 48MP camera rather than adding a dedicated zoom camera to the iPhone 16. The 2x zoom isn’t as extensive as the 5x zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro models, but it’s still a nice option to get a little closer to subjects.
An ultrawide photo taken with the iPhone 16 Plus in the dark.
The iPhone 16’s new ultrawide camera has better performance in low light. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The iPhone 16 has a new ultrawide camera that can capture more light than previous iPhones, and it’s mostly noticeable in low-light shots. Still, it also helps with shots taken during the day, too.
The new ultrawide camera also comes with autofocus. That’s great, but I must say I’ve never had any focusing issues when using the ultrawide camera on previous base iPhones, and I don’t see much of a difference in terms of focus in the iPhone 16’s ultrawide camera.
A macro photo of a yellow flower taken with the iPhone 16 Plus.
Macro photography is a new feature trickled down from iPhone Pro models. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
A macro photo of a white flower with yellow center taken with the iPhone 16 Plus.
The iPhone 16 takes excellent macro photos. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
With that said, autofocus helps enable macro photography, which is a new option in the iPhone 16. It’s remarkably good and lets you get incredibly close to subjects while capturing loads of detail. It’s a great option to have if you like taking macro shots, or wish you could take them with a base iPhone.
Apple claimed that the iPhone 16 series essentially has four cameras, and that’s hard to dispute. With 2x optical-quality zoom and the new macro photography mode, you could indeed say the dual-lens camera on the iPhone 16 is closer to a quad-lens camera.
The cameras on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus against a strappy background.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The new vertical alignment of the main and ultrawide cameras enables the iPhone 16 to take spatial photos and videos for the first time in a base iPhone model. We haven’t tried viewing spatial photos and videos in Apple’s Vision Pro headset, or other supporting VR headset like the Meta Quest, but spatial photos and videos supposedly have a 3D effect where subjects pop out slightly against the background. Taking spatial photos and videos only matters if you or anyone else you share photos and videos with owns an Apple Vision Pro or other supporting headset.
Another upgrade in the iPhone 16’s camera we haven’t seen before is an anti-reflective coating to deal with lens glare at certain angles from light sources. We still need more time to test the anti-reflective coating, and we’ll update this review when we have the results.
Camera Control is useful as a shortcut to the Camera app. It can also be used to quickly snap a photo or start a video recording.
A hand holding the iPhone 16 Plus with a thumb on the Camera Control button taking a photo of a small bridge.
It’s easier to use the Camera Control button with one hand when holding the phone vertically. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The Camera Control button also offers a shortcut for camera functions, like depth, exposure, zoom, and switching Photographic Style and Tones. However, it’s best used to access those functions when holding the phone with two hands — adjusting exposure or zoom is an awkward affair when holding the iPhone with one hand, whether you’re it horizontally or vertically.
It certainly needs some acclimation, but thanks to the intuitive interface and haptic feedback, it becomes second nature very quickly.
Still, it mostly feels merely like another way of controlling most functions, like exposure or Tones, rather than a meaningful shortcut. The best function in Camera Control is zoom, which is noticeably easier and more precise than doing the pinching gesture on the display.
A hand holding the iPhone 16 Plus in the horizontal position with the Camera Control interface visible.
Using the Camera Control button when holding the iPhone 16 horizontally doesn’t feel secure. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Here’s a rundown of what the Camera Control button does:
A simple press opens the camera app.
A second press takes a photo.
A long press while in the camera app starts a video recording.
A light press while in the camera app reveals zoom control by default.
Swiping back and forth along the button adjusts the zoom level.
You can change the light press’s function by double-light-pressing the button and swiping to other controls, such as depth, exposure, camera switching, Photographic Styles, and Tone.
The iPhone 16 remembers which control you last used, so you can quickly adjust it.
A hand holding the iPhone 16 Plus showing an awkward position for the thumb while using Camera Control.
The Camera Control button is quite far down the right edge, and my thumb needs to bend awkwardly to swipe down. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
I’m pleasantly surprised it’s included in the base iPhone 16 models. Apple could have made it an iPhone 16 Pro exclusive like the Action button was in the iPhone 15 series. Yet, the company decided to extend the updated functionality to the base iPhone 16 models, and that’s always appreciated.
Battery life and charging: Promised improvements fall flat
Apple added larger batteries to the entire iPhone 16 lineup, but our battery testing shows lower scores compared to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
The iPhone 16 finished our test with 65% remaining compared to the iPhone 15’s 66% result. The iPhone 16 Plus finished the test with 70% remaining, while the iPhone 15 Plus scored 73%.
These are still excellent, class-leading scores, but we expected better results, even if marginal. Still, we plan to test battery life further for a future update in order to see if things improve.
Our battery test simulates heavy and light usage with three hours of screen-on time. To mimic heavy use, we ran the Geekbench 6 CPU test five times and the 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test twice. To replicate lighter use, we streamed a YouTube video for two hours and streamed music for one hour with a Bluetooth speaker. We feel this test reflects typical usage rather than a battery test performed on a single task, like playing a video from the phone’s storage.
New for the iPhone 16 is faster 25W MagSafe charging with the new MagSafe charger compared to the 15W speeds with the original. That’s about as fast as wired charging with the USB-C port, as Apple states both wired and the upgraded MagSafe charging charges the iPhone 16 to 50% in 30 minutes (35 minutes for the iPhone 16 Plus). Parity between wired and wireless charging means you can now get quick battery top-ups with either charging method, not just wired charging.
The bottom edge of the iPhone 16 Plus in pink held in a hand against a granite background.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus support the new faster 25W MagSafe charging, which is about the same speed as wired charging. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Apple recommends a charger with at least 20W output for wired charging and at least 30W for upgraded MagSafe charging. Apple doesn’t include a charger with the iPhone 16, so check out the best iPhone USB-C chargers you can buy.
Apple didn’t upgrade the iPhone 16’s USB-C port to support faster transfer speeds, and it’s still limited to USB 2 speeds, which is slow by today’s standards but not a dealbreaker. It’s still acceptable if you’re transferring smaller files, like a few photos, but it would be nice to have the iPhone 16 Pro’s USB 3 speeds for larger files, like 4K videos.
Should you buy the iPhone 16?
The iPhone 16 Plus in pink held in a hand against a granite background showing its back.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are excellent phones, and anyone with an iPhone 14 or older will have reason to upgrade, especially with Apple and carrier trade-in deals. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus come with several key upgrades that make them the best iPhones released to date as entry-level options. These include the Action Button, the Camera Control button, the new-generation A18 processor, an improved ultrawide camera, macro photography, and a strengthened display that gets super dim. In October, Apple Intelligence will join the mix.
With a solid trade-in offer from Apple or your carrier, the cost of upgrading can be low these days. With that in mind, the iPhone 16 makes a tempting case to upgrade if you have an iPhone 14 or older, with the list of reasons to upgrade getting longer with older iPhones.
However, if you typically get your phones at full price and you’re not necessarily looking to spend the money, you’re not missing out on a revolutionary experience, and you can wait until you become unhappy with your current iPhone.