Apple iPhone 16 Review: New buttons, colors, and platform

The distinction between normal iPhones and Pro versions is becoming increasingly blurred, with the base iPhone 16 being a strong choice that combines price with a lot of newness. The variety of available colors, including some astonishingly vivid possibilities, give a wonderful first impression, and the speed of Apple’s A18 platform, combined with two superb cameras and a completely new Camera Control button, make the iPhone 16 an ideal alternative for those who do not want a Pro model.

Apple’s marketing campaign for the iPhone 16 concentrates primarily on the arrival of Apple Intelligence, but I would argue that it isn’t the reason to upgrade – at least not in its current incarnation. Instead, it’s other minor but significant upgrades that define the iPhone 16; elements such as the Action Button and Camera Controls add something new, and the two-generation jump in processing power to the Apple A18 allows the regular iPhone to play AAA games that were previously exclusive to Pro-level iPhones.

It’s still not the perfect iPhone – I can’t believe the premium phone’s screen is still limited to 60Hz in 2024, and I’d like a dedicated telephoto lens on a phone this price – but I believe the iPhone 16 has a lot to offer the vast majority of older iPhone owners looking for an upgrade.

IPHONE 16 KEY FEATURE

The Apple iPhone 16 (named after the series) bridges the gap between vanilla and Pro models by bringing a refined design, faster hardware, greater networking and charging, and camera upgrades. Apple has released a next generation chip, the A18. It includes a new, more powerful processor, far more advanced graphics than the A16 in the iPhone 15, better memory bandwidth for AI workloads, and 8GB of RAM, like with the Pro models.

The new iPhone 16 is once again a sturdiness pioneer, thanks to enhanced Ceramic Shield glass, and it maintains the expanded IP68 designation for up to 6m of submersion. It also features the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with exceptional brightness, HDR10, and Dolby Vision.

The dual camera on the rear has undergone various adjustments. The 48MP primary camera features sensor-shift stabilization and Fusion capabilities, allowing for increased 2x in-sensor zoom (better than the iPhone 15). Then there’s an updated ultrawide camera with a brighter aperture lens and autofocus for excellent macro shots. Finally, the new Tone setting lets you fine-tune the iPhone’s camera tonal processing to better suit your preferences.

If you use the new MagSafe charger and a 30W+ power adapter, you can get up to 25W of wireless charging on the iPhone 16. The iPhone 16 runs iOS 18 and fully supports Apple Intelligence, which has yet to be launched. Apple has maintained its 60Hz panel refresh rate for another year. The robust technology beneath the hood has once again transformed the cheapest new iPhone into a superb gaming machine, with a consistent 60fps sounding sufficient.

We will not defend Apple’s use of the normal refresh rate, thus that is an immediate CON for us. Aside from that, the iPhone 16 is shaping up to be one of the most popular small phones this season.

IPHONE 16 UNBOXING

The iPhone 16’s retail bundle includes a braided USB-C cable and a SIM ejection tool, as is standard nowadays.

Even if the paperwork is still present, there is no longer a paper container. In contrast, the Apple sticker has been removed.

CAMERA

With the iPhone 16 series, Apple has focused on leveling the playing field and narrowing the gap between non-Pros and Pros. That trend is obvious with the cameras, as evidenced by the introduction of Camera Control on all iPhone 16 models.

Of course, what is a camera control without the ability to collect content? Apple’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will have two cameras: a 48-megapixel Fusion and a 12-megapixel ultrawide. Both are similar to the main and ultrawide cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but with improved performance thanks to the A18 chip’s revamped picture pipeline.

Technically, you can photograph at 0.5x ultrawide, 2x telephoto, or 10x digital zoom. It’s not as versatile as the iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max, which both have true optical zoom, but the camera isn’t bad here. Whether I photographed cityscapes, portraits of humans and pets, or mixed lighting at a concert, the iPhone 16 was up to the task.

I particularly enjoy the clarity and depth of detail provided by the iPhone 16’s main camera—the “Fusion” designation is accurate, as it combines every four pixels into one, resulting in 48-megapixel quality in a 24-megapixel default-size image.

You can shoot at 48 megapixels, but if you choose the 128GB storage option, you might want to save it for unique images. The 24-megapixel images, shown below, are detailed and particularly adept at creating a realistic bokeh around objects.

I also appreciate that the iPhone 16 performs somewhat better than the iPhone 15 and significantly better than prior generations in terms of handling light flares at night, thanks to a new anti-reflective coating. You can also get closer without physically moving by selecting the 2x telephoto option, which essentially zooms in on the 48-megapixel full-size sensor. It’s a fantastic method to frame portraits or draw attention.

The 12-megapixel ultrawide remains a unique method to frame images and capture a lot of detail without distorting the corners or edges. It has a quicker f/2.2 aperture than last year’s f/2.4 ultrawide, which allows more light to be caught, making it ideal for nighttime shooting.

I especially enjoy how Macro photography is now available on the base model iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. It’s a really enjoyable shooting mode, and I got closer to nature and uncovered hidden components in objects. I also enjoy that you may enable this by default or explicitly.

Overall, the iPhone 16 has a great camera that is enhanced by the Camera Control. It took me a few days to adjust to the new control, including determining how much pressure to apply and discovering that there are hidden options. I’ve gotten used to it, and I appreciate how it’s in a natural posture that allows me to take shots with ease.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

There is something to say about utilizing a smaller-sized phone. While there is no physical difference between the iPhone 15 and this year’s basic model, the iPhone 16 is somewhat lighter at 6 ounces, making the phone easier to operate one-handed. It’s undoubtedly easier to do so than with the larger iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. Apple designed the iPhone 16 using aerospace-grade aluminum, which not only makes it lighter but also more robust.

However, despite Apple’s boasts that the latest-generation Ceramic Shield glass is harder and more robust, my evaluation unit was significantly scratched after only a few times stuffed in my backpack. And this is why I can’t emphasize enough the need of using a screen protector and one of the finest iPhone 16 cases to retain your new phone’s perfect appearance.

Despite this, the iPhone 16 is a far more fashionable phone than the iPhone 16 Pros, which is a bummer because I’d love to see these bolder colors on the Pro models. I especially enjoy how the color-infused back glass on my ultramarine colorway review unit stands out at exactly the right angle, and minor things like the outline color of the rear cameras provide a dramatic contrast as an accent color.

Speaking of cameras, the iPhone 16 features a number of fresh design modifications. Instead of the diagonal configuration used for the previous three years, the series has been reverted to a vertical arrangement to accommodate spatial video and photo capture. Other new design elements include the Action Button on the left side of the phone and the Camera Control on the right. Finally, the USB-C port on the bottom of the iPhone 16 remains stuck at the slower USB 2.0 rates afforded by the iPhone 15.

Nonetheless, the addition of these functions, together with its appealing looks, enhances the iPhone 16 design while also closing the functional gap between it and the iPhone 16 Pro. In contrast to the iPhone 16 Pro, the new iPhone 16 retains the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with a resolution of 2,556 x 1,179 pixels. Also, the same cutout near the top for its Dynamic Island remains constant in size.

Most people won’t notice, but I’ve observed how the quicker 120Hz refresh rate on the cheaper Pixel 8a smoothes out motion, making action sequences appear more fluid. The iPhone 16 lacks the slick-smoothing animation that other phones offer due to its 60Hz display.

Putting the iPhone 16 through Tom’s Guide’s display benchmark test, Apple’s latest phone falls short at 1,348 nits, compared to the iPhone 15’s 1,401 nits. It’s not a huge difference, but given that Apple promises up to a 3,000 nit rating, I was hoping for some improvement in this area.

Despite this, I believe that none of this has an impact on the iPhone 16’s outside screen visibility. It’s usable, but it would benefit from some shade with my hand outside.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

Apple has (rightfully) eliminated the generation-wide chipset split with this year’s iPhone 16 lineup, after delivering the iPhone 15 with the year-old 4nm A16 Bionic and the iPhone 15 Pro models with the new 3nm A17 Pro. This time around, both the normal and Pro models have a 3nm A18 chipset, while the Pro models get the A18 Pro, which has somewhat better performance.

However, don’t be fooled by the ‘Pro’ tag; the standard iPhone 16 is a competent small smartphone that trails the iPhone 16 Pro Max by slightly in benchmark tests. Consider the CPU-focused Geekbench 6: the top-end Pro iPhone scored 8167 on the multi-core test, while the iPhone 16 scored 8027.

However, higher GPU scores from tests such as Wildlife Extreme indicate that the Pro model has a little more graphical power for gaming and artistic tasks.

Overall, benchmark results appear to show that the two chipsets are comparable, which is good news for potential iPhone 16 customers. It effectively implies that you don’t need Pro-level iPhones to achieve excellent everyday performance, and aside from the 60Hz refresh rate, which limits frame rate to 60fps, it also performs well when gaming.

The phone takes a long time to get even mildly hot to the touch, and I haven’t seen any throttling when playing simple games like Stardew Valley – though I expect Genshin Impact, with all of its high-end graphics activated, would put the A18 chipset to the test.

It’s also comfortably ahead of the most capable smartphones on the Android market, with our highest-scoring Android smartphone of the year, the RedMagic 9s Pro, trailing in key CPU and GPU benchmark tests – though the new Snapdragon 8 Elite, the likely chipset of choice for late 2024 and early 2025 flagships, outperforms the A18 and 18 Pro.

Still, there’s a lot of processing power for the money here, especially when compared to other smartphones in the £799/$799 bracket. Other features include support for tri-band Wi-Fi 7, which is a useful upgrade from last year’s dual-band Wi-Fi 6 for those with a Wi-Fi 7 network, as well as the same Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, UWB, and satellite connectivity as its predecessor – though an iOS 18 update allows you to use the latter to send messages and contact emergency services in an emergency.

Buy it if...

• Subtle makeover, most noticeable around the new camera island.
• Excellent build quality, up to 6m of water resistance, and industry-leading scratch and shatter resistance on the front glass.
• The OLED screen is quite bright, including HDR10 and Dolby Vision.
• Battery life is adequate given its size.
• Excellent speaker quality.
• Excellent all-around performance.
• Excellent photo and video quality across all three cameras. The autofocus on the ultrawide is very useful, and the new Camera Control is fantastic.
• Every iPhone includes at least five years of iOS updates.

Don't buy it if…

• Significantly more pricey than comparable Android solutions.
• The display is 60Hz, there is no Always On option, and the bezels are bigger than on Pro models.
• There is no charger in the box, and charging is not particularly fast.
• Apple’s iOS restrictions can be discouraging to newbies to the ecosystem.
• There’s no dedicated telephoto camera.

FULL SPECIFICATION