A great, big iPhone
The iPhone 16 Plus is n’t the upright iPhone , but I can still well recommend it to someone who need a big iPhone that ’ll last a long time .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The iPhone 16 Plus is all about one thing – Apple Intelligence .
Typically Apple hype up a novel iPhone release with hefty claims about the photographic camera , performance and an improved design . But this clock time around , the firm ’s first attempt at AI software package takes top billing .
As with the otheriPhone 16models , Apple Intelligence is n’t a reason to upgrade – yet . However , there are plenty of other exciting feature here , from a faster potato chip to the same Camera Control button find on theiPhone 16 Pro .
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Is the iPhone 16 Plus thebest iPhonefor you ? I ’ve spend the last month thoroughly testing it to find out .
Design
There are two new additions to the iPhone 16 Plus design – the Action Button andCamera Control . One is wholly novel , while the other has made its way across from the Pro iPhones .
I ’ll take off with the more interesting of the two , and that ’s Camera Control . First , it ’s great to see Apple bring young feature to the entire range , rather than starting off on the pricier Pro and then drip - feeding it down the mountain range . Camera Control feels truly new , and it ’s great all vendee get to experience that .
Camera Control is a oral contraceptive - mold release just below the power key . It ’s a real physical button that moves when pressed . But it ’s also got a capacitive domiciliation over it so it can respond to both pressing and gestures .
One press launch the photographic camera , another claim a photo and a foresightful press commencement transcription video . They ’re simple skill . thing get a little more complicated with the gestures . When you ’re in the camera , a lighter wardrobe opens a setting menu , which you’re able to cabbage through with a flick . It ’s quite a sly skill to master , and even after a few weeks , I shinny to use it efficaciously .
Camera Control is hit - and - miss . I wish get ready admittance to the television camera from anywhere . Plus , taking a photo without touching the screen is a fillip . However , the implementation is a little , well , half - adust . You ca n’t press the clit gently to focalise and the location of the button is just a little off . It does n’t sit where my finger would reside when taking both landscape and portrait photos and requires awkward maneuverability .
The 2nd new push button is the Action Button . This is far more canonic , acting as an extra shortcut tonality that can be allot to various action , like turning on the flashlight or flipping between Focus modes . The Action Button has replaced the old unspoken permutation , although you’re able to set it to execute the same mathematical function .
I ’d bonk it if you could add multiple office to the button . Having one action mechanism for a single military press , and another for a double or triple press should be the next step .
Additional key aside , the iPhone 16 Plus is familiar – even to those who have n’t elevate in several class . The sides and back are flat , the corner round and the television camera array still quite subtle . It ’s constructed from aluminium , with a nice fingerprint - resistant finish on the back .
Like previous iPhones , this twist is IP68 - rated for protection from accidental fall in water and hasCeramic Shieldcovering the display . Many will still instantly layer over a sieve defender , but if you ’re careful the screen should stay free of obvious dinks .
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This is the large of the two standard iPhone 16 models . Naturally , it ’s heavy too – 199 g , although this is 2 g lighter than theiPhone 15 Plusand about 30 gigabyte light than the titaniumiPhone 16 Pro Max .
The phone comes in various pastel colours , including Pink , White and Ultramarine . For once , I like all the colours available this year , specially Ultramarine ( pictured ) and the very tasteful Teal .
Screen
If you ’re select between the two big Apple phones this class , then it ’s the silver screen where the Pro Max really tell itself as the ‘ flagship ’ .
While the Pro Max has a slimmer bezel and a larger 6.9 - column inch screen , the Plus remain a 6.7 - inch OLED with the same sized bezel . The Pro also remains the only model with a ProMotion video display , leaving the iPhone 16 Plus with a 60Hz panel .
I hear the same logical argument every twelvemonth . Some say the difference of opinion between 60Hz and 120Hz is paltry . Others say that ifcheap Android phoneslike theMotorola Moto G04can have fast displays , an £ 899/$899 sound should do .
For me , the jump from 60Hz to 120Hz makes a huge deviation . The display on the Pro iPhone is smooth and strike in a more natural way than the iPhone 16 . It ’s far nicer to interact with . It ’s laborious to go back . But , Apple does apply an OLED panel that is of far high-pitched quality than a budget Android , so simply having a 120Hz panel is n’t a complete profits .
I desire this is the last iPhone with a 60Hz panel . ProMotionneeds to no longer be a pro feature , but a standard across the range .
Refresh rate traction apart , the iPhone 16 Plus has a very good display . It can hit 2000 nits of peak brightness when it ’s particularly harsh outside and the 461PPI makes it sharp . There ’s myriad HDR funding too , and the OLED screen does a very good chore of expose high active kitchen stove content with a deft spot .
This larger iPhone 16 manakin is a good choice for watching cognitive content and play , as the extra 0.6 - in of screen real estate makes a big departure . I also see the Dynamic Island less noticeable on a orotund silver screen .
Camera
Both the iPhone 16 and the 16 Plus have the same photographic camera tech , comprising of a 48MP ‘ Fusion ’ camera and a 12MP ultrawide .
That coalition branding is new to this yr ’s iPhone , come to to the 4 - in-1 pixel binning technical school and the power to crop in for a 2x digital rapid climb . These features are n’t fresh to the iPhone 16 , it ’s just a rebrand of the feature set . There ’s still no consecrate rapid growth camera on the iPhone 16 Plus , with that reserved for the Pro series .
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max remain the good picks for overall camera art . Not only for the consecrate 5x zoom lens but for the all-inclusive array of shooting modes and slightly gravid sensors . Saying that , the iPhone 16 Plus is still a very good tv camera earpiece . It captivate reliably excellent shots in all weather , shoots rattling video and is very easy to practice .
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What I make love most about the camera on the standard iPhones is that they ’re reliable , and with the deeper integration of Photographic Styles now you could tweak the colours to your personal preference . choose a warmer range of a function ? Great , you’re able to set that as nonremittal . The same if you want something cooler , or more lucent .
Whether snapping of my dog or an evening walk home from the pub , shots from the iPhone 16 Plus are pack with contingent . The uncloudedness is excellent and the colour are mostly true - to - living .
As Lewis name in his iPhone 16 revaluation , some images can look ever so slightly too saturated – with greens and reds a minuscule too punchy . But it ’s nowhere near what you ’d find oneself from the Samsung Galaxy S25 , and this can be mostly tune out with some fiddle in configurations .
Low light performance is good , although this is where the Pro models stand out . The iPhone 16 Plus also fall below the Pixel 9 Pro ( $ 999/£999 ) in this respect . There ’s a bit more stochasticity here in photos when it ’s darker , and while the lens has an anti - reflective finishing there ’s still pronounced lens burn up when the television camera picks up bright calorie-free sources .
The iPhone 16 Plus is limited when it comes to zoom . The want of a dedicated soar photographic camera think digital zoom is the only selection , and that ’s only really any exercise up to 2x .
you’re able to get a picayune close , just not by much . There is a consecrate ultrawide camera though , which is skillful for landscape shots and agree more into scene . If I had the choice , I would take the soar camera every undivided day .
The selfie camera is unchanged . It ’s still a 12MP drive that eschews many of the ‘ beautifying ’ features discover in much of the competitor . The solution are detailed and innate , but nothing stand out .
telecasting has always been a potent gunpoint of an iPhone and that ’s most definitely the fount here . The iPhone 16 Plus is mile ahead of the Pixel 9 professional with its video . The footage is of course coloured and stabilise without feeling unreal . The iPhone 16 Pro has a few redundant telecasting feature , like ProRes capture and 4K/120fps shot – but for most the stock stage set of feature is more than passable .
Performance
Apple has ditched the slightly misguided generation - broad chipset separate with the iPhone 16 range . Last year the iPhone 15 fare with the year - old 4nmA16 Bionicwhile theiPhone 15 Promodels get the fresh 3 nm A17 Pro . It led to a confusing range of mountains , and I consider damage the iPhone 15 as it made it look inferior than it was .
This clock time around , all the iPhone 16 models have a 3 nm A18 chipset , though the Pro models do get the A18 Pro with slightly boosted performance . Check out ouriPhone 16 Pro reviewfor the full lowdown on that chip .
This remain a supremely adequate to smartphone . In most of my exam , the iPhone 16 Plus stands up well against its pricier Pro sibling – mean you do n’t needfully take to spend more to avoid feel shortchanged .
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There is much unattackable Android contention this year though , with phones like theOnePlus 13andSamsung Galaxy S25packing the Snapdragon 8 Elite . Qualcomm ’s latest check offer tangible competition to Apple ’s performance dominance over the past few years .
The A18 add support forWi - Fi 7 , a welcome upgrade for those who have the correct equipment . I tested this with a Wi - Fi 7 capable router and there are notable improvements over the speed from the iPhone 15 .
There ’s the same Bluetooth 5.3 , NFC , UWB and satellite connectivity as its forerunner . An rising slope in iOS 18 means you could now use the latter to place messages , rather than just call , when in a tricky patch . Storage sizes rest the same , with 128 GB , 256 GB and 512 GB option . 256 GB remains the scented touch , and should really be the base computer memory now .
Software & AI
Apple Intelligenceis the primal feature in all marketing for the iPhone 16 Plus .
This is even though Apple Intelligence launch a few month after the phone ’s initial release , and even in early 2025 it ’s still not available in the EU , China and other regions .
A few updates have passed since the reaching of Apple Intelligence and it rest a mixed bag . This is to be expected for a first - gen product , but it is a big move of Apple to pin much of this sound ’s success on a smattering of software feature that are still uncompleted .
The current survival of the fittest of Apple intelligence skills include common AI features like writing tools to assist you create more refined texts and emails and the power to get rid of subject field from photos .
There are some arrangement skills in the Phone app to mention down incoming voice mail , too . These feature are present on the likes of the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and are n’t that unparalleled .
Of all the Apple Intelligence feature that are uncommitted so far , Notification Summaries is both the one that I regain myself utilising the most and the one that’scaused the most controversy . It attempt to summarise groups of notifications down to their essential meaning , but it ’s very hit - and - miss .
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Sometimes , it ’s great – give you the cliff notes of a huge chemical chain of WhatsApp subject matter so that you may discount them completely or decide to delve . It ’s a voguish thought . Other meter though , it completely missed the period of the conversation , swerving into the realms of bizarre and comical . It really struggle with caustic remark , often strike it to have in mind realism – leaving some quite laughable results in the physical process .
The BBC take note that these Notification Summaries were also twine real - life intelligence , provide up completely wrong interpretations of those Breaking News notification . Apple has since pluck the system , italicize these sum-up and change state them off for news apps .
More forward-looking AI attainment sit within the Image Playground app and the Visual Intelligence feature . Visual Intelligence sits within the camera and boot into life with a farseeing press on the Camera Control .
Here you could search for stuff by taking picture of it . you may also ask questions like ‘ Which celluloid is this scene in ? ’ . Visual Intelligence use ChatGPT for bass knowledge and it does a in effect job of answering material aright . It ’s far from 100 % accurate , but that ’s AI .
I took a picture of a tantrum from Dexter and it accurately secern me the show , and the actor on concealment – but it could n’t specify the installment . In another test , I took depiction of various items around my flatcar ( an inhalator , AirPods , a specific Ikea chair ) and it chance each point and online list for them .
Image Playground is the genAI summation . Inside this app you could utilise Apple Intelligence to create images of people from your Photos , adding novelty facet and put them in various environments . Want a sketch range of your salutary friend wearing a hat and turn on a buck on the moon ? This is the app for you . It ’s playfulness , if a minuscule gimmicky .
It ’s deserving think that Apple Intelligence is still a very young service of process . As a result , not even all the initial promised feature are here . While Siri has a slick new living , its power to interact with what is displayed on the screen is absentminded . I ’d bear loads more , hopefully standout , sport to arrive with iOS 19 too .
AI part apart , Apple ’s iOS 18 update introduces a bevvy of neat change – though these are n’t sole to the iPhone 16 range . There ’s upgraded torch functionality that lets you change the breadth of the brightness level , RCS documentation for messaging Android exploiter and a full far more customisable plate screen experience with the power to tweak icon colours .
Apple ’s impressive tenacious - term software package support is peachy . This will see the sound receive type O upgrades for an elongated period . The iPhone Xs ( from 2018 ) get the iOS 18 update so the 16 Plus will be supported for many years to fare .
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Battery Life
The iPhone 16 Plus is a bully pick for someone who want a phone that can well last the day . It has a bountiful battery than the received iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro and even though does n’t have the Pro ’s LPTO - enabled 120Hz refresh pace provides practiced power efficiency , it ’s not far off the endurance of the Pro Max .
I typically get up at around 8:00 am , habituate the earpiece to bet a podcast while I make a coffee , and contain my commute in Maps . I ’ll answer to texts and morass message , featherbed in believably too much social media and take legion video calls throughout the day – all while connected toAirPodsor a Bluetooth speaker . Before die to bed at midnight . I ’d usually get to the end of the day with around 30 % left in the tank .
This is about 10 - 15 % more than the iPhone 16 and about 5 % less than the Pro Max . If you ’re coming from a modest iPhone , that additional survival is noticeable and very welcome .
Of course , everyone ’s sound use is different . If you make for more game you ’ll see a flying drain and those who seldom open TikTok or Instagram will see more succus left occur the evening .
A full bearing can take around 1 hr and 50 minutes . This is comparable to brands like Google and Samsung , but far below Xiaomi , OnePlus and Oppo . Apple has always focused on battery health over faster charging , and if you only charge at dark you wo n’t notice any slowness .
MagSafe charging is faster now , provide you blame up the new charger . As there ’s no battery charger included with the iPhone , bag a MagSafe cable alongside your purchase is a voguish move .
Should you buy it?
The iPhone 16 Plus is a very proficient , bountiful phone that ’s far more low-priced than the Pro Max . It has a upstanding television camera , great performance and reliable battery life .
The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a far more capable tv camera setup and a more powerful chipset , plus a much better screen with 120Hz ProMotion .
Final Thoughts
If the rumour are to be believed , this could be the final Plus iPhone – with a retooled ‘ iPhone 17 zephyr ’ model make it as a substitution with the iPhone 17 series . If this is the end of the serial , then this stands as a very secure last dancing .
There ’s no getting around the fact that this is n’t a truly exciting earpiece . It lack the stunning cover and triple photographic camera array of theiPhone 16 Pro Max , and the dinky form - factor of the standardiPhone 16 .
In actual use though , I really like it . The screen is peachy for games and video , while the durable soundbox is light , well - fabricate and available in far dainty colours than the Pro . The electric battery life is much better than the standard iPhone 16 and for £ 899/$899 , it ’s £ 300/$300 cheaper than the Pro Max .
The iPhone 16 Plus is n’t thebest iPhone , but I can still easily commend it to someone who want a big iPhone that ’ll last a long prison term .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every wandering phone we review thoroughly . We use diligence - stock tests to equate features properly and we employ the phone as our main twist over the review menstruation . We ’ll always tell you what we find and we never , ever , accept money to go over a ware .
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FAQs
You ’ll get a USB - vitamin C - to - USB - C cable , but no load brick in the modest box .
It ’s both water- and detritus - insubordinate with an IP68 rating .
Test Data
Full Specs
Detail is great
2x zoom at night
2x zoom
Ultrawide
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Detail is great
2x zoom at night
2x zoom
Ultrawide
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