Verdict
It might not be that exciting for iPhone 15 owners , but for older iPhone owner , there ’s a lot to do it about the iPhone 16 experience – it ’s just a shame the screen is still capped at 60Hz .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The AI - powered iPhone is in conclusion here . Well , kind of .
Apple ’s marketing campaign focuses solely on the plus of Apple Intelligence when it come up to the iPhone 16 , but I ’d argue that it ’s notthereason to kick upstairs – not in its current iteration , anyway .
Instead , it ’s other low but meaningful upgrades that make the iPhone 16 what it is ; component like the Action Button and Camera Controls extend something new , and the two - genesis jump in processing power to the Apple A18 allows the regular iPhone to meet the AAA games previously sole to the Pro - level iPhones .
It ’s still not the utter iPhone – I ca n’t believe that the agio phone ’s concealment is still cap at 60Hz in 2024 , and I ’d also like a dedicated telephotograph lens on a phone of this price – but I cogitate that , for the huge majority of erstwhile iPhone owner looking for an rise , there ’s a destiny to like about the iPhone 16 .
Design
The iPhone 16 is in all likelihood well key out as young , but very familiar . While on the open it looks almost identical to the iPhones that came before it , particularly theiPhone 15 , there are some welcome ascent here .
First up , we ’ve got theAction Buttonfirst introduced on theiPhone 15 Pro serieslast year . It was always suspect that the regular models would get the handy programmable button this year , but it ’s nice to see that it ’s not actually being gatekept by Apple for the more exchange premium models .
I lament the loss of the volume Pseudemys scripta ab initio , but I ’ve leant into the customisable nature of the Action Button with the iPhone 16 . I ’ve break down between a few different configurations – see my smart home apps , activating a ChatGPT voice conversation , accessing WhatsApp – and never get blase of bump off that release . It takes a bit of experiment to work out on the button what you want it to do , but it ’s well deserving having .
The 2nd new feature is one I ’m pretty surprised about : the all - newCamera Control clit , found on the bottom right field of the side of the speech sound . Like the Action Button , I amply expected the Camera Control to be single to the tv camera - focused Pro model , but I was sunnily surprised to see that I was wrong .
However , having used the Camera Control clitoris , I ’m not all that emotional by it . Yes , it provides a ready to hand way to access your tv camera app , but the ghost and swipe capabilities are fiddly , to say the least . In my experience , it takes more clock time to use the Camera Control to switch cameras or line up zoom than it in reality would just tapping on the screen .
The amount of pressure you take to in reality demoralize the clit is more than have a bun in the oven too – so much so that I often get my phone shake slenderly when I urge the clit .
I ’d have much prefer a duple - pressing button for focus and becharm without that excessive force call for for a press . That ’s what you ’ll get on much every digital camera and even camera - focused phones like theSony Xperia 1 VI , and there ’s a good reasonableness why : it just act .
I ’ve also notice that the Camera Control push button does n’t sit where my finger would rest when taking both landscape and portrait photos , leave me the selection of awkwardly reaching for the button to catch or rethink how I hold up my iPhone . Neither are idealistic option .
Elsewhere , it ’s business as common with the iPhone 16 ; it ’s the lightest smartphone in the range at 170 g , a exclusive g lighter than its predecessor , and it ’s fairly compact at 7.8 millimeter thick . It sports that straight off recognisable iPhone aesthetic , with flat boundary and rounded corners , though with a rejigged vertically - aligned camera housing to improve spacial video recording capture .
It also hail in its signature scope of smart colour choice , include Pink , Teal and Ultramarine this year , complete with a nice lustrelessness finish that both provides a decent tactile feel in the hired hand and massively belie fingerprint and smudges compare to glossy opposite number .
Oh , and protection in the form of IP68 dust and pee resistance and Apple ’s Ceramic Shield glass protection engineering also make a return for this year ’s iPhone .
Screen
Unlike the iPhone 16 Pro series which benefits from smaller bezels and a slender boost to overall screen size , the iPhone 16 ’s 6.1 - inch Super Retina XDR exhibit continue pretty much identical to that of its precursor .
You ’ll find the same 2000 nit peak luminosity , backup for HDR10 and Dolby Vision content and the same fairly pixel - heavy screen at 461ppi . That might sound like a bit of a disappointment , but it is n’t really .
As with last class ’s entry - level iPhone , the iPhone 16 continues to deliver an impressive sieve experience . The OLED screen tech lends itself well to both motion-picture show watching and stake with its vibrant shades of colour and inky Shirley Temple , and it ’s more than bright enough to be used outdoors without trace for shade .
The bezels , though unchanged , do face a little heavyset when compare to the almost impossibly thin bezel of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max , but I do n’t cogitate it ’s a big issue for potential buyers . It ’s not like they ’re as thick as those you ’d find on cheaper earpiece .
Instead , the one dealbreaker for me , as usual with my iPhone reviews , is the 60Hz refresh rate . It has been a sticking point for quite some sentence now ; not only has the boosted 120Hz refresh rate been a staple of the Pro - level iPhones since 2021 , but you may now get cheap Android phones like theMotorola Moto G04that cost £ 89 while still extend a fast 90Hz refresh pace .
Many out there argue that there ’s no difference , and reckon at a static screenland , I ’d match .
However , as before long as there ’s some movement introduce , whether that ’s scrolling through an app or but the vitality when scuttle and closing apps , it becomes instantly obtrusive . There ’s a slight stutter , not because of a lack of processing exponent , but because the phone ca n’t display animation at more than 60fps .
Most of my other tech boasts a 120Hz refresh charge per unit ( or higher , in the cause of mygaming laptop computer ) and it may well be that I ’ve got enough frame of reference point to remark the difference where others wo n’t , but I have a severe metre believing that . The Pro - stratum iPhones , andpractically every Androidat any price in 2024 , offer a smoother experience , and to me at least , it is visible in everyday habit .
Camera
Like the iPhone 15 before it , the iPhone 16 has a two-fold photographic camera setup comprised of a 48MP ‘ coalition ’ camera and a 12MP ultrawide .
The Fusion branding is new to this year ’s iPhone , referring to both the fact that it offers 4 - in-1 pixel binning tech and the ability to cultivate in and offer a digital 2x telephoto , but these feature are n’t new to the iPhone 16 . It ’s more of a merchandising example , in my opinion .
It ’s also deserving noting that while the Pro and Pro Max models also have a 48MP Fusion photographic camera , there are small differences admit the sizing of the sensing element that lead to improved low - light performance . But , as long as you ’re frivol away in well - lit environments , you ’d be hard - pressed to tell the deviation .
no matter of what I was shooting , whether that was a scenic vista in Hawaii or something as humdrum as my local Tube station , shots were take with item , boast splendid clarity and offered reasonably rightful - to - life colour reproductive memory . Some images do look a little saturated , but nowhere near what you ’d find from vie alternative from the likes of Samsung .
There ’s also a great natural bokeh deliver by the wide aperture when shoot field of study close - up , though you’re able to also opt for the Portrait mode for a digital ( and customisable ) bokeh essence .
As note , it ’s the low light performance that really separates the iPhone 16 from its Pro siblings , and arguably falls behind what you ’d get from the likes of thePixel 9 ProandSamsung Galaxy S24 . It does have massively reduced electron lens solar flare compare to the iPhone 15 , one of our bragging complaints about its harbinger , thanks to a Modern anti - reflective finishing , but it does n’t quite suck in as much light as the competition .
There ’s no telephotograph here , but the 2x in - sensor zoom does a decent job of exit the gap between you and your subject without a noticeable downgrade in overall timbre . It ’s a decent halfway footing , but if you want to get any closer , you ’d be better off with the Pro model ’s dedicated 5x zoom camera .
The 12MP ultrawide provides a nice means to get more artsy shot with colour and detail logical with the independent lens , and it ’s suited to snaps of scenic vistas . There ’s also a wider aperture , f/2.2 from f/2.4 , that allows for more light to be enamour , though it still falls far behind what you ’ll capture from the main lens of the eye in truthful low - light condition .
The front - facing 12MP selfie camera continue unchanged , but it ’s still one of the better selfie cameras out there with telling horizontal surface of particular , so much so that many citizenry select to record video via the front - facing camera for societal media – and you ca n’t say that about many phones .
Speaking of , video gaining control once again caps out at 4K@60fps , or 4K@30fps if you need to register in Dolby Vision HDR , though it remains one of the dear TV seizure experiences around . Apple just nails picture capture in a way that Android producer struggle to recreate , from the floaty sense of the OIS stabilisation to the smooth zoom . For creators , it really is ideal .
Performance
Apple has ( rightly ) done off with the generation - blanket chipset split with this class ’s iPhone 16 range , after ship the iPhone 15 with the year - old 4 nm A16 Bionic while the iPhone 15 Pro models got the fresh 3 micromillimetre A17 Pro . This prison term around , both the regular and Pro role model get a 3 nm A18 chipset , though the Pro models do get the A18 Pro with slightly boosted performance .
However , do n’t let that ‘ Pro ’ badge mug you ; the even iPhone 16 is a capable small smartphone that does n’t comethatfar behind the iPhone 16 Pro Max in benchmark testing . Take the central processing unit - focalize Geekbench 6 for deterrent example ; the top - end Pro iPhone tally 8167 in the multi - core test , while the iPhone 16 scored 8027 .
However , boosted GPU scores from tests like Wildlife Extreme indicate that the Pro theoretical account does have a routine more graphic oink for gaming and creative purposes .
On the whole , though , bench mark results seem to hint that the two chipsets are on equality with one another , and that ’s good news for prospective iPhone 16 purchaser . It fundamentally means that you don’tneedthe Pro - layer iPhones to achieve solid everyday operation , and apart from the 60Hz refresh pace capping physique charge per unit at 60fps , it obligate its own when gage too .
The phone takes quite some time to get even more or less spicy to the touch , and I ’ve yet to notice anything in full term of throttling when playing cursory games like Stardew Valley – though I ’d imagine Genshin Impact with all its high-pitched - close computer graphic enabled might give the A18 chipset more of a challenge .
It ’s also well better - marking than the most subject smartphones on the Android marketplace , with our highest - hit Android smartphone of the year , theRedMagic 9s professional , lagging behind in key mainframe and GPU bench mark tests – though the newSnapdragon 8 Elite , the likely chipset of choice for late 2024 and early 2025 flagship , leave the A18 and 18 Pro in the dust .
Still , there ’s a fortune of sue bang for your buck here , specially compared to other smartphones in the £ 799/$799 range .
Elsewhere , you may look fore to support for tri - band Wi - Fi 7 , a utilitarian ascent on the two-fold - band Wi - Fi 6 of last yr for those with a Wi - Fi 7 web , along with the same Bluetooth 5.3 , NFC , UWB and satellite connectivity as its predecessor – though an rising slope in iOS 18 mean you may now use the latter to transport content as well as tangency parking brake military service in a pinch .
Software & AI
Apple ’s one grownup reason to upgrade to the iPhone 16 isApple Intelligence . It ’s the key feature film in all Apple selling worldwide , even though Apple Intelligence only set up at the ending of October , and only in the US ( though UK drug user can access it by change their iPhone ’s part ) .
It ’s such an integral part of the iPhone 16 promise that we actually stay our reviews of the entire iPhone 16 ingathering until we ’d drop time with the AI feature – and I ’ve got to admit , I ’m not blown away right now .
The iOS 18.1 update only brings what I ’d trace as minor AI feature to the iPhone experience compare to its Android counterparts . That includes pretty stock AI features like writing tools to help you craft better texts and emails , the power to move out subjects from photos and AI arrangement / recording in phone cry , all feature present on the likes of thePixel 9 Pro XL , Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultraand so on .
There are some more unique features , like Notification Summaries that attempt to sum up chemical group of notice in a couple of lines , but it ’s very hit - and - miss . There ’s shade to human communicating that Apple Intelligence on the face of it does n’t quite understand , and it mean that messages can be misinterpret .
In fact , I ’ve actually disabled the feature article , as I notice I ’d have to always read the aggroup messages to verify that the AI had n’t get it ill-timed . If I have to do that , then what ’s the point of the feature film ?
Now there is a minute of a caution here , in that the handsome and best Apple Intelligence features are yet to come . element like ChatGPT desegregation , Genmoji and Image Playgrounds are all mark to come as part of the iOS 18.2 upgrade , with a much bright Siri plan for a little further down the road , so the AI experience will likely get much better than it is today . But , for now , I would n’t line it as a core reason to upgrade .
AI functions aside , Apple ’s former update , iOS 18 , usher in some really utilitarian new feature article like an promote Torch functionality that lets you change the breadth of the brightness , RCS support for message Android users , a fully customisable dwelling house screen experience and much more .
It ’s a milled , full - sport o update that iPhone fans will appreciate , and it might even invite a few longsighted - clip Android fans with its new - face home base screen door .
There ’s also Apple ’s impressive long - term software system accompaniment that ’ll see it encounter OS upgrades for quite some metre – the six - twelvemonth - oldiPhone Xsgot the iOS 18 update , to give you an idea of how well Apple handle its long - full term support .
Battery Life
The iPhone 16 is both the little and least baron - effective of the iPhone 16 range – the Plus and Pro Max have larger batteries , while the Pro ’s LPTO - enabled 120Hz refresh rate ply skilful ability efficiency – and that ’s pretty apparent in everyday use .
Now , I ’m not saying that the iPhone 16 has abysmal barrage aliveness – far from it – but it does n’t quite compete with the longevity I ’ve seen with the iPhone 16 Pro Max , which truly does feel like it just hold back on going , only slightly sipping on its battery as it does so . Conversely , the iPhone 16 will last all sidereal day on a charge , but you ’ll go about the end of the daylight with only a little bit left in the army tank .
Take my average solar day for example ; I get up at around 7:30am , use the phone for Maps , hear to music on my commute , reply to text edition and indulge in a bit of gambling and societal media when I get a excess second , before going to bed at around midnight . I ’d usually get to the end of the twenty-four hours with around 15 - 20 % left in the armored combat vehicle , compared to the 40%+ I ’ve seen from the Pro Max .
However , in the wider context of smartphones , the iPhone 16 does middling well ; that battery life is about on a equation with what I ’ve experienced from the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 , similarly compact options . It ’s just a limitation of the sizing of the stamp battery that can be pinch into a phone .
Charge speed remain unaltered compared to the iPhone 15 , again maxing out at around the 30W mark , although it took a slightly longer than fair 1 hr and 41 minute to recover a full charge using a UGreen 45W charger I had handy , so performance will very much depend on the specific charging brick you habituate .
The iPhone 16 can also charge at a boosted 25W when using MagSafe charger , and standard Qi2 wireless charging also makes a return at 15W for even wireless chargers , making for a trifecta of commodious charge options for the belated iPhone – even if they ’re not the very fastest around .
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Should you buy it?
Bar some small ailment , the unexampled iPhone 16 offer a hearty all - round experience , include firm tv camera performance and all - day camera life .
The iPhone 16 Pro Max offers not only a better , more adequate to photographic camera setup and a more powerful chipset , but genuine two - twenty-four hour period battery lifetime .
Final Thoughts
It ’s easy to seem at the iPhone 16 at a coup d’oeil and say that it ’s the same as the iPhone 15 , but there are meaningful changes on pass here , be it the introduction of the Action Button and Camera Capture controls or the two - generation jump in processing mogul with the A18 chipset .
Then there ’s also support for Apple Intelligence , something not offered by the iPhone 15 despite being just a twelvemonth old – though at this former stage , I ’d contend that it ’s notthereason to upgrade . That could well change with the introduction of more knock-down AI features down the road , but I ’ll hold reservations for now .
Still , if you ’re come from an older iPhone , say the iPhone 13 or 14 , you ’ll savour the top - tier display experience , solid electric battery spirit and a bevvy of charging options . You ’ll also apprise the high - res 48MP main photographic camera , offering much better performance than the 12MP option recover on the iPhone 14 , even if it ’s not quite as open as the television camera setup on the Pro models .
It may not be suited to iPhone 15 possessor wanting to kick upstairs , but it remains a beguiling iPhone for the vast majority of users nonetheless .
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FAQs
Yes , but it ’s only available in the US or if you set your iPhone ’s region and language to US English . reinforcement for other area is plan alongside the release of other Apple Intelligence features further down the road .
You ’ll get a USB - C - to - USB - C cable in the boxwood , but no charge brick .
Yes , it ’s both water- and dust - resistant with an IP68 military rating .
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