iPhone 16 and 16 Plus assessment: So candy, you may go ‘low cost’

Desk of Contents

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have been by no means on my radar — till I had a sudden change of coronary heart.

As a Professional Max exclusivist, the entry-level iPhone usually does not catch my eye. In spite of everything, “Who needs a puny little cellphone?” I as soon as thought.

And the “Plus” was all the time the awkward center little one, usually ignored for the bottom mannequin or the top-tier variant.

Nonetheless, my expertise with these telephones has modified my thoughts. For many who don’t want pro-level picture and video seize, I’d go so far as saying that the iPhone 16 Plus is a higher purchase than the iPhone 16 Professional (although not the iPhone 16 Professional Max).

Stick round for all the pieces that made me rethink the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus fashions as viable every day drivers.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus worth and specs

Earlier than I can dive into the meat and potatoes of this assessment, I want to offer you some perception into how a lot you may should spend on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

The iPhone 16, obtainable for pre-order as of now, begins at $799 through Apple’s official retailer. The iPhone 16 Plus, however, begins at $899.

“Why does the iPhone 16 Plus price greater than the iPhone 16?” you might be questioning. Properly, the iPhone 16 Plus has a bigger show and an even bigger battery, which suggests it is best to have the ability to squeeze out extra runtime on a single cost (extra on that later).

Apart from the aforementioned variations, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus each share the identical specs, together with the next:

• New A18 chip

• 8GB of RAM (required for Apple Intelligence help)

• New Digital camera Management button

• Motion Button from final 12 months’s iPhone 15 Professional fashions

• 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage choices

I extremely suggest getting the 256GB storage choice. Take it from me, 128GB runs out fairly shortly — in a couple of 12 months and a half, give or take. (However I additionally perceive there are finances constraints, so iCloud+ is an alternative choice for cupboard space in case you do not thoughts subscriptions.)

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus design

The iPhone 16 Plus assessment unit I acquired, draped in bubble-gum pink deliciousness, would have been a showstopper throughout 2023’s peak Barbie craze. It is simply dripping in Margot Robbie cuteness, cotton sweet sweetness, and pink lemonade pleasure.

Merely referred to as “Pink,” this rose-tinted shade is on the market solely for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

In case you determine to go caseless (since you love this colour as a lot as I do), you may be relieved to know that iPhone 16 lineup is now geared up with an much more sturdy show glass that is technically “Ceramic Protect 2.” The OG Ceramic Protect debuted with the iPhone 12, and 4 generations later, we have a new-gen Ceramic Protect that’s 50% harder, in response to Apple.

In different phrases, the display on the iPhone 16 ought to be only a little extra immune to your clumsy incidents — inside motive, in fact. (Do not get too clumsy.)

My non-Plus iPhone 16, nonetheless, is available in teal. Not my style (I’d have most popular Ultramarine), however I like Apple’s determination to go away the pastel palettes behind, going deep, vivid, and wealthy. Different colours on the iPhone 16 menu embody black and white.

Each the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus now not have their cameras organized in a diagonal place. They’re now stacked. This does not essentially hassle me. However for the reason that iPhone 13, the bottom fashions have had that diagonal-style placement that turned Apple’s signature.

However now, the cameras are positioned in a means that is very Android-esque —à la Samsung Galaxy S24 and Nothing Telephone (2). So when you have a finicky teenager who needs to slot in with their fellow iPhone-owning associates, the iPhone 16’s new design could also be a troublesome promote.

They’re going to doubtless urge you to buy, on the very least, the iPhone 16 Professional, which maintains that acquainted, triple-camera Apple design language that screams “That is an costly iPhone!”

The iPhone 16 (notably the non-Plus mannequin) is fantastically mild. If I unintentionally dropped the iPhone 16 on my face whereas watching Love Island USA on my again — which is completely a “hypothetical” and by no means occurred to me earlier than — I will not get a black eye. Good!

I checked the burden to see if the iPhone 16 is lighter than its predecessor — and there may be, certainly, a tiny distinction; Apple managed to shave off about 0.3 ounces gen-over-gen (6.03 ounces to six ounces). As for the chassis, the iPhone 16 remains to be 0.31 inches skinny, which matches the iPhone 15.

• iPhone 16 – 6 ounces

• iPhone 15 – 6.03 ounces

iPhone 16 Plus is barely lighter, too, however it has the identical thickness because the iPhone 16 base mannequin (0.31 inches).

I knew I wasn’t dropping it. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus fashions are completely lighter than final 12 months’s entry-level variants.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus fashions proceed to have quantity buttons on the left and a facet key on the suitable (which doubles as a means of invoking Siri). However just like the iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max, all the iPhone 16 lineup now has the Motion Button.

Lastly, the iPhone 16 fashions are rated for splash, water, and dirt resistance (i.e., IP68); this implies they’ll deal with six meters of water submergence for as much as half-hour.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus show

Some folks aren’t going to love this, however sorry to say, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus nonetheless have a 60Hz display.

It’s possible you’ll be questioning, “Why will not Apple put a 90Hz or 120Hz refresh price on the iPhone 16?” My guess is that the Cupertino-based tech big wants one thing to lure customers into buying the Professional fashions (which have a variable refresh price that go as much as 120Hz). Additionally, there are superfans who do not give a rat’s behind about whether or not a show is 60Hz, 90Hz, or 120Hz; they love iPhone and can purchase one regardless.

Not like the iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max, which had their shows enhance to six.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively (yeah, the iPhone 16 Professional Max is virtually a phablet at this level), the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus’ shows have remained the identical:

• iPhone 16 – 6.1 inches, 2,556 x 1,179-pixel decision, 1,000 nits of display brightness (2,000 peak)

• iPhone 16 Plus – 6.7 inches, 2,796 x 1,290-pixel decision, 1,000 nits of display brightness (2,000 peak)

The iPhone 16 fashions nonetheless have Dynamic Island (that pill-shaped notch on the prime of the display), which disguises the TrueDepth selfie digital camera. I discovered myself admiring it from time to time whereas listening to music. The bouncing waveform animations that dance alongside to my tunes are hypnotizing. However on the similar time, I would not miss it if it ever obtained the boot sooner or later. (Extra display actual property is all the time welcome.)

I miss TouchID, although. Maybe in the future, possibly iPhone 17, I will see it seem someplace on the facet of the chassis — or possibly underneath the show.

In fact, the iPhone 16’s compact type issue is advantageous as a result of it is extra pocketable. However whereas utilizing it for streaming pleasures, I could not assist however miss my iPhone 15 Professional Max, which has 6.7 inches of scrumptious show. However I loved the iPhone 16 Plus, which almost matches my iPhone 15 Professional Max’s dimensions.

Whereas watching Netflix’s Promoting Sundown and taking within the colourful array of — er — attention-grabbing outfits within the famed actual property workplace, I seen that the colours have been vivid and closely saturated on each the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Motion Button

The Motion Button hit the iPhone final 12 months — and it was an absolute hit. Some folks configured this customizable button to have it name their partner, others programmed it in order that it performs their favourite Apple Music playlist.

I haven’t got a “cool” Motion Button story. My use case is extra sensible. I configured the Motion Button to drag up Google Authenticator, which lets me log into accounts with 2FA necessities. It is boring, sure, however it’s tremendous helpful.

You may as well use the Motion Button to run more-than-one job utilizing Shortcuts. For instance, in case your iPhone detects you are away from dwelling, you possibly can remodel the Motion Button into your “Faucet to Pay” key, but when it “is aware of” you are at your residence, the Motion Button can turn into a flashlight as an alternative.

Personally, I might find it irresistible if Apple may make it simpler to assign extra gestures (e.g., double and triple presses) to the Motion Button. For instance, with three fast presses, I can shut Amazon tremendous quick earlier than my fiancé sees it — he is had sufficient of my designer fragrance obsession.

The Motion Button is not the solely button that is made its means onto the iPhone 16 fashions.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Digital camera Management

Since MagSafe, Digital camera Management is my absolute favourite hero function that Apple has added lately. This can be a slam dunk!

I stated this in my Digital camera Management hands-on, however with just some gestures (e.g., sliding movement, and one or two presses), you possibly can entry so many digital camera options, together with the next:

• Zoom

• Cameras (swap between ultrawide, large, and 2X zoom)

• Photographic Kinds (e.g., filters like “Gold,” “Amber,” “Vibrant,” and extra)

• Tone

• Depth

• Publicity

Digital camera Management makes it simpler for me to mess around with options I’ve usually ignored, together with depth and tone. Whereas I exploit the likes of publicity and zoom on a regular basis, Digital camera Management had me including shadows and blur results.

The Digital camera Management button, as a right-handed consumer, is best to make use of with two arms (e.g., the left hand is holding the iPhone and the suitable hand’s pointer finger is doing all the gesturing).

Nonetheless, my pure place in taking images is often one-handed. On my proper hand, I steadiness the cellphone on my pinky whereas utilizing my thumb to navigate. As such, with Digital camera Management, I wanted to drop the thumb behavior and begin utilizing my pointer finger as my major Digital camera Management navigation finger.

The most effective a part of Digital camera Management? I can immediately launch the Digital camera app whereas my cellphone is locked. Win!

Later this 12 months, Digital camera Management will double as a gateway to Visible Intelligence (as a part of the Apple Intelligence suite).

With Visible Intelligence, you possibly can level the digital camera at any topic in your environment. And in a Meta AI-like method (just like the AI-powered Ray-Ban Meta Sensible Glasses), it’s going to let you know what you are seeing. For instance, you possibly can level at a canine — and it’ll let you know the breed.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus cameras

So let’s begin with the brand new digital camera function on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus: “optical high quality” 2X zoom. It’s possible you’ll be questioning, “What does that even imply?”

To place it merely, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, in contrast to the Professional fashions, don’t have a telephoto sensor — the lens accountable for your zoomed-in images.

Nonetheless, as talked about, Apple says it managed to ship “optical high quality” 2X zoom — that means the picture readability is so good, you’d suppose that it does have a telephoto sensor.

So I put this to the take a look at. Here is a 2X zoom shot of Arthur J. Hendrickson Park in Lengthy Island.

Zoom – 2x

Gorgeous proper? The picture is so crisp, you possibly can see the delineation of the crimson bricks that make up the edifice. The garden is verdant and the ripples are sharply outlined. Even once I elevated the zoom to 5X, the picture nonetheless regarded nice, although with some decision loss, contemplating the low-light situations.

(Remember that each the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus share the identical cameras, so it might be redundant to share images from each telephones.)

Extensive

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus sport 48MP large lenses; listed below are some images.

Here’s a wide-lens image of a sullied lake inside a Lengthy Island park flanked by weeping willows. This picture has a cooler, extra true-to-life vibe. I am a extra vivid, heat kind of woman. (As you may be taught later, although, you should utilize Photographic Kinds to alter the temperature to your liking.)

This picture captures the Chrysler Constructing towards a transparent blue sky, framed by each basic and trendy structure. The angle creates a dynamic sense of depth, emphasizing the towering buildings as they converge upward. Whereas the lighting is well-balanced, including extra distinction to the sky may improve its impression towards the constructions.

I like a superb meals picture, so here is a shot of a scrumptious hen sandwich inside a well-lit fast-food spot in Manhattan. There’s minimal noise, correct colour illustration with the muted yellow fries, bright-red ketchup, and golden-brown bun.

Makes you need to take a chew, does not it? I am notably tickled by how effectively the large lens captured the saucy, spicy texture of the hen.

Ultrawide

Because you already noticed the zoomed-in perspective of this picture within the “2x zoom” part, let me present you the way the 12MP ultrawide lens carried out.

It appears to be like dreamy, does not it? This can be a sensor you employ while you need to seize a panorama with an ethereal, silhouetted really feel, stuffed with distinction and thriller. It is value noting that the iPhone 16’s ultrawide sensor captures extra mild, enhancing picture high quality. Plus, this ultrawide lens now permits macro pictures, so you may get crisp, close-up photographs in nice element.

For instance, try the macro pictures shot of the Penny Mac flowers in my yard.

Here is one other shot that could be acquainted to you — and my favourite picture to date.

This ultrawide shot appears to be like prefer it was plucked proper out of a storybook — it is giving “hidden oasis” vibes. The small print within the foreground are comparatively sharp, the colours are balanced, and the total scope of the panorama was captured, showcasing the stream and surrounding greenery. However naturally, this was shot in low-light situations, so the restrictions of the ultrawide lens are proven with the background’s lack of nice element.

For upgraded ultrawide, try the iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max.

Selfie

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus proceed to sport a 12MP selfie digital camera. No, I do not thoughts that Apple did not improve it as a result of I am unable to think about that lens getting any sharper.

It is also value noting that the iPhone 16 fashions, due to the A18 sequence chip inside, have new iPhone 16-exclusive Photographic Kinds filters, together with “Gold,” “Amber,” “Quiet,” and “Cozy.”

What makes Photographic Kinds totally different from different filters? Properly, most filters merely select a colour vibe and apply it to the entire picture globally — with out regard in your pores and skin tone and different treasured parts within the picture. Photographic Kinds, however, intelligently applies filters with out fully dropping the essence of the picture.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus efficiency

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have a brand new A18 chip that is filled with a quicker processor, zippier graphics, and an improved Neural Engine (the unit accountable for AI processing and machine studying).

I ran Geekbench 6, a benchmark that assessments processor prowess, on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Listed below are the multi-core scores:

• iPhone 16 – 7,878

• iPhone 16 Plus – 7,897

Um, can we discuss how these scores match a finances gaming laptop computer we reviewed, the Lenovo LOQ 15, which notched a multi-core rating of 7,575 on the identical take a look at?

Different smartphone opponents do not even come shut to those numbers. The Google Pixel 9, for instance, has a nasty multi-core rating of 4,358. To be truthful, although, one may argue that the iPhone 16 telephones are overpowered. No cellphone wants the ability of a gaming laptop computer, however hey, Apple can proceed to brag about its undefeated streak within the efficiency division.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus battery life

Apple stated that the A18 chip can also be vitality environment friendly — and it wasn’t kidding.

Apple put greater batteries all throughout the iPhone 16 lineup and it exhibits. We ran a TikTok rundown with the shows at 50% of brightness. Listed below are the outcomes we obtained for every cellphone:

I am unable to consider my eyes. The iPhone 16 Plus lasted nearly 19 hours. It additionally outperformed the iPhone 16 Professional, which lasted 18 hours and 17 minutes. However that is not too shocking as a result of the iPhone 16 Professional has a smaller battery in comparison with the iPhone 16 Plus.

The iPhone 16 has the shortest battery life in all the lineup (the iPhone 16 Professional Max lasted greater than 25 hours), however it crushed rivals just like the Google Pixel 9, which lasted 16 hours and 6 minutes on a single cost.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Apple Intelligence

In comparison with the likes of Meta and Google which have gone full throttle with synthetic intelligence (AI), Apple has taken a extra conservative strategy.

It might seem that Apple is “behind,” however actually, the corporate is simply taking its time. It is doubtless seen the suggestions and backlash that buyers have had with the likes of Meta AI and Gemini — and it does not need to comply with the identical footsteps.

Apple introduced Apple Intelligence this 12 months, at WWDC 2024 particularly, and outlined some new options that can drop on iOS 18. On the time, Apple stated that these options will solely be obtainable on iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max. However now, Apple Intelligence is getting help throughout all the iPhone 16 lineup.

Some Apple Intelligence options embody a new-and-improved Siri, Writing Instruments (get help tone adjustment for emails and textual content), name recording, the Clear Up software (take away undesirable objects in images), and extra.

(I like to recommend you try our face-off that pits Apple’s Clear Up Software towards Google’s Magic Eraser and Samsung’s Galaxy AI.)

You possibly can take a look at all of those aforementioned options in a beta model of iOS 18 beta (however be sure to again up your iPhone earlier than making an attempt them out). I’ve examined them myself and had a comparatively clean expertise with all of them. Nonetheless, some Apple Intelligence options, like Genmoji (allows you to create your personal emoji with textual content prompts) and Picture Playground (AI-generated imagery), should not out but — not even for beta testing.

The subsequent massive replace, iOS 18, formally dropped on Sept. 16. Nonetheless, Apple Intelligence will begin rolling out to telephones someday in October with iOS 18.1.

Are iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus value it?

For the battery life enhance alone, sure, the entry-level iPhone 16 fashions are value it, however I like to recommend the iPhone 16 Plus much more.

Battery life anxiousness is actual. Nothing is worse than questioning if I will have the ability to order an Uber on the finish of the night time as a result of I am solely at 20%. With the iPhone 16 Plus, nonetheless, lasting almost 19 hours on a single cost, its energy effectivity makes it value each single penny.

On prime of that, there is a new Digital camera Management button, a harder show, improved zoom as much as 2X, the inheritance of the Motion Button, and three gorgeous new colours (Ultramarine, Pink, and Teal). Oh, and Apple Intelligence, too. Even in case you do not care about AI, you may ultimately get a way of FOMO whereas everyone seems to be sending “Genmoji” to one another. And effectively — you possibly can’t.

The iPhone 16 begins at $799 and the iPhone 16 Plus begins at $899.