It’s iPhone season again and on Monday, the 9th of September, Apple had their Glow time event which means, we have new iPhones on the horizon. Pre-order for iPhone 16 series started on Friday the 13th of September with the phones expected to ship on the 20th but are they worth it?
It’s important to note what these phones come with both in-display and under the hood. With that in mind. Here’s the teardown on the subject.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus overall specs
- Finish: Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine
- Design: Aluminum design, Ceramic Shield front, Color-infused glass back
- Capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
- Display:
- iPhone 16: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, 2556×1179-pixel resolution at 460 ppi
- iPhone 16 Plus: 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, 2796×1290-pixel resolution at 460 ppi
- Brightness: 1,000 nits max (typical), 1,600 nits peak (HDR), 2,000 nits peak (outdoor)
- Chipset: A18 chip with 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
- Camera:
- Advanced dual-camera system: 48MP main, 12MP ultra-wide
- Features: Night mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 5, Photonic Engine
- Water and Dust Resistance: IP68 (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes)
- Other Features: Dynamic Island, HDR display, True Tone, Haptic Touch, Apple Intelligence.
iPhone 16 – Full Phone Specifications: Check here.
iPhone 16 Plus – Full Phone Specifications: Check here
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max overall specs
- Finish: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium
- Design: Titanium design, Ceramic Shield front, Textured matt glass back
- Capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Display:
- iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, 2622×1206-pixel resolution at 460 ppi
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, 2868×1320-pixel resolution at 460 ppi
- Brightness: 1,000 nits max (typical), 1,600 nits peak (HDR), 2,000 nits peak (outdoor)
- Chipset: A18 Pro chip with 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
- Camera:
- Pro camera system: 48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto
- Features: Night mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 5, Photonic Engine, 5x optical zoom
- Water and Dust Resistance: IP68 (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes)
- Other Features: Dynamic Island, Always-On display, ProMotion technology (up to 120Hz), Apple Intelligence
iPhone 16 Pro – Full Phone Specifications: Check here
iPhone 16 Pro Max – Full Phone Specifications: Check here
iPhone 16 – Powerhouse
Performance
- A18 Chip: For iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, offering improved performance and efficiency.
- A18 Pro Chip: For Pro models, with enhanced graphics and processing power, including hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
- 8 GB ram across all phones.
Camera System
Advanced Camera Systems:
- Camera Control: New ways to capture and adjust photos quickly.
- Photographic Styles: Next-generation styles for personalized images.
- Spatial Photo and Video Capture: Allows for immersive experiences with Apple Vision Pro.
Battery and Charging
- Improved Battery Life: Larger batteries across all models for extended usage.
- Fast Charging: Enhanced fast charging capabilities.
Apple Intelligence
- Writing Tools: Includes proofreading, rewriting, and summarization capabilities.
- Visual Enhancements: Features like Genmoji, image creation from text, and advanced photo editing tools.
- Enhanced Siri: Improved natural language processing and contextual awareness.
- Priority Notifications: Highlights important notifications and summarizes less critical ones.
- Focus Modes: Automatically adjusts notifications based on your activity or location.
Note: Action Button is now available on basic models (16 and 16 plus)
Starting prices for the iPhone 16 series:
- iPhone 16: ₹79,900 / $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 / for the 128GB model.
- iPhone 16 Plus: ₹99,900 / $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for the 128GB model.
- iPhone 16 Pro: ₹1,69,900 / $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 for the 128GB model.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: ₹1,84,900 / $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,099 for the 256GB model.
iPhone 16 impressions
16 and 16 plus
After waiting so long to get the next generation of iPhones, it feels like something is missing or maybe there should be more? Granted, the new camera design brings a fresh layer to the overall look of the phone but it’s difficult to look at these and not think they’re the same as the iPhone 15 models. Quite frankly, there isn’t much to see here. As expected, given Apple’s track record of saving the good stuff for their pro models.
iPhone 16 and 16 plus come with two lined up cameras at the back. This is to ensure their sensors are aligned and it allows for spatial recording for those who own an Apple Vision pro, adding another dynamic effect to how you view your videos. Unfortunately, as is a running theme with this hands on first impressions, this feels like something that’ll suit only a specific group of people. Along with this, the ultra-wide camera has a new autofocus feature that allows you to take clear close-ups. However, this is another feature that has been available on the pro phones for a while.
With the new models, you get the A18 chipset which is a two generation jump from the A16 chipset of the iPhone 15s. This means everything is faster. 30% faster CPU, 40% faster graphics, and 100% faster machine learning as well as better power usage. They also boast of an improved thermal structure that allows for better cooling for demanding games.
The 16 and 16 plus get the action button from last year’s 15 pro and pro max. This gives you a customizable shortcut that allows you to assign this button to whatever feature or app you want. This would be great if you didn’t already own one of the pro models from the previous generation.
However, Apple decided to do something different this time. They added more buttons. There is now a camera control button just on the lower right side. This gives you new features and ways to use your camera. This has been fully integrated into the camera and it works well. Features include tapping on the button to open the camera at any time (even when your phone is locked), pressing it again when your camera is open so you can take a photo, and long pressing to start a short video.
The button itself is touch sensitive and it has a haptic engine. It moves as well. With this, you can perform gestures like a double tap while your camera is open to access different camera options, sliding your finger across the button to scroll between each feature, and a light press to zoom in and out using slide gestures.
It’s a great design and the button fits perfectly if you are using landscape mode which, to be honest, not a lot of users will. Using this on portrait is uncomfortable because of the placement of the button. It is way easier to click on the shutter button on screen than to find a way to place your finger to click on this button. While the camera features and customization this button comes with are great, it still feels like it’s not an everyday thing. Granted, it’ll be the highlight of professionals, but the average user might not spend time digging into these to find which works best. It’s just a bit too much control for day-to-day usage.
There aren’t a lot of changes to the iPhone 16 and 16 plus. It feels like a slightly different version of the 15 pro and pro max but it’s the norm. Also, as the icing on the cake, these phones only have a 60 Hz refresh rate and start at $800. Both phones come with improved battery life and a ceramic coating on the screens that makes them 50% more durable but Apple didn’t give any specifics or numbers so there isn’t anything else to compare it with. We’ll have to wait and see.
The good news is that this comes to all versions of the iPhone 16.
It’s important to note that while it was nice to see Apple put their AI features on the back burner, there were a lot of announcements surrounding Artificial Intelligence. Of course there was. However, the main reason for this is probably the fact that Apple Intelligence (the name of their AI which is also short for AI) isn’t ready to roll out yet. More on that in a bit.
iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max
These phones look better design wise. One of the most notable elements is how thin they got the borders to be. This allows for more screen real estate without a significant size increase. It’s very clear on the pro max where Apple made the most out of the 6.9 inches screen. These phones also come with an upgraded battery as well but not a lot of information as to what that upgrade is. All we know is the pro is better and the pro max has the best battery life ever on an iPhone.
These phones come with the A18 pro chipset with better cooling and improved camera features like zero shutter lag and being able to shoot 4K videos at 120 frames per second. The additional frames allow you to slow down your 4K videos to the slow motion you’re used to and give you options for the speed of your videos as well. It seems like this option can be set as the default recording option but with that comes the question of storage. The ultra-wide camera has an upgrade as well. It’s now up to 48 megapixels too, which gives you a camera that’s as good as the main. Both phones have better mics and can hear you better. You can adjust your audio preferences to allow your voice or background noise to be louder.
The question is, how good is gaming with it?
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is designed to handle games exceptionally well, thanks to several key enhancements:
- Performance
- A18 Pro Chip: This chip includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which significantly improves graphics quality and realism. It ensures smooth gameplay even for the most demanding titles.
- 6-core GPU: Provides powerful graphics performance, making it capable of running console-quality games.
- Cooling Architecture
- New Cooling System: The iPhone 16 Pro Max features a redesigned cooling architecture that helps manage heat more efficiently. This allows for longer gaming sessions without overheating.
- Thermal Substructure: Made from recycled aluminum, this helps keep the device cool during intensive gaming.
- Gaming Experience
- High Frame Rates: Supports high frame rates, ensuring smooth and responsive gameplay.
- Game Mode: iOS 18 includes a Game Mode that reduces Bluetooth latency and deactivates background activities to improve battery life and performance during gaming.
With this, you have one of the most powerful gaming phones out there and just like they did with the 15 Pro, Apple has their eyes on AAA gaming. The last generation didn’t handle AAA games that well (the likes of Resident Evil Village) but with a huge leap forward in chipset, it’s easy to look at the future with optimism.
Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence is Apple’s AI-powered features integrated into their new phone, in time. Apple’s new AI isn’t available yet. All Apple Intelligence features will have a sort of glow around them to let you know that they are the new AI features. Here are some features to look forward to:
- Summarization: Can summarize long texts, such as emails or lecture notes, to provide concise overviews.
- Smart Replies: Generates quick, contextually relevant responses to emails and messages.
- Visual intelligence: This allows you to get information on objects using your camera. It works like Google lenses and you can access this by tapping and holding your camera control button while the camera is on. You can save details on an event poster with this as well.
- Genmoji: Custom emojis generated based on your descriptions or photos.
- Photo Editing: Includes tools like object removal and background cleanup to enhance your photos.
- Enhanced Siri
- Natural Language Processing: Improved understanding and execution of complex commands.
- Contextual Awareness: Siri can now draw from your personal context to provide more relevant responses and actions.
- Reduced Interruptions Mode: Highlights important notifications and summarizes less critical ones to reduce distractions. Think of it like a better version of Do Not Disturb.
- Privacy and Security
- On-Device Processing: Most AI computations are done on your device, ensuring that your personal data remains private.
- Private Cloud Compute: Balances on-device processing with server-based models for more complex tasks, without compromising privacy.
Final reflections
The general reception of the new iPhone’s are mixed. Their killer feature (Apple Intelligence) isn’t coming till later this year and even at that, there’s a bit of uncertainty if this is revolutionary or just late to the party. Other features on these phones are either too niche to have a great functionality for the everyday user or just an import from the last phones. Granted, these are great phones and they are the best at what they do but the question is if that’s enough. That’s something only a consumer can decide.
Apple iPhone 16 and Accessories:
