Apple delivers an ideal new flagship cellphone but once more

The iPhone 16 and 16 Professional launched some time in the past with one loud shout: Apple Intelligence. This makes reviewing the marketed product troublesome, as Apple Intelligence isn’t rolling out till mid-to-late October (and its full set of options received’t be round till March subsequent yr). So, in the event you’re coming to a brand new iPhone for AI, possibly wait till subsequent yr.

Having stated that, the iPhone 16 presents loads of enhancements over earlier generations, so anybody with something older than the iPhone 15 ought to really feel glad upgrading to it. Higher but, it will get some hand-me-downs from the Professional line, that means it’s this yr’s most interesting iPhone. With glorious efficiency, due to a brand new chip and further RAM, the Motion Button and Digital camera Management, in addition to a stunning show and design, the bottom iPhone has by no means felt extra Professional. Nonetheless, how does it evaluate to one of the best gaming iPhones of current years? Let’s discover out.

Worth and availability

The iPhone 16 is on the market from Apple and different on-line retailers like Amazon and Walmart. It begins at $799 for 128GB of storage, $899 for 256GB, and $1,099 for 512GB, whereas the iPhone 16 Plus retails for $100 extra in all configurations. All fashions include 8GB of RAM and can be found in beautiful Black, White, Pink, Teal, and Ultramarine colorways. The mannequin reviewed right here is the 256GB iPhone 16 in White.

Specs

Listed here are the iPhone 16 specs:

Options and software program

Earlier than we dive into the options, let’s simply say this: we will’t evaluate Apple Intelligence proper now exterior of beta, so whereas it could be a headline characteristic, don’t purchase this cellphone for AI. It will not be as thrilling because the advertising and marketing makes out. That being stated, there are some thrilling options to discover with iOS 18 and the iPhone 16.

First up are the brand new buttons, that are the Motion Button from the iPhone 15 Professional and the brand-new Digital camera Management. The Motion Button is a customizable button that replaces the silence toggle, one thing many individuals would possibly discover helpful, although I simply go away it as a silence toggle. You possibly can activate the flashlight with it, activate an app, and even unlock your automobile. You possibly can additionally open the digicam with it, however there’s not any level in that.

That’s as a result of there are actually some ways to open the digicam from the lock display on an iPhone. One of the best ways is the brand new Digital camera Management, a capacitive button that Apple isn’t calling a button. Press down on it and the digicam opens; press once more to take a photograph; or press and maintain to file video. You can even swipe alongside it to discover some fascinating digicam options, which we’ll speak about later.

Digital camera Management is an thrilling prospect, however for the massive majority of the time, I’m not altering digicam settings. So, all it’s is a shutter button that opens the digicam app, and I’m fantastic with that. It’s a nicer, faster strategy to snap a photograph, in my view. Nevertheless it’s no nice game-changer.

In the meantime, the iPhone 16 cameras additionally get a rejig so you may file spatial video to observe in your Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. Now, I don’t know the way many individuals spent $3,500 on a Imaginative and prescient Professional after which wish to save $200 by getting the bottom iPhone, however maybe they’re on the market – for them, it’ll be good to have. Past these eight individuals, it’s not all that fascinating.

Maybe even much less fascinating is the addition of Wi-Fi 7, which can sound a bit meaningless to you. However when you’ve got a router that helps it, you’ll get much better Wi-Fi speeds. Most individuals don’t but, however they’re certain to change into extra widespread over the subsequent few years.

That’s the extent of the brand new options unique to the iPhone 16. After all, there are a bunch of recent issues with iOS 16, numerous good and a few a bit extra baffling. However everybody all the best way again to the iPhone XR and XS customers can entry them, so it’s not a purpose to improve until your cellphone is correctly historical. All in all, the 16 has some good new options, however nothing significantly thrilling.

Design

One of many nicest issues in regards to the new base iPhones is the general design. The steel sides and matte glass again look beautiful in all configurations, whereas the display and dynamic island give the entire machine a premium really feel. It’s mild, sturdy, and well-built.

The Motion Button, at the very least for the 6.1-inch mannequin, is straightforward to make use of and in a superb place. Nevertheless, Digital camera Management is a bit bit weirder. It’s very easy to activate along with your left hand, however in the event you’re the sort that retains your cellphone in your proper pocket, it could be much less easy.

In the meantime, utilizing the Digital camera Management in a horizontal orientation, as feels most pure, is a bit bit clumsy. You possibly can’t wrap your finger across the rails of the cellphone. As a substitute, it’s important to put your finger a bit bit in entrance of the display. That is no huge challenge, but it surely isn’t a totally pure place, like when utilizing most actual cameras.

Show

The OLED show on the iPhone 16 is superb, with excessive brightness and a brand new lowest brightness of 1 nit. When you’re coming from the iPhone 15, it most likely received’t really feel like an improve, however something older and also you’ll be glad. The brand new lowest brightness is beneficial in solely a handful of conditions, like studying one thing very first thing within the morning, but it surely provides to the totally different circumstances the place this cellphone nonetheless excels, relatively than having weak factors in several, much less widespread use circumstances.

The most important challenge for many might be the 60Hz refresh charge. A cellphone that prices at the very least $800 with out having a 120Hz display is outrageous. The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G is round $400 and has a 120Hz OLED; the bottom mannequin iPhones are very late to the social gathering.

For me, nonetheless, it doesn’t matter. Ever since I upgraded my Xbox, I’ve been incapable of going again to 30Hz gaming. I at the moment have a 60Hz iPad and MacBook; I concern that an improve to 120Hz on my cellphone might end in the identical impact, making my different costly and more-than-capable gadgets really feel older and fewer luxurious to make use of. For that purpose, I’m fantastic with 60Hz.

iPhone 16 cameras

The again cameras on the brand new iPhone 16 actually impress me, although it have to be stated I’ve upgraded from an iPhone 13, so the distinction is extra dramatic. Whereas on paper there’s no huge improve to the primary digicam (it’s a 48MP Fusion digicam as an alternative of a 48MP Fundamental on the 15, the distinction being unclear), the pictures appeared higher after I did a mini take a look at in my native Apple Retailer (I don’t have an iPhone 15 handy to do a full comparability). The ultrawide boasts a extra apparent enchancment, letting in additional mild and making ultrawide pictures higher at evening.

Probably the most thrilling factor, nonetheless, is the brand new photographic types. Apple has rejigged its “Photonic Engine” (no matter which means) so you may seize your pictures in precisely the type you need. Fairly than including a filter excessive after taking a shot, you may select a photographic type beforehand that reacts to various things within the picture in several methods.

These photographic types are, nonetheless, not everlasting. When you take a photograph within the Rose Gold type and understand it appears higher with the Dramatic one, you may simply change it afterward. The picture might be edited in a non-destructive manner, so you may fiddle round along with your pictures rather a lot with out having to be an modifying whizz.

What this ends in is the power to utterly change the character of iPhone pictures shortly and simply. Need it to appear to be a wealthy and nostalgic Fujifilm? Gold does a stunning job. Desire a extra mossy, action-flick vibe? Dramatic is fairly severe. The selection is yours, now — which appears to be Apple’s development now. You may make your private home display and your pictures distinctive; you simply should wish to.

And that could be the problem. See, how many individuals really get pleasure from fidgeting with settings? I do, as a result of I like know-how, but when I actually wished to dive into tweaking my expertise on a cellphone, I wouldn’t get an iPhone. So maybe all this customization will go straight over individuals’s heads.

When you go away the digicam in its regular settings, every part appears fantastic. Pictures really feel very iPhone-y however for me, every part is simply too washed out and flat. I now use the Gold photographic type with the tone setting round -.5, and it appears actually pretty.

So, in the event you take the time to fiddle a bit with the settings, your relationship along with your iPhone digicam may change into very totally different with all the 16 fashions, however in the event you’re not , it’ll simply really feel like one other iPhone.

Efficiency

Whereas the iPhone 16 has a really huge bump in efficiency, noticing it could be fairly troublesome. What it actually presents is longevity (and sufficient RAM for Apple Intelligence when it arrives).

By all of the benchmarks on the market, the iPhone 16 isn’t far off the 16 Professional in efficiency, and that’s with out having to help a 120Hz show. What this implies is that the brand new 3nm chip, the A18, can run huge, triple-A console video games in first rate sufficient high quality.

When you’re worrying about Sweet Crush or different informal cellular video games, don’t. You’ll be fantastic. When you’re worrying about Genshin Affect or Name of Obligation, additionally don’t. You possibly can simply get 60fps with out the cellphone getting annoyingly sizzling. Something that your outdated iPhone may do, this could do.

Higher but, the improve means that you would be able to now run video games that had been beforehand unique to the 15 Professional. That’s the brand new Resident Evil video games, Murderer’s Creed Mirage, and an entire host of different huge console video games. They give the impression of being good, and the iPhone doesn’t get as sizzling as you’d count on.

Now, as I write this on my 6.1-inch iPhone display, I want to say one factor: don’t purchase this iPhone to play AC or RE; it’s too small. Maybe the expertise on the Plus could be higher, however for me, they’re extra marvels of huge graphics in a tiny package deal, relatively than any manner you’d really wish to expertise the ambiance of Racoon Metropolis or Digital Baghdad.

Battery

All this efficiency doesn’t hurt the battery, both. Due to small battery measurement will increase and maybe effectivity positive factors, the iPhone 16 battery is superb. I cost it at evening whereas I sleep and by no means have any worries when the evening out stretches longer than anticipated. That’s adequate, proper?

When you want something higher, the iPhone 16 Plus’ battery is, by all stories, astoundingly good. However I wouldn’t spend the additional cash only for the battery life until your cellphone is continually looking for a sign since you journey throughout work otherwise you’re utilizing it intensively for gaming. You’ll be fantastic with a bit much less with the smaller 16.

When it comes to charging speeds, the iPhone 16 is first rate sufficient, juicing from flat to 100% in round one hour and 45 minutes, or a bit longer in the event you’re wi-fi. That’s nowhere close to the speeds of Android options from the likes of Xiaomi and Honor, but it surely’s first rate for iPhone and means you may get a 25% increase in round 25 minutes.

Do you have to purchase the iPhone 16?

Total, the iPhone 16 is a neat little piece of tech. There’s actually nothing fallacious with it. There’s extra it may do, certain, however there’s nothing extra I would like it to do. On a primary day-to-day stage, it appears nice, performs and not using a hitch, takes good pictures, and has a wonderful person interface. By the point I finish my day, its battery isn’t perilously low, and by the subsequent morning, it’s able to go once more. Good.

An important query, maybe, is: must you purchase it? I might say an improve to the iPhone 16 could be very worthwhile for anybody on a 13 or earlier, particularly in the event you really feel like that cellphone is struggling. Any earlier Professional customers are sure to note the refresh charge distinction, however anybody else will likely be glad.

However, whereas it appears a bit totally different, it’s not that totally different from the final era. Fairly, it’s fairly like the brand new Apple Watch. It feels just like the near-perfect model of a type issue and concept Apple has labored with because the iPhone X. Maybe the iPhone will take one other shift sooner or later, however who is aware of? Possibly telephones now are simply instruments that put on out and we change. And if yours wants changing, this is a wonderful machine to interchange it with. There’s nothing fallacious, however there’s additionally no actual surprises, which is gorgeous, if not particular.

Options

If our iPhone 16 evaluate hasn’t offered you on the Apple flagship, try our strategies for options beneath.

Google Pixel 9

If you would like AI proper now, Android is the best way to go. Google’s Pixel 9 is nice, the pictures are good, and the efficiency is first rate sufficient. And given it prices the identical quantity and has long-term software program updates, the choice is, properly, right down to choice. At the very least it doesn’t wobble when laid down on a desk; maybe that’s sufficient of a purpose.

Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is a bit higher and a bit worse than the Pixel 9, but it surely’s a worthy different all the identical. Whereas if you would like Android and its AI integration to really feel absolutely full, Pixel is the best way to go; the S24 has sufficient of it. Oh, and it’s extra performant, and for my cash, the design is nicer. However all in all, it’s an actual toss-up between all three. Usually, smartphones are converging, so that you’re not shedding out an excessive amount of irrespective of the place you go. For extra on this one, try our Samsung Galaxy S24 evaluate.