Review of the Apple iPhone 16 and 16 Plus: all the details

The Apple basic iPhone appeared to have been neglected during the last few years. While the basic models had to make do with the leftovers, the Pro models received upgraded chipsets, camera functionality, and an Action Button that could be customized.

However, this year is different: the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus caught up, and there isn’t as much of a difference between these phones and the Pro models.

That is really important, particularly for the entry-level vehicles. I believe there’s a simple solution this time around if you’ve been hanging onto an older iPhone for a few generations and are debating whether or not to upgrade: go for it. This year is promising for the entry-level iPhone, as well as a fantastic year to upgrade.

However, this iPhone is still very much a development project. First off, the OS for this phone is expected to include Apple Intelligence, however it isn’t available at launch. It is currently available in beta, and some features—still designated as “beta”—will start to roll out with iOS 18.1 next month. However, as it’s not there on the 18.0 phone I’m examining, it’s not covered in this review.

The new Camera Control button, which is included on both the Pro and standard iPhone 16 versions and allows you to open the camera, snap pictures, and change various settings, is another item that I feel conflicted about. I’m glad it’s not a feature that’s only available to Pro users, and I adore buttons. However, I’ve been basically ignoring it because I find it difficult to apply in real life.

However, the fundamental material is sound. Since the chipset in this year’s models is the same as the one on the Pro versions, they should receive software updates on a fairly regular basis. The phone’s hardware looks fantastic, and the camera is still just as good as it ever was. Thank heavens, Apple is back with vibrant colours. Since the starting price is still $799, any additions made this year seem nice to have. You would still be holding a decent iPhone in your hands even if Apple Intelligence never ships.

A high refresh rate screen is one hardware characteristic that is noticeably absent from this, high-end phone in 2024. The 16 and 16 Plus are limited to 60Hz ProMotion screens, while only the Pro phones have smoother 120Hz displays. It is now a standard feature on most mid-range and higher-end smartphones, and the iPhone would look rather out of date without it.

Although it annoys me in theory that Apple doesn’t include this on the entry-level models, how much that annoys you is very subjective. For the majority of the remaining months of the year, I use phones with 120Hz screens, so switching back to a 60Hz screen always feels strange for a short while. However, I rapidly grow accustomed to it, and the more halting scrolling only occurs to me when I dwell on it. This will undoubtedly be viewed by some as an unacceptable omission, and they are probably correct. A 60Hz screen will suffice for some folks, and they are also correct in their assessment. Between the two is where everyone else is.

Additionally, the Pro models’ always-on display is absent from the 16 and 16 Plus. I miss the always-on display on the 16 since I prefer to be able to quickly glance at my alerts and wallpaper while the iPhone is not in use. Nevertheless, there are plenty of individuals I know who dislike it, so all in all, this isn’t a huge loss.

Now, if anyone is officially on record as being in favour of the button, it’s me. They are just too good for me. You can only imagine how happy I was to find two additional buttons on this phone: the new Camera Control and the Action Button, which can be programmed from the 15 Pro. I open the app I use to sign my child out of creche by clicking the Action Button. I usually have to scramble around trying to find the app as a parent is hurrying behind me, so each time I hit that button, my worried brain relaxes. If you’re prepared to learn how to use shortcuts, you can program it to perform a wide range of tasks. For the rest of us, however, mapping it to launch a particular program and stopping it is rather simple.

Regarding the Camera Control, I wish I could say something more positive. I really did want to like it. I intend to keep trying it even though I’ve used it a lot in case I’m missing something. However, I’m not impressed thus far. It’s a real button that, when completely pressed, will open the camera application. Another full press will take a picture once you arrive. Additionally, it has haptic feedback and is capacitive. Lightly pressing it will display exposure settings, which you may modify by dragging your finger along the control.

It surprises me that’s the action I feel most at ease doing. I’m having trouble shooting the shutter and pushing the actual button. I find that the phone’s mechanism is excessively stiff, and every time I try to take a picture, the entire gadget shakes. Furthermore, if I fiddle with that light push for too long, I wind up unintentionally adjusting the exposure compensation or some other parameter. What are we even doing here when I have to take my mind off of the present and consider pushing a damn button?

Although I prefer using it to open the camera, I’ve usually switched back to using the onscreen shutter after that. I feel like I’m not taking full advantage of one of this phone’s fancy new features, even if I’m using the capacitive control for exposure correction. This button would be more intuitive if it only had one function rather than two. Nevertheless, I can’t really complain about having a separate button to start the camera and a capacitive exposure comp dial for the camera. All I wish was that this button’s two functions coordinated more well.

Speaking of the camera app, let’s discuss photographic styles. Do you recall those? They are applied during capture, similar to the iPhone camera’s filters. You’ll have access to an entirely new array of custom settings on the iPhone 16 series to help you achieve the exact photographic look you desire. We go into great detail in our review of the iPhone 16 Pro, but in summary, you can change the colour cast, brightness, and contrast to suit warmer or colder skin tones. This feature is for you if you’re among the many people who feel that iPhone images have been over-processed lately.

I think I’ve found a style, but it wasn’t always simple to get there. You must go into the system settings menu and go through a setup procedure where you audition four of your images in the new style in order to set a photographic style as your new default. If you simply choose a different style within the camera app, it will return to the default setting once you depart. I was really confused at first because this is not how the prior iPhones behaved.

And that’s not all—to really benefit from the new styles, you must shoot in HEIF. No other firm loves the dreadful HEIF file format as much as Apple does. When sharing your HEIF photos outside of the Apple environment, they will typically be converted to JPEG. However, if you are unlucky enough to try to open a .heic file on a non-Apple device, you will undoubtedly encounter nothing but despair. I personally steer clear of shooting in HEIF, however, if you just shoot JPEG, you can’t alter your style after the fact. I’ll tolerate the sporadic compatibility issue because it’s so lovely to have this flexibility with the new styles.

It is somewhat difficult to assess the camera itself given this degree of versatility. My photography technique has been more contrasted, which brings out the shadows in a way that I find appealing. You receive an image with true highlights and shadows, not just a bunch of grey mush compressed into a typical dynamic range area, in addition to the brighter highlights maintained by HDR tone mapping. In certain situations, the camera may still capture too much detail in blue skies; however, you can adjust the photography style settings to lessen that. Though it might not be the same as yours, I enjoy the camera app on my device.

For the most part, I’m thankful that the iPhone still produces excellent portrait mode images, and I’m consistently amazed by the cinematic mode’s video quality. In well-lit environments, the 2x crop zoom works well and is a convenient focal length for close-up photos. It’s also convenient to have a macro focus on the ultrawide lens for those rare close-ups.

However, the iPhone 16’s low-light image quality isn’t quite as good as that of its Pro rivals because it has a smaller main image sensor. If your subjects are motionless, image quality will be OK, but if you’re trying to take portraits or moving subjects in low light, don’t expect to get away with much. I also conducted a comparison between the iPhone 16’s 5x digital zoom and the 15 Pro Max’s 5x telephoto lens out of curiosity. As expected, the Pro Max completely outperforms it. The classic optical zoom remains the best option available.

Regarding the general performance of the iPhone 16, I have nothing startling to say. Daily duties are readily handled by the A18 chipset (with a little extra RAM, thanks to AI!). I can take pictures in portrait mode around once every second; there is a small amount of buffering time built in for each shot, but I never had to wait longer for the buffer to empty. Getting the latest processor is a win for the normal iPhones this year and should keep this phone working smoothly long into the next four or five years, even if you never use the AI features Apple is promised for this phone.

The battery lasts the entire day, even on the smaller size. I used it more heavily that day, streaming KEXP with Strava while using GPS in the background, and by nighttime, I had about 30% left. With the larger battery of the 16 Plus, you can get a full day’s use out of just one charge. The true test will be how well it holds up a year or two from now; Apple hasn’t had the best luck in this regard lately.

Compared to the last few generations, this year is great for the entry-level iPhone models. This is by no means revolutionary, and it’s definitely not anything you should trade in your iPhone 15. However, I believe that this is the year to upgrade if you’ve been debating whether to go from an 11 or 12.

There are a few more buttons for you to experiment with, and who knows? Perhaps you’ll find the Camera Control easier to use than I did. This phone will be prepared for Apple Intelligence, should it turns out to be the feature-rich, stress-relieving system that Apple promises it will be. You will still receive some enhancements that are important in the long run, though, even if they never show up. For the standard iPhone, this is a catch-up year, so it’s a great time to upgrade.