(Credit: René Ramos/Apple)
Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup, unveiled today, is not a huge departure from previous iterations of its popular smartphone. The main exterior upgrades are a new button for easy access to the camera app and slightly larger displays on the Pro versions.
Eventually, these phones (and the iPhone 15 Pro models) will support Apple Intelligence. But that won’t happen out of the box on the iPhone 16, as Apple is taking a staggered approach to rolling out its artificial intelligence features. Craig Federighi, Apple’s VP of software engineering, said at a Monday event that the first Apple Intelligence features will debut in beta as an iOS 18 software update next month, with “more to come” in the months ahead.
All iPhone 16 models—iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max—run Apple’s new A18 chips, with the A18 Pro on the higher-end phones. (The iPhone 15 series uses different chips: the A17 Pro for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and the A16 Bionic for the 15 and 15 Plus.)
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus screens are the same size as their predecessors at 6.1 and 6.7 inches, respectively, but they get the Action button. Launched on the iPhone 15 Pro models (and remaining on the 16 Pros), this replaces the ringer switch with a button you can customize to your needs, from opening the flashlight to turning on a Focus mode.
The higher-end iPhones are larger than the iPhone 15 Pro models. The iPhone 16 Pro jumps from 6.1 to 6.3 inches, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 6.9 inches, up from 6.7 inches—the “largest iPhone display ever,” Apple says. This should give the bezels a slimmer look.
All four new iPhones get a dedicated Camera Control button for easy access to the app. Press down on it slightly for different features, like zoom or depth of field, which you can adjust by sliding your finger back and forth.
Later this year, an update will add support for "visual intelligence" on Camera Control. This will let you point an iPhone 16 at a restaurant or sign, for example, to get information about it, add events to your calendar, or even identify a dog breed. Third-party apps can also integrate with visual intelligence, so you can search Google or ask ChatGPT for more details.
Also coming later on for the Pro versions, Camera Control will get a "two-stage shutter to automatically lock focus and exposure on a subject with a light press, letting users reframe the shot without losing focus," Apple says.
The company continued its pitch for the iPhone Pro models as a cinematographer's best friend, from four new studio-quality mics to the option to capture clips in Spatial Audio. Plus, "next-generation Photographic Styles help users express their creativity and customize their photos by locally adjusting color, highlights, and shadows in real time," Apple says.
The Pro cameras have a new 48MP Fusion camera for 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision, a 48MP ultra wide camera for higher-resolution photography, including macro; and a 5x Telephoto camera on both Pro models.
On the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, you get the 48MP Fusion camera with a 2x optical-quality Telephoto option, and its 12MP Ultra Wide camera with autofocus enables macro photography. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus can also take spatial photos and videos for use on the Apple Vision Pro.
Apple puts the iPhone 16 Pro battery life (for video playback) at up to 27 hours, while the Pro Max is at 33 hours. That's about four hours more than the iPhone 15 Pro lineup, or what Apple calls a "huge leap in battery life." The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus should get up to 22 and 27 hours, respectively, Apple says. They charge via USB-C.
All four phones will be available to preorder on Friday, Sept. 13, ahead of a Sept. 20 launch. The iPhone 16 starts at $799, and the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899. The Pro versions will set you back $999 or $1,199.
Apple drops the yellow color on the lower-end iPhones for ultramarine, teal, pink, white, or black. The Pro models come in black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, or desert titanium.