Alright, so you're thinking about getting an iPhone 16? Let's break down what this phone has to offer and see if it's the right fit for you.

The iPhone 16, starting at $799, presents itself as the most budget-friendly option in Apple's 2024 iPhone lineup. While inheriting much of its design from the iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 integrates several new features that bring it closer to the Pro models in terms of functionality and performance. This review will explore the phone's design, display, performance, battery life, connectivity, camera, and software, providing a detailed look at what the iPhone 16 has to offer.

Design and Buttons

The iPhone 16, at 5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches and weighing 6.0 ounces, is the smallest and lightest iPhone in the 2024 lineup. Compared to its Android competitors, the Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S24, it’s relatively compact and lightweight, making it comfortable to hold and carry. The phone features an aluminum frame, Apple's Ceramic Shield on both front and back for durability, and a matte finish for improved grip.

A significant design upgrade is the introduction of two new buttons: the Action Button and the Camera Control key. The Action Button, located above the volume buttons, can be programmed for various functions like silencing the phone, activating the flashlight, recording voice memos, or triggering custom shortcuts. The Camera Control key, a touch-sensitive sapphire crystal with haptic feedback, provides quick access to the camera and various shooting settings.

The camera module has been redesigned with a vertical stack of lenses, creating a neater look. However, this design still causes the phone to wobble when placed on a flat surface. Other standard features include the power button on the right edge, a USB-C port (limited to 480Mbps data transfer speed) and a speaker on the bottom edge, and the absence of a SIM card tray in US models due to the reliance on eSIM technology.

Display Features

The iPhone 16 retains the Super Retina XDR OLED display of its predecessor, with a 6.1-inch screen size, 2,556 x 1,179-pixel resolution, and a density of 460 pixels per inch. The display can reach 1,000 nits of typical brightness, 1,600 nits in HDR mode, and a peak brightness of 2,000 nits.

A notable new feature is the ability to reduce screen brightness to a single nit, allowing for comfortable viewing in dark environments. Despite these strengths, the iPhone 16’s display lacks the variable refresh rates and always-on functionality found in competing Android devices like the Pixel 9 and Galaxy S24.

Performance and Intelligence

The iPhone 16 is equipped with the A18 chip, bypassing the A17 entirely, and features 8GB of RAM, a significant upgrade from the previous 6GB. Benchmark results indicate a considerable performance boost compared to the iPhone 15. It scored significantly higher in Geekbench 6 CPU tests, achieved an average of 60fps in the GFXBench Aztec Ruins GPU test, and outperformed the iPhone 15 in the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme benchmark. While the iPhone 16's GPU performance lags behind the Pixel 9 and Galaxy S24 in the GFXBench test, its overall performance feels comparable to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, ensuring smooth multitasking, fast app launches, and seamless handling of demanding games.

The A18 chip is designed to support Apple Intelligence, but this feature is yet to be released. Apple intends to roll out Apple Intelligence features in stages, starting with iOS 18.1 in October 2024, and continuing through 2025.

Battery and Charging

The iPhone 16 features a 3,561mAh battery, a 6.3% increase from the iPhone 15, but still smaller than the batteries found in the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 9. Apple claims a video playback time of up to 22 hours, 18 hours for streamed video, and 80 hours for audio. In tests, the iPhone 16 lasted 17 hours and 47 minutes while streaming HD video over Wi-Fi at maximum brightness, a considerable improvement over the iPhone 15, and surpassing the S24 and Pixel 9.

The iPhone 16 supports a range of charging options, including 25W MagSafe wireless charging, 15W Qi2 charging, 7.5W standard Qi charging, and fast charging with a 30W adapter (not included). In tests, the iPhone 16 reached a 50% charge in 31 minutes and a full charge in 66 minutes, outpacing the iPhone 15, S24, and Pixel 9 in charging speed.

Connectivity and Networking

The iPhone 16 utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem, providing 5G support including sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G, compatible with a wide range of global networks. The phone achieved impressive download and upload speeds on Verizon's 5G network, comparable to the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

A significant upgrade is the inclusion of Wi-Fi 7, which delivered faster speeds and better performance at the edge of the network compared to the iPhone 15. The iPhone 16 also incorporates the Thread smart home networking standard, enhancing its connectivity with compatible smart home devices. Other connectivity features include Bluetooth 5.3 with support for various audio codecs and clear voice call quality with noise reduction capabilities.

Camera and Photography

The iPhone 16 inherits the Camera Control button from the Pro models, allowing for quick access to the camera app and various shooting modes. A light press on the Camera Control key reveals advanced settings like exposure, depth of field, zoom, camera selection, styles, and tone.

The main camera is a 48MP f/1.6 Fusion camera, capable of capturing full-resolution 48MP images and combining them with binned 12MP shots to produce a final 24MP photo with enhanced detail and light sensitivity. It also offers 2x high-quality zoom using the central 12MP portion of the sensor and supports up to 10x digital zoom. The ultra-wide camera features a 12MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a 120-degree field of view. The front-facing TrueDepth camera is a 12MP shooter with an f/1.9 aperture. New shooting modes include macro photography and spatial photos.

Images taken with the iPhone 16 generally exhibit good quality with sharp focus, minimal noise, and ample detail. Apple's processing enhances shadows and highlights, adding a warm color tone, although this may not always accurately reflect the scene. The selfie camera produces impressive results, though the portrait mode's bokeh effect can sometimes be excessive.

The iPhone 16 can record video in 1080p or 4K resolution at various frame rates, supporting Dolby Vision. It includes features like Cinematic Mode, Action Mode, slow motion, macro video capture, time-lapse, and spatial video capture with spatial audio, although it lacks the Pro model's 4K120 Fusion capture mode, ProRes, and Log video recording options.

Software and Updates

The iPhone 16 ships with iOS 18, which offers at least five years of operating system and security updates, falling short of the seven years provided by Google and Samsung for their Pixel and Galaxy S series. Notable iOS 18 features include enhanced home screen customization, improvements to the Photos app, RCS chat support in iMessage, and expanded calculator functionality.

While the iPhone 16 is capable of running Apple Intelligence, the initial set of features will be available in October 2024 with iOS 18.1, and further features will roll out gradually through 2025. Some features, including Writing Tools and the new Siri, are currently available for testing in the iOS 18.1 public beta.

Conclusion

The iPhone 16 offers a compelling package with its powerful performance, improved battery life, enhanced camera features, and the promise of Apple Intelligence. Despite lacking certain high-end features found in the Pro models and some Android competitors, the iPhone 16 delivers a well-rounded experience, making it a strong contender for users seeking a balance of performance, features, and affordability.