iPhone 16 and 16 Plus

My initial impression of the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus was how great the colours are. They look cheery and vibrant, unlike the dull and muted shades of the iPhone 15. I’d say the colours are better than those on the Pro iPhones, but this has been the case for a while now.

My favourite colour is the blue one. Apple, of course, has a different name for it—because “blue” would be too basic. “Ultramarine” is what Apple is calling it, and I think it’s a cool name.

In terms of features, this is the closest a non-Pro iPhone has come to the Pro models. It’s making these phones look like a great deal compared to the Pro iPhones, and they are great phones. They have the same amount of RAM as the Pro models and will receive Apple Intelligence features through software updates later this year.

The last non-Pro iPhone, the iPhone 15, had the A16 chip. This year, we are getting not the A17 but the A18—so a two-generation leap. This is because the A17 wouldn’t support Apple Intelligence, and releasing a new phone today without Apple’s headline feature would ruin Apple’s brand.

The action button from the iPhone 15 Pro now comes to the non-Pro models, replacing the ringer/silence toggle. What’s more impressive is that the camera control feature also comes to the iPhone 16. It’s not something Apple is reserving for the Pro models. The dynamic island first appeared on the Pro iPhones, and the next year it came to the non-Pro iPhone. Similarly, the action button was introduced on the Pro models and now makes its way to the non-Pro iPhones. However, the camera control feature is not a Pro-exclusive—it launches on both Pro and non-Pro models simultaneously with almost the same set of features.

Speaking of camera control, one thing I’ve noticed Apple PR do is avoid calling it a button. “Camera Control” is the term they’re using, notably without the word “button”. I’ve wondered why this might be. Technically, it’s not just a button—it allows much more than a simple press. A button is something you press, but the camera control allows you to press, double press, swipe, etc. It’s more like a miniature trackpad. While calling it a “Camera Control trackpad” might sound odd, “Camera Control” seems fitting. I still expect many users to refer to it as a button, and there’s no harm in that. What matters is whether people will use it or forget about it.

During WWDC, we saw previews of almost all the Apple Intelligence features, except for Visual Intelligence. This, too, is activated via camera control and is exclusive to the iPhone 16 series. Apple could have included it on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max as it’s a software feature, but they’re tying it to the camera control button on the iPhone 16 models.

iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max

Both Pro iPhones have gotten bigger this year, with the Pro Max being almost 7 inches. A decade ago, Samsung used to make really big phones, and the tech community coined the term “phablet”. The term “phablet” isn’t used anymore, but now might be a good time to bring it back.

The Max phones are large devices anyway, so a few millimetres shouldn’t make a difference. However, it’s worth noting that the iPhone XS Max was 6.5”, and now the Max phones have grown to 6.9”. The 12 Pro Max increased to 6.7” – I’d like to think that Apple has slowly increased the sizes of these phones while gradually training their users to accommodate the bigger sizes. The question remains, is 6.9″ the biggest an Apple iPhone will go? I hope so.

That said, the Pro Max doesn’t look much bigger compared to the 15 Pro Max from last year. This is mostly because Apple managed to reduce the bezel size, which is noticeable. I’m excited to see these phones in person.

The 16 Pro Max, however, does weigh 6 grams more than last year, but it’s still 13 grams lighter than the 14 Pro Max from a couple of years ago. I wrote about how the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the nicest-feeling iPhone I have used, and that’s not just because Apple managed to make it 19 grams lighter than the 14 Pro Max, but also due to how the weight was distributed inside the phone. I hope the slightly larger 16 Pro Max has a similar weight distribution, or, if anything, that it could be even better.

The colours, however, are still muted and dull compared to the non-Pro iPhones. These titanium-finished iPhones looked dull last year next to the almost-white muted colours of the non-Pro iPhones, and this year they look even worse compared to the colourful iPhone 16s. The new colour for this year, Desert Titanium, does look good, but I’ll reserve judgement until I see it in person.

The A18 Pro chip, as Apple calls it, is the “fastest chip on a smartphone”. Did anyone expect it not to be? What I’m interested in is how this chip operates within the titanium frame of the iPhone 16 Pro. Apple said there is a graphite substructure within the titanium frame that should help keep the phone cool during high performance. I hope Apple has fixed the overheating issues that the iPhone 15 Pro had (I didn’t personally experience this on my phone, but it was widely reported, and I do think the thermals on the 15 Pro phones had some issues).

The biggest upgrades are always in the camera, and this year is no different. The Pro gets the 5x lens from last year’s 15 Pro Max, meaning both sizes of the Pro phones now have the exact same camera system. I’m glad that’s the case, but I’m disappointed that the 5x camera is the exact same as last year’s. It’s the best “telephoto” lens on an iPhone yet, but that doesn’t mean the upgrades should stop. I would have liked to see some sort of hardware improvement, but I guess that’s something for next year.

The ultra-wide lens on the iPhone has been the most disappointing lens in the camera system. I wouldn’t call it a bad lens in itself, but among the triple camera system, it’s the weakest and the one I use the least. The upgrade to 48 megapixels is a welcome change, and I’ll write extensively about it when I get my hands on it.

The camera control features are coming to the Pro phones too, but there’s a new feature exclusive to the Pro iPhones – Locking Subject Focus. This mimics a “real” camera, where you can lightly press the camera control to focus on your subject, then, by continuing to press, reframe the subject. Pressing deeper will take the photo. Nice.

Other tidbits

• FineWoven cases are all gone, and I’m glad they are – they were really bad for what they cost. There was no second attempt at another go, and I hope they don’t come back.
• Disappointed we didn’t get any USB-C accessories. No new MagSafe Duo or MagSafe battery pack.
• Product(RED) products are gone too? None of the products launched at this keynote had a Product(RED) option.
• Non-Pro iPhones are still stuck on a 60Hz screen. This doesn’t bother me at all. I often have my Pro phone on low power mode, which limits it to 60Hz, and I barely notice it. But Android fanboys love pointing this out every year.

Closing thoughts

As someone on the yearly train of Pro Max iPhones, this year’s model seems the least interesting to me. If you’re using the non-Pro iPhones and upgrade yearly, you get camera control, Apple Intelligence, etc. Even if you’re on the regular-sized Pro phone, you’re getting the 5x camera as well. But for the Pro Max, you only get camera control and the 48-megapixel ultra-wide lens.

However, the above paragraph only applies to those who upgrade their phones yearly – most people don’t, and shouldn’t, upgrade that often. If you’re using a 13 Pro or older, I’d say these are significant upgrades. Even if you’re on the 14 Pro, Apple Intelligence and the camera upgrades alone should tempt you. If you’re on the 15 Pro, I’d suggest putting your money to better use. I, myself, could use this advice – but then again, sometimes life is too short to make purely sensible choices.