The Apple event has come and gone, but definately did not dissapoint. One of the major announcements was the new iPhone 16 lineup.
Before I start, I know there are going to be some people that are like It is no different than last year! But, I will try to convince you otherwise. There truly are great enhancements to the latest iPhones. To start, each iPhone this year is centered around Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI suite of features and are optimized for running along side the model.
First, let’s take a look at the iPhone 16s. They still come in two sizes: the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. By first glance of the new iPhone, you can tell that there are new colors with a color-infused back glass: Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White and Black. What you do notice about the colors is they are all very vibrant as opposed to the iPhone 15’s muted, pastel color scheme. I noticed that the naming is a bit different for the color names than Apple usually does. Most of the time, the colors are just called “blue” or “green”, etc. But now they went with more distinctive names. I think that these names accurately describe the colors and I really like the brighter colors that really highlight the hue of the color. The outside of the iPhones have a new Cermaic shield that is 2x more durable than before. Looking on the outside, you will now notice a new Action button in place of the mute switch. The Pro iPhone’s last year had the Action button, and this feature is now making its way to the regular iPhones. I really like the Action button, with the ability to change to many different controls like camera, flashlight, make a shortcut, etc, and can now change a control from the control center or perform an in-app function. Very useful! The one thing I wish is that Apple would have mde the button a bit bigger, because using the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro is a bit hard because it is quite small and hard to find the location of quickly. Something else that is added on the outside is the Camera Control button, with it being described by Apple,
“Now you can take the perfect photo or video in record time. Camera Control gives you an easier way to quickly access camera tools. Simply slide your finger to adjust camera functions like exposure or depth of field, and toggle through each lens or use digital zoom to frame your shot — just how you like it.”
I really like this new feature for easy access to many of the camera features, right at your natural position for your finger. I feel like there are already a lot of buttons on the iPhone and this will just be adding yet another, so there is that to think about. Also, this does take out some of the functionality out of the Action button because opening camera from the Action button now becomes obsolete. Additionally, I am a bit concerned about how the button will be used with a case on. Either a hole in the side or a certain layer for touch-sensitive feedback is what Apple and most manufacturers are doing, but it throws a curveball as to case design. Here is a quick clip of how the Camera Control works:
Additionally, the iPhone 16 has a new camera to go along with the Camera Control. Although Apple always updates the cameras on the latest iPhones, there are some specific updates for the iPhone 16 new for this year. Visually, the cameras are now aligned vertically to enable a feature passed from the Pro models last year, which is Spatial Video capture to watch on Apple Vision Pro along and now Spatial Photo capture. Even more updates described by Apple:
“The versatile new iPhone 16 camera system captures beautiful photos — from up close or far away. The two-in-one 48MP Fusion camera lets you take stunning super-high-resolution images, or zoom in with the 2x optical-quality Telephoto. The Ultra Wide camera shoots extreme close-up macro photos or wider, more expansive pictures. Altogether, it’s like having four lenses in your pocket. And with spatial capture, you can even take photos and videos in 3D, which you can watch with Apple Vision Pro.”
I feel like the regular iPhones are getting more Pro-like each year, with more and more features being passed down, like macro photography, better 48MP camera, etc. and even non-camera features like the Action button. I think this is one of the reasons for the iPhone 16’s demand being much higher than last year and I read that the demand for the iPhone 16 Plus is up 48% compared to last year while the iPhone 16 is up 10% compared to last year. Big leap! I think the main reason is each regular iPhone is gaining more Pro features that attract buyers to purchase the regualr iPhones in comaprison to the Pros.
Some other updates for the iPhone 16s include a new A18 chip similar to that of the iPhone 15 Pro specifically built for Apple Intelligence, a big boost in battery life and faster wireless charging speeds. The pricing remains the same at $799 for the iPhone 16 and $899 for the iPhone 16 Plus.
Alright, now to the Pro models. On the outside, the iPhone 16 Pro has a similar design to last year but also have the new Camera Control button like the iPhone 16. The Pro models have grown for this year too, expanding from 6.1″ and 6.7″ to 6.3″ and 6.9″. They also have even thinner borders than last year’s Pro models. When I thought they could not get any thinner, here’s Apple again! They now come in White Titanium, Black Titanium, Natural Titanium, and the new Desert Titanium.
There are some updates to the camera for the Pro models too. Now, you can capture video with 4K 120 fps Dolby Vision for even better videos. Both Pro models now have a 5x telephoto lens, comapred to only the Pro Max of last year. New microphones are also present with a new feature called Audio Mix. Here it is described by Apple:
“Powered by advanced intelligence and Spatial Audio capture, Audio Mix lets you adjust the way voices sound in your videos using three different voice options. Want to decrease background sound? Or just focus on the voices that are in frame? Simply select the mix and adjust intensity to get the sound you want after video capture.”
Very cool for shooting clips and movie-making and perfecting a video. Additionally, the Ultra Wide camera now has 48MP for capturing more detailed shots. There is also all-new Photographic styles for more customization. I am excited for these new photography features, but I wish there are some more Pro specific features to draw in the buyers specifically for the Pro models. Their cameras are already very good, so maybe that is what Apple was thinking.
The Pro models get a boost with the new A18 chip with Apple describing it:
“A phenomenally powerful chip, A18 Pro enables Apple Intelligence with a faster Neural Engine, an improved CPU and GPU, and a big jump in memory bandwidth. It also drives advanced video and photo features like Camera Control, and it delivers our best-ever graphics performance for AAA gaming.”
The iPhone 16 Pro also gains up to 4 more hours of battery life, Apple says, and fsater charging as well. Pricing remains the same at $999 for the iPhone 16 Pro and $1199 for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
In summary, the iPhone 16 lineup delivers great new updates to camera, battery life, and the new Camera Control. The regular models now include Pro-like capabilities, driving increased demand, while the Pro versions offer advanced photography and performance improvements. But due to the lack of new additions to the Pro models, I feel like the majority of customers are going to be leaning towards the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. I saw that the iPhone 16 Pro Max demand reportedly down 16% compared to last year while iPhone 16 Pro is down 27% compared to last year. Overall, I am excited for this next-generation of iPhones and how customers will take advantage of their capabilities.
Here are also a few videos of hands-on and reviews of the new iPhones including an interview with Apple execs on the iPhone 16 Pro:
The Apple Enthusiast 