The New iPhone 16 Series: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – A Comprehensive Overview

Apple’s annual iPhone release is always a highly anticipated event, and the iPhone 16 series is no exception. With exciting updates in design, performance, and camera technology, the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max are set to redefine what a smartphone can be. In this blog, we’ll explore the features and innovations of the new iPhone 16 series, helping you understand which model suits your needs.

1. iPhone 16: The Future of Simplicity and Power

The standard iPhone 16 continues Apple’s tradition of offering high-quality technology wrapped in a sleek, user-friendly design. This model is perfect for those who want a powerful smartphone without the premium features of the Pro models.

Key Features:

• Display: 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina display with vibrant colors and improved brightness.
• Processor: Powered by the A17 Bionic chip, the iPhone 16 delivers fast performance, whether you’re gaming, multitasking, or editing photos and videos.
• Camera: The dual-camera system (12 MP wide and 12 MP ultra-wide) delivers incredible photo quality. Smart HDR 5 and improved low-light performance make this camera ideal for everyday photography.
• Battery Life: With enhanced battery management, the iPhone 16 offers all-day battery life even with heavy usage.
• Design: Available in a range of new colors, with a sleek, slightly thinner build compared to its predecessor.

Who is it for?
The iPhone 16 is great for casual users who prioritize performance and a seamless iOS experience but don’t need the advanced features found in the Pro models.

2. iPhone 16 Pro: Precision and Power in a Sleek Design

The iPhone 16 Pro builds on the foundation of the standard model, adding premium features that appeal to power users and those who love photography, gaming, and productivity.

Key Features:

• Display: A stunning 6.1-inch ProMotion XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering ultra-smooth scrolling and responsiveness.
• Processor: The iPhone 16 Pro is powered by the A17 Pro chip, pushing the boundaries of mobile processing. This makes demanding tasks like 4K video editing, 3D gaming, and AR experiences faster and smoother.
• Camera: A new triple-camera system with LiDAR for depth-sensing. The 48 MP wide, 12 MP ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses deliver exceptional photo and video quality, enhanced by new computational photography features. The ProRAW and ProRes video options elevate the iPhone 16 Pro into professional-level gear.
• Battery Life: Even with its powerful features, the iPhone 16 Pro manages to offer excellent battery life, optimized for performance.
• Design: Featuring a premium titanium frame, it’s lighter and more durable than the stainless steel found in previous Pro models. It comes in exclusive colors, including matte finishes.

Who is it for?
If you’re a content creator, a professional who uses demanding apps, or simply someone who wants the best technology Apple has to offer in a moderately sized phone, the iPhone 16 Pro is a fantastic option.

3. iPhone 16 Pro Max: The Ultimate iPhone Experience

For those who want the absolute best, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is Apple’s top-tier offering in this year’s lineup. With a massive display and even more advanced features, it is the ultimate smartphone.

Key Features:

• Display: A massive 6.7-inch ProMotion XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate and OLED technology. Perfect for media consumption, gaming, and professional use.
• Processor: Like the iPhone 16 Pro, the Pro Max is powered by the A17 Pro chip, delivering unmatched performance in a smartphone.
• Camera: The same triple-camera system with LiDAR as the iPhone 16 Pro, but with enhanced zoom capabilities. The 5x optical zoom and advanced computational photography take mobile photography to a new level.
• Battery Life: The iPhone 16 Pro Max offers the longest battery life of any iPhone, making it ideal for power users who spend all day on their phones.
• Design: Slightly larger but still maintaining the elegant design of the Pro models, with premium titanium finishes and a rugged yet stylish look.

Who is it for?
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is designed for users who want the biggest screen, the most powerful features, and the best camera system. Whether you’re a mobile gamer, a photographer, or a tech enthusiast, this is the iPhone to get if you want the best of everything.

Which iPhone 16 Model Should You Choose?

• iPhone 16: Best for casual users looking for a reliable, high-performance phone with great battery life and a top-tier display.
• iPhone 16 Pro: Ideal for tech enthusiasts, photographers, and power users who need advanced features like ProMotion, the A17 Pro chip, and a premium design.
• iPhone 16 Pro Max: The choice for users who want the biggest screen, the best battery life, and the most powerful features available.

No matter which model you choose, the iPhone 16 series delivers Apple’s signature quality, innovation, and performance, ensuring you’ll be getting one of the best smartphones on the market today.

Final Thoughts

The iPhone 16 series is packed with cutting-edge technology, offering something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for simplicity, performance, or the ultimate in mobile photography and gaming, the iPhone 16 lineup delivers. Stay tuned for more detailed reviews and hands-on impressions of these new devices!

Should You Buy an iPhone 16?

Introduced in September 2024, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are Apple’s current flagship phones, sold alongside the higher-end iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are the right iPhones for most people, and now is a good time to buy. There’s an upgraded A18 chip that supports Apple Intelligence, a dual-lens camera system that takes great photos, a Camera Control button for quick camera access, and a customizable Action button.

Pricing starts at $799, and the iPhone 16 offers a good balance between functionality and price. If you’re looking for a step up, Apple has the iPhone 16 Pro models with upgraded A18 Pro chip, bigger displays, ProMotion display technology, and triple-lens camera system.

If you’re coming from an iPhone 13 or earlier, the iPhone 16 is an excellent upgrade because you get the new super fast chip and Apple Intelligence support, but you also get prior model features like Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite.

For those who want a more affordable device, Apple also offers the $429 iPhone SE with older technology, the prior-generation iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus with prices starting at $699, and the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus with pricing starting at $599.

• iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro Buyer’s Guide: All Differences Compared

Choosing an iPhone is a major decision, so we have some buyer’s guides that walk you through choosing the best device for you, and you’ll also want to check out our iPhone deals post to get the best prices.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are Apple’s consumer-focused flagship devices with prices starting at $799. They are joined by the pro-focused iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, which come with additional capabilities and features and start at $999.

As with the iPhone 15 lineup last year, the iPhone 16 family includes a total of four models. There’s the 6.1-inch iPhone 16, the 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus, the 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro, and the 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max. The Pro and Pro Max have larger display sizes this year, but the standard iPhone sizing has not changed. Apple’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus start at $799 and are more affordable than the higher-end iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

While some of the best features are reserved for the iPhone 16 Pro models to make the extra cost worth it for consumers, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are incredibly capable devices that are going to last for years to come.

Design wise, the iPhone 16 models look almost identical to the iPhone 15 models with an aluminum frame, frosted glass back, and Dynamic Island. The Dynamic Island houses the front-facing TrueDepth camera and other sensors for Face ID authentication. The Super Retina XDR OLED display is protected by a next-generation Ceramic Shield that’s 50 percent tougher.

The overall look hasn’t changed, but Apple introduced a new vertical rear camera that replaces the prior diagonal camera, and there are also two new buttons: the Action button and the Camera Control button.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are each available in five color options: ultramarine, teal, pink, white, and black. There is a USB-C port for charging, but data transfers on these models remain at the same USB 2.0 speeds that were available last year.

Apple introduced a new 3-nanometer next-generation A18 chip that supports all of the iOS 18 Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools, the revamped Siri, Genmoji, Image Playground, and more. It has a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU.

The 16-core Neural Engine runs machine learning models up to 2x faster than the A16 chip, while the CPU is 30 percent faster and the GPU is 40 percent faster and 35 percent more efficient with support for hardware-based ray tracing.

The internal design was rearchitected to improve heat dissipation and chip performance. With the new thermal design and the A18 chip improvements, the A18 supports up to 30 percent higher sustained performance for gaming.

Apple brought the iPhone 15 Pro Action button to the entire lineup this year, so iPhone 16 users can access a variety of customizable functions like flashlight, camera, Shazam, Translate, and more.

There’s an all-new Camera Control button that’s like an Action button for the Camera. It is touch and pressure sensitive and can be used to launch the camera and take a photo, capture a video, and adjust all kinds of camera settings. Apple modeled it after the shutter button of a DSLR camera, and it works in much the same way. Third-party apps can also take advantage of the Camera Control button.

Later this year, Camera Control will be used for visual intelligence, a new AI feature that can tell users about objects and places. Point the camera at an object and click and hold on Camera Control to get more info about it. For a restaurant, visual intelligence shows information like hours and menu.

To accompany the Camera Control button, Apple added a 48-megapixel Fusion camera with a 2x optical-quality Telephoto zoom that’s cropped from the full camera capture. Apple says is it’s like having two cameras in one. There’s also a new 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with autofocus and support for macro photography. The Ultra Wide gathers up to 2.6x more light for better image quality in low light conditions. The vertical camera arrangement supports capturing spatial photos and videos that can be viewed on the Apple Vision Pro.

There are a range of next-generation Photographic Styles that let users adjust color, highlights, and shadows in real time. Adjustments can be applied to specific colors rather than the entire image, and Apple allows granular control over the intensity and tone of effects. Styles can be rendered during live preview or added after a photo is taken.

Videos are captured with Spatial Audio for more immersive sound with AirPods or Vision Pro, and there’s a new Audio Mix feature for adjusting sound after capture to focus on the voice of the person on camera, make it sound like a video was recorded in a professional studio, or position vocal tracks in front and environmental noises in surround sound. A wind noise reduction tool cuts down on unwanted noise for improved audio quality.

Battery size has been increased, and with efficiency improvements, the battery lasts for up to two hours longer than the iPhone 15 battery. The iPhone 16 Plus supports up to 27 hours of video playback, while the iPhone 16 supports up to 22 hours of video playback.

Apple added faster 25W MagSafe charging to the new iPhone 16 models, though a new MagSafe Charger that supports the faster charging is required. With 25W MagSafe charging, an iPhone 16 can charge to 50 percent in 30 minutes. 15W Qi2 charging is also supported.

As with the last several generations, the iPhone 16 models support 5G connectivity (both sub-6GHz and mmWave in the United States). In the United States, iPhone models again ship without a physical SIM card as carriers now use eSIM. Faster and more efficient Wi-Fi 7 connectivity is supported, as is Bluetooth 5.3.play

Pricing on the iPhone 16 starts at $799, and pricing on the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899. The iPhone 16 models are available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities. Pre-orders began on Friday, September 13, at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and a launch followed on Friday, September 20.

Note: See an error in this roundup or want to offer feedback? Send us an email here.

How to Buy

iPhone 16 pricing starts at $799 for the base model with 128GB of storage, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a starting price of $899 for the 128GB storage option. If you need more storage space, there are options to upgrade to higher storage capacities at an additional cost.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus can be ordered from the online Apple Store, Apple retail stores, carriers, and other authorized third-party retailers. The new models launched on Friday, September 20.

Reviews

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have been well-received, thanks to features such as longer battery life, the Action Button, and the all-new Camera Control, a first for both the standard and Pro models, which allows for easier access to camera settings like zoom and exposure while capturing photos or videos. In addition, the introduction of Apple’s A18 chip brings a performance boost, making everyday tasks smoother and ensuring readiness for Apple Intelligence features set to arrive starting with iOS 18.1.play

The dual-camera system sees upgrades too, including improved low-light performance, revamped photographic styles, and macro capabilities, which reviewers highlight as making these models versatile photography tools. The vibrant new color options also add to the appeal, making this year’s iPhones more stylish than previous iterations.

However, some limitations, like the continued use of a 60Hz display, have left some critics disappointed, especially given the competition offering higher refresh rates at similar price points. Additionally, while the design is sleek and colorful, the slower USB 2.0 speeds, absence of an always-on display, and lack of a dedicated telephoto camera remain points of compromise for users looking at higher-end features.

Read our iPhone 16 review roundup for more information.

Design

The iPhone 16 measures in at 6.1 inches and the iPhone 16 Plus measures in at 6.7 inches, with those measurements taken diagonally at the display. The 2024 iPhones have almost the same design as the prior-generation iPhone 15 models, with small changes to the camera and buttons.

Dimensions have changed little, with only some very minor shifts in weight. The iPhone 16 is 5.81 inches (147.6 mm) tall and 2.82 inches (71.6 mm) wide, while the iPhone 16 Plus is 6.33 inches (160.9 mm) tall and 3.06 inches (77.8 mm) wide. Both models are 0.31 inches (7.80 mm) thick, with the iPhone 16 weighing 6.00 ounces (170 grams) and the iPhone 16 Plus weighing 7.03 ounces (199 grams).

The iPhone 16 models have an all-glass front and a colorful matte glass back that’s framed by a color-matched aluminum frame. Colors this year include black, white, teal, pink, and ultramarine, and the latter three are unique, vivid shades. At the front of the iPhone 16, there is a Dynamic Island that houses the front-facing camera and TrueDepth camera system for Face ID.

There are antenna bands at the top and sides of the phone, with a power button on the right side and volume buttons and the Action button on the left. The Action button is the same button that Apple first introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro models last year, and now it is also available for the iPhone 16. Also new is a Camera Control button that is located below the power button on the right side, and it is used for capturing photos and videos. Apple removed the distinct 5G mmWave antenna, and it is now built into the frame in the United States. Other countries do not have the mmWave antenna.

Speaker holes, a microphone, and a USB-C charging port are located at the bottom of the iPhone 16 models. In some countries, there is a SIM slot, but the physical SIM has not been included in U.S. iPhones for several years now.

Apple redesigned the rear camera bump, and the iPhone 16 has a two-lens pill-shaped vertical setup rather than a diagonally positioned lens. Apple made this change to enable spatial photo and video recording.

USB-C Port

The iPhone 16 models have a USB-C port and they can be charged with a USB-C cable. The iPhone 16 lineup can charge at up to 45W with a proper power adapter, a significant increase over previous generations that were limited to 25–30W.

USB-C allows an iPhone to directly charge AirPods or an Apple Watch using a USB-C cable, and the iPhone is able to provide up to 4.5W.

On the iPhone 16 models, the USB-C port is limited to USB 2 transfer speeds of 480 Mb/s, the same as Lightning, and there has been no upgrade since last year.

Water and Dust Resistance

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have an IP68 rating for resistance to water and dust intrusion. The smartphones are able to withstand a depth of up to six meters (19.7 feet) for up to 30 minutes.

In the IP68 number, the 6 refers to dust resistance (and means the iPhone 16 can hold up to dirt, dust, and other particulates), while the 8 pertains to water resistance. IP6x is the highest dust resistance rating that exists. With the IP68 rating, the iPhone 16 can withstand splashes, rain, and accidental water exposure, but intentional water exposure should be avoided.

Water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions, according to Apple, and can deteriorate over time as a result of normal wear. Apple’s standard warranty does not cover liquid damage, which means it’s best to use caution when it comes to liquid exposure.

Action Button

The Action button on the iPhone 16 models replaces the Ring/Silent switch above the volume buttons on the left side. Apple designed the Action button to be customizable, and it can be set to perform one of several different actions in the Settings app.

• Focus: Activate or deactivate a Focus mode (Do Not Disturb is the default).
• Camera: Take a photo (the default), a selfie, video, portrait, or portrait selfie.
• Flashlight: Turn the flashlight on or off.
• Voice Memos: Start or stop recording a voice memo with the Voice Memos app.
• Magnifier: Activate the Magnifier app to use the iPhone’s camera as a magnifying glass to zoom in on small text or objects.
• Shortcuts: Open your favorite app, or run a shortcut created in or downloaded from the Shortcuts app, such as sending a message, playing a playlist, or controlling smart home devices.
• Control Center: In iOS 18, several Control Center controls can be assigned to the Action button.
• Accessibility: Access to various Vision settings (Classic Invert, Color Filters, Detection Mode, Increase Contrast, Reduce Motion, Reduce Transparency, Reduce White Point, Smart Invert, VoiceOver, Zoom) Motor settings (Switch Control, Voice Control, Full Keyboard Access, AssistiveTouch, Apple Watch Mirroring, Control Nearby Devices) Hearing settings (Background Sounds, Left/Right Balance, Live Captions) and General settings (Guided Access, Live Speech).
• Silent Mode: Like the Ring/Silent switch on existing iPhone models, toggle silent mode on or off, which will mute or unmute the ringer and alerts.
• Translate: Later this year, there will be a Translate action that will launch the Translate app and start a text or conversation translation.
• No Action.

Activating the Action button is done with a long press, which limits it from being hit accidentally.

• Best Ways to Use the iPhone 16 Action Button

Display

Apple didn’t make notable changes to display technology, with the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus continuing to have Super Retina XDR OLED displays with the Dynamic Island. The iPhone 16 has a resolution of 2556 by 1179 with 460 pixels per inch, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a resolution of 2796 by 1290 with 460 pixels per inch.

Typical maximum brightness is 1000 nits, while peak HDR brightness is 1600 nits. Apple also says that the iPhone 15 models can reach 2000 nits peak brightness outdoors. New this year is a 1 nit minimum brightness.

There is a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and wide color support offers vivid, true-to-life colors, while True Tone matches the white balance of the display to the ambient lighting for a paper-like viewing experience that’s easier on the eyes. There’s also a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating and support for Haptic Touch, which provides haptic feedback when interacting with the display.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus do not support the ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate or the Always-On display technologies available on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.

The display is protected by a next-generation Ceramic Shield material made by infusing nano-ceramic crystals into glass. The new Ceramic Shield is stronger than the prior version, and Apple says it is “2x tougher” than any other smartphone glass. Despite the new Ceramic Shield, the iPhone 16 models are still vulnerable to damage when dropped.

Dynamic Island

The Dynamic Island includes the TrueDepth camera sensor for Face ID and the front-facing camera. The display has a small circular cutout on the right side that’s for the camera, and a pill-shaped cutout on the left side for the TrueDepth system for Face ID. Apple uses software to combine the two cutouts into one pill-shaped cutout that makes up the Dynamic Island.

Apple turned the Dynamic Island into part of the iPhone’s interface, and it is used as a front-and-center information hub for notifications and other at-a-glance information from apps and services. When you make an Apple Pay payment, for example, Dynamic Island expands into a square shape to confirm your Face ID scan, and when on a phone call, it expands so you have phone controls at your fingertips.

The Dynamic Island can display everything from Maps directions to Apple Music, and it integrates with Live Activities. There are no changes to the Dynamic Island with the iPhone 16 models.

TrueDepth Camera and Face ID

The iPhone 16 models continue to use Face ID, Apple’s facial recognition system that is baked into the Dynamic Island.

Face ID is used across iOS for unlocking the iPhone, allowing access to passcode-protected apps, confirming app purchases, authenticating Apple Pay payments, and more.

Face ID works through a set of sensors and cameras. A Dot Projector projects tens of thousands of invisible infrared dots onto the surface of the skin to create a 3D facial scan that maps the curves and planes of each face, with the scan read by an infrared camera.

The facial depth map is relayed to the A18 chip where it is transformed into a mathematical model that the iPhone uses to authenticate identity. Face ID works in low light and in the dark, and with hats, beards, glasses, sunglasses, scarves, masks, and other accessories that partially obscure the face.

Front-Facing Camera

The Dynamic Island also houses the front-facing camera, and Apple is using the same 12-megapixel front-facing camera with an ƒ/1.9 aperture that’s been in iPhones for the last several years.

The front-facing camera supports Night mode, Smart HDR 5 integration, Dolby Vision HDR recording, Deep Fusion to bring out fine details, a Photonic Engine that improves low-light performance, and a portrait feature that lets you take images and turn them into portrait shots later.

4K video recording, QuickTake video, slo-mo video, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and the Photographic Styles feature for selectively applying edits are also supported on the front-facing camera.

A18 Chip

The A18 chip is built using a second-generation 3-nanometer process, so it is more efficient and faster than the A16 Bionic chip used in the iPhone 15 models. The A18 chip is capable of handling Apple Intelligence tasks, and it runs the Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.

There’s a 6-core CPU with four performance cores and two efficiency cores, along with a 5-core GPU and an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine optimized for running large generative models. Apple has also upgraded the memory subsystem with 17 percent more memory bandwidth.

Compared to the A16 Bionic chip, the A18 has a 30 percent faster CPU, and it offers the same performance while using 30 percent less power. The GPU is 40 percent faster, offering the same performance while using 35 percent less power. The updated GPU also enables hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Ray tracing is useful for gaming, and the iPhone 16 models can run all of the console-quality games that Apple touted for the iPhone 15 Pro models last year.

New Thermal Design

Apple revamped the internal design of the iPhone 16 model to improve heat dissipation. The main logic board was updated, with Apple adding centralized chip placement while also optimizing the surrounding structure. A recycled aluminum substructure dissipates heat for 30 percent higher sustained performance for gaming.

The new Neural Engine is 2x faster for machine learning than the Neural Engine in the A16 Bionic chip.

Memory

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have 8GB RAM, the minimum needed for Apple Intelligence.

Storage Space

Entry-level iPhone 16 models start with 128GB of storage, but there are 256GB and 512GB options available for additional money.

Camera Control

The iPhone 16 models have a Camera Control button on the right side that’s designed specifically for capturing images. The multi-function button has a force sensor and a touch sensor for gesture support, and Apple designed it to work in either portrait or landscape mode.

There’s a sapphire crystal covering with a smooth texture covering the Camera Control button, and it is surrounded by stainless steel trim. It is inset into the iPhone’s frame just a bit, and the force sensor has haptic feedback to make it feel like a DSLR camera shutter.

Camera Control can be used to take a photo with two quick clicks, but there are many more capabilities.

• Single click – Open up the Camera app (or a third-party app).
• Single click, Camera open – Take a photo.
• Click and hold – Open Camera app, start a video recording.
• Light press – Open up controls like zoom. This button will also lock focus and exposure (coming this fall) for reframing shots without losing focus.
• Double light press – Bring up the camera preview menu to choose different controls like exposure or depth of field.
• Swipe – Swap through available adjustment options, and also change parameters like zoom, exposure, or depth of field when a control is selected.

The button has deep software support, so you can also swap between Camera Control functions without having to adjust settings in the Camera app.

• Adjust zoom
• Adjust exposure
• Adjust depth of field
• Swipe through different stylistic options

Third-party developers will be able to take advantage of the Camera Control for their apps for adjusting settings, and it will work in social media apps like Snapchat.

Visual Intelligence

Later this year, Camera Control will be able to work with a new visual intelligence feature. Users will be able to open the Camera app and point it at an object to get information about that object with a click and hold gesture. Pointing it at a restaurant, for example, will bring up hours and ratings, while pointing it at a plant will identify the plant. Using visual intelligence with something that has a date, such as a flyer, will add the date to the Calendar app.

Camera Control will also work as a gateway to third-party tools, such as when users want to search Google for an item to buy or use ChatGPT to solve a problem.

Dual-Lens Rear Camera

The camera system is largely the same as the iPhone 15 models, but Apple is now calling the 48-megapixel Wide-Angle lens a “Fusion” lens because of its ability to be used for both standard photos and cropped-in 2x zoom photos.

The camera features a 26 mm focal length with ƒ/1.6 aperture that lets in plenty of light for situations where lighting is not optimal. Sensor-shift optical image stabilization cuts down on movement for crisper photos and videos, with the lens supporting both 24-megapixel and 48-megapixel high-resolution images.

With the 24-megapixel option, every two pixels are combined into one pixel, allowing for high-resolution images that have impressive detail and low-light performance without too large of a file size. 48-megapixel images are also supported and can be saved in either RAW or HEIF format.

As mentioned, the 2x Telephoto option uses the middle 12 megapixels on the sensor for full-resolution 2x photos with no digital zoom.

Along with the 48-megapixel Fusion camera, the iPhone 16 models have a new 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with an ƒ/2.2 aperture and 120º field of view. The lower aperture lets in more light and enables a new macro mode for taking close-up shots.

Apple says that the dual-lens system’s multiple capabilities mean it’s actually like having four cameras: wide angle, telephoto, macro, and ultra wide. The camera also supports spatial videos and photos for Vision Pro.

New Photographic Styles

Photographic Styles have been an option for some time, but Apple overhauled the feature this year. There are new, more subtle styles to choose from, and Apple is enabling far more control over the way the style is applied.

Photographic Styles can be previewed live before you make a change. You can shift the way a style looks with the control pad that lets you adjust tone and color. The intensity of specific colors and the tone can be changed, so you can make adjustments that don’t affect the entire color scheme of an image.

Apple says that skin tone rendering is more advanced than before, so you can also create a style for dialing in your favorite look and then add it across all of the images that you take. You can also change the Photographic Style after an image is captured, which wasn’t an option with prior models.

Video Capabilities

The iPhone 16 models support up to 4K video recording at 24, 25, 30, or 60 frames per second. HDR recording, ProRes video, Cinematic mode, Action mode, slo-mo video, and time-lapse are all supported.

QuickTake mode, which allows you to capture video by holding down the camera button, now supports 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision.

Spatial Audio sound recording is available for more dynamic, immersive sound for videos, and wind noise reduction cuts down on wind sound when recording.

Audio Mix

Audio Mix is a video feature that takes advantage of Spatial Audio capture. You can use it to adjust the way that voices sound in videos, and there are three different options.

• In-frame – Only captures the voices of people on camera, even if people off camera are talking.
• Studio – Makes voices sound like the recording was done in a professional studio with sound-dampening walls. A recording will sound like the mic was close to the subject’s mouth.
• Cinematic – Captures all voices and consolidates them to the front of the screen, which is how sound is formatted for movies.
• Portrait Features – You don’t need to choose Portrait mode before capturing an image to get a portrait shot. You can just snap a photo, and if there’s a person or a pet, depth information is collected and Portrait mode is enabled automatically with a blurred background. This year, the feature works for Night mode shots and it supports Portrait Lighting.
• Smart HDR 5 – Recognizes one or more people in a scene and optimizes contrast, lighting, and even skin tones for each person so everyone looks their best.
• Photonic Engine – The Photonic Engine combines the best pixels from a high-resolution image and an image optimized for light capture, leading to a 24-megapixel image with detail drawn from an image twice the resolution.
• Night mode – Takes a series of images over a few seconds and aggregates them to allow for photography in extreme low lighting situations.
• Deep Fusion – Works in mid to low lighting conditions and brings out the texture and detail in the image.
• Portrait Lighting – Changes the lighting of Portrait mode photos with effects that include Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, and High-Key Mono.
• True Tone flash – True Tone flash is the built-in flash, and it is designed to match the ambient lighting so it doesn’t throw off the white balance of the photo when used.
• Cinematic mode – A video mode that keeps the focus on the main subject that you’re filming even as you move.
• Action mode – Enhances image stabilization to improve shaky handheld video.
• Panorama – Captures panoramic shots up to 63 megapixels.
• Burst mode – Allows a series of images to be captured all at once, which is good for high-action shots.

Battery Life

With efficiency improvements brought by the A18 chip, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have longer battery life than the prior-generation models, gaining at least an hour.

• iPhone 16 – 22 hours video playback, 18 hours streaming video, 80 hours audio.
• iPhone 16 Plus – 27 hours video playback, 24 hours streaming video, 100 hours audio.
• iPhone 15 – 20 hours video playback, 16 hours streaming video, 80 hours audio.
• iPhone 15 Plus – 26 hours video playback, 20 hours streaming video, 100 hours audio.

The iPhone 16 has a 3,561 mAh battery, a 6.3 percent increase over the iPhone 15, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a 4,674 mAh battery, up 6.6 percent compared to the iPhone 15 Plus.

Apple made the iPhone 16 batteries easier to remove, using an adhesive that can be loosened using a low-voltage electrical current, like that from a 9V battery. The streamlined repair process will allow for easier battery replacements.

MagSafe Charging

The iPhone 16 models support faster 25W MagSafe charging with one of Apple’s new MagSafe chargers and a 30W power adapter or higher. It is the first time that fast charging has been available when charging wirelessly, and iPhone 16 users can expect to see a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes.

Qi2 charging is also supported, but that is limited to 15W, the same as the prior-generation MagSafe charging.

5G Connectivity

The iPhone 16 models offer 5G connectivity with Apple using Qualcomm modems.

In the United States, iPhone owners can connect to both mmWave and sub-6GHz networks, while other countries are limited to sub-6GHz. mmWave 5G networks are the fastest 5G networks, but mmWave is short-range and can be obscured by buildings, trees, and other obstacles, so its use is limited to major cities and urban areas along with venues like stadiums, airports, and other places where a lot of people congregate.

Sub-6GHz 5G is more widespread and available in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the United States and other countries. For the most part, when you use a 5G network, you’ll be using sub-6GHz 5G. Sub-6GHz 5G is typically faster than LTE, especially when mid-band spectrum is used, but it isn’t always the blazing fast 5G that you expect.

5G Bands

The iPhone 16 models in the United States support more than 20 5G bands. The following bands are supported:

• Sub-6GHz 5G – High band FDD-5G NR (n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n14, n20, n25, n26, n28, n29, n30, n66, n70, n71, n75, n76) and low band TDD-5G NR (n38, n40, n41, n48, n53, n77, n78, n79)
• mmWave 5G – n258, n260, n261

LTE Bands

The iPhone 16 models continue to offer Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO for connecting to LTE networks when 5G is unavailable. The following bands are supported.

• FDD-LTE – Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71
• TDD‑LTE – Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53

Emergency SOS via Satellite

All iPhone 16 models can connect to satellites in emergency situations when cellular and Wi-Fi connections are not available. Apple has designed the Emergency SOS via satellite feature to allow the iPhone’s antennas to connect to satellites operated by Globalstar.

Satellite communications are available in emergency situations where you can’t connect to Wi-Fi or a cellular tower, and the feature is designed to be used in open spaces with few trees so the iPhone can connect to a satellite that’s in the sky.

Apple has a walkthrough interface that instructs you how to hold the iPhone to connect to a satellite, and the company has developed a compressed messaging protocol because sending data via satellite can take minutes. In an area with no trees, a short message to emergency services can send in as little as 15 seconds.

Emergency SOS via satellite provides a series of important questions that you answer when it is activated, with these questions aimed at getting necessary details to emergency personnel as quickly as possible. The answers that you provide are sent directly to emergency services if text communication is supported in your area, or sent to relay centers staffed by Apple-trained specialists who can call emergency services on the user’s behalf.

Satellite connectivity is mainly designed to allow users to contact emergency services in dire situations, but it can also be used to update your Find My location if you’re camping or hiking off the grid, giving your family and friends peace of mind about where you are.

Emergency SOS via satellite is free for all iPhone 16 users for two years, and Apple has not yet provided details on what it will cost in the future.

The iPhone 16 models also support Messages via satellite with iOS 18, and Roadside Assistance via satellite, which allows iPhone users to contact local service providers for help if they have car trouble in an area without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. There is no charge for the satellite usage with Roadside Assistance, though there may be a fee charged by the roadside service provider.

Crash Detection

There’s a high dynamic range gyroscope and a dual-core accelerometer capable of detecting G-force measurements of up to 256Gs in the iPhone 16 models, and paired with other iPhone sensors like a barometer that can detect cabin pressure changes caused by deployed airbags, this hardware enables a Crash Detection feature.

The iPhone 16 models can detect a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services when the car’s occupants are seriously injured or unable to reach their phones. The GPS in the iPhone is able to detect speed changes, and the microphone is able to recognize loud sounds associated with severe car crashes. Crash Detection is also available on the Apple Watch, and the iPhone and Apple Watch work together to contact emergency services when an accident occurs.

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, and Ultra Wideband

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus support Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO, and Bluetooth 5.3. Wi-Fi 7 adds support for 6GHz bands on supported Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers. Compared to prior Wi-Fi standards, Wi-Fi 7 is faster and supports more connections.

There’s an NFC chip with reader mode, and a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip. The Ultra Wideband chip provides improved spatial awareness, allowing iPhone 16 models to more precisely locate other Apple devices with an Ultra Wideband chip. The chip allows two iPhones to connect to each other at three times the range as before.

The Ultra Wideband chip can be used for precision tracking, such as when locating AirTags. It is also used for directional AirDrop and for interactions with the HomePod mini, plus Apple has added a Precision Finding feature for locating friends with an iPhone 16 in a crowded area.

As for GPS, the iPhone 16 models support GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou location services.

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max

Apple is selling the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus alongside the more expensive iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, which are aimed at those who want higher-quality displays and more versatile cameras.

Compared to the iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max feature a lighter, more durable titanium frame, larger display sizes, a faster A18 Pro chip, ProMotion display technology, an Always-On display, a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide lens, and 5x Telephoto camera lens.

More information about the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max can be found in our roundup.

What’s Next for the iPhone

ProMotion technology that adds up to 120Hz refresh rates to the iPhone’s display is expected to come to standard iPhone models starting in 2025. Up until 2025, ProMotion will be limited to the higher-end “Pro” iPhones.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max that’s coming in 2025 could feature a 48-megapixel Telephoto lens that is optimized for the Vision Pro headset. The rumor comes from analyst Jeff Pu, who did not provide details on how it might interface with the Vision Pro. Pu also believes the iPhone 17 Pro will include an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip.

There were rumors that the iPhone 16 Pro models could adopt under-display Face ID technology, but updated information indicated it won’t be coming until 2025 or later. Under-display Face ID will allow for more usable display space as there will be no need for the full Dynamic Island, but there will still be a camera cutout.

The 2025 iPhone 17 is expected to include an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera that will significantly improve image quality and low-light performance.

Rumors suggest that the iPhone 17 models will include an anti-reflective display that is more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. It is said to have a “super hard” layer that can hold up to more abuse.

With the 2026 iPhone 18, Apple will reportedly have both under-display Face ID and under-display front-facing camera technology, potentially allowing for a design that has no cutouts for the camera hardware. This would mark the first all-display design.