At its recent “It’s Glowtime” keynote,Apple formally unveileditsiPhone 16 lineupof smartphones to the world. After many months of leaks, rumors, and speculation, the phonesare now finally here, with an official release date of September 20.
iPhone 16 Pro
Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro line features a few notable upgrades over last year’s iPhone 15 Pro, including a dedicated camera button, a new A18 Pro chip, a bigger screen, and several AI-powered Apple Intelligence features.
iPhone 16 Pro Max
Apple’s iPhone Pro models for this year – the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max – showcase the best the company has to offer in handset-form. Here are 5 compelling reasons that may sway you towards picking up one of these new flagship units.
5 things to know about Apple’s iPhone 16 series before you upgrade
Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup is now official – here are 5 things you need to know about the new handsets.
1The 16 Pro is the first iPhone built for the age of Apple Intelligence
The new A18 Pro chip is optimized from the ground up with AI in mind
As expected, Apple dedicated plenty of time during its recent keynote highlighting the various use cases for itsApple Intelligencefeature set. Last year’siPhone 15 Proseries will be receiving some of these same benefits, but really, it’s the 16 Pro series that is the company’s marquee AI product.
The new 16-core Neural Engine is capable of performing 35 trillion operations per second (TOPS), which plays a big role in bolstering on-device AI processes.
The new A18 Pro chip powering the operation is custom-built with AI processing at its core. The new 16-core Neural Engine is capable of performing 35 trillion operations per second (TOPS), which plays a big role in bolstering on-device AI processes.
Apple’s new Visual Intelligence feature, which is aGoogle Lens-like function for scanning the real world and receiving relevant insights, also appears to be coming exclusively to the latest series of iPhones. The utility of this feature is undetermined, but we’ll be testing it out once it lands in a software update later this year.
Apple’s iPhone 16 event: The 5 biggest announcements you missed
Apple’s iPhone 16 event brought with it several major announcements – these are the 5 biggest.
2The new Camera Control interface is a photographic game changer
The dedicated camera button makes using the iPhone 16 Pro as a camera much more comfortable
Rumors pointed towards the existence of a dedicated camera button for the iPhone, and with the iPhone 16 series, this has come to fruition. While not exclusive to the iPhone Pro models, the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max stand to benefit the most from this new hardware element.
The ability to quickly access both essential and technical camera tools using theCamera Control interface, is a major quality of life improvement when it comes to the overall photo taking experience. A software update later this year will also enable a two-stage shutter option for locking in on focus and exposure, which will make the iPhone feel more like a point-and-shoot camera than ever.
The camera system is a focal point for the iPhone 16 Pro series, and Apple is finally providing professional photographers and videographers a dedicated interface for getting the job done.
Hold up, the iPhone 16 does that? 5 features you might’ve missed from the event
The headlining feature of the iPhone 16 is its support for Apple Intelligence, but there’s more to the story than just a faster chip and more RAM.
3The new triple camera setup is a genuine step-up in quality
The camera system continues to be the iPhone Pro’s killer app
A single click of the new Camera Control button will launch you straight into the iPhone 16 Pro’s viewfinder, and from there, you’ll be able to take advantage of the latest camera hardware on offer. The year-over-year upgrades aren’t massive, but they’re welcome nonetheless.
For the first time, the 5x tetraprism zoom lens is shipping on both iPhone Pro sizes this year.
A brand new 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera replaces the older 12-megapixel shooter, offering a noticeable step-up in resolution. And, for the first time, the 5x tetraprism zoom lens isshipping on both iPhone Pro sizesthis year.
The ability to record video in 4K at 120 frames per second (fps) is another boon, as is the option to adjust frame rate after having already shot your video. The four new studio-quality mics outfitted on the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max should also make audio performance a strong point – though we’ll have to test this out in the real world.
iOS 18 drops this month, but the coolest features are MIA
iOS 18 offers several new features, including a revamped Photos app, a revamped Control Center, and more Home Screen customization options.
4The 16 Pro Max offers the largest screen size ever on an iPhone
The expansive 6.9-inch display is ideal for content consumption
Apple has upped the screen sizes for both iPhone Pro models this year. The 16 Pro ships with a 6.3-inch display, and the 16 Pro Max ships with a downright gargantuan 6.9-inch panel. This is in contrast to the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens found on the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, respectively.
If you love using your phone for streaming Netflix, YouTube, and more, then the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers the most expansive OLED display ever shipped on an iPhone.
The extra canvas space might also prove useful if you plan on using the phone for tasks such as photo and video editing.
Apple has done a good job when it comes to reigning in on the physical footprint of the iPhone Pro models, as well. Both models are fractionally larger than their predecessors, but the shockingly thin bezels make for respectively compact chassis, all things considered.
5 ways the iPhone 16 Pro is actually different from the iPhone 15 Pro
Apple’s new iPhone 16 Pro features several key differences from its predecessor, making it a worthy upgrade, depending on your expectations.
5The new thermals are a marked upgrade over last year’s Pro phones
Apple says sustained performance has noticeably improved for this generation
It’s no secret that smartphone performance is constrained by the very nature of the form factor – it’s difficult to dissipate heat in a small, fanless rectangle that needs to fit in your pocket.
Thankfully, Apple has been at work improving the thermal profile of the iPhone, starting with the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max models. “Internal design improvements — including a 100 percent recycled aluminum thermal substructure and back glass optimizations that further dissipate heat — enable up to 20 percent better sustained performance than iPhone 15 Pro,” the company says.
Considering all the processor-intensive use cases that the iPhone Pro phones are marketed specifically towards, the ability to maintain high performance for longer is a net positive, no matter how you slice it.
