by The only thing that seems overwhelmingly evident in all the comments about the new iPhone 16 is its attractiveness. Previous colors were not as bright due to the manufacturing process, but the new teal, ultramarine and pink colors are more colorful, according to Apple, who said the colors pass through the glass back of the phone. The iPhone 16 Pro colors are dull, and I couldn’t agree more.
Instead of making drastic changes they compare iPhone 16 to iPhone 15 model with only slight differences. Yes, the new Camera Control and the Action Button are copied from the Pro; however, every other part is mostly incremental. I have also now been using Apple Intelligence for a few weeks – or at least a watered-down version with missing features- and I can definitely state that while there will be a few features that will be hugely beneficial daily to some individuals, it is not a reason to upgrade if your iPhone is okay.
With all that said, the battery on this iPhone is much larger, the processor is much quicker, and it is simpler to repair. What really matters are its cameras, which are far from lacking adequate power. Alongside Face ID being unbeatable, Dynamic Island has become somewhat endearing, and, yes, I am still holding out for MagSafe-like charging for Android smartphones. It does not seem all that the iPhone 16 needs anymore.
Why Go Pro?
Apple tries to pack many prosumer features in its iPhone Pro models that only a few people will use. ProRes? Log video recording? Academy Colour Encoding System? If you don’t care about any of those words, then there is only one reason to get the iPhone 16 Pro — and it is the only one you will get.
You really just need to pay attention to the display. The iPhone 16 Pro models now have more giant screens than the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, with both 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch OLED screens. The screen works better on the iPhone 16 Pro but is too unwieldy on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The screen sizes of the non-Pro iPhones never leave me wanting. You do not have the always-on display on the non-Pro iPhone, but I don’t mind its absence here.
The more significant omission is Apple’s refusal to add ProMotion to its cheaper iPhones. That translates to spending all your days in a 60Hz jail if all other smartphones in this price range are 120Hz. Okay, maybe I’m nitpicking, but after leaving the iPhone 16 Pro and moving to the iPhone 16, I first said, ‘Why does it feel laggy?’ The phone itself isn’t actually that bad. Your eyes are hitting much slower animations because you’re moving from screens that refresh 120 times a second onto yours, which only refresh 60 times. So, this tech will probably come down to us in 2025, but even at this price, it’s overdue.
The entire iPhone 16 lineup has Apple’s new Ceramic Shield glass, which is supposedly twice as strong as the previous generation, but remember: Glass is still glass. The display cracked after I dropped the iPhone 16 Plus onto the pavement (a 4-foot drop), business as usual. Go get yourself a case and screen protector! The Pro phones feature a titanium frame instead of aluminum, but are all glass sandwiches regarding durability. Yes, the Pro phones are lighter because they’re titanium, but the 16 and 16 Plus are lighter.
Also on the iPhone 16 range is Camera Control, which I’m starting to like. On the non-Pro iPhone, I want to use it as a dedicated camera launching button that frees up the Action Button (which is new to a non-Pro phone) to launch something else, like Silent mode. However, you can apply some light pressure to the Camera Control button to move in and out of camera modes or to scroll through different Photographic Styles (now instead of your color grading filters for your images before snapping). The sliding function that I do use here and there, but instead prefer selecting what mode I’m about to shoot with a tap of the screen.
About Cameras of 16 Pro
The iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16, albeit in relatively different proportions, don’t skimp on the camera end. Even in low light I found no significant differences when shooting with the primary and ultrawide cameras. But the gap is small, and here and there, the Pro phones edge them out. The new 12-MP ultrawide has autofocus, so you can take macro photos. I won’t stop taking close-up shots of my pup’s nose. Boop!
I don’t like losing my telephoto camera, so now that is the only reason to buy a Pro iPhone. They get you 2X zoom on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus (it is OK, just not as satisfying as the 5x optical zoom you’ll get on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max). While they can’t capture landscapes or bodies of water with scenic detail, their cameras can deliver a much sharper photo when capturing subjects that are further away.
Apple surprised me by bringing down Audio Mix to its cheaper iPhones. With this, you can change the audio quality of your videos. And, for example, studio mode eliminates any background noise for a clean voice like you’re in a studio; Cinematic mode focuses on the people in the center of the frame but keeps some background chatter as ambient noise. Again, this works better just because the 16 Pro has better microphones, but the gap ain’t all that:
As you can see, the theme for the iPhone 16 range is pretty much that. There isn’t a huge gap between this version and the Pros, though, so you can get a great, broadly well-rounded phone for $799. If you like bigger screens and longer battery life, go for the Plus. As always, ask yourself if you really need to upgrade first.
