Apple iPhone 16 Review: Unexpectedly Irksome

Value When Reviewed

$799

Finest Costs As we speak: Apple iPhone 16

$799

$829.99

One other yr, one other iPhone. In 2024, the main focus from Apple, like virtually each telephone maker, is on AI. 

Apple Intelligence goals to do all kinds of issues so that you can make your life simpler, however it’s absent from the iPhone 16 vary for now (within the UK), regardless of the telephones being constructed for the AI system. 

Fortuitously, there are additionally upgrades to the digital camera, battery life and two new bodily buttons however is it probably the greatest telephones you should buy?

Design & Construct 

New colors 

Motion button 

Digicam management 

It’s no shock that Apple hasn’t overhauled the design of the iPhone for 2024. So, the iPhone 16 is the standard mixture of familiarity together with small tweaks right here and there. 

The general look is similar as the previous couple of generations, that means the iPhone 16 has that old-friend feeling (assuming you’ve used an iPhone earlier than) whereas having sufficient to make it new. 

For starters, there are new colors accessible, together with the hanging Ultramarine choice I’m testing right here. It’s a vibrant mixture of blue and purple with out being garish, although you’ll most likely cowl it up with a case anyway.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Different colourways comprise Teal, Pink, White and Black. Just like the iPhone 15, I just like the colour-infused glass on the again with its frosted end however it’s nonetheless extra slippy than I’d like. 

From the entrance, the telephone appears primarily an identical to its predecessor, however there are adjustments on the edges and again. The digital camera module now has the lenses subsequent to one another, reasonably than in a diagonal association inside a sq. module.  

I choose the look of the cameras this yr, however it does make the telephone extra wobbly when on a flat floor, even with the official case on.

Chris Martin / Foundry

There’s a sensible motive for this which I’ll cowl within the digital camera part, the place I’ll additionally go into extra depth on the brand new Digicam Management button/slider. This sits on the proper facet so below your index finger when capturing in panorama orientation. 

On the left, you’ll discover the Motion button, which was a Professional-only function final yr. This customisable button can do numerous issues, however it replaces the enduring alert slider, which is a disgrace. I’d reasonably have that bodily change for muting and release the Motion button for one thing else like Shazam, translation or a shortcut to an app. 

The bodily measurement and form of the iPhone are virtually an identical to earlier generations, making it a pleasant stability of compactness however with sufficient display. If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 14 or earlier mannequin, there are extra noticeable upgrades. 

The largest of those is the change from Lightning to USB-C for the bodily port and Dynamic Island as a show function. Haptic suggestions is premium however I discover it too aggressive at instances for my liking, significantly once you get a telephone name.

Chris Martin / Foundry

As ordinary, the telephone is IP68 mud and water resistant, and Apple has probably the greatest eco-friendly processes within the business. The iPhone 16 makes use of extra recycled supplies than any mannequin earlier than it, together with 95% recycled lithium within the battery and 100% recycled copper foil within the MagSafe inductive charger. 

The packaging can be 100% fibre‑primarily based for the primary time. 

Display & Audio system 

Virtually the identical 

1 nit brightness 

Nonetheless 60Hz 

The show on the iPhone 16 is sort of an identical to final yr, solely it might drop to only 1 nit of brightness for darkish conditions once you don’t need to be blinded. 

In any other case, it’s nonetheless a 6.1-inch Tremendous Retina XDR, that means it’s an OLED panel with spectacular specs and options like True Tone, large color, Haptic Contact and extra.

Chris Martin / Foundry

There’s no difficulty with picture high quality, as you’ll anticipate from Apple. The display is crisp and vibrant and might attain a peak outside brightness of 2000 nits in keeping with the agency. 

I’ve had no issues utilizing it and if you happen to’re upgrading from an iPhone 14 or older then you definately’ll be gaining Dynamic Island. It’s a intelligent technique to make use of the pill-shaped part of the display which homes issues just like the front-facing digital camera to provide you snippets of data and a shortcut to the app displaying stated data. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

Whereas the display is nice general and I like the dimensions as a candy spot of measurement and value, there’s nonetheless one obvious difficulty – Apple has nonetheless caught with a 60Hz refresh charge. 

In 2024 that is very primary and whereas 120Hz is reserved for Professional fashions, which I can perceive to an extent, why not at the very least go for 90Hz? The soar from 60- to 90Hz is noticeable in so many use instances and in comparison with the Android market, the place you may get 120Hz on even finances telephones (with caveats), that is simply merely old-fashioned.

The stereo audio system are superb and make for a great expertise once you’re watching movies or listening to music with out headphones. 

Specs & Efficiency 

Apple A18 chip 

Begins at 128GB of storage

I’ll preserve this part brief as, other than some software program glitches which I’ll handle later, the efficiency of the iPhone 16 is as you’d anticipate. 

Slightly than getting the chip from final yr’s Professional fashions because the 15 collection did, Apple now provides up the common A18 chipset and the Professional telephones get the A18 Professional. 

As a fast overview, it’s a 3nm chip with a hexa-core structure and a 5-core GPU.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Efficiency is easy, although as talked about beforehand I’d like the next refresh charge show to profit from the A18. It could play video games from Monopoly Go to PUBG with no bother. 

By way of storage, it’s the acquainted story of 128GB on the entry-level and you may soar to 256- or 512GB must you really feel the necessity. Solely the Professional fashions have 1TB although, if that’s what you’re after.  

Cameras 

Related specs however now ‘Fusion’ 

New spatial mode 

New Macro images 

Digicam Management button 

Though the cameras have moved bodily, the iPhone 16 comes with the acquainted mixture of a 48Mp important digital camera with a 12Mp ultrawide alongside it.  

Although the specs are primarily the identical because the iPhone 15, Apple is looking this an ‘all-new’ Fusion digital camera, that means the principle one can take full-resolution photographs in addition to the flexibility to take 2x optical‑high quality telephoto snaps.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Primarily, the decision is excessive sufficient to crop it to create a 2x zoom photograph, however this isn’t unusual within the wider telephone market (and was on the iPhone 15 with out this advertising time period). A tweak to the ultrawide (which has a sooner f/2.2 aperture) means it’s higher in low mild than earlier than, at the very least in principle.

Keep in mind although that photographs from the Fusion digital camera might be 12- or 24Mp relying on numerous elements, except you go into the settings and change on ‘Decision management’ to entry the complete 48Mp. Simply watch out if you happen to do choose this and have the 128GB storage capability as a result of it is going to refill quick.

That setting, together with many different helpful issues, as ordinary, is a bugbear of mine. They’re not accessible within the digital camera app however in the principle settings of the telephone, with no shortcut to get there both. 

Specs and settings apart, the standard of photos from the iPhone 16 cameras is usually superb. Out and about in good lighting, you’ll be able to snap away to your coronary heart’s content material, realizing you’ll get a well-rounded mixture of element, color, publicity and the like.

I’ve discovered the digital camera to be much less spectacular in terms of indoor low-light conditions, however these are difficult even with out attempting to get an incredible shot of a two-year-old who’s virtually all the time transferring. 

A brand new (to the common fashions) Macro images mode can robotically change to the ultrawide digital camera for close-up photographs however as I discover with such a function (Apple or in any other case) I virtually all the time choose to modify it off and use the principle digital camera, largely for the pure bokeh (seen on the left).

Spatial is a brand new mode within the digital camera app and the principle motive why the cameras are actually in a vertical format on the again. It could create 3D photos and movies, however you’ll want a Imaginative and prescient Professional headset to view them making it extremely area of interest. As such, I can’t touch upon their high quality. 

Everybody can use the brand new Digicam Management button, which Apple hasn’t held again for the Professional fashions. It sits on the facet trying like an extra energy button of kinds. 

You should use it to launch the digital camera (or customise it to a different app) after which use it primarily as a mixed shutter button and zoom management. It’s an incredible thought and just like what we’ve seen, in a extra primary kind, from the likes of Sony for a few years. 

Nonetheless, the execution of it isn’t nice, beginning with the place. It’s too far up the facet, so when holding the telephone in panorama, it’s a little bit of a stretch to succeed in. It needs to be nearer to the nook. 

There’s a little bit of a studying curve to utilizing Digicam Management however you do get used to it. Apply a small quantity of strain and the zoom management comes up so you’ll be able to slide left and proper. Nonetheless, I need to swap the path of what zooms out and in to what feels pure to me – you’ll be able to’t.

Chris Martin / Foundry

You should use the Digicam Management slide gesture to regulate different parts similar to publicity and types however this isn’t apparent. Different apps can use it too and lots of of those points could be doubtlessly fastened with software program updates, however the placement can’t. 

I’d nonetheless reasonably have it than not as with the ability to shortly launch and snap with one button has resulted in some good photographs I wouldn’t have achieved in any other case. Specifically when a fast-moving toddler or canine solely gives a slim window of alternative to get the shot. 

To spherical off this part, the front-facing digital camera is 12Mp once more and provides good-quality photos. The iPhone 16 additionally stays probably the greatest telephones in the marketplace for video, with glorious high quality and a variety of options. I significantly just like the Cinematic mode. 

Battery Life & Charging 

Related efficiency 

Sooner wi-fi charging 

On Apple’s web site, it says the iPhone 16 can final 22 hours of video playback, which is 2 hours greater than the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15. 

Nonetheless, I haven’t seen a distinction on the whole utilization in comparison with final yr’s flagship. Battery life is fairly good but additionally nothing to jot down house about. 

I’m a lightweight person, working from house and after I end for the day taking care of a toddler, and in my expertise I exploit round 50% battery per day. It’s a two-day telephone, however solely with this lighter utilization.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Most individuals will discover themselves charging it in a single day or maybe even topping it up late on within the day. If I used to be nonetheless commuting to an workplace and utilizing my telephone for extra hours of display time every day, I’d severely be contemplating the iPhone 16 Plus with its bigger battery. 

On the subject of charging, Apple nonetheless simply provides a cable, however advertises 50% cost in half-hour if you happen to use a 20W adapter. Wi-fi charging is now sooner at 25W reasonably than 15W, however once more, you want the proper MagSafe charger and a speedy sufficient adapter. 

It additionally helps Qi and Qi2 wi-fi charging so that you don’t have to make use of MagSafe. There’s no reverse wi-fi charging although, which is a disgrace. 

Software program & Apps

iOS 18

No Apple Intelligence

Surprising bugs

It’s no shock that the iPhone 16 ships with the newest model of Apple’s working system for telephones, iOS 18. 

It’s largely as you’d anticipate – user-friendly and slick – however I’ve had extra issues than anticipated. Some bugs within the first variations of OSes are to be considerably anticipated, however I expertise them extra with Android than iOS.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Oddly, on the iPhone 16, I’ve seen plenty of annoying graphical glitches similar to black bars throughout the display, lacking keyboards and tiny thumbnails of photographs I’ve simply taken. I’ve additionally seen the telephone randomly reboot plenty of instances and a fast net search reveals I’m not the one one. 

Then there’s the entire Apple Intelligence difficulty. The iPhone 16 vary is constructed for Apple’s AI system however it’s not accessible at launch. On the time of writing it has rolled out within the US, however within the UK the place I’m, we’ve got to attend till December and different markets should wait even longer. 

It’s not the primary case of AI options on telephones being promised sooner or later however it’s extra stunning from an organization like Apple, which has full management over all its {hardware} and software program. 

One new function in iOS 18 that I like is the flexibility to customize the management centre. It’s refreshing to reorder it and make it extra environment friendly for the stuff you want probably the most. 

Value & Availability

This yr Apple has stored the worth of the iPhone 16 the identical as its predecessor. Meaning you should buy one from £799/$799, with that beginning worth getting you 128GB of storage. 

If you wish to soar to 256- or 512GB then it is going to price you £899/$899 or £1,099/$1,099 respectively. See our the place to purchase the iPhone 16 information for all of the choices within the UK and US, or beneath for one of the best contract offers.

With Google introducing a worth soar for 2024, it means the iPhone 16 prices the identical because the Pixel 9. The Samsung Galaxy S24 can be the identical beginning worth however Apple is the one one of many three to supply 512GB storage on its entry-level flagship. 

You will get the iPhone 16 on contract, in fact, and you may see the highest choices beneath. 

Take a look at our prime 10 suggestions for one of the best telephones proper now.

Must you purchase the iPhone 16?

As ordinary, the reply will rely in your scenario.

If you happen to’re going to improve, I believe it makes probably the most sense for iPhone 14 or earlier generations, as you’ll see a a lot larger distinction than anybody utilizing an iPhone 15.

Even for these with a 15, it may be tempting to leap in an effort to achieve new options just like the Motion Button, Digicam Management and Apple Intelligence. On the time of writing, I can solely touch upon the primary two, and they’re a combined bag general.

There’s little doubt the iPhone 16 does all of the fundamentals proper, however is that sufficient in 2024? I’d say except your coronary heart is ready on utilizing Apple Intelligence, you’re higher off ready for the following technology or getting a now extra inexpensive iPhone 15.

If you happen to’re open to Android then there are, in fact, loads of nice choices with extra spectacular {hardware} options like excessive refresh charge screens and far sooner charging.

Specs

Working System: iOS 18

Show: 6.1-inch Tremendous Retina XDR show

Chipset: A18 chipset

RAM: 8GB RAM

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Rear Cameras: 48Mp f/1.8 important digital camera, 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide digital camera

Entrance digital camera: 12Mp f/1.9

Battery: 3561 mAh (reported)

Charging: USB-C quick PD 2.0 charging, 25W wi-fi MagSafe charging, 15W wi-fi Qi 2 charging, 4.5W reverse wired

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, 5G, NFC

Water Resistance: IP68 water and dirt resistance

Dimensions: 147 x 71.6 x 7.8mm

Weight: 170g

Sturdiness: IP68

Colors: Ultramarine, Pink, Teal, Black, White