The devices were unveiled during an event on September 9, 2024, marking the first time an iPhone release had been announced on a Monday.[4] It is also the first iPhone to not come included with Apple stickers, as Apple removed it for "environmental reasons", but the stickers can be included if a customer asks for it at an Apple Store.[5]
Design
Like the iPhone 15, the device features rounded edges, a slightly curved display, and back glass.
Display
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus retain their screen sizes of 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively. They feature a full-edge screen design with slim borders.
Camera
The camera button test of iPhone 16Back view of iPhone 16
iPhone 16 features a more refined dual-lens array on the back, with a 48 megapixel Fusion wide-angle lens and 12 megapixel ultra-wide lens. The cameras are now aligned vertically, similar to iPhone 12, instead of diagonally like on iPhone 15, enabling spatial video capture.
There is also an improved Photographic Styles feature for real-time lighting and color adjustments, allowing specific tones and colors to be manipulated. [6]
Colors
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus come in five colors: ultramarine, teal, pink, white and black.[7]
The iPhone 16 includes an updated 48-megapixel Fusion camera, the same resolution as the iPhone 15, with 2 μm, quad pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP). It has a new ultrawide camera with a wider aperture, automatic focus and 1.4 μm, 100% Focus Pixels.[8]
All iPhone 16 models have an improved thermal design. The main logic board has been updated, centralizing chip placement and optimizing the surrounding architecture. The recycled aluminum substructure dissipates heat for up to 30 percent higher sustained performance for gaming.[9]
Every model in the iPhone 16 lineup has support for WiFi 7.[10]
Action Button
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus come with the Action Button, first featured on the iPhone 15 Pro lineup. By default, the Action Button toggles silent mode. However, users can change the button's feature to do different things other than silent mode, like open the Camera app or toggle a focus mode.
Camera Control button
All iPhone 16 models now come with a new button called Camera Control. This button is on the right side of the device, and allows the user to open the camera app, switch between different camera controls and features, and taking photos and videos. The button can distinguish between light and hard presses. By pressing the button once, it opens the camera app. By lightly pressing it twice, it opens a small menu with different camera controls, such as zoom or tone. Pressing the button hard once takes a photo, while holding for a few seconds starts a video. [11]
Battery and charging
The iPhone 16 has been upgraded in terms of battery capacity.[12]
The base iPhone 16 has video playback duration of up to 22 hours, while the iPhone 16 Plus has video playback up to 27 hours. The iPhone 16 has duration of audio playback up to 80 hours, 20% less than the iPhone 16 Plus with 100 hours of audio playback. The MagSafe wireless charging standard has been refreshed with a longer cable as an option, allowing the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to charge at a faster speed of 25W with a 30W power adapter.
Enclosure
The enclosure is made up of 85% recycled content.[8]
The iPhone 16 launched with iOS 18. While the device was announced alongside Apple Intelligence, these features were delayed until after release.[13]
iOS 18 includes RecoveryOS on the iPhone 16 series that allows users to recover and restore firmware wirelessly using another iPhone.[14]
Specifications
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have a vertical camera layout, similar to the iPhone 12, as opposed to the diagonal layout for iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 15. USB Type-C port is used, albeit with USB 2.0 data transfer speeds up to 480 Mb/s.[15]
Price
The iPhone 16 has a starting price of US$799, while the iPhone 16 Plus starts at US$899. Pre-orders began on September 13, 2024, and sales started September 20.[16]
Criticism
The iPhone 16 has received positive feedback for several aspects, but also shows a few limitations. The upgraded design is a favourite, bringing a refreshed aesthetic with the available vibrant colour options, which feel more dynamic than past models. The display maintains Apple’ Super Retina HDR quality, but is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, which some users find outdated compared to faster displays on cheaper competitor phones.[17][18]
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