Hands-on iPhone 16 evaluation: Two-minute preview
Apple’s iPhone 16 is formally official, and returning are enjoyable, vibrant colours, a redesigned digicam bump on the rear, and a slew of latest buttons. I’m on the bottom in Cupertino, CA, and as Tim Cook closed out the “It’s Glowtime.” keynote, I dashed out of the Steve Jobs Theater and headed straight in the direction of the iPhone 16.
First, the colours are improbable and finest described merely as enjoyable, not less than for many shades. Ultra Marine (a mixture of blues, however do not name it blue), Pink, and Teal all come collectively to clean up the iPhone palette and look pleasant. I feel Pro customers will probably be slightly upset with the colourful shades right here, although. You may say Black and White right here resembles the extra impartial shades that the Pros get.
Regardless of shade, it is most distinguished on the again and can also be the canvas for the redesigned predominant digicam bump that sits vertically. It accommodates a 48-megapixel major lens and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, and the brand new orientation will enable this iPhone to seize spatial video for playback on the Vision Pro.
The bodily modifications reside on the perimeters, although – the Action Button has trickled right down to the usual iPhones and lives above the amount rocker. I see it as a welcome addition, and very like the brand new customization options of iOS 18, it’s a customizable button in your iPhone. You could be like me and use it to unlock your automotive, play a selected model of “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen, make a customized Shortcut to set off, or decide from presets like turning on the flashlight or opening up the digicam.
Though, I do not know why you’ll set it to digicam, contemplating the iPhone 16 has an all-new “Camera Control” button on the left. It’s within the excellent place, as while you’re holding the iPhone 16 horizontally, it is on the highest proper, which mirrors the design of practically any digicam. You can click on it as soon as to open the digicam and once more to take the shot, however it’s a button stuffed with expertise. You can swipe left or proper to zoom in or out, and a barely lighter press-in permits you to leap between capturing modes and different results. It’s actually cool, and I can’t wait to spend extra time with it.
Aside from these modifications, although, the iPhone 16 actually resembles the iPhone 15 fairly a bit. Thanks to an aluminum construct, it nonetheless feels strong within the hand, however it will not weigh you down. To the untrained eye, the entrance is sort of all show, at 6.1 inches, and the OLED remains to be vibrant and crisp with particulars. It’s nonetheless simply 60Hz, so there isn’t any buttery clean refresh charge, however I think about most folk will probably be cut up. If you have got a cellphone with a 120Hz display screen, it is best to steer clear, but when you have not skilled it, I do not assume you will thoughts all of it.
Plus, the Dynamic Island is on high, so you need to use the Live Activities galore. During my temporary hands-on time, the iPhone 16 felt snappy for opening functions, taking part in round with the brand new buttons, and even making an attempt a number of video games. There can also be a brand new chip underneath the hood – sure, a completely new one as a substitute of Apple trickling the Pro’s one down – and it is the Apple A18 chip, which might deal with loads. It will probably be loads for day by day duties and will probably be prepared that will help you take advantage of Apple Intelligence when these options arrive.
To deal with the proverbial elephant within the room, the iPhone 16 will come out of the field with iOS 18, that means that no Apple Intelligence options will probably be accessible out of the field. The first of these options, Writing Tools and Photo Cleanup will arrive with iOS 18.1 in October.
That about sums up my first impressions of the iPhone 16 – it is a highly effective smartphone that ought to be zippy with some further buttons in an analogous, acquainted construct. I think the expertise will probably be loads just like the iPhone 15, however I’m additionally curious to see the way it steps issues up, particularly in comparison with earlier iPhones. At the minimal, these are far more colourful, which is one thing to have fun.
Hands-on iPhone 16 evaluation: Price and availability
- Starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399
- Pre-orders open on September 13, and delivery begins on September 20
The iPhone 16 was introduced at Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ occasion on Monday, September 9. iPhone 16 preorders will start on Friday, September 9, and the brand new cellphone will hit retailer cabinets on Friday, September 20.
The iPhone 16 begins at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 for the mannequin with 128GB of storage, with that value rising to $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for the mannequin with 256GB of storage and $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,949 for the mannequin with 512GB of storage.
Full iPhone 16 pricing could be discovered beneath.
| Storage | US value | UK value | AU value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 128GB | $799 | £799 | AU$1,399 |
| 256GB | $899 | £899 | AU$1,599 |
| 512GB | $1,099 | £1,099 | AU$1,949 |
Hands-on iPhone 16 evaluation: Specs
Below, you will discover a roundup of the iPhone 16’s key specs.
| iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions: | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm |
| Weight: | 170g |
| Display: | 6.1-inch OLED |
| Resolution: | 2556 x 1179 pixels |
| Refresh charge: | 60Hz |
| Chipset: | A18 |
| Rear cameras: | 48MP predominant (26 mm, ƒ/1.6), 12MP ultra-wide (13 mm, ƒ/2.2) |
| Front digicam: | 12MP (ƒ/1.9) |
| Storage: | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
