After months of rumors, the iPhone 16 has finally arrived. And though Apple may once again have showered its iPhone 16 Pro models with more upgrades, the entry-level flagship still can boast enough enhancements to attract would-be buyers — especially anyone intrigued by the prospect of Apple Intelligence features coming later this year.
The iPhone 16 features design changes in the form of new buttons on the side plus a redesigned camera layout. There’s a new chipset, too — and it isn’t one that’s already been used in last year’s Pro models. Apple also promises bigger batteries and an improved ultrawide camera. And these changes are coming with no change in price for either the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus. (In fact, all four iPhone 16 models will cost the same as their iPhone 15 predecessors.)
You can read our initial impressions about the new phone in our iPhone 16 hands-on. We’ve also got a closer look at what’s new with the iPhone 16, when you’ll be able to get your hands on the new phones and what you’ll have to pay.
iPhone 16 cheat sheet: Biggest upgrades
- Pre-order date: September 13, 2024
- Release date: September 20, 2024
- Price: $799 for iPhone 16, $899 for iPhone 16 Plus
- Design: 6.1- and 6.7-inch screens for standard iPhone and Plus model, respectively; Action and Camera Control buttons on both phones
- Cameras: Spatial video support; updated 12MP ultrawide camera with autofocus and macro mode
- AI features: Supports Apple Intelligence
- Specs: A18 chipset, with 128GB of storage in base model
- Battery: Larger battery of unspecificed size
- Software: iOS 18
iPhone 16: Price and availability
The iPhone 16 starts at $799/£799/AU$1,399 for a 128GB model. The iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899/£899/AU$1,599. U.S. shoppers will recognize those as the same prices for the comparable iPhone 15 models.
You can upgrade to 256GB on either phone for an extra $100 while 512GB of storages costs $300 on top of the base model price.
iPhone 16 pre-orders get underway September 13, with Apple promising a trade-in credit of up to $650 depending on your phone. The phones hit stores the folloing Friday, September 20.
The iPhone 16 doesn’t change things up too much from the iPhone design that came before it, but there are some significant design tweaks. For starters, the rear cameras are now stacked vertically, reverting to a design Apple last used with the iPhone 12. The new arrangement lets the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus capture spatial video, which requires both cameras to record video simultaneously for the necessary depth effect.
A bigger change involves the mute switch on the left side of the phone. As with the iPhone 15 Pro last year, that switch has given way to an Action button that you can use as a shortcut for anything from launching apps to turning on your phone’s flashlight.
On the opposite side of the phone, you’ll find the new Camera Control — a dedicated button that launches the Camera app with one press and then snaps a photo with the second press. A press and hold captures video and because the button include a capacitive sensor you can scroll on it to do things like change the zoom or adjust the background blur in a portrait shot.
The last two iPhone updates have used a split processsor approach where the standard model relied on the system-on-chip used by the previous year’s Pro phone. All iPhone 16 models are using an A18 chip, though the Pro models have an A18 Pro chip with an additional graphics.
Still even, with only five graphics cores in its GPU, the A18 powering the iPhone 16 is powerful enough to run AAA titles that used to be limited to Apple’s Pro phones. Additionally, Apple is promising performance improvements from both the CPU and GPU over the A16 Bionic in the iPhone 15. The neural engine is more powerful, too, which will be helpful for running Apple Intelligence features on the device.
Apple made very few camera changes, though the ultrawide lens now uses a different sensor that adds autofocus capabilities as well as a macro mode. That camera should perform better in low light.
Apple never releases battery size numbers — we have to wait for teardowns to glean that info — so we’ll just have to take the company’s word for it that the batteries are bigger than before. That, coupled with the rumored power efficiency of the A18 silicon should help the iPhone 16 improve on the iPhone 15’s battery life. In its specs table for the iPhone 16 battery life, Apple claims longer video playback and video streaming times for both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus over their predecessors. Since the iPhone 15 Plus still holds a spot on our best phone battery life list, that’s a bold claim.
iPhone 16: How it compares
The iPhone 16 figures to face its stiffest competition from the Galaxy S24 and the Pixel 9, with both those phones matching its $799 starting price. Even without major camera improvements, the iPhone figures to fare well in any head-to-head photo comparisons given Apple’s reputation for building strong camera phones.
Likewise, the promised performance improvements from the A18 chipset should allow the iPhone 16 to gain some ground on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Galaxy S24, particularly when it comes to graphics.
It’s less clear how the iPhone 16 will measure up on AI features. Even when Apple Intelligence arrives — Apple says there’s a beta coming to the public next month — it’s still not going to be as polished as the Galaxy AI features on the S24 or the Pixel’s very advanced AI capabilities. The 2,000-nit brightness of the iPhone 16’s display is unchanged from last year’s model, and the super-bright Pixel 9 quite clear outshone Apple’s phone in our testing.
iPhone 16: Outlook
We’ve only just gotten our hands on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, so serious analysis will have to wait until we do more testing. The Camera Control feature intrigues us, though, and we’re looking forward to seeing if that simplifies or speeds up our photo capture sessions.
A lot of our assessment of the iPhone 16 will ultimately hinge on how Apple Intelligence features perform. It’s clear that Apple is making this a central part of this year’s phones, so there’s a lot riding on the writing tools, image generating capabilities and Siri revamp.
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max offer the more substantial changes from previous models and will probably garner more attention from anyone who can spend $1,000 on a new phone. But by keeping the iPhone 16 starting price at $799, Apple figures to attract a lot of more budget-minded shoppers who may be impressed with some of the changes in this year’s phone.
More from Tom’s Guide
- iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max hands-on
- AirPods 4 unveiled — two new models, prices and new features
- iOS 18: The biggest new features coming to your iPhone
|
Network |
Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM) | |
| CDMA 800 / 1900 | ||
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | ||
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66 – A3287 | |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71 – A3081 | ||
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71 – A3286 | ||
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 – A3288 | ||
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 – A3287 | |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave – A3081 | ||
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 – A3286 | ||
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 – A3288 | ||
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Launch | Announced | 2024, September 09 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Coming soon. Exp. release 2024, September 20 |
| Body | Dimensions | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm (5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 170 g (6.00 oz) | |
| Build | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), aluminum frame | |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM – International Dual eSIM with multiple numbers – USA Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) – China |
|
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) |
| Display | Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.1 inches, 91.7 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 1179 x 2556 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass (2024 gen) |
| Platform | OS | iOS 18 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A18 (3 nm) | |
| CPU | Hexa-core | |
| GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| Memory | Card slot | No |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | |
| NVMe |
| Main Camera | Dual | 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | Single | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″, PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec. | |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No |
| Comms | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, dual-band, hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | |
| NFC | Yes | |
| Radio | No | |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, DisplayPort |
| Features | Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip) Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite |
| Battery | Type | Li-Ion, non-removable |
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) 25W wireless (MagSafe), 15W wireless (China only) 15W wireless (Qi2) 4.5W reverse wired |
| Misc | Colors | Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine |
|---|---|---|
| Models | A3287, A3081, A3286, A3288 |
Apple iPhone 16 Pro price in Kenya is Ksh 127,500. Part of the iPhone series, the device has a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display that supports a screen resolution of 1206 x 2622 pixels. Apple’s A18 Pro Bionic processor is powering the device with 6-core graphics for games and videos. It has 8GB RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage, runs on the latest iOS 18, and is powered by a 3,577mAh battery with 25W fast charging. It also has a triple rear camera setup with a 48MP primary camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 48 MP (Ultra-wide) third camera. The handset comes installed with a 12 MP front-facing camera. Apple iPhone 16 Pro comes in Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, and Desert Titanium colorways.
Unique Selling Points on iPhone 16 Pro
- Superior Design and Build: The iPhone 16 Pro comes in new sizes (6.3” and 6.9”) and colors, with a chassis made from Grade 5 titanium and 100% recycled aluminum. It also features the toughest glass Ceramic Shield material, which is 50% tougher than previous models.
- Camera Control Button: A new physical camera control button, similar to a DSLR shutter button, is introduced. It offers touch-capacitive capabilities for focusing, snapping photos, and switching between modes.
- Display: iPhone 16+ OLED panels use micro-lens technology to improve brightness and reduce power consumption.
- Triple set of main cameras: improved 48-megapixel Ultra-Wide lens, allowing the camera to capture more light, resulting in enhanced photos when shooting in 0.5x mode, especially in low-light environments. Tetraprism zoom lenses are quite handy.
- Chipset: The next-generation A18 chip features an upgraded Neural Engine with “significantly” more cores, allowing for improved AI/machine learning performance.
- Better heat dissipating mechanism: a new thermal design that will combat overheating-a graphene thermal system
- Better storage: Upgraded RAM to 8GB, with up to 1TB internal storage.
- Improved OS: With iOS 18, Apple introduces new Siri features powered by large language models and some of the cutting-edge generative AI features. Overall, the new look Siri comes with significant updates, improving its functionality and user experience.
- AI: iOS 18 will bring many of the new LLM features to all iPhones, but on-device AI features could remain exclusive to the iPhone 16. iOS 18’s updated AI functionality could include improved interactions between Siri and the Messages app, auto-generated Apple Music playlists, integration with productivity apps for AI-assisted content creation, and more.
- Modem: it features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 modem, allowing for faster and more efficient 5G connectivity.
- Battery Life: Improved battery capacity and performance through the use of stacked battery technology. With a 3,577 mAh battery, the iPhone 16 Pro offers longer battery life compared to its predecessors (27Wh on typical use).
- Wi-Fi: Supports Wi-Fi7
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Features and Specifications
| Brand | Apple |
| Model Name |
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| Status |
|
| Physical Attributes |
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| Display |
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| Camera | Rear: Triple Camera
Front Camera
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| Storage | RAM: 8GB
Internal Memory: 128GB, 256GB,512B, 1TB |
| Phone Processing System |
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| Connectivity and Communications |
|
| Multimedia |
|
| Sensors and related features |
|
| Battery | Type: Li-Ion, non-removable
Capacity: 3577mAh Charging:
|
| Price | From Kes 130,000 |
Detailed Product Description
The recently announced and launched iPhone 16 Pro is expected to feature several exciting updates and new features.
Build and design
Building Materials
The chassis of the smartphone is made from Grade 5 titanium and 100% recycled aluminum, providing a robust yet lightweight structure. The front and back are protected by Ceramic Shield (Corning-made glass), which is 50% tougher than previous models. Such a robust body ensures the durability of the smartphone over years of use without losing form or value.
Sizes and Colors
The iPhone 16 Pro is available in two sizes: 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches. It comes in four colors: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Desert Titanium, and Natural Titanium.
Display
It features a Super Retina XDR OLED display with ProMotion technology, offering up to a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and more responsive touch. The bezels are thinner, providing a more immersive viewing experience. At 6.3 inches and with 1206 x 2622 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density), it certainly is immersive, offering an even better viewing experience than iPhone 16 and previous models. The Ceramic Shield glass (2024 gen) protection is necessary to protect and retain the quality display on the device.
Camera Set-up
The camera setup on the iPhone 16 Pro is more enhanced compared to the iPhone 16 model.
Main Camera
The triple main camera setup is quite impressive.
Features an impressive main camera setup with several enhancements:
Main (Wide) Camera
The main camera retains its 48 MP resolution but now uses a Sony IMX903 sensor with a 1/1.28″ sensor size and an f/1.8 aperture. It comes equipped with dual-pixel PDAF and sensor-shift OIS. This setup provides better low-light performance and faster readout, reducing lag when capturing fast-moving subjects.
Ultrawide Camera
The ultrawide camera has been upgraded to 48 MP as well, with a 1/2.6″ sensor size and an f/2.2 aperture. This allows for more detailed wide-angle shots and improved macro photography.
Telephoto Lens
The iPhone 16 Pro includes a 12 MP, f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto) lens. The 5x tetraprism zoom lens previously was exclusive to the Pro Max model. This lens enhances zoom capabilities, making it easier to capture distant subjects with clarity.
Front Camera
Installed on the front end of the iPhone 16 Pro is a single 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″, PDAF, OIS lens. The front camera setup is designed to enhance your selfie and video-calling experience
- Resolution: 12 MP sensor, provides high-quality images and videos.
- Aperture: the f/1.9 aperture allows for better low-light performance and depth of field.
- Autofocus: it includes autofocus capabilities, ensuring sharp and clear selfies.
- Photonic Engine: The new Photonic Engine enhances image processing, improving color accuracy and detail in your selfies.
Notable Features and Functionalities
- 4K Video Recording: The main camera and front camera support 4K video capture at 120 fps, perfect for high-resolution slow-motion videos.
- Camera Control Button: A new physical Camera Control button on the right-hand side mimics a DSLR shutter button, enhancing the photography experience.
These features make the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera setup versatile and powerful, catering to both photography enthusiasts and professionals.
Performance Capabilities of the Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Beyond the aesthetics, this is a high-performance handset. What makes the newly launched set much sought after and a darling to Apple lovers?
- A18 Pro Chip: The iPhone 16 Pro is powered by the Apple A18 Pro (3 nm) chip, which includes a 15% faster 6-core CPU and a 20% faster 6-core GPU compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 15 Pro. This chip also features a faster 16-core Neural Engine and a 20% higher memory bandwidth.
- Enhanced Graphics: The chip on the handset supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing, providing up to a 2x boost in graphics performance. This makes the device, equipped with the outstanding Apple GPU (6-core graphics) ideal for gaming and other graphics-intensive applications.
- Memory and Storage: The iPhone 16 Pro offers up to 1TB of storage and improved system memory bandwidth, ensuring smooth multitasking and efficient handling of large files. As a user, you have multiple options to choose from, depending on your needs and budget. Phone variants based on storage specs include:
- 128GB 8GB RAM
- 256GB 8GB RAM
- 512GB 8GB RAM
- 1TB 8GB RAM
These performance capabilities, based on the handset processor make the iPhone 16 Pro a highly efficient and powerful device, suitable for both everyday use and demanding tasks.
Battery and Power Management
One attribute that defines a good smartphone is its battery performance. Apple has improved the battery on the iPhone 16 Pro compared to previous models. This new model offers several advancements in battery and power management.
Battery Capacity
The iPhone 16 Pro is equipped with a 3,577 mAh battery, providing longer battery life compared to previous models. Notably, the iPhone 15 Pro is equipped with a 3,274mAh battery that allows for up to 23 hours of video playback and 75 hours of audio playback. The battery pack in the iPhone 16 Pro supports up to 27 hours of video playback, ensuring you can use your device extensively without frequent recharging.
Fast Charging
Apple iPhone 16 Pro supports 30W wired fast charging, allowing you to charge up to 50% in just 30 minutes. It also supports 25W wireless MagSafe charging, and 15W wireless (Qi2) recharging.
Power Management Features
The device comes with several features that help in power management and minimization of power loss for battery longevity.
- Low Power Mode: the mode can be activated to extend battery life by reducing background activity and visual effects.
- Energy Efficiency: The A18 Pro chip enhances energy efficiency, ensuring that the device performs optimally while consuming less power.
Overall, these features make the iPhone 16 Pro highly efficient in terms of battery and power management, providing a reliable and long-lasting user experience.
Pros and Cons of Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Pros
- Design and Build: The device is made from Grade 5 titanium and 100% recycled aluminum, with a Ceramic Shield that is 50% tougher than previous models.
- Durability: Phone durability is further enhanced by the IP68 dust/water resistant IP Rating, Ceramic Shield glass, and robust titanium frame on the handset.
- Advanced Camera System: The iPhone 16 Pro features a 48 MP main camera, a 48 MP ultrawide camera, and a 12 MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, offering exceptional photo and video quality.
- A18 Pro Chip: The new A18 Pro chip provides significant performance improvements, including faster CPU and GPU speeds, and enhanced energy efficiency.
- Great Display: The Super Retina XDR OLED display with ProMotion technology provides a smooth and immersive viewing experience. Gaming and general phone use is more enjoyable.
- Camera Control Button: A new physical camera control button enhances the photography experience, making it easier to capture high-quality images.
- Battery Life: With a 3,577 mAh battery, the iPhone 16 Pro offers up to 27 hours of video playback. Besides, the wired and wireless charging system is equally impressive and convenient for charging on the go.
Cons
- Size and Weight: Apple 16 Pro is as massive as it is weighty, compared to other handsets. The larger size (6.3 inches) and weight (199g) might be less comfortable for some users to handle.
- Learning Curve for New Features: The new camera control button and other advanced features may have a learning curve for some users. It will take some time to get used to it.
- Price: The iPhone 16 Pro is pricey, with few people able to afford it, amidst many alternative smartphones
- No Major Charging Speed Improvement: Despite the fast-charging capabilities, there is no significant improvement in charging speed compared to previous models.
- Users are limited to the Apple eco-system for the best user experience.
Verdict
It is a powerful and versatile device, offering significant improvements in camera technology, performance, and design. It is a redefinition of class and premium in the mobile market with its many high-end features. A better battery life offering 27Wh is commendable. The A18 Pro Chip provides significant performance improvements. The overall design and build not only focused on beauty and ethics but also functionality and durability. Its high price tag is justifiable when it comes down to features, performance, and functionality. While it comes with a considerably higher price tag and a slight learning curve for new features, its advanced capabilities make it compete for the top stop in the premium smartphone market segment.
Alternative Handsets
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Pro
- Google Pixel 9 Pro
- Oppo Reno 12 Pro 5G
- OnePlus Ace 2 Pro.
