Introduction

Introduced in September 2024, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are Apple's current flagship phones, sold alongside the higher-end iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are the right iPhones for most people, and now is a good time to buy. There's an upgraded A18 chip that supports Apple Intelligence, a dual-lens camera system that takes great photos, a Camera Control button for quick camera access, and a customizable Action button.Apple is selling the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus alongside the more expensive iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, which are aimed at those who want higher-quality displays and more versatile cameras.

Compared to the iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max feature a lighter, more durable titanium frame, larger display sizes, a faster A18 Pro chip, ProMotion display technology, an Always-On display, a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide lens, and 5x Telephoto camera lens.

There's an all-new Camera Control button that's like an Action button for the Camera. It is touch and pressure sensitive and can be used to launch the camera and take a photo, capture a video, and adjust all kinds of camera settings. Apple modeled it after the shutter button of a DSLR camera, and it works in much the same way. Third-party apps can also take advantage of the Camera Control button.

Later this year, Camera Control will be used for visual intelligence, a new AI feature that can tell users about objects and places. Point the camera at an object and click and hold on Camera Control to get more info about it. For a restaurant, visual intelligence shows information like hours and menu.

To accompany the Camera Control button, Apple added a 48-megapixel Fusion camera with a 2x optical-quality Telephoto zoom that's cropped from the full camera capture. Apple says is it's like having two cameras in one. There's also a new 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with autofocus and support for macro photography. The Ultra Wide gathers up to 2.6x more light for better image quality in low light conditions. The vertical camera arrangement supports capturing spatial photos and videos that can be viewed on the Apple Vision Pro.

There are a range of next-generation Photographic Styles that let users adjust color, highlights, and shadows in real time. Adjustments can be applied to specific colors rather than the entire image, and Apple allows granular control over the intensity and tone of effects. Styles can be rendered during live preview or added after a photo is taken.

Videos are captured with Spatial Audio for more immersive sound with AirPods or Vision Pro, and there's a new Audio Mix feature for adjusting sound after capture to focus on the voice of the person on camera, make it sound like a video was recorded in a professional studio, or position vocal tracks in front and environmental noises in surround sound. A wind noise reduction tool cuts down on unwanted noise for improved audio quality.

As with the iPhone 15 lineup last year, the iPhone 16 family includes a total of four models. There's the 6.1-inch iPhone 16, the 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus, the 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro, and the 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max. The Pro and Pro Max have larger display sizes this year, but the standard iPhone sizing has not changed. Apple's iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus start at $799 and are more affordable than the higher-end iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

While some of the best features are reserved for the iPhone 16 Pro models to make the extra cost worth it for consumers, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are incredibly capable devices that are going to last for years to come.

Design wise, the iPhone 16 models look almost identical to the iPhone 15 models with an aluminum frame, frosted glass back, and Dynamic Island. The Dynamic Island houses the front-facing TrueDepth camera and other sensors for Face ID authentication. The Super Retina XDR OLED display is protected by a next-generation Ceramic Shield that's 50 percent tougher.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are each available in five color options: ultramarine, teal, pink, white, and black. There is a USB-C port for charging, but data transfers on these models remain at the same USB 2.0 speeds that were available last

The iPhone 16 models continue to use Face ID, Apple's facial recognition system that is baked into the Dynamic Island.
Face ID is used across iOS for unlocking the iPhone, allowing access to passcode-protected apps, confirming app purchases, authenticating Apple Pay payments, and more.

Face ID works through a set of sensors and cameras. A Dot Projector projects tens of thousands of invisible infrared dots onto the surface of the skin to create a 3D facial scan that maps the curves and planes of each face, with the scan read by an infrared camera.

The facial depth map is relayed to the A18 chip where it is transformed into a mathematical model that the iPhone uses to authenticate identity. Face ID works in low light and in the dark, and with hats, beards, glasses, sunglasses, scarves, masks, and other accessories that partially obscure the face

Apple didn't make notable changes to display technology, with the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus continuing to have Super Retina XDR OLED displays with the Dynamic Island. The iPhone 16 has a resolution of 2556 by 1179 with 460 pixels per inch, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a resolution of 2796 by 1290 with 460 pixels per inch.

Typical maximum brightness is 1000 nits, while peak HDR brightness is 1600 nits. Apple also says that the iPhone 15 models can reach 2000 nits peak brightness outdoors. New this year is a 1 nit minimum brightness.
There is a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and wide color support offers vivid, true-to-life colors, while True Tone matches the white balance of the display to the ambient lighting for a paper-like viewing experience that's easier on the eyes. There's also a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating and support for Haptic Touch, which provides haptic feedback when interacting with the display.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus do not support the ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate or the Always-On display technologies available on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.

The display is protected by a next-generation Ceramic Shield material made by infusing nano-ceramic crystals into glass. The new Ceramic Shield is stronger than the prior version, and Apple says it is "2x tougher" than any other smartphone glass.

Speaker holes, a microphone, and a USB-C charging port are located at the bottom of the iPhone 16 models. In some countries, there is a SIM slot, but the physical SIM has not been included in U.S. iPhones for several years now.

A18 Chip
The A18 chip is built using a second-generation 3-nanometer process, so it is more efficient and faster than the A16 Bionic chip used in the iPhone 15 models. The A18 chip is capable of handling Apple Intelligence tasks, and it runs the Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.

There's a 6-core CPU with four performance cores and two efficiency cores, along with a 5-core GPU and an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine optimized for running large generative models. Apple has also upgraded the memory subsystem with 17 percent more memory bandwidth.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have 8GB RAM, the minimum needed for Apple Intelligence.Entry-level iPhone 16 models start with 128GB of storage, but there are 256GB and 512GB options available for additional money.

With efficiency improvements brought by the A18 chip, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have longer battery life than the prior-generation models, gaining at least an hour.

iPhone 16 - 22 hours video playback, 18 hours streaming video, 80 hours audio.
iPhone 16 Plus - 27 hours video playback, 24 hours streaming video, 100 hours audio.
iPhone 15 - 20 hours video playback, 16 hours streaming video, 80 hours audio.
iPhone 15 Plus - 26 hours video playback, 20 hours streaming video, 100 hours audio.

The iPhone 16 models support faster 25W MagSafe charging with one of Apple's new MagSafe chargers and a 30W power adapter or higher. It is the first time that fast charging has been available when charging wirelessly, and iPhone 16 users can expect to see a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes.

Qi2 charging is also supported, but that is limited to 15W, the same as the prior-generation MagSafe charging.

The iPhone 16 models offer 5G connectivity with Apple using Qualcomm modems.

In the United States, iPhone owners can connect to both mmWave and sub-6GHz networks, while other countries are limited to sub-6GHz. mmWave 5G networks are the fastest 5G networks, but mmWave is short-range and can be obscured by buildings, trees, and other obstacles, so its use is limited to major cities and urban areas along with venues like stadiums, airports, and other places where a lot of people congregate.

Sub-6GHz 5G is more widespread and available in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the United States and other countries. For the most part, when you use a 5G network, you'll be using sub-6GHz 5G. Sub-6GHz 5G is typically faster than LTE, especially when mid-band spectrum is used, but it isn't always the blazing fast 5G that you expect.

The iPhone 16 models continue to offer Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO for connecting to LTE networks when 5G is unavailable. The following bands are supported.

FDD-LTE - Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71
TDD‑LTE - Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53

All iPhone 16 models can connect to satellites in emergency situations when cellular and Wi-Fi connections are not available. Apple has designed the Emergency SOS via satellite feature to allow the iPhone's antennas to connect to satellites operated by Globalstar.Satellite communications are available in emergency situations where you can't connect to Wi-Fi or a cellular tower, and the feature is designed to be used in open spaces with few trees so the iPhone can connect to a satellite that's in the sky.

Apple has a walkthrough interface that instructs you how to hold the iPhone to connect to a satellite, and the company has developed a compressed messaging protocol because sending data via satellite can take minutes. In an area with no trees, a short message to emergency services can send in as little as 15 seconds.

Emergency SOS via satellite provides a series of important questions that you answer when it is activated, with these questions aimed at getting necessary details to emergency personnel as quickly as possible. The answers that you provide are sent directly to emergency services if text communication is supported in your area, or sent to relay centers staffed by Apple-trained specialists who can call emergency services on the user's behalf.

Satellite connectivity is mainly designed to allow users to contact emergency services in dire situations, but it can also be used to update your Find My location if you're camping or hiking off the grid, giving your family and friends peace of mind about where you are.

Emergency SOS via satellite is free for all iPhone 16 users for two years, and Apple has not yet provided details on what it will cost in the future.

The iPhone 16 models also support Messages via satellite with iOS 18, and Roadside Assistance via satellite, which allows iPhone users to contact local service providers for help if they have car trouble in an area without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. There is no charge for the satellite usage with Roadside Assistance, though there may be a fee charged by the roadside service provider

There's a high dynamic range gyroscope and a dual-core accelerometer capable of detecting G-force measurements of up to 256Gs in the iPhone 16 models, and paired with other iPhone sensors like a barometer that can detect cabin pressure changes caused by deployed airbags, this hardware enables a Crash Detection feature.The iPhone 16 models can detect a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services when the car's occupants are seriously injured or unable to reach their phones. The GPS in the iPhone is able to detect speed changes, and the microphone is able to recognize loud sounds associated with severe car crashes. Crash Detection is also available on the Apple Watch, and the iPhone and Apple Watch work together to contact emergency services when an accident occurs.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus support Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO, and Bluetooth 5.3. Wi-Fi 7 adds support for 6GHz bands on supported Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers. Compared to prior Wi-Fi standards, Wi-Fi 7 is faster and supports more connections.

There's an NFC chip with reader mode, and a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip. The Ultra Wideband chip provides improved spatial awareness, allowing iPhone 16 models to more precisely locate other Apple devices with an Ultra Wideband chip. The chip allows two iPhones to connect to each other at three times the range as before.

The Ultra Wideband chip can be used for precision tracking, such as when locating AirTags. It is also used for directional AirDrop and for interactions with the HomePod mini, plus Apple has added a Precision Finding feature for locating friends with an iPhone 16 in a crowded area.

As for GPS, the iPhone 16 models support GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou location services.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have an IP68 rating for resistance to water and dust intrusion. The smartphones are able to withstand a depth of up to six meters (19.7 feet) for up to 30 minutes.

In the IP68 number, the 6 refers to dust resistance (and means the iPhone 16 can hold up to dirt, dust, and other particulates), while the 8 pertains to water resistance. IP6x is the highest dust resistance rating that exists. With the IP68 rating, the iPhone 16 can withstand splashes, rain, and accidental water exposure, but intentional water exposure should be avoided.

Water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions, according to Apple, and can deteriorate over time as a result of normal wear. Apple's standard warranty does not cover liquid damage, which means it's best to use caution when it comes to liquid exposure.

In the IP68 number, the 6 refers to dust resistance (and means the iPhone 16 can hold up to dirt, dust, and other particulates), while the 8 pertains to water resistance. IP6x is the highest dust resistance rating that exists. With the IP68 rating, the iPhone 16 can withstand splashes, rain, and accidental water exposure, but intentional water exposure should be avoided.

Water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions, according to Apple, and can deteriorate over time as a result of normal wear. Apple's standard warranty does not cover liquid damage, which means it's best to use caution when it comes to liquid exposure.

Pricing starts at $799( ₦1,292,398.48),and the iPhone 16 offers a good balance between functionality and price. If you're looking for a step up, Apple has the iPhone 16 Pro models with upgraded A18 Pro chip, bigger displays, ProMotion display technology, and triple-lens camera system.

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