Apple iPhone 16e - Welcome to the Family

It's been almost three years since Apple last released an "entry-level" handset.

At the time, although I was impressed with its performance, aesthetically the design was an out-and-out throwback to a much earlier era of iPhones; the ones with small screens sandwiched between two inexplicably large blank spaces top and bottom - and yes, although by then the "Home Button" was long gone on the iPhone flagships, the SE still had one. How quaint.

And the camera? Well. Enough said,

Still, at just NZ$799.00 it was a pretty cheap iPhone.

Well, finally there's a new pretty cheap iPhone. It's not AS cheap. But it's way prettier.

The Apple iPhone 16e doesn't look, feel or behave anything like previous SE models which is presumably why Apple didn't call it the next generation iPhone SE.

And after using the 16e for a week or so, I can certainly understand why they were determined to make it clear this new device is a legitimate member of the iPhone 16 family.

Holding it and looking at it front-on, there's very little to distinguish it from the base-model iPhone 16. The 6.1-inch super retina display is the same size and it's protected by the same Ceramic Shield that makes all modern iPhones so hard to destroy.

When you turn the iPhone 16 on you'll notice there's a notch at the top of the display which has morphed into the slightly less-intrusive "Dynamic Island" on the other late-model flagships. While it has its uses, I'm betting the vast majority of iPhone owners consider the Dynamic Island a nice-to-have rather than a must-have - that's if they even know what it is. So no great loss there.

Just like its more expensive siblings, the 16e has an Action Button, the programmable shortcut that can launch your favourite app, set the phone to silent or call your mum. It doesn't have the Camera Control shortcut sensor all the other 16-series devices have, so you'll have to zoom and change filters the old-fashioned way.

Which brings us to the most obvious compromise on this handset, the camera itself. 

You won't find too many single-lens shooters on today's smartphone shelves which is why Apple has labelled this one a Fusion camera. To be fair, somehow they have managed to integrate 2x optical telephoto zooming abilities into this 48MP sensor, so it does indeed behave a bit like "two cameras in one."

To prove it, here's a shot of the view outside my window. Admittedly, it'd be better if it was Ultra-Wide, but that's definitely off the table here...

Pretty much what you'd expect from any iPhone; natural colours, excellent light-and-shade balance - especially on the tree in the foreground.

Now let's zoom...

This is the some shot at 7x zoom. Despite a generous helping of digital assistance, the row of houses about 1km away looks pretty damn clear to me.

You can still shoot in Portrait mode, although you have to switch to it manually in the camera app. Those of you lucky enough to own a recent iPhone flagship will know you can just press the little f symbol to achieve the same bokeh effect as I have here with doggo in the back seat.

So no little f... what a tragedy.

Look, I get it. If you're super fussy about your photos, this probably isn't the iPhone for you. And as far as video goes, I'm afraid I have to tell you, the 16e does 4K in Dolby Vision.

Wait...

What?

Yes, as you'll see in my video at the bottom, only true video aficionados are really going to care too much about any shortfalls here.

But what about Apple Intelligence and all its cool tricks? Image Playground? Genmojis? Clean Up for your photos?

Not to worry. As a genuine member of the iPhone 16 clan, the 16e even has the same generation of chip; the A18. In fact, the 16e has something the other 16s don't; Apple's in-house C1 cellular modem. This means more efficient mobile data and Wi-Fi connectivity on top of the already speedy A18 CPU - that all adds up to some very welcome battery life statistics.

You may also be surprised to hear the 16e can charge wirelessly too, although it isn't MagSafe compatible so if you have invested heavily in magnetic chargers and accessories, you'll also need to invest in a 3rd-party MagSafe-friendly case.

When I first saw the iPhone 16e's specs, I thought it was too good to be true. Practically nobody is going to spend an extra $400 just to get MagSafe or Dynamic Island. Sure, there's just no way the camera setup can physically compete with the iPhone 16, Plus, Pro and Pro Max. But it's certainly not bad.

And I guess that's why this isn't really a "budget" option. Remember how I said 2022's iPhone SE was only NZ$799.00? The 16e starts at NZ$1199.00. In saying that, there's no longer a 64GB version, so the gap closes pretty quickly when you start at 128GB.

I think the iPhone 16e is worth every penny, and then some. It's fast, it's durable, it has excellent battery life and a fabulous display. If you're not a professional photographer, this is the mid-range phone I'd be considering right now.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple iPhone 16e.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra - AI Takeover Almost Complete

What does A.I. mean to you?

Is it a genuine suite of tools you can easily access to increase your productivity? Or is it just a glorified search engine, presenting you with occasionally inaccurate information, albeit in a more accessible, conversational tone?

Personally, even now, I'm still an A.I. sceptic. I don't see how "learning to use" a specific set of A.I. features helps me save time, especially when I can't trust the factual integrity some of the results.

But I might be the Lone Ranger here. Certainly if Samsung's latest flagship launch was anything to go by.

Tuning into last month's Galaxy Unpacked event, I was left feeling it wasn't really about the phones at all. There's been a seismic shift. The focus was squarely on Galaxy A.I. and Gemini. The S25 handsets were merely the latest conduits to access those A.I. tools.

Which is a shame, because after spending a week or two with the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, I have no doubt it'll be one of the phones of the year - regardless of how much A.I. has been bundled into it.

Critics will claim this year's Ultra isn't that much different to last year's - but then, they say stuff like that every year. At least there's no confusing the 2025 version with the 2024 one; the titanium edges have been squared off while the corners of the handset are now curved, no longer the sharp points reminiscent of the Galaxy Note devices of yesteryear.

With no more pointy corners stabbing into your palm, the S25 Ultra is now more comfortable to hold, despite still being one of the largest phones around. 

The 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display provides sublime viewing in all light conditions (as usual) - in fact, just like Samsung's flagship TVs, the S25 Ultra now boasts an even more effective anti-reflective coating which means improved outdoor performance.

Speaking of performance, as you'd expect, there's been a chip upgrade too; despite early rumours of an in-house Exynos chip running the show, a bespoke collaboration between Samsung and Qualcomm sees the introduction of the Sanpdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy instead. I won't linger on the significant gains in power, speed and efficiency this new processor offers - obviously there's a noticeable bump when doing things like gaming and video editing.

Samsung has done a lot of work to keep the S25 Ultra cool too, with a 40% larger vapour chamber and every other available space jam-packed with some kind of magical thermal material to keep operating temperatures at their optimum.

Strangely, neither all this extra cooling or a more efficient chip seem to have done much to improve battery life. The 5000mAh cell is the same capacity as last year's and if there have been any improvements in how long a full charge lasts, I haven't exactly been blown away. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the S25 Ultra won't get a heavy user through a long day, it just won't get you through two.

Another notable (excuse the pun) design decision was to strip the on-board S-Pen stylus of its bluetooth abilities. For years now the S-Pen has been able to double as a remote; playing and pausing media, clicking through slides in Power Point presentations and wirelessly firing off selfies - always easier to control than setting a timer and hoping you get back in shot in time. But now the S-Pen is just a pen. Samsung must have gleaned that most users either chose not to use the S-Pen's bluetooth functions or more likely, didn't even know about them. While I've read some disgruntled customers have penned a petition to bring the supercharged S-Pen back in 2026, given I too never used it much, I can't really complain.

Perhaps the S25 Ultra's most significant upgrade (other than the god-like neural processing power we'll come to shortly) is the improvement to the Ultra Wide camera, going from 12MP to 50MP. This not only means a more detailed, higher resolution result but in my testing I felt the new sensor took pics that were much more consistent in terms of colour and contrast with those taken with the 200MP primary shooter.

For example, this was shot on a bright day with the excellent 200MP main camera...

Now let's go wider...

You'll see the sky is perhaps ever so slightly more blue, but in terms of brightness and contrast, very consistent... and lots of detail.

Speaking of which, what happens when we compare the Ultra Wide with the Zoom sensor?

Tricky in such bright light to see doggo in much detail - except...

The Zoom lens nails it. I think I zoomed in even more than 10 x here and yet there's no real noise or graininess to my eye. Pretty impressive.

When it comes to video, 10-bit HDR recording is now applied by default. This makes it one of the best low-light shooters I've used to date. Again, that super-duper new chip is hard at work, reducing noise and boosting clarity.

Wait, is that A.I.? I'd argue it is, and it's my preferred kind; the A.I. I don't know is happening. Don't worry though, there are plenty of more obvious examples baked into this device.

Like Audio Eraser - which could be my new favourite feature. You know how these days most camera apps offer you the option to delete distracting people and objects from the background of your pictures, using A.I. to fill in the space? Audio Eraser is a similar tool, except it works with the sound on your videos. The classic example is concert footage. Presumably when you play it back you'd prefer to hear the artist who's performing, rather than the group of drunk teenagers forgetting all the words, just out of shot beside you. Now you can use the Audio Eraser function to extract an editable, multi-track audio master from your recording. Then you can boost sounds like music while reducing crowd noise - or perhaps muting it completely. It's like having a sound-editing suite squeezed into your phone.

There are a host of other A.I. tricks you can access (assuming you can remember what they are and how to use them). Many, like Circle-to-Search, rely on Google Gemini, not just Galaxy A.I. to work. This all gets very confusing, very quickly. I mean, I know I can now circle anything on my screen and Gemini will list off all sorts of relevant information, be it an app on my home screen or a car caught in freeze-frame in a movie. But who do I thank for that? Galaxy A.I.? Gemini? Or both?

Samsung has also made a big deal about inter-app functionality. In theory, this allows Gemini - or Galaxy A.I. - or both? - to access a photo you took of fish tacos from your Gallery, look up the location of a restaurant that serves them nearby using Google Maps, then arrange a dinner date using information from your Contacts and sending a calendar invite through Google Mail.

Seriously, even if it worked first time - is that something you're going to trust your phone to do for you just by asking it? And what if I'm using non-Google or non-Samsung apps like Outlook and Waze? I've had varying degrees of success playing around with some of these new tools. Yes, they're starting to become more intuitive but when my phone still thought I was trying to call Tim on my way home instead of Time Saver Traffic to report an accident, I think there's a way to go yet.

As I so often find with freshly-launched flagship handsets these days, it's hard to figure out which of these fancy A.I. features are specific to the newly released handset and which will eventually become available to previous generation models in future software updates.

Which all means as far as I'm concerned, A.I. alone is not a good enough reason to upgrade.

I can't help thinking if Samsung had spent extra time highlighting more traditional features like camera and processor upgrades, that'd make a more compelling argument. Not to mention the completely superficial - yet no less valid - cosmetic changes like rounded corners and an impressive seven different colours to choose from. (Three are online-only, but they're still options)

A.I, by its very nature, is constantly evolving and refining itself and I'm not denying its exponentially growing importance as part of any piece of tech like this. But you'll still need the best phone to get the best out of it and let me assure you, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is definitely one of the best.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Oppo Find X8 Pro - Still Leading the Way in Phone Photography

I still remember trying an Oppo phone for the first time.

I'd never really heard of the brand up until then so I was blown away when I discovered how good the phone was, especially the camera.

The first periscope lens I experienced on a phone was on an Oppo phone.

The first time I used a popup camera on a phone was on an Oppo phone.

The first time I saw truly fast charging was with an Oppo phone.

So it was no surprise the first time I encountered four 50MP lenses on one handset was also on an Oppo phone.

The Oppo Find X8 Pro is like a supercar; pretty much every feature has been maximised for ultimate performance.

And just like a supercar, the FInd X8 Pro certainly stands out in a crowd - strikingly so with its somewhat overbearing camera module; four lenses set into a brushed metal disc, protruding unashamedly from the rear panel, which is either Space Black or Pearl White.

Oh, and when Oppo says, "pearl" it means it. If you hold it up to the light the matte rear panel reflects back like a polished shell. As I say, you can't argue this handset isn't unique.

If you prefer a compact device, the Find X8 Pro may not be what you're looking for. The 6.78-inch display is at the upper end of the scale and it means if you like to keep your phone in your pockets they'd better be deep ones. Literally.

And also figuratively. This phone is not cheap. But we'll get to that.

Lots of people love a large screen - especially those of us of a certain age with certain short-distance eyesight issues. What a fantastic screen it is; an FHD+ AMOLED display with a variable 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 4500nits (insane) and covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i - a generation of the reputed toughened glass I didn't even know existed.

The Find X8 Pro is also the first device I've used that's both IP68 and IP69 rated. This means it's dust-proof and will resist extended periods of immersion and exposure to high-pressure streams of liquids. So if you've ever wanted to waterblast your phone, this is the one to do it with. (That was a joke, not a recommendation)

At 5910mAh, this may also be the phone with the biggest battery I've ever come across too. In fact, it's a new-generation silicon-carbon cell which not only stays cool but is more resilient in colder temperatures.

In short, this is a very durable device. Which is just as well, given its price. But we'll get to that.

As you would expect, the large battery means you can go a long time between charges and in Oppo's usual style, they've included an 80W SuperVOOC charger in the box which will juice up the phone fast enough for you to watch the percentage points rise before your very eyes.

So what about wireless charging? I hear you ask. Oh no, hang on; that's me. I'm kind of obsessed with wireless charging and in the past I've been disappointed when Oppo phones have been restricted to pesky cords just because they work a bit faster. My argument is cords are messy and you get a lot of wear-and-tear plugging and unplugging them all the time.

Thankfully, the Find X8 Pro comes to the wireless party. In fact, it goes a step further with its range of OPPO Mag accessories. Although there's no magnetic coil built into the phone itself, Oppo has come up with a range of covers that snap on easily and are compatible with other magnetic chargers, stands and car cradles.

One of these covers was included in my review kit along with one of the more innovative accessories I've seen this year; the 50W AirVOOC wireless charger. Yes, this lets you charge wirelessly at previously unheard-of speeds, although you will have to put up with a little bit of fan noise as it keeps itself cool.

The review kit also included Oppo's Enco X3i true wireless earbuds.

I haven't used any Oppo buds before and I loved them straight away. The reflective, Meteor Grey finish looks very classy, they have a comfy, secure fit, battery life is great and just like the Find X8 Pro, they're jam-packed with high-end features. The Enco X3i buds probably deserve their own review at a later date but let me just say I've been very impressed - although the Active Noise Cancelling isn't the best I've used and unlike the phone, the charging case charges via USB-C only - no wireless. And you know how I feel about wireless charging.

Back to the Find X8 Pro though; and that ground-breakng camera, co-developed with Hasselblad. Given many phones don't have a telescopic lens at all, the fact Oppo has included two of them here is pretty wild. So just to repeat, all four sensors - the wide, ultra-wide and both periscope zooms - are 50MP. That means you have the option of capturing hi-res images at any zoom length up to 6x.

It gets better. Thanks to the very fast and powerful Dimensity 9400 chip from MediaTek, even shots taken past the 6x optical zoom will look surprisingly sharp because the Find X8 Pro uses AI to fill in the detail. In fact, you can zoom up to 120x.

The camera features keep coming, so buckle up.

Just like a certain other well-known phone released recently, Oppo has also added a new, multi-functional camera button to the handset - positioned where the button would be on a standalone camera when you're holding the phone in landscape.

This new button, the "Quick Button," is not a physical button but more like a capacitive pad. A double press opens the camera app instantly, with no delay at all. Then, not only can you slide your finger back and forth for zoom control but you can hold the button down to take a burst shot, capturing up to seven frames a second.

This makes seizing special, spontaneous moments easier than ever; be it the finish line at a half-marathon or just a bird tending its nest in a tree outside my window.

This shot was taken from the middle of my lounge, through the window at about 20x zoom. Not bad, eh?

Oppo's latest AI editing tools don't just fill in details - you can remove reflections, fix blur and erase distracting objects (or people).

Ah yes, AI. I don't know why I thought I might get through to the end of 2024 without bringing it up again. At least Oppo hasn't made it what the Find X8 Pro is all about - it's just there as another tool to enhance the way you use the phone. As you would expect from any flagship handset this year, you can summarise or translate text,  proofread, format and change the tone of your own notes and writing. There's also a fun, AI-powered app called AI Studio that transforms pictures - including your own - into a host of other styles; cartoons, oil paintings, sand sculptures - there's quite a list of options.

As an example, here's my little avian friend as if painted by Picasso...

Video performance is undeniably top-notch too. You can shoot 4K at 60fps. That's impressive. The fact you can do it with EVERY SINGLE CAMERA - including the 32MP selfie shooter - is unheard of. This means you now have a movie studio in your pocket, capable of producing 10-bit HDR Dolby Vision Footage. All enhanced even more by the quad-mic array, allowing you to focus on your subject both visually and aurally.

None of this would be possible without the Mediatek Dimensity 9400 chip quietly (and coolly) driving everything in the background. I haven't heard much hype about this 3nm mega-brain but I can't fault its sublime performance. This phone positively flies, whatever you throw at it.

You can always tell how enamoured I am with a device when I exceed my usual word count the way I have today and really, I've only scratched the surface. The Find X8 Pro may be the most feature-packed handset I've ever come across; unprecedented durability against dust and water, unprecedented battery performance, unprecedented range of high-end accessories and above all else, an unprecedented camera array, with four spectacular 50MP rear cameras and genuinely cinematic video performance.

Yes, at an RRP of NZ$2,299.00 it's expensive. But you'll find it's on special for quite a bit less at most retailers right now or alternatively, bundled with hundreds of dollars worth of bonus products. And besides, I've reviewed more expensive phones that don't come close to delivering what the Find X8 Pro does. It simply doesn't get more flagship than this.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Oppo Find X8 Pro.

Motorola moto g85 5G - Could This Be the Best Value Phone of the Year?

I have become somewhat of a phone snob. It's not my fault. I've reviewed a LOT of phones over the years. As a result, I'm pretty fussy when it comes to what features I can and can't live without on a daily basis.

I'll go into some of my minimum requirements in more depth shortly but above anything else, the phone has to work.

"What are you talking about?" you may be asking. "Who would sell a phone that doesn't work? More to the point; who would buy one?"

Reasonable questions. And yet, in order to keep the price down I've seen phones that are so underpowered, so short of storage space and so limited in battery life, it's barely worth turning them on - assuming you can be bothered waiting for a phone like that to boot up at all.

Essentially, this is a warning - especially for people with elderly parents perhaps - when it comes to phones, cheap is almost never good and in many cases, it's actually a month or two of regret and frustration, followed by replacing a terrible phone with the better one you should have splashed out for in the first place.

But then, there's an exception to every rule.

In an age where $2,000.00 phones are commonplace and many high-specced handsets top out at over $3k, I think I can argue anything under $500 is cheap.

But I can assure you, even at NZ$499.00 the Motorola moto g85 5G is anything but nasty.

In fact, from the moment I took it out of the box and held it, I was kind of taken with the device.

To start with, the large, 6.7-inch pOLED screen is delightfully curvy. Sometimes called a waterfall display, or an infinity display, Motorola calls theirs an "endless edge" display, with the glass tapering away at the sides, making the moto g85 feel more comfortable in your hand.

Interestingly, this style of screen seems to have fallen out of favour with many other phone makers - possibly because they're more expensive to replace or perhaps because of the accidental touch issue; sometimes when you're holding a phone with curved edges like this, it's easy to have a fingertip or part of your hand resting on the screen somewhere, nullifying any deliberate touches you're trying to make with your other hand.

It's happened to me on the odd occasion over the years but I soon train myself not to hold the phone that way and it immediately becomes a non-issue. Motorola obviously feels this way too, as this is not the first "endless edge" device we've seen from them lately.

Anyway, I like it. Not only does it feel nice but I think it makes the phone look sexy - even when it's in the clear case included in the box. That's right; not just a free case but you'll also find a wall charger in there too. How quaint.

Although, if you're anything like me, you'll be in two minds about using the case, because the rear panel is vegan leather. Not only is this far less likely to pick up smudges and fingerprints than a glass-backed handset but it also provides good grip, which is important for a phone as slim and curvy as this is.

While the moto g85 comes in other colours and finishes elsewhere, in New Zealand the only colour available is Cobalt Blue - an attractive shade of blue leaning towards the violet end of the scale that seems to be quite in vogue right now.

The rear camera module is raised only slightly and the side rails are also coloured blue - every component flows smoothly into the next. In short, this is a very good-looking phone for 500 bucks.

The Full HD+, 120Hz display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, so not only is it bright, clear and detailed but it's fairly durable too.

I don't normally pay too much attention to how a phone sounds out of its speakers - I usually listen via wireless earbuds. And yet, I have to admit, not only am I impressed by having a stereo speaker setup on a phone in this price range, it doesn't sound too bad either.

I have a set of moto buds+ and the Hi-Res audio can be tweaked to suit your content using the pre-installed Dolby Atmos app, or you can set it to adapt automatically. Not bad for 500 bucks.

The camera app is very full-featured, without feeling bloated. You can activate Shot Optimisation for automatic tuning and AI scene detection, or you can fiddle with the settings yourself. The rear-facing camera consists of a 50MP main shooter and an 8MP utrawide lens, with the emphasis on macro close-up abilities rather than any optical zoom option. Not that you can't zoom - I shot this rabbit at almost 10x...

I know it's not perfect, but it's not terrible and I was quite a long way away.

Here's an un-zoomed shot - check out the detail and colour accuracy, even in very bright conditions.

Conversely, this is a camera that works well in low light as well. 

The 32MP selfie shooter also provides stunning detail and when it comes to video, the digital stabilisation goes a long way to turning the moto g85 into an action camera - pretty fun for 500 bucks.

The thing that has impressed me most of all is the every day performance. As you would imagine, this phone is not powered by the latest and greatest chip out there, yet I found using it to be a very smooth, lag-free experience. Tasks like taking photos and even just opening the camera app can be frustrating on more budget-friendly devices but that just isn't the case here.

This may be in part be thanks to the the RAM Boost feature, which effectively expands the 8GB of built-in RAM out to 16GB, using available storage from the 128GB supply.

16GB of RAM is decent for a cheaper phone, even in this hybrid form factor. Pretty impressive for 500 bucks.

Another feature I was excited to see is eSIM compatibility. I hope this is indicative of a more widespread move to eSIM from all manufacturers as I ditched my physical SIM ages ago. The flexibility and security of eSIM is undeniable, making changing plans, phones and indeed carriers significantly easier. It's a much appreciated feature for 500 bucks.

Sadly, the premium perk party has to end somewhere. As surprised as I was to find both under-display fingerprint sensor and face unlock options, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed there's no wireless charging option. At least, as I mentioned earlier, there's a charger in the box and battery life is more than sufficient to get you through a long day. It's just that I have a lot of wireless charging accessories set up around my home, office and car and it's always a shame not to be able to put them to good use.

Finally, we can't forget AI. It is 2024 after all. And because this is an Android phone running Android 14, you now have the option of trading in Google Assistant for Gemini. Is Google Gemini the biggest boss in the AI Wild West right now? That all depends on which article or review you've just read or watched. It's certainly a very well-resourced project and seems to integrate well with this handset. Pretty smart for 500 bucks.

You will have noticed a theme developing here. Of course this isn't the most efficient, powerful, feature-packed phone on the market and while it takes great pics and vids, obviously it won't win any shootouts with phones that are two-thousand dollars more expensive. However, you might be surprised to see how it compares with some $1,500 competitors and personally, I think it looks better than a lot of them at the very least.

The moto g85 is a very capable performer with more than its fair share of flagship features. This is definitely not one of those cheap phones that immediately causes a case of budget buyer's regret. Far from it. Instead it's an attractive surprise package that delivers on what it promises.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Motorola moto g85 5G.

Apple iPhone 16 - Closing the Gap Between Vanilla and Pro

As I've already established when reviewing the iPhone 16 Pro Max a week or two ago, this year's iPhone launch revealed a surprising number of upgrades for the two non-Pro members of the line-up.

Some years I like to review the base iPhone first and work my way up to the Pro but other years it's fun to do it the other way around; use my phone like a pro for a few weeks then "downgrade" to see what exactly I'm missing out on at the lower price point.

This year, I've taken the second option and I tell you what, the differences are getting harder to spot.

Firstly, there are a couple of pretty obvious physical features that set the 6.1-inch iPhone 16 (and 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus) apart from their pricier siblings. No titanium here, for a start. Instead, you get an aerospace-grade aluminium enclosure with matching, colour-infused glass on the back. You have the choice of Black, White, Teal, Pink or Untramarine (a very bright blue) - these last three colours really pop, which makes a nice contrast to the more muted tones of the Pro-level handsets.

Secondly, the camera module has been halved in size. I never fully understood why Apple went with the same giant square chunk of glass and metal on the base-model handsets as they did with the Pros. It really didn't make sense when you only had two cameras instead of three. This year they've finally realised that and instead of mounting two lenses diagonally for no good reason, one is now above the other and as a result everything feels much less bulky and better balanced.

Camera performance is undoubtedly one area where the Pro iPhones will always reign supreme over their less well-endowed siblings. Yet again, this year there have still been many notable upgrades to the iPhone 16's shooter.

The main sensor is a 48MP Fusion camera which takes extremely vibrant and detailed, high-res photos and can also act as a telephoto lens, offering 2x optical zoom. Meanwhile, the 12MP Ultra-Wide camera isn't just for those spectacular, sweeping, outdoor vistas. It also offers up extremely detailed macro shots. As Apple loves to sum it up, you virtually have four cameras at your disposal.

Here are a few sample shots. First, something Ultra-Wide...

This one is a Portrait shot - although not using Portrait Mode, instead I just pushed the "f" button for an instant bokeh effect...

See the way the words get more blurry as the pole stretches away from the camera? That effect can removed after you've taken the shot, by the way.

Now let's see if we can create a similar effect using the Macro lens...

I was really impressed by the detail and the contrast in lighting here.

But what's really blown me away is Apple has added its new Camera Control button to all four iPhone 16 models. I think this might be an unprecedented move - I can't recall the last time a new feature like this wasn't initially kept for the Pro handsets, at least for the first year.

I detailed the way Camera Control works in my iPhone 16 Pro Max review but just to quickly summarise; a press of the new button instantly opens the camera app and another press clicks off a photo. A long press starts an instant video recording while a half-press gives you access to other camera settings like Zoom, Exposure, Tone etc.

It's a pretty clever button.

Which is why they've built it into the new cases too. For some ungodly reason, I was sent a bright yellow MagSafe case to keep my review iPhone 16 protected. Why are there even bright yellow cases? There aren't any yellow phones this year. Anyway... sure enough, there, below the power button, is the new Camera Control, replicated precisely so it still works the exact same way, even when the phone is tucked safely in the case.

On the opposite side, you'll find the Action button - this one WAS a Pro-only feature last year but it's yet another one Apple has decided to share with everybody this time round. Again, just to summarise, it's a programmable one-touch shortcut button to do things like launch your favourite app, commence your regular workout, or even more complicated, multi-step actions you can create in the Shortcuts app.

If you thought Spatial Capture was another tool reserved only for the Pro handsets, even more good news. You can shoot surround photos and videos on the iPhone 16 too. All we need now is a Vision Pro to watch them on!

This spatial-capturing ability also means we now get the Audio Mix setting on our videos, so we can remaster the sound - focusing only on what's in frame or letting in other background noises from outside the shot.

In another move that surprised me almost as much as including Camera Control on iPhone 16, it has also skipped a chip generation, leaping straight from A16 to A18. This still isn't quite the same as the A18 Pro chip running the two flagship devices but it's still a dazzling 30% faster than last year. And of course, once the eagerly-anticipated Apple Intelligence rolls out, this handset will be more than capable of performing those tricks as well.

There's even been a battery boost - you'll get around another two-hours out of this year's phone and I've certainly had no issue running it from my 2:52am alarm right through until bedtime - there's always plenty of juice left in the tank.

If I've made the iPhone 16 sound like the perfect super-phone and you're wondering why you'd consider the Pro at all, there are still some restrictions you should know about, some of which I found frustrating but others that haven't irked me too much at all.

I keep discovering certain operations I'd become quite accustomed to on the Pro that just don't happen on this handset. For example, StandBy Mode - the feature that turns your phone screen into a bedside clock or oversized car display when you use a MagSafe charger in landscape orientation. This still works with the iPhone 16 but because it doesn't support Always On Display, my digital nightstand winks out after 30 seconds, until I touch the screen again.

This is just silly. I get that there isn't the battery life on a base model iPhone for AOD - but surely that wouldn't make any difference when it's actually ON THE CHARGER???

In fact, a lot of these sort of "base model" restrictions seem to be to do with battery life. Another one I ran into was downloading my favourite Spotify playlists. This happens in the background on a Pro phone but on the iPhone 16 I literally had to change the screen timeout duration to "Never" and leave the Spotify app open in order for my downloads to continue, uninterrupted. Hey Apple, how about you let me decide what I will and won't sacrifice my battery life for?

I should also point out something obvious yet important; display size. The iPhone 16 is 6.1-inches while the iPhone 16 Pro is 6.3-inches. The iPhone 16 Plus is 6.7-inches while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 6.9-inches. Max indeed.

I actually don't find this slight disparity to be a disadvantage - in fact, I prefer a smaller handset. Given there's no iPhone mini these days, the 6.1-inch iPhone 16 suits me (and my pockets) just fine.

Starting from NZ$1,599.00 the iPhone 16 is hardly entry level but as I've outlined here, its performance and feature set is anything but "vanilla" either. Be assured, it's a premium device. It's just that the Pros are extra-premium.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple iPhone 16.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max - A Gripping Two-Part Story

Is there anything more polarising in tech than the launch of the latest iPhone?

Every year, the haters come out in force, quick to point out how many "new features" are just Apple reimagining options other manufacturers have been offering for years.

Meanwhile, the devoted Apple acolytes will be just as quick to defend the new handsets. There'll still be queues at stores. There'll still be fans who upgrade their phone every year.

This year, critics have complained about the delay of Apple Intelligence. After all, how can 2024 be "The Year of AI" if Apple doesn't do it too?

Turns out, AI is complicated. Or the EU thinks so anyway and once again, strong-arm regulations around trivial things like privacy have caused somewhat of a stand-off when it comes to a full Apple Intelligence rollout.

This has added fuel to the haters' fire. "There's nothing new about these phones without Apple Intelligence, so what's the point?"

To those people I say, at least pick one up and look at it. You'll soon discover some of the most significant upgrades in years.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is available in four colours; Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium and Desert Titanium. As you may have noticed, there's a titanium thing going on here - apparently the toughest on the smartphone market. The finish is quite unique, with the colour literally being blasted into the titanium casing during manufacturing which I must admit, sounds pretty cool.

The Pro Max has the largest display of any iPhone to date, measuring 6.9-inches. There's no question this is a big phone and if you struggle operating a large, heavy device with one hand, you should probably consider the 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro instead. Unlike last year, when the Pro Max had a slight camera advantage over the Pro, that's not the case in 2024 and other than display and battery size, the phones are essentially the same.

And boy, what a battery. No iPhone I've used before comes close to the battery life I've experienced with the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Another change from last year is the chip strategy - sort of. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus ran on the A16 while the Pro models stepped up to the A17 Pro. This time, all four phones have new A18 chips, although the two premium handsets are run by A18 Pros. Without getting too bogged down in all this, as far as I can tell, this isn't just a marketing thing. On paper, there doesn't seem to be much difference between the base A18 chip and the Pro version, other than slightly better graphics performance.

I haven't tried the base model yet, so I'll let you know if I can tell the difference.

Perhaps the most noticeable modification from last year's phones is the addition of a whole new button. I don't mean the Action Button that appeared on the Pro models last time and is now on all four devices - although this customisable one-touch shortcut has been boosted with more functionality. Instead of firing off just one shortcut, it can now be set to perform different actions depending on the time of day, the phone's orientation and even your location. For example, you might set it to fire off your favourite workout if you're at the gym but if you're at home and you're holding your phone in landscape, maybe it activates the magnifier to read the fine-print on tonight's recipe.

No, the really new button is called Camera Control and again, perhaps surprisingly, you'll find it on all four Series-16 phones. 

Situated on the right-hand edge, down below the power button, Camera Control initially functions as a physical shortcut to the camera app; one press opens the camera and another snaps a pic. Hold the Camera Control button down and you'll record an instant video.

We've seen this kind of button on a few other phones in the past, usually in a similar position, simulating the button on a "real" camera when the handset is held in landscape position. Camera Control is more than just a fast way to take a photo though.

You can also half-press Camera Control to quickly access zoom functions, which you can then adjust with the same finger sliding backwards and forwards across the button. This is displayed on the edge of the screen right next to the Camera Control.

But wait... There is indeed more...

You can even double-press Camera Control to then scroll through your other settings; Exposure, Depth, Cameras, Styles and Tones. These last two options are similar to filters but with more of a professional photographer's feel to them. You can really dig down into different brightness and colour levels to achieve the exact effect you're after. Once you have it just the way you want, that particular Style or Tone will stay that way until you reset it, providing a consistent palette for your whole shoot if you want.

Which brings us to the incredible photo and video performance of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. This year we have a totally revamped 48MP Fusion Camera, a 48MP Ultra Wide and a 5 x Telephoto - certainly one of the most powerful and versatile sensor arrays I've ever come across. Again, this all gets pretty technical, pretty quickly but because of the higher resolution across the board and the optical zoom provided by the tetraprism design of the 5 X camera, the combination of these three modules results in a choice of seven different pro lenses. It's the equivalent of carrying a virtual photographer's bag over your shoulder, all packed into one phone.

Whether you're shooting extremely close macro shots, spatial photos to be viewed in a surround environment created by the Vision Pro (if it ever comes to New Zealand), or your kids playing out in the surf, this camera setup can do it all - and with no shutter lag, you won't miss a moment.

And that's before we talk video. Again, so many choices. Shoot in 4K at 120fps in Dolby Vision. Shoot in ProRes to provide more possibilities with post-production editing. (The ability to access high-speed external storage via USB-3 will certainly come in handy here)

You can even adjust the playback speed after you've shot your video to make the most of every frame of the action.

The Pro Max's audio abilities have been similarly enhanced. There are four studio-quality mics built in to capture everything you shoot - and I do mean everything. A Spatial Video isn't much fun without an all-encompassing soundtrack to match - that's why you need four mics.

But whatever movie you're making, you can now use the Audio Mix function to focus the sound right where you want it; enhance the person in shot while dulling the background noise - or do the opposite, it's up to you.

And I haven't even really mentioned iOS 18.

Maybe that'll have to wait for my iPhone 16 review in a couple of weeks.

Oh, and that's right - you get all of this even without Apple Intelligence. So no, this definitely isn't the same phone as last year. The good news is, New Zealand is slated to be one of the first regions to get the new AI features but again, I think that'll have to wait for a whole other review.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.