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.