Leaks on new iPhonesthat have been flowing to us in recent weeks have clearly announced that Apple is focusing on evolution, not revolution, this year. And so it has. The changes that it brings iPhone 16 are important and necessary, but it's hard to get particularly excited about them. Even after putting on a “bitten apple” hat.
As in recent years, during the conference held at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, Apple presented four variants of iPhones:
- iPhone 16 – 6.1 inches;
- iPhone 16 Plus – 6.7 inches;
- iPhone 16 Pro – 6.3 inches;
- iPhone 16 Pro Max – 6.9 inch.
While the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have the same screen size as the iPhone 15/15 Plus, the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max variants have larger displays than the previous generation. In the case of the iPhone 16 Pro, the diagonal has increased from 6.1 to 6.3 inches, and in the case of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, from 6.7 to 6.9 inches.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus
The most visible (at least at first glance) change in the design of the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus is the new vertical arrangement of the main camera lenses. Apple apparently assumed that users prefer to take photos “vertically” anyway.
A haptic button has appeared on the right edge of the smartphone casing Camera Controlwhich allows you to quickly edit settings Application Apparatus. Now, with one movement of a finger, we can select exposure or depth of field, change the lens or set the frame using digital zoom. A useful novelty.
In addition, the standard iPhones have an action button (Action Button), which was reserved for Pro models last year. The iPhone 16's housing is made of ceramic glass, which is supposed to be more resistant than last year's model.
The heart of the iPhone 16 is the 3nm A18 chip, which has 6 CPU cores and 5 CPU cores. According to Apple, the A18 provides a 30 percent increase in performance compared to the iPhone 15. In the case of the graphics unit (GPU), the iPhone 16 is to be 40 percent faster than its predecessor.
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are equipped with a Super Retina display XDR. The maximum brightness of the panel is 2000 nits. Unfortunately, standard iPhones still do not have ProMotion screens. The fact that Apple is releasing smartphones with a 60 Hz refresh rate in 2024 is – to put it mildly – sad.
The main camera of the iPhone 16, like last year, is equipped with two lenses. The first has a 48 MP matrix (ƒ/1.6) and also acts as a telephoto lens (2x optical zoom). The second lens is an ultra-wide-angle 12 MP (ƒ/2.2) “eye”, which is also supposed to work well in macro photography.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro
Apple boasts that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have not only larger screens, but also narrower frames than last year's models. The housing itself has not changed much, which – like last time – is made of a combination of titanium and aluminum. The new thing is the haptic button Camera Controlwhich allows you to quickly edit camera settings.
As for the display used, we are dealing with an OLED panel (Super Retina XDR) with the Pro Motion function (120 Hz). Apple emphasizes that a new technology was used in the construction of the screen, which allows data to be transferred under active pixels and without distorting the image on the display.
The 16 Pro models are also distinguished from the standard models by the processor used. In this case, we are dealing with a 3-nanometer A18 Pro system, equipped with a 16-core Neural Enginewhich is supposed to provide even better performance – also in calculations related to AI.A18 Pro is:
- 15 percent higher performance compared to A17 Pro;
- 17 percent better memory bandwidth;
- 20 percent higher GPU performance;
An improved cooling system (thermal substructure made of 100% recycled aluminum) and modified rear glass on the back of the device are designed to dissipate heat more effectively, which will translate into higher performance of iPhone 16 Pro in the most demanding processes.
Apple also boasts that the A18 Pro is the fastest processor in smartphone history. Considering how well previous generations of this CPU performed in benchmarks, I can believe this statement is true.
The iPhone 16 Pro in both versions has three lenses for the main camera. The first is a 48-megapixel “eye” (with a matrix in four-pixel technology). In addition, there is an improved ultra lens. It allows you to take photos with autofocus in 48 MP resolution – also in ProRAW and HEIF formats. There is also a 12 MP telephoto lens with five times optical zoom (with a focal length of 120 mm), which last year was reserved exclusively for the 15 Pro Max model.
The iPhone 16 Pro can record 4K video at 120 frames per second. Apple also emphasizes that the smartphone has “studio-quality” microphones to record more realistic sound.
The new iPhones are also expected to deliver a jump in battery life. A redesigned internal structure houses a larger battery that works with the A18 Pro chip and provides more energy-efficient power. The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to provide 27 hours of continuous video playback on a single charge, while the 16 Pro Max offers 33 hours.
Apple Intelligence, or “Siri on Steroids”
Apple Intelligence, a personal intelligence system, also debuts with the new iPhones. artificial intelligence (AI) for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. It combines personal context awareness with the power of generative AI models, using the devices' built-in NPU.
I won't go into too much detail about this solution. The reason? We still don't know when (or rather, if at all) Apple Intelligence will reach Polish users. I would like to write that “soon”, but considering the fact that we still haven't even seen a Polonized version of Siri, there wouldn't be much truth in that statement.
Prices? No surprises
During the Apple presentation, we also learned the prices of the new iPhones, which – compared to last year – have not changed in principle. The iPhone 16 in its cheapest version costs $ 799, and the iPhone 16 Plus – $ 899. The iPhone 16 Pro will cost $ 999, and the Pro Max version – $ 1,199. Prices in Poland, on the other hand, have been significantly reduced, you can read more about it HERE.
Pre-sale of the new iPhones will begin this Friday, September 13. They will reach users a week later – on September 20.