The much-awaited AI iPhones are finally here! Apple unveiled the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus at the “Glowtime” hardware launch event on September 9, 2024. This time, the vanilla models arrive in style with some significant upgrades like the new A18 chipset with 8GB RAM, Action Button, the much-rumored Camera Control, Apple Intelligence support, and more. Here’s a look at what we got!
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus: Specs and Features
As anticipated, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus made an entry with some design changes which instantly differentiate them from last year’s iPhone 15 & 15 Plus models. The iPhone 16 is made from Aerospace grade aluminum with a second-gen Glass Ceramic Shield on the front. One of the most noteworthy changes is the vertically aligned camera system with a pill-shaped camera bump that houses a 48MP wide and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor for more expansive scenes with 0.5x zoom.
You’ll get an improved 48MP primary fusion camera and a 12MP ultra-wide camera on the iPhone 16, which comes with autofocus and macro photography for the first time. This will enhance the night photography capabilities, allowing users to capture more detailed low-light shots.
One of the most interesting additions is the brand-new Camera Control with dedicated camera features. Located on the bottom-right of the iPhone, the Capture Button lets you quickly open the Camera app, zoom in/out, adjust focus, and tweak other settings while shooting videos in landscape mode. Additionally, the iPhone 16 & 16 Plus houses the programmable Action Button, which made its debut last year with the iPhone 15 Pro models, completely ditching the classic Mute switch.
Talking about the innards, the iPhone 16 & 16 Plus are powered by the brand-new A18 Bionic chipset, built using a second-gen 3nm technology. It includes a 6-core CPU, a 5-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Apple claims that the iPhone 16 offers 30% faster CPU performance compared to the iPhone 15. Thanks to the A18 processor, the iPhone 16 now supports AAA titles and delivers an improved gaming experience, with a new thermal design that enhances heat dissipation.
For the first time, the iPhone 16 models come with an upgraded 8GB of RAM (up from 6GB), which allows for faster performance and Apple Intelligence support. You can access all the Apple Intelligence features like phone call recording, summarizing web pages, writing tools, and more. This is the most exciting upgrade and a significant differentiator between the new iPhone 16 and last year’s iPhone 15 model.
Both these phones come with Super Retina XDR OLED displays, with the iPhone 16 featuring a 6.1-inch size and the iPhone 16 Plus boasting a larger 6.7-inch display. Like their predecessors, both models support up to 2000 nits of brightness. However, the standard iPhone 16 models are still limited to 60Hz refresh rates. Both models come with iOS 18, a USB-C charging port, all-day battery life, an upgraded microphone for enhanced Siri, Wi-Fi 7 support, and more. You can choose from three storage options: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.
iPhone 16 Price
As we predicted, Apple didn’t increase the price of its base models. It’s refreshing to see that despite several performance upgrades and AI support, the iPhone 16 comes with the same price tag as the iPhone 15. The iPhone 16 starts at $799, while the larger iPhone 16 Plus has a starting price of $899. They will be available in five vibrant and saturated colorways, including Ultra Marine, Teal, Pink, White, and Black finishes.
