Available in a range of refreshed, more vivid colors, the iPhone 16 sports a new dual-camera setup arranged vertically, reminiscent of the iPhone 12’s design from 2020.
The updated camera system includes a 48-megapixel main camera and a new ultra-wide lens with autofocus, offering additional features like a 2x crop mode and a macro mode, which have trickled down from the Pro models.
At the heart of the iPhone 16 is the new A18 chip, built on a 3nm process, which delivers 30% faster performance compared to the iPhone 15, along with improved battery life and enhanced thermal design for better gaming experiences. The iPhone 16 also features hardware-accelerated ray tracing and introduces a new physical camera control button located below the power button, which sits flush with the frame. This button offers quicker access to the camera, adding to its usability for photography enthusiasts.
Other hardware refinements include improved water and dust resistance, satellite messaging (available in the US and Canada), and the return of the Action Button from last year’s Pro models. In addition, the iPhone 16 features Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI-driven software, which will be available in beta following an October update. Visual Intelligence, a new feature, allows users to search for information based on what the camera sees, similar to Google Lens.
The display sizes remain the same as the iPhone 15, with the iPhone 16 featuring a 6.1-inch screen and the iPhone 16 Plus offering a 6.7-inch display. However, both models can now reach 2,000 nits of peak brightness and dim down to as low as 1 nit for a better range of lighting conditions. The iPhone 16 retains its squared-off frame, rear glass for MagSafe wireless charging, Dynamic Island for the front camera and Face ID sensors, and USB-C for charging and data transfer.
The iPhone 16 starts at $799 for the 128GB model, while the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899, continuing Apple’s pricing from the previous generation.
