iPhone 16 Review: Apple’s Latest Flagship Explained
Apple’s iPhone 16 has arrived, bringing a mix of iterative upgrades and a few standout features that aim to keep it at the forefront of the smartphone market. Unveiled in September 2025, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro continue Apple’s tradition of blending sleek design, powerful performance, and software polish. But does it justify the upgrade, and what’s new this time around? Let’s dive into the details.
Design and Build: Familiar Yet Refined
The iPhone 16 retains Apple’s signature aesthetic—flat glass back, aerospace-grade aluminum edges (or titanium for the Pro models), and a polished, premium feel. Available in vibrant colors like Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink for the standard models, and more subdued tones like Black Titanium and Desert Titanium for the Pro, there’s something for everyone.
The most noticeable design change is the new Camera Control button, a tactile, capacitive button on the side that lets you interact with the camera through presses and swipes. It’s intuitive for launching the camera, adjusting zoom, or tweaking settings, though it takes some getting used to. The Action Button, introduced in last year’s Pro models, is now standard across all iPhone 16 variants, offering customizable shortcuts for tasks like launching apps or toggling Focus modes.
The iPhone 16 Pro models are slightly larger, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays compared to the standard 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch options. All models feature Ceramic Shield glass, which Apple claims is tougher than ever, and IP68 water and dust resistance.
Display: Brighter and Smoother
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus sport Super Retina XDR displays with improved brightness, reaching up to 2000 nits for better visibility in sunlight. The Pro models push this further with ProMotion technology, offering adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz for buttery-smooth scrolling and animations. The always-on display, exclusive to the Pro models, remains a standout feature for quick glances at notifications or widgets.
One minor gripe: the standard iPhone 16 still lacks ProMotion, which feels like a missed opportunity in 2025 when competitors like Samsung and Google offer high-refresh-rate displays across their lineups.
Performance: A18 and A18 Pro Powerhouses
Under the hood, the iPhone 16 series is powered by the new A18 chip (A18 Pro for the Pro models), built on a 3nm process. Apple claims the A18 offers a 30% boost in CPU performance and a 40% improvement in GPU capabilities compared to the A16 Bionic. Whether you’re gaming, editing 4K videos, or multitasking, the iPhone 16 handles it all with ease.
The Neural Engine is also upgraded, enabling faster on-device AI processing for features like real-time photo enhancements and improved Siri responses. Speaking of AI, Apple Intelligence—the company’s suite of generative AI tools—is deeply integrated into iOS 18. From smarter text suggestions to AI-powered photo editing, these features add meaningful value, though they’re still rolling out and may not be fully available at launch in all regions.
Camera: Evolutionary, Not Revolutionary
The iPhone 16’s camera system sees incremental but welcome improvements. The standard models feature a new 48MP main sensor with a 2x telephoto option, delivering sharper images and better low-light performance. The vertical camera alignment (a departure from the diagonal layout of previous models) enables spatial video capture, a feature tailored for Apple’s Vision Pro headset.
The Pro models step it up with a 48MP ultrawide sensor and a 5x telephoto lens (previously exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max). The new Camera Control button enhances the photography experience, letting you fine-tune focus and exposure with gestures. Video recording remains a strong suit, with 4K 120fps Dolby Vision HDR and a new Audio Mix feature that lets you isolate or enhance voices during video shoots—a boon for content creators.
However, the lack of a periscope zoom lens, which competitors like Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra offer, keeps the iPhone 16 Pro’s zoom capabilities slightly behind the curve.
Battery and Charging: Solid but Stagnant
Battery life on the iPhone 16 series is reliable, with the Pro Max offering the best endurance thanks to its larger size. Apple’s optimizations ensure all models can comfortably last a full day, even with heavy use. However, charging speeds remain a weak point—40W wired and 20W MagSafe charging are unchanged from last year, lagging behind Android competitors offering 100W+ speeds.
A welcome change is the adoption of USB-C across all models, though the standard iPhone 16 is limited to USB 2.0 speeds, while the Pro models support faster USB 3.0 data transfer.
Software: iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence
The iPhone 16 ships with iOS 18, which introduces a more customizable home screen, an overhauled Control Center, and deeper Apple Intelligence integration. Features like AI-generated summaries for emails, enhanced Siri interactions, and real-time call transcription make iOS 18 feel fresh and forward-looking. The seamless integration with other Apple devices—Macs, iPads, and Apple Watches—remains unmatched.
However, some Apple Intelligence features, like advanced image generation, are still in beta or limited to specific regions, which might disappoint early adopters.
Pricing and Availability
The iPhone 16 starts at $799 for 128GB, while the iPhone 16 Plus begins at $899. The Pro models start at $999 (iPhone 16 Pro) and $1,199 (iPhone 16 Pro Max). Storage options go up to 1TB for the Pro models, but the base 128GB feels stingy when competitors offer 256GB at similar price points.
Pre-orders began in September 2025, with availability starting shortly after. As always, expect high demand and potential shipping delays for the Pro models.
Should You Upgrade?
The iPhone 16 is a solid upgrade for users coming from an iPhone 13 or older, thanks to the A18 chip, improved cameras, and Apple Intelligence features. However, if you own an iPhone 14 or 15, the changes may feel incremental unless you’re drawn to the Camera Control button or spatial video capabilities.
For Pro users, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max offer more compelling reasons to upgrade, especially for photographers and videographers. The larger displays, 5x telephoto, and faster A18 Pro chip make a noticeable difference, but the lack of groundbreaking innovation might leave some wanting more.
The iPhone 16 series is a refined evolution of Apple’s flagship formula. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it delivers meaningful improvements in performance, camera capabilities, and software. The Camera Control button and Apple Intelligence features are highlights, though the lack of faster charging and ProMotion on non-Pro models feels like a missed opportunity.
If you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem or due for an upgrade, the iPhone 16 is a safe bet. For everyone else, it’s a polished but predictable step forward in Apple’s smartphone journey.
