Apple's latest event was a much-anticipated occasion for tech enthusiasts, unveiling the new iPhone 16 lineup, updates to the Apple Watch Series, and a few fresh takes on AirPods. Here’s a breakdown of the key announcements and first impressions.
The iPhone 16 and 16 Pro: What’s New?
Apple's flagship product, the iPhone, continues its annual tradition of incremental upgrades. The iPhone 16 looks similar to its predecessor, the iPhone 15, with a few notable changes. Available in a fresh palette of colors—Ultramarine (a striking Indigo), Teal, Pink, Black, and White—the iPhone 16's design tweaks include the return of vertically aligned cameras, reminiscent of the iPhone X era. This camera repositioning serves a functional purpose, enabling the capture of spatial photos and videos.
Under the hood, Apple has upgraded the A16 Bionic chip to the A18, promising performance boosts in the range of 20-30%. Alongside this, the 16 series gets 8GB of RAM, an enhanced neural engine (2x), and improved ray tracing for smoother gaming experiences.
Perhaps the most understated hardware change is the introduction of larger batteries across the iPhone 16 lineup. Apple didn’t provide concrete battery capacity numbers, but its comparison page notes that video playback time has increased from 20 hours (iPhone 15) to 22 hours on the iPhone 16. Real-world testing will determine if this translates into significantly improved battery life.
Buttons and Display: Apple’s Subtle Innovations
One unexpected change is the addition of not one but two new buttons on the iPhone 16. First, the Action button, previously exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro, is now available on all models. This customizable button allows users to quickly launch functions such as Siri , the flashlight.
The second button, called Camera Control, is an intriguing new feature that acts as a pressure-sensitive trackpad. It’s designed exclusively for the camera app, allowing users to press it to take photos, swipe to change settings, and more. This feature adds a tactile, intuitive control layer to Apple’s already strong photography focus, although its usability remains to be seen. The placement—near the bottom-right of the phone—may make it awkward for some users.
Despite these upgrades, some long-time Apple fans will be disappointed by the iPhone 16’s display, which still caps at 60Hz. In 2024, many would expect a higher refresh rate in a flagship phone.
The iPhone 16 Pro: Slightly Bigger, Slightly Better
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models see subtle size increases this year, with screens now at 6.3 and 6.9 inches respectively, thanks to thinner bezels. The A18 Pro chip powers these devices, offering a similar 20-30% boost in performance and efficiency over the iPhone 15 Pro. Apple also touts better ray tracing capabilities and faster USB 3 speeds for improved data transfer and charging.
Battery life is a key selling point for the Pro Max, which Apple claims offers the longest-lasting battery of any iPhone. However, the exact numbers remain elusive.
A Focus on Cameras
The Pro models, as always, shine when it comes to cameras. This year’s models feature a 48-megapixel main camera, a high-resolution 48MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5x telephoto lens for the smaller Pro, bringing it in line with the Pro Max. Apple has also upgraded video capabilities, including 4K video recording at 120fps for super-smooth slow motion, though it notably stops short of offering 8K video.