Introduction
The Apple iPhone 16 – the name of the series – bridges the gap between the vanilla and Pro models by introducing a smoother design, faster hardware, better connectivity and charging, and camera improvements.
The new iPhone 16 is once again a pioneer in terms of ruggedness thanks to improved Ceramic Shield glass, and maintains an IP68 rating for immersion in water up to 6m deep. It also has the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with high brightness, HDR10, and Dolby Vision.
Now there is a new generation of chips – Apple A18. It features a new, more powerful processor, much more advanced graphics than the A16 inside the iPhone 15, faster memory bandwidth for AI tasks, and 8 GB of RAM, just like the Pro model.
The dual camera on the back has undergone some changes. First, there’s a 48MP main camera with sensor shift stabilization and Fusion capability, which allows for a 2x increase in in-sensor zoom (better than the iPhone 15). Then, there’s an upgraded ultrawide camera with a brighter aperture lens and autofocus for some great macro photos. And finally, new Tone settings let you fine-tune your iPhone camera’s tone processing to better suit your tastes.
The iPhone 16 has next-generation MagSafe and Qi2 support for up to 25W wireless charging options if you choose the new MagSafe charger and 30W+ power adapter.
The iPhone 16 runs on iOS 18 and fully supports Apple Intelligence, although the latter has not yet been released.
Apple iPhone 16 specifications at a glance:
- Body: 147.6×71.6×7.8mm, 170g; Ceramic Shield front glass (glass made by Corning), rear glass (glass made by Corning), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 minutes), Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified).
- Featuring: Super Retina
- Chipsets: Apple A18 (3 nm): Hexa core; Apple GPU (5 core graphics).
- Memory: RAM 128GB 8GB, RAM 256GB 8GB, RAM 512GB 8GB; NVMe.
- OS/Software: iOS 18.
- Rear camera: Width (main): 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor shift OIS; Very wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120 degrees, 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF.
- Front camera: Width (main): 12MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1/3.6″, PDAF; Depth: SL 3D.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound recording; Front camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS.
- Battery: XXXX mAh; Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 minutes (advertised), 25W wireless (MagSafe), 15W wireless (China only), 15W wireless (Qi2), 4.5W reverse wired.
- Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; dual SIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.3; NFC.
- Etc: Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer; stereo speakers; Ultra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip), Emergency SOS, Messaging and Find My via satellite.
Apple has maintained the 60Hz screen refresh rate for another year. Solid hardware once again turns the cheapest new iPhone into an excellent gaming machine with a steady 60fps sounding ample.
We’re not going to defend Apple’s choice of standard refresh rate, so that’s an instant LOSS for us. But apart from that, the iPhone 16 is one of the hottest compact phones this season.
Unboxing iPhone 16
The iPhone 16’s retail package is what you’d expect nowadays – you get a braided USB-C cable and a SIM eject tool.
There is no longer a paper compartment, although the documents are there. Instead, the Apple sticker is now gone.