iPhone 16 review: Solid design, performance with a few unmet expectations

iPhone 16 made its debut at the Apple Glowtime event 2024 on September 9 and it went on sale in India on September 20. It has been almost a month since the users have got their hands on the smallest and most affordable model among the four iPhones announced by Apple this year. I also moved from my Apple iPhone 15 to the new iPhone 16 around the same time. It is priced the same as its predecessor but the new iPhone 16 comes with a range of upgrades and improvements. The model is also the closest a standard iPhone has been to the ‘Pro’ models. Carrying Apple’s brand value, flagship level performance and being the most affordable in the range, the iPhone 16 is still reportedly not getting the expected response from the customers. I have been using the iPhone 15 for the past one year and last month I switched to the new iPhone 16. After using the latest iPhone for around the month, here is what I think of the new iPhone 16.

iPhone 16 review: Design and display

iPhone 16 design is new, although it still has that identical Apple elements and overall silhouette, it carries a new design. iPhone 16 comes with a redesigned camera module that now has vertically aligned lenses as last seen in the iPhone 12. Overall shape and feel of the phone is quite similar to its predecessor, however one can not help but notice the customisable Action Button. I have been relying on the iPhone’s alert slider for almost a decade and the Action Button feels a bit strange yet a welcome addition. After comparing it I realised that iPhone 16 is a gram lighter than the iPhone 15 but you can barely notice that difference.

Apart from the Action Button that has been borrowed from the last year’s Pro models, the iPhone 16 also gets a new Camera Control. The new touch-sensitive capacitive control is placed slightly below the power key. As the name suggests, the new button is aimed to offer better control over the camera but it goes beyond the press-and-shoot function.

Initially, I was pretty excited to use the new Camera Control but over the days, the natural instincts just took over. I was back at using the screen to control the camera adjustments. The Camera Control allows you to quickly adjust exposure, depth, zoom, camera, style, and tone of your photo. It may take some time to get used to the new Camera Control. The practicality and positioning of the new button is debatable. But, to keep it short, it will not matter in the long term as it is not an actual ‘button’ that pops out of the phone’s body, so you’ll likely forget about it in a month or so. Due to the increased usage of social media platforms, most of the photos that we click are vertical and the Camera Control isn’t perfectly placed for a comfortable experience in that orientation.

A few journalists also spoke about the wobble in iPhone 16 due to the new redesigned camera layout. I was also able to notice the same but with case on, which most of the users will be using, you barely notice anything like that.

The iPhone 16 is easy to hold and use throughout the day. The curved edges and perfectly positioned buttons, apart from the Camera Control, makes it a right pick for users who like using a feature-rich phone that is easy to carry and could be used with a single hand.

When it comes to display, the iPhone 16 comes with a similar 6.1-inch super retina XDR display but with a latest-gen ceramic shield. Display was never an issue with the iPhone and with 2000 nits of peak brightness, it is quite easy to get a vibrant viewing experience anywhere. However, the lack of a 120Hz ProMotion display did upset several users, including me.

iPhone 16 review: Performance

iPhone 16 is powered by Apple’s new A18 Bionic chipset, which the company claims enhances performance and battery life. As per the Cupertino-based giant, the new chipset offers 30% higher sustained gaming performance while efficiently managing Apple Intelligence on the device, a feature that isn’t available yet. While I was using the new iPhone 16, it operated seamlessly. I was able to launch apps quickly and enjoy smooth multitasking without any hiccups.

The iOS 18 on iPhone 16 works in a similar fashion as it did on the iPhone 15. The elephant in the room, Apple Intelligence, will be the biggest difference among the two phones but we still have to wait for a couple of weeks to get our hands on Apple’s AI suite. The real performance of the iPhone 16 with 8GB RAM and A18 Bionic chip will be tested after installing the iOS 18.1.

Performance lags, multitasking and heavy applications have rarely been an issue for latest iPhone models and similar is the case for the new iPhone 16. I do not usually close an application completely before moving to another, so even with around 13 apps running in the background, iPhone 16 is able to offer a smooth gaming experience.

iPhone 16 review: Battery

When it comes to battery, Apple’s website claims that iPhone 16 offers 22 hours of video playback, which is 2 hours more than iPhone 15. Although I did not test the battery in terms of video playback, the iPhone 16 was able to last a day with mixed usage just like the iPhone 15. The one thing I did notice while charging the iPhone 16 is the speed. The new iPhone 16 charges significantly faster than its predecessor.

Even after mixed usage with some video streaming, gaming, calling and hours of social media scrolling, the iPhone 16 has been giving a stable battery performance and I do not have to plug in to the charger before the day ends.

iPhone 16 review: Camera

In terms of photography, the iPhone 16 boasts a 48MP Fusion camera with a 2x optical-quality Telephoto feature, effectively providing dual camera functionality for easier zooming and framing. The device includes a 12MP Ultra Wide camera with autofocus, ideal for macro shots as well as wider images. As a person who has been using the iPhone as a primary device for more than a decade, I like the natural tones that Apple offers. I was expecting a similar effortless camera experience from iPhone 16 and it did not disappoint. Although there isn’t much difference between the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 15 when it comes to camera, the photos clicked from the new model appear to have more colour accuracy and details. The new Macro mode adds to the already rich camera of the iPhone 16.

iPhone 16 allows you to adjust the tonalities and colours of what you capture through the Photographic Styles feature. The feature is quite impressive and allows you to create your own style in a quick and easy way. You can pick between the Amber, Rose Gold, Quiet, and Ethereal offered by Apple, but you can tune each of the options as per your preference to click the image as you want it to appear.

iPhone 16 review: Conclusion

iPhone 16 is an impressive entry in Apple’s lineup that is said to get big AI features in the coming future. Sleek design, powerful A18 Bionic chipset, Camera Control, Action Button and flagship-level performance make it the most appealing option in the iPhone 16 series. Overall, the iPhone 16 promises a seamless user experience and impressive battery life, making it a compelling choice for both new and upgrading users from iPhone 14 or below.