iPhone 16 review not very innovative but very nice

iPhone 16 (review): not very innovative, but very nice

The iPhone 16 is now on the shelves. We have now taken the smartphone in hand for several weeks and here are our findings.

As it does every year, Apple comes out with a new iPhone. This year it is the iPhone 16, which is very similar to its predecessor in both appearance and interior, yet has some notable differences.

But should you upgrade to the iPhone 16, or is it better to leave it? We’ll help you make a decision.

New buttons for the iPhone 16

The first thing you notice when you take the iPhone 16 out of the box is that two new buttons have been added on the side. First is the action button, previously found on the iPhone 15 Pro. You can use this button to turn the sound on or off, just like the slider that was in the same spot. But you can also assign other functions to it through the settings.

A new addition that requires a bit more explanation is the Camera Control button. This makes it easier to control the camera without having to navigate through all sorts of menus. With this button you can easily adjust settings such as zooming or selecting filters.

iPhone 16 (review): not very innovative, but very nice (Image: WANT/Jeroen Kraak)

Although as a left-hander I occasionally press the button by mistake, I find it a handy addition. The ease of use makes me take photos faster, and as a result, my photos tend to be better.

The camera

Speaking of photos, here’s another visible difference from the iPhone 16. The cameras are now placed vertically, allowing for spatial photos and videos for the Apple Vision Pro. Despite this change, the cameras take up less space than when this design was last used with the iPhone 12.

The lenses are slightly larger than those of the iPhone 15, which allows for better light. This makes it easier to take good pictures, even in low light. You can do this with the 48-megapixel main camera or the 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. Also new is the addition of autofocus, which means you can now take macro photos with the standard model.

The photos I take with the iPhone 16 are of high quality, even in the dark. Yet during the day, I hardly see any difference from the iPhone 15.

Android vs iPhone: these smartphones have the longest battery life (Image: WANT/Jeroen Kraak)

Videos are also of excellent quality, but as with the photos, I notice little difference from the previous model. However, there is a new audio mix feature, which allows you to easily adjust the sound of a video. This makes it easier to make voices more audible and reduce unwanted background noise.

Hardware

Things did change under the hood. The main innovation is the A18 chip, which is a big step up from the A16 chip in the iPhone 15. In fact, the performance of the A18 is close to that of the A18 Pro, which is in the Pro models.

This makes the iPhone 16 very fast and efficient, which is useful for using Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI functionality. But here is immediately the problem: Apple Intelligence is not available in the European Union for now, and it may be up to two years before we can use it here.

Although the faster chip makes playing big games on the iPhone 16 possible, the average user will not immediately notice that the phone is much faster than the iPhone 15. This difference is especially noticeable among users of older iPhone models.

iPhone 16 (review): not very innovative, but very nice (Image: WANT/Jeroen Kraak)

Screen of the iPhone 16

Apple is known for the high quality of its screens, and the iPhone 16 is no different. So watching series and movies on this phone is a pleasure, even on the smaller screen.

Still, there is one major drawback: the refresh rate. Apple sticks to 60 Hz with the iPhone 16, presumably to differentiate it from the Pro models. This is remarkable, however, because even cheaper Android phones now offer higher speeds of 100 Hz or more. For a device in this price range, this is really out of date.

Battery

Although Apple does not specify exactly how big the iPhone 16’s battery is, it is said to last two hours longer than that of the iPhone 15. Indeed, in practice, I find that the battery performs better, and most users will get through a day with ease.

Part of this difference may also have to do with battery condition. My iPhone 15’s battery has already deteriorated eight percent after one year, negatively affecting performance. Hopefully, the iPhone 16’s battery will last longer.

iPhone 16 (review): not very innovative, but very nice (Image: WANT/Jeroen Kraak)

Still, Apple may also pay some attention to the iPhone 16’s charging speed. While it takes about 30 minutes to charge from 0 to 50 percent, Android competitors can already offer much faster speeds.

Price

Although the iPhone 16 has been improved in a number of ways, the price has remained the same. The entry-level 128GB model, like the iPhone 15, costs $969.

An additional advantage is that the iPhone 16 is easier to repair than its predecessor. This means you’ll spend less if you want to have the battery replaced, for example, which is useful if the battery condition is deteriorating rapidly.

Conclusion: buy iPhone 16 or leave it?

The iPhone 16 offers few major improvements over its predecessor, but that’s not necessarily a problem because the iPhone 15 was already an excellent device. Therefore, it is nice that Apple did not raise the price. Still, the iPhone 16 lacks an important reason to upgrade: Apple Intelligence, which is not yet available in Europe.

Do you have an iPhone 15 or 14? Then there’s probably no need to switch to the iPhone 16, unless you’re excited about the new buttons. For Apple Intelligence, you don’t need to consider the upgrade just yet, as that feature is still a while away. By then there will probably be new models, hopefully with a refresh rate of 100 Hz or more.

iPhone 16

Apple

8
Score

Plus points

Lightning fast Little difference from the 16 Pro Excellent camera Beautiful colors on screen Camera Control and Action Button

Minuses

No Apple Intelligence 60 Hz screen really can’t do it anymore

The iPhone 16 is not very innovative, but that doesn’t matter because the previous models were already top devices. At the same time, that’s also the reason you don’t necessarily need to upgrade, because the most important feature for this device is missing: Apple Intelligence.

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