iPhone 16 Review: It is the first 'normal' iPhone that looks strikingly different from its predecessors since the iPhone 12. And there is more to the iPhone 16 than just a different design and appearance. The phone also comes with features and performance that place it closer to its pro bro than its predecessor!
What we love:
What we don't:
As we said in our first impressions of the iPhone 16, this is the first iPhone in a while that totally stands out from its predecessors in terms of appearance. This does not hit you when you see it from the front as it has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with tiny bezels and a Dynamic Island similar to those seen on the iPhone 15. The straight sides seem similar too at first glance but a closer look will show differences - the left side now has a customisable Action button, and on the lower part of the right side is perhaps the most talked-of feature in the iPhone 16 series, the Camera Control button.
The real change in design becomes evident when you turn the phone around. The square camera unit that has been a part of the iPhone since the iPhone 11 has finally been shown the design door and is replaced by a smaller, darker-coloured capsule with two cameras placed one below the other (for shooting spatial video, we are told). The back remains flat and still has a slightly frosted glass finish bout it.
The iPhone 16 is almost the same size as the iPhone 15, and at 147.6 mm tall, it is one of the most compact phones in the market and remains impressively slim at 7.8 mm. At 170 grams, it is also on the lighter side, and is literally the most pocket-friendly flagship around, along with the Galaxy S24. It also comes in some very striking colours— we got Aquamarine, which turned heads with its blue shade. Teal and Pink are equally attention-catching, while there is good old black and white for those preferring the subtle and elegant look.
The phone has a very premium feel with its blend of Ceramic Shield glass and aluminium. The iPhone 16 does not have a radical design makeover from the iPhone 15, but the camera unit on the back and the buttons on its side, mark it out as a distinctly new device, even if you put a cover on it. It's been a while since we could say that about a new iPhone.
In terms of specs too, the iPhone 16 steps ahead of its predecessors. It comes with an A18 chip, which is a variant of the A18 Pro seen in the current iPhone 16 Pro series, rather than the chip from last year's Pro variant, as was the case in recent times. The cameras get a boost too, with better performance from the 48-megapixel main sensor with OIS, and autofocus being added to the 12-megapixel ultrawide, although the front camera remains a 10-megapixel one.
As a result, you get a camera set up on the back which is capable of 48-megapixel shots, 4K video, spatial video, 2x lossless zoom and macro, making it the most versatile camera we have seen on a 'normal' iPhone for a while.
The iPhone 16 also comes with the latest photographic styles, allowing you to tweak the colour composition of a snap from the word go. This being an iPhone, still photography is brilliant and videos are exceptional. The colours seem by default to be a little brighter than before and night and low light photography serve up some very impressive detail. The videos remain the stars of the iPhone cameras - you get an incredibly stable video with very good colours and sound.
No, you do not get the 4K 120fps video of the Pros, but this is still easily the video camera in its price zone. As in the past, you can carry out a fair deal of editing from the Photos app itself, be it video or stills.
The much-hyped Camera Control button is a very powerful feature, giving you access to a number of shooting options by a simple press. Its glass surface is very responsive and it gets activated only after a firm click, eliminating accidental touches. However, the different taps and swipes to access different options take some getting used to. Its location on the lower part of the right side, also makes it difficult to use when one is holding the phone vertically.
As a result, we often found ourselves reverting to the on-display controls for photography. It is great as a piece of innovative tech right now, but it needs more evolution before spurring a revolution.
The A18 chip not only makes the iPhone 16 a very smooth performer, capable of handling just about every game and task out there (you can edit 4K video on it!), but also puts it in line to get Apple Intelligence when it is released in the coming months. iOS 18 runs smoothly on the phone, with hardly any stutters. We actually did not have any problems with the 60 Hz refresh rate on the display, but the absence of an always-on display was disappointing. Battery life is reasonable - you will get through a day of normal use but do not wander too far from a power source if you are doing a lot of photography or gaming.
There is no charger in the box and the charging speed remains modest at 20W wired, and our 33W charger charged it in about an hour and 45 minutes. Wireless charging has been increased to 25W if you use Apple's new MagSafe charger, which means that both wired and wireless charging are almost the same speed—you will get about 50 per cent of charge in half an hour if your iPhone 16 is drained out, whether you charge it over a wired or wireless (MagSafe) connection. Mind you, wireless charging speeds dip to 15W if you use a Qi2 charger (and there are not many around).
All said and done, the iPhone 16 is a classic iPhone in terms of performance. It handles everything you throw at it, and does so smoothly. Being an iPhone, you can be assured of regular updates for the next five years at least.
The iPhone 16 comes with the same price tag as its predecessor - Rs 79,900 for 128 GB, Rs 89,900 for 256 GB and Rs 1,09,900 for 512 GB. The new processor and cameras as well as the camera and action buttons, however, make it better value for money than the iPhone 15 or iPhone 14 was. Thanks to its features and chip, the iPhone 16 seems more like the younger sibling of the iPhone 16 Pro than the elder one of the iPhone 15.
It does face competition from the likes of the Google Pixel 9 (Rs 79,999) and the Galaxy S24 (Rs 67,999) and the OnePlus 12 (Rs 64,999), but more than matches them on most parameters and thanks to its software muscle, is in a very different league. Best of all, it does not look like an upgrade of last year's iPhone but a whole new iPhone in its own right. It is not perfect but gives us the most 'new' feels a non-Pro iPhone has for a while. Easily the best compact premium flagship money can buy.
