Apple’s new iPhone 16 has gone on sale today – I’ve been using it for over a week ahead of its release and here’s what I love and one thing I don’t.
Is it sweet 16 for the iPhone? The answer to that is a resounding yes! I’ve been using this all-new smartphone since it was launched at Apple Park last week and this is, without doubt, one of the best updates we’ve seen in a while. The new iPhone and iPhone 16 Plus come packed with useful upgrades including a supremely powerful A18 processor which leaves its Android rivals for dust. This chip makes the iPhone 16 a perfect tool for photo and video editing along with providing a great way to game on the move.
There are some very bold new colours – including a string Pink, Teal and flashy Ultramarine – which certainly shout, “I have a new iPhone!” when pulled from your jeans.
These are now covered in tougher Ceramic Shield glass which should mean less chance of a visit to the Apple Store to get the screen fixed.
Along with the brighter colours and improved protection from bumps and scratches the iPhone 16 range also gets the Action Button (a feature that was exclusive to the Pro models before) which lets you launch things such as the Torch and Shazam music searching with just one tap.
I use the Action Button on my Pro almost every day and it’s nice to see it arrive on the standard iPhones.
The next change to the design is a new Camera Control button. This sits on the bottom right of the device and lets you launch the camera app and snap photos via a simple press. Of course, you’ve been able to shoot selfies using the volume switches for years but this is more than just a shutter button. Simple swipes and taps can change the settings and even zoom in on an object.
It’s definitely a useful addition that I’ve enjoyed but the controls are pretty fiddly and you’ll need some patience to get to grips with all the features it offers. Is Camera Control a ground-breaking addition to the iPhone? Probably not… will you use it? 100 percent yes!
Talking of the cameras, the iPhone 16 is still a great way to point and shoot and everything I’ve snapped so far looks pin sharp and packed with detail – it’s even great when the lights get low. Apple has upgraded the dual lenses on the rear case this year so you’ll get better telephoto and macro images.
Of course, if you want the ultimate camera then you’ll need to go Pro but for the average user, it’s really hard to fault the iPhone 16.
Video has also been improved this year thanks to better audio recording which can reduce background noise and focus in on the people you are shooting. It’s a really smart update that could be useful for budding moviemakers.
Thanks to the new stacked position of these cameras it’s also possible to shoot immersive Spatial Photos and Videos which can then be viewed in 3D on Apple’s space-aged Vision Pro headset – that’s if you’ve splashed out the £3,500 to own one of course.
Some other of my top-rated additions to the iPhone 16 include a bigger battery, faster wireless charging (you will need a new MagSafe puck for this to work) and much longer time between refills.
You also get faster Wi-Fi 7 speeds, Crash Detection, SOS text messaging and iOS 18 out of the box.
Unlike the iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 will get Apple Intelligence later this year which will make these devices smarter. Apple Intelligence will be able to write emails for you, retouch images in a flash and even find your flight details for that next trip abroad by whizzing through your messages.
The final thing I like in 2024 is no price rise. The means the iPhone 16 still starts from £799 – Apple is also offering some generous discounts when you hand over your older devices.
So that’s all the goodies packed inside the iPhone 16 but what’s the one thing I’m not so keen on.
The display is excellent but it’s also our biggest gripe about the iPhone 16 as it still only offers a measly 60Hz refresh rate. If you’ve ever used the iPhone Pro’s ProMotion display you’ll know what a difference this 120Hz technology makes when flicking through content, whizzing around websites or scrolling through your apps.
Almost all Android phones – including much vastly cheaper models – now include 120Hz displays and it really is about time Apple switched things over on its standard iPhones.
It’s not a deal-breaker and it shouldn’t stop you from buying this device but it’s annoying that the US firm won’t budge and speed up its entry-level display.
If that doesn’t bother you and you need a new iPhone then the 16 is a big update that will get even smarter when AI arrives before Christmas.
This is the ultimate iPhone upgrade that comes highly recommended
