September is Apple season, and for 2024, the iPhone 16 series — which includes the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, and the more powerful 16 Pro and Pro Max. As always, the announcement is causing quite a stir with the introduction of a whole new range of features powered by the more powerful A18 chips. We finally also get to experience Apple’s take on AI with Apple Intelligence.

Expect enhanced performance, better cameras, refined displays, and a few surprises (like the new Action button and Camera Control button). But the question remains, as it does each year: Should you upgrade?

What’s new

Design and display

The iPhone 16 series doesn’t stray far from Apple’s signature design language but we do get a slimmer camera housing, a new vertical camera alignment, and even thinner borders. The Pro models, in particular, benefit from a lightweight titanium frame, which is nearly half the weight of the stainless steel used in earlier models.

Comparing it side-by-side with the iPhone 15 — it’s lighter, more comfortable, and still every bit as durable.  As for colors? It wouldn’t be an iPhone without a range available and this year the company introduces new finishes including “Desert” and “Natural,”

A highlight for this year’s series is the new Action Button. Found on the side of the device, this button replaces the mute switch and is customizable. You can assign it to your most-used features so you can bring those up with a press of a button.

By default, it toggles between silent and ring modes, but it can be configured to perform tasks such as launching the camera, activating the flashlight, starting a voice memo, or even running custom shortcuts created in the Shortcuts app.

As for the display, not much has changed apart from size. Both the standard and Pro models now offer larger displays: 6.1 inches for the iPhone 16 and a massive 6.9 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple does claim that it is “the best iPhone display ever,” boasting more vibrant colors, deeper blacks, and sharper contrast with its XDR OLED + ProMotion pairing. The Pro models also now boast the thinnest borders ever seen on an iPhone

 Performance

Apple’s new A18 and A18 Pro chips power the iPhone 16 series.

The new A18 boosts processing speed by 17% over its predecessor, while the A18 Pro takes it a step further with a 6-core GPU, enhanced memory bandwidth, and advanced ray tracing that’s twice as fast

In the real world, this means faster app launches, smoother multitasking, and enhanced gaming performance. The 3-nanometer chip along with the 6-core CPU and GPU, along with increased memory bandwidth in the Pro models, delivers a noticeably smoother experience. The Pro models also feature a superior thermal design, ensuring sustained performance without overheating.

For gamers, the A18 Pro delivers smoother gameplay with higher frame rates, even in AAA titles like Genshin Impact, while professional creators can handle tasks like editing 4K videos or high-resolution photos in real time without lag. Needless to say, these new chips are also equipped to handle AI processing which is now available locally.

Another significant upgrade these chips bring is energy efficiency and battery life. The iPhone 16 series boasts larger batteries across the board, with the Pro Max model benefiting from the most substantial increase.

Additionally, iOS 18 introduces smart optimizations that further enhance battery performance. Background processes are now managed more intelligently, new display technology makes the screen more power-efficient as well.

Apple claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max can offer r up to 33 hours of video playback, compared to 29 hours in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Even the standard iPhone 16 sees a jump to 22 hours of video playback, up from 20 hours in last year’s model. Wireless charging speeds have also been bumped up to 25W from a shy 15W from last year. This, of course, is using Apple’s MagSafe charging tech. Wired charging speeds remain the same.

Camera

Apple’s camera game has always been strong, but the iPhone 16 series just proves this even further.

At the heart is the new Fusion Camera system, which boasts a 48-megapixel main sensor. The camera system also combines multiple exposures into a single, high-resolution image. And with a second-generation quad-pixel sensor, you can capture images with zero shutter.

The Pro models take things further with a 48MP Ultra Wide camera and a 12MP telephoto lens offering 5x optical zoom. The Fusion Camera’s ability to crop into a 1x image for 2x telephoto shots eliminates the need for a separate telephoto lens, addressing one of the previous generation’s shortcomings related to digital zoom.

On the video side, the iPhone 16 series retains its professional-grade tools and capabilities like shooting in ProRes but its quality has been bumped up to shoot up to 4k at 120 frames per second — a big want for creators and media professionals. This feature is complemented by studio-quality microphones and spatial audio capture.

But a lot of the hype is also coming from a simple new addition — a dedicated camera control button

Reminiscent of actual digital cameras but Apple-fied, this button allows for a half-press to fine-tune focus and exposure, while a double half-press grants quick access to zoom, aperture adjustments, exposure compensation, and photo styles.

Compared to the iPhone 15 series, the iPhone 16’s Fusion Camera technology, combined with improved sensor hardware and the new Camera Control button should provide a noticeable difference in both quality and shooting experience. Given that most iPhone users are very heavy camera users, the addition of the camera control button provides a new, more natural way to snap photos.

Apple Intelligence

Teased at WWDC, we’re finally seeing Apple’s take on AI for its smartphones.

Apple Intelligence is the latest AI-powered feature integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, offering a smarter, more intuitive digital experience.

It uses advanced generative models to streamline tasks while maintaining Apple’s high standards of privacy.

Similar to Google’s Gemini AI toolbox, Apple Intelligence also offers AI-assisted “Writing Tools” that help you rewrite, summarize, and more across apps like Mail, Notes, and more. Apple Intelligence also introduces Image Playground which allows you to create original images and unique Genmojis from sketches or prompts.

There’s also a smart Clean Up tool for photos which is basically Apple’s generative eraser and Custom Memory Movies that lets users create instant video edits with a simple text prompt of what they want the video to look like.

Siri is now also much more present and presents a glowing edge light when active. It’s smarter and understands better, according to Apple, and can follow along even if the user stumbles over their words or even if the command isn’t very cohesive. You can also switch from text to talk when talking to Siri and can do so anytime.

iOS 18 also introduces features like Emergency SOS Live Video, which helps users connect with emergency services more effectively. Enhanced privacy settings ensure that your data stays safe as well.

Should you upgrade?

Of course, we’re here to answer the age-old question every time a new Apple device comes out: Should you upgrade?

If you’re coming from an iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 offers incremental improvements that may not justify an immediate upgrade for everyone.

The new A18 chip boosts performance, and the addition of the Action Button and Camera Control button bring useful conveniences, especially for power users and photography enthusiasts but real-world use will show that the iPhone 15 already delivers top-tier performance and camera capabilities.

So unless you’re eager for the new buttons or the slightly larger display, you might not feel a pressing need to upgrade.

As for the AI features? Some, maybe most, features will possibly roll out to older phones through a software update. Though it would be safe to say that this year’s series is the most optimized to run these heavy tasks, it’s not the major selling point of this year, we believe.

On the other hand, upgrading from an iPhone 14 (or earlier) to the iPhone 16 is much more enticing.

You’ll notice significant improvements in performance, battery life, and camera quality, as well as access to new features like the customizable Action Button and enhanced AI tools through Apple Intelligence.

As with any piece of technology, if your current device still meets your needs, it’s not essential to jump to the latest. But if the key features hit close to what you need in your daily life, then go on ahead and get yourself that new phone.

Pricing and Models

Apple has kept the pricing for the iPhone 16 series consistent with previous generations, starting at $799 for the iPhone 16 and going up to $1,199 for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Specs comparison