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this review looks into the biggest new features of the iphone 16 and 16 pro — comparing the models with each other — but ultimately, it’s going to come down to what device you currently have and how much you’re willing to pay for the best camera.
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what:
iphone 16
|
iphone 16 pro
cost:
iphone 16 – from $1,129 | iphone 16 pro – from $1,449 (same as last year)
where to buy:
iphone 16 –
apple
| iphone 16 pro –
apple
colours available:
iphone 16 – ultramarine (blue), pink, teal, black, white | iphone 16 pro – natural titanium, desert titanium, white titanium, black titanium
date available:
sept. 20, 2024
camera control: there’s a new button on the side of the iphone 16s that allows you to use the phone more akin to a regular camera. the camera control button opens a camera app (which can be apple’s or other supported third-party apps) and controls some of the functions like exposure, depth of field, zoom, photographic styles and tone. it’s a cool feature that works well, once you get used to it. to use the feature, you control it by clicks, presses and double-presses (these controls can be personalized in settings > accessibility). this is a new feature packed with a healthy-sized learning curve. camera control’s full functions will only be available when ai is available on the devices.
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audio mix: when recording a video, audio mix allows you to focus on the subject matter and distinguish it from background noise. there are four options for audio mix (which can be selected when editing a video): standard, in-frame, studio and cinematic. standard is regular audio; in-frame isolates the person/people/subject matter in the video (so if you’re speaking behind the camera, you can omit your voice); studio makes it seem like you’re recording in a studio and cinematic focuses on all subject matters on one track while isolation background noises in surround sound.
photographic styles: photographic styles is a new feature that can make photos appear more natural or your preferred style. it’s a photo filter with more control and the option to reduce shadowing and highlighting and correct colouring. it can only be used on photos taken on the iphone 16s in “high efficiency” (set in settings > camera > photographic styles — i needed to update this as i brought in “most compatible” settings with the migration from my previous phone).
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apple intelligence: ai will only work with iphone 16 models. it’s only set to launch later this year and i haven’t tested it out in any way so i can’t say the impact it will have. however, ai will have integrations across many functions (read more about ai, here ) so it could potentially unleash significant abilities of the new iphones.
action button: the action button was introduced with the iphone 15 pro and brought over to all 16 models. it’s a button on the left of the screen that can be used as a shortcut for various commands including silent mode, flashlight, recognize music and more. i use it for silent mode as a replacement for the mute toggle from the iphone 15.
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camera capabilities: the iphone 16 pro can zoom up to 5x, whereas the 16 can only get to 2x. the pro also has a 48-megapixel sensor versus the regular 16 which has a 12-megapixel sensor — this means the pro can capture more light and provide greater detail, especially in lower-light environments.
audio capabilities: the pro has studio-quality mics. the four-mic array allows you to capture truer-to–life sounds, whether you’re recording a video, on a call or using voice memos. when recording the same audio on the 16 and 16 pro, i can hear the enhanced sound quality on the pro.
display: the pro’s screens have a thinner bezel (black border around the display), so although the phones are the same size (as the iphone 16, iphone 15, iphone 15 pro) you’re gaining screen. for example, the iphone 16 pro screen is 6.3 inches while the iphone 16 and iphone 15s would have a 6.1-inch display. the pro models also have a faster screen refresh rate, making scrolling smoother and more seamless. the display size and smoothness are a highly perceivable difference between the 16 and 16 pro and could be a reason why someone would choose one over the other.
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colours: if you want a fun-coloured phone, only the iphone 16 comes in blue, pink and teal. but if you’re putting it in a case, does it matter? i mean, the colour does peek out from the case around the camera area.
if you’re deciding between the 16 and 16 pro, that comes down to the camera and screen. the 16 has a fantastic camera, the pro has an even better one. the 16 has a clear screen with smooth scrolling, the pro’s is clearer and smoother. it’s a $320 difference between the starting prices of the two phones. the two models come in different colours. hope this helped and as we wait for the release of ai, apple’s latest ios (18.0) update, has lots of personalization features that are fun to play around with — learn more, here .
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what:
iphone 16
|
iphone 16 pro
cost:
iphone 16 – from $1,129 | iphone 16 pro – from $1,449 (same as last year)
where to buy:
iphone 16 –
apple
| iphone 16 pro –
apple
colours available:
iphone 16 – ultramarine (blue), pink, teal, black, white | iphone 16 pro – natural titanium, desert titanium, white titanium, black titanium
date available:
sept. 20, 2024
cost:
iphone 16 – from $1,129 | iphone 16 pro – from $1,449 (same as last year)
size:
iphone 16 – 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm | iphone 16 pro – 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25 mm
selfie camera:
iphone 16 – 12mp (f/1.9) | iphone 16 pro –12mp (f/1.9)
back camera:
iphone 16 – fusion: 48mp, ƒ/1.6 aperture, ultra wide: 12mp, ƒ/2.2 aperture | iphone 16 pro – fusion: 48mp, ƒ/1.78 aperture, ultra wide: 48mp, ƒ/2.2 aperture, telephoto: 12mp, ƒ/2.8 aperture
display (regular size):
iphone 16 – 6.1 inches | iphone 16 pro – 6.3 inches
storage:
iphone 16 – 128gb, 256gb, 512gb | iphone 16 pro – 128gb, 256gb, 512gb, 1tb
battery:
iphone 16 – video playback – up to 22 hours (up to 18 hours if streamed) | audio playback – up to 80 hours | iphone 16 pro – video playback – up to 27 hours (up to 22 hours if streamed) | audio playback – up to 85 hours
chipset:
iphone 16 – a18 chip | iphone 16 pro – a18 pro chip
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rmann@postmedia.com