My iPhone 16 / Pro / Max "Review"

Summary

The iPhone 16 series review highlights the absence of Apple's intelligence features, which are crucial for the full experience but are not yet available. The unboxing reveals a new packaging style with coiled cables and vibrant color options for non-Pro models, while Pro models lack color variety. All models now include an action button and a new camera control button, enhancing one-handed camera use. The Pro models boast a larger display and improved thermal substructure for better performance. Battery life is notably improved, especially in the Pro Max, likely to support forthcoming AI features. The camera system sees minor hardware updates, with the Pro models offering a cleaner low-light performance. Apple intelligence, while in beta, shows promise but is currently limited in functionality, with more advanced features expected in the future.

Takeaways

• 📱 The iPhone 16 series is criticized for missing key Apple intelligence features out of the box, which are central to its marketing.
• 🔄 Unboxing reveals changes like the absence of Apple stickers and new coiled charging cables, indicating a shift in packaging.
• 🌈 The non-Pro models showcase vibrant colors, a stark contrast to the Pro models which lack such options, favoring more subdued tones like 'desert titanium'.
• 📲 All new models include an action button, a feature previously exclusive to Pro models, and introduce a new 'camera control' button.
• 📱 The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus retain the 60Hz display from previous models, which feels outdated compared to high refresh rate screens.
• 📈 The Pro models see an increase in screen size, though the difference is subtle and may go unnoticed by most users.
• 🔋 The iPhone 16 Pro Max, in particular, boasts a significant battery life improvement, likely to support forthcoming Apple intelligence features.
• 📸 The camera control button offers one-handed operation for launching the camera app, taking photos, and recording videos, but its usefulness is questioned for average users.
• 📹 The iPhone 16 introduces a 48-megapixel Fusion camera with a 2x telephoto lens, and the ultrawide camera on the 16s has been upgraded for better low-light performance.
• 🤖 Apple intelligence, a major selling point, is currently in beta with limited functionality, and more advanced features are expected to roll out over time, some not until next year.

Q & A

What is the main feature missing from the iPhone 16 devices according to the reviewer?

The main feature missing from the iPhone 16 devices is Apple intelligence, which is considered by many to be the most important feature and something the phones were built for.

What has changed about the packaging of the iPhone 16 devices?

The classic Apple stickers are no longer included in the packaging, and the charging cables are coiled up into ovals instead of the circles from before.

How do the colors of the non-pro iPhone 16 models differ from previous models?

The colors on the non-pro iPhone 16 models are very vibrant and pop, a significant departure from the subtle pastel colors of the previous generation.

What new button feature is present on all iPhone 16 models?

All iPhone 16 models have an action button, which was only present on the Pro models in the previous generation.

Why might users miss the hardware toggle on the regular iPhone 16 models?

The regular iPhone 16 models no longer have the hardware toggle, which is something a lot of people might miss as it was a feature on previous models.

What is the new button on the right edge of each iPhone 16 called, and what is its primary function?

The new button on the right edge of each iPhone 16 is called 'camera control.' Its primary function is to launch the camera app, take photos, and record videos with different pressure levels.

How have the screen sizes of the iPhone 16 Pro models changed compared to the previous generation?

The screen sizes of the iPhone 16 Pro models have increased slightly to 6.3 and 6.9 inches, respectively, compared to the previous generation.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the performance of the iPhone 16 Pro models?

The reviewer did not notice a significant improvement in thermal performance despite the new thermal substructure, but the devices are very fast, and the regular iPhone 16s received a notable GPU boost.

What is the purpose of the camera control button, and how does it work?

The camera control button is a capacitive pressure-sensitive button designed to launch the camera app, take photos, and record videos. It also allows for navigating the camera app interface with different pressure inputs.

What are the reviewer's thoughts on the usefulness of the camera control interface?

The reviewer finds the camera control interface intuitive but questions its practicality for most users, suggesting it might be more useful for those who manually tweak their shots rather than the average point-and-shoot user.

What new camera features do the iPhone 16 models have, and how do they compare to the previous generation?

The iPhone 16 models have a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, improved ultrawide cameras with a new 12-megapixel sensor for macro photos, and the Pro models have an updated 48-megapixel Ultra-wide camera. The improvements are subtle, with noticeable differences in low light and macro photography.

What is the reviewer's take on the AI capabilities of the iPhone 16 devices?

The reviewer finds it strange that many of the AI features, such as context-aware Siri and image generation, are not yet available and are far away in terms of a timeline, questioning the marketing of these phones as AI-focused when the key features are missing.