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• 📱 The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus retain the 60Hz display from previous models, which feels outdated compared to high refresh rate screens.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.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Overview of iPhone 16 Series Features

The reviewer expresses initial hesitation in reviewing the iPhone 16 series due to the absence of a key feature, Apple intelligence, which is central to the phones' identity. Despite this, a review is conducted focusing on the available features. Notable changes in the unboxing experience are highlighted, such as the absence of Apple stickers and the new coiled charging cables. The vibrant colors of the non-Pro models are praised, contrasting with the Pro models' more subdued color options. All new models include an action button and a new camera control button, with the Pro models gaining a larger display and improved bezel design. The standard models' screens remain unchanged from the previous generation, maintaining a 60Hz refresh rate, which feels outdated compared to high-refresh-rate panels. The Pro models' screens are slightly larger, with minimal bezel thickness that could lead to accidental touches during intense use. The new Ceramic Shield glass is touted as 50% stronger, and dbrand screen protectors are recommended for added protection.

05:00

🔋 Battery Life and Camera Control Features

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is highlighted for its exceptional battery life, which is speculated to be designed to support the energy-intensive Apple intelligence features. The wired and wireless charging speeds are noted as being faster this year, contingent on using compatible chargers. The camera control button, a new feature, is explored, which is a capacitive pressure-sensitive button designed to launch the camera app and take photos or videos with ease. The button also integrates an upcoming feature called visual intelligence, offering Google Lens-like functionality, though this feature is not yet available for testing. The camera control button's UI within the camera app is initially found confusing but becomes more intuitive with use, despite being primarily a two-handed operation. The zoom and photographic styles menus are noted as particularly well-suited for the camera control interface. The reviewer questions the utility of the camera control for average users who prefer point-and-shoot photography.

10:02

📸 Camera System and AI Capabilities

The iPhone 16 series introduces a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, with subtle improvements in image quality, particularly in the 2x telephoto and ultrawide cameras. The ultrawide camera's low-light performance is noted as better but still not on par with competitors like Samsung and Google. The Pro models also see an upgrade in their ultrawide camera and main shooter, with the latter now capable of 4K 120fps recording. A new feature in the camera app allows for post-recording audio cleanup, leveraging the spatial data from the device's microphones for improved noise reduction. All iPhone 16 models come with 8GB of RAM and are equipped with Apple intelligence capabilities, although many are still in beta and not yet fully functional. The reviewer criticizes the marketing of the phones as AI-focused given the current lack of available AI features and suggests that the Pro models may struggle to sell this year due to a lack of compelling feature differentiation.

Keywords

💡Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence refers to the advanced AI capabilities that Apple claims are built into the new iPhone 16 series. It is central to the video's theme as the reviewer expresses conflict over the incomplete state of this feature at the time of the review. The reviewer mentions that the phones are marketed as being designed for Apple Intelligence, yet many of its features are not available, which is a significant point of contention in the review.

💡iPhone 16

The iPhone 16 is the latest model of Apple's smartphone lineup discussed in the video. It represents the new generation of iPhones that are said to be built from the ground up to deliver Apple Intelligence. The video discusses various aspects of the iPhone 16, including its design, color options, and features, making it a central focus of the review.

💡Visual Intelligence

Visual Intelligence is an upcoming feature of Apple Intelligence that is designed to provide Google Lens-like functionality. It is mentioned as a key component of the camera control button's purpose, allowing users to point their camera at objects and receive information and AI-assisted feedback. The reviewer notes that this feature is not yet available, which limits the full testing of the camera control button.

💡Camera Control

Camera Control is a new feature introduced in the iPhone 16 series, which is a capacitive pressure-sensitive button designed to launch the camera app and control various camera functions. The video discusses how this button can be used to take photos, record videos, and navigate the camera app's UI, although the reviewer finds it more useful for certain functions like zooming and adjusting photographic styles rather than a general replacement for on-screen controls.

💡48 Megapixel Fusion Camera

The 48 Megapixel Fusion Camera is a new camera system in the iPhone 16 series, particularly highlighted in the Pro models. It is said to offer improved image quality and faster sensor performance. The video mentions that while there are subtle improvements in image quality, especially in low light and with the 2x telephoto, the differences are not stark and require close examination.

💡Ultra-wide Camera

The ultra-wide camera is part of the iPhone 16's camera system, with a new 12-megapixel sensor that can shoot macro photos. The video notes that this camera has been updated to perform better in low light conditions compared to the previous generation, although it still does not match the performance of some competitors' ultra-wide cameras.

💡Ceramic Shield Glass

Ceramic Shield Glass is a type of glass used in the new iPhone 16 models, claimed to be 50% stronger than the previous generation. This is relevant to the video's discussion on durability and protection, as the reviewer mentions that while the glass is supposed to be more robust, screen protectors are still recommended for those who want extra protection.

💡Thermal Substructure

The thermal substructure is a new feature in the Pro models of the iPhone 16, designed to improve heat dissipation for sustained performance. The video discusses the reviewer's experience with this feature, noting that while it is supposed to enhance performance, there wasn't a noticeable improvement during their testing.

💡Battery Life

Battery life is a significant aspect of the iPhone 16's performance discussed in the video. The reviewer mentions that the iPhone 16 Pro Max, in particular, has a notably long battery life, which they speculate is to support the energy demands of Apple Intelligence features, even though these are not fully available at the time of the review.

💡Action Button

The action button is a feature that has been moved to the top left of the iPhone 16 models and is present in all four new phones. It is part of the hardware design and is mentioned in the context of the changes in the physical layout of the devices. The video notes that the regular iPhone 16 models no longer have the hardware toggle, which some users might miss.

Highlights

The iPhone 16 devices are missing Apple intelligence, a key feature that the new generation of iPhones was built for.

The unboxing experience has changed, with classic Apple stickers replaced by paper pamphlets and charging cables coiled differently.

The non-Pro models of the iPhone 16 feature vibrant colors, a significant departure from the pastel hues of previous years.

Pro models this year do not offer colorful options, which is a departure from their usual vibrant color schemes.

All new iPhone 16 models include an action button, a feature previously exclusive to Pro models.

The regular iPhone 16 models no longer have a hardware toggle, which may be missed by many users.

A new button called 'camera control' has been introduced on the right edge of each phone, offering a different user experience.

The screens on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus remain at 60 Hz, which feels sluggish compared to high refresh rate panels.

Pro models now have slightly larger screens at 6.3 and 6.9 inches, with thinner bezels that may cause accidental inputs.

The new iPhones are equipped with a stronger Ceramic Shield glass, claimed to be 50% stronger than the previous generation.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max, in particular, has a large battery designed to support the energy use of Apple intelligence.

Wired and wireless charging speeds have been improved, allowing for faster charging with the right chargers.

The camera control button is a capacitive pressure-sensitive button designed for launching the camera app and taking photos or videos.

Apple has built an entire UI around the camera control button for in-camera app navigation, which may be confusing initially.

The camera system on the iPhone 16 has been updated with a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, offering subtle improvements in image quality.

The iPhone 16 Pro models have an updated ultra-wide camera with a 48-megapixel sensor, significantly improving low-light performance.

A new feature in the camera app allows for post-recording audio cleanup, leveraging spatial data from the device's microphones.

All iPhone 16 models have 8 gigs of RAM and are set to receive Apple intelligence capabilities once fully launched.

Many Apple intelligence features are still in beta and will be rolled out gradually, with some not available until next year.

The review suggests that the Pro models may have a tough time selling this year due to a lack of significant feature differentiators.

Transcripts

I was conflicted as to whether or not I

should even review these phones because

these phones are incomplete out of the

gate the iPhone 16 devices are missing

what many would argue to be the most

important feature Apple intelligence

it's even the thing that Apple says

these phones were built for a new

generation of iPhone built from the

ground up to deliver Apple intelligence

and its breakthrough

capabilities you can't properly test out

the full Apple intelligence experience

so feel strange to review it but these

phones are going to be available in the

stores in a couple days I thought I

would do a review based on what you do

get just keep in mind that a lot of the

features of what these phones are

supposed to do come in the future okay

when you unbox the phones this year the

classic Apple stickers are no longer

around it's just paper pamphlets and

then the charging cables are coiled up

into ovals instead of the circles from

before they're the same length of cable

they're just wound up differently now

the colors on the regular non-pro models

are very vibrant this year they just pop

and if you think about last year when

they first came up with that way to

deposit colors into glass and just do

that subtle pastel stuff they just took

it to 11 and you get these very colorful

phones this year and I was a little bit

disappointed that I got the ultramarine

blue instead of the teal for the review

unit like not that it matters I have to

send these things back anyways but I

just I just wanted the teal I was hoping

I would get it they didn't send it to me

uh the pro devices no colorful options

this year the closest to a color is this

thing the desert titanium it's a nice

color I get it this is a very in color

too right now in terms of like

fashionable colors but I don't know it's

just strange to me that the pro devices

didn't get any kind of vibrant colors

this year they usually do so these are

the four new phones this year we have

the iPhone 16 the 16 plus the 16 Pro and

then the 16 Pro Max and all four of them

have the action button this year only

the Pro Models had them last year but

now they're on the top left and all of

them have it so the regular iPhone 16s

no longer have the hardware toggle which

is I think a lot of people are going to

miss and then on the right side of each

phone or like the right edge of each

phone there is now the new button which

is called camera control they don't like

calling it a button but it is a button

because you can press down on it and it

depresses like a button but we'll come

back to the camera control in a minute

uh the screens on the iPhone 16 and 16

plus haven't changed from the previous

generation so these still have a 6.1 and

6.7 in display respectively they're very

nice screens in terms of image quality

for regular media but they're still 60

HZ panels and when you use them just

swiping around they if you're used to

high refresh panels these feel strangely

sluggish for a 2024 device especially

one that cost $800 and $900 respectively

I hope I really hope that this is the

last year that Apple does this at least

that's the rumor now the screens on the

pro devices are bigger these are now 6.3

and 6.9 in now if I'm being honest I

really think most people would have a

tough time telling these new screens

apart from the previous generation from

the iPhone 15 Pro devices the only real

way to tell is by looking at the bezel

so this is a 15 Pro Max and the older

device has a noticeably thicker bezel

but again you just really have to be

looking for it now one thing I did

notice about the 16 Pro Max uh and also

the 16 Pro but it's more prominent on

the pro Max I remember last year talking

about how in certain games the inner

parts of my palm would touch the screen

like the edges of the screen and would

cause some accidental inputs it is even

more pronounced on the 16 Pro Max I

think the bezel is just like so thin

that it's very easy for an accidental

input on stuff like this so I think a

case fixes it but if you are someone

that goes caseless for whatever reason

you're just clicking things by accident

sometimes that's just the nature of very

thin bezels and keep in mind this is

only for games when you're like actually

gripping it tight like this watching

shows and stuff not an issue the ceramic

shield glass on the new iones are

supposed to be 50% stronger than the

previous generation but if you do want a

screen protector the new ones from

dbrand are really good and they're super

easy to put on the regular iPhone 16s

are pretty much the same size as the

previous generation but the pro devices

are bigger because they have slightly

bigger screens but it's so slight like

this is the 15 Pro Max versus 16 Pro Max

you can barely tell the difference both

visually and in your hand uh okay let's

talk about performance so as you would

expect new phones new chips better

performance the Pro Models have a new

thermal substructure which is supposed

to help with heat for sustained

performance I didn't really notice a big

Improvement when I was testing for it

with my regular genjin impact test

iPhones especially the Pro Models have

typically been really good for thermal

dissipation amongst all phones but from

all the testing I've done on these

they're all very fast and the regular

iPhone 16s get a big fat GPU boost over

the previous generation it's a really

nice upgrade for the regular 16s this

year they're using larger batteries this

time and from my light testing like

light load testing it is crazy how long

the iPhone 16 Pro Max lasts it's kind of

strange I really think it's just to be

able to support the energy use of Apple

intelligence especially for stuff like

on device image generation uh so the

wired and wireless charging speeds are

quite fast this year if you have the

right Chargers to pull it off you can

get some higher wattage into these

devices uh okay let's talk about that

camera control button thing uh let's

start off with this blue one

okay wrong side again camera control so

this is a capacitive pressure

sensitive button type thing now one of

the main purposes of this button is to

launch a upcoming feature called visual

intelligence it's a part of Apple

intelligence and it's designed toble to

you know you press this button and it'll

give you basically Google Lens

functionality you can point the camera

at something and it'll give you

information as well as some kind of AI

assisted feedback as to what the thing

is that you're looking at now because

it's not available yet there's no point

even talking about it but the other

thing that this button is supposed to be

able to do is camera control and that's

kind of like the main name that they're

giving it right now camera control so at

the basic level you press it and it

opens the camera app you press it again

you take a picture if you press and hold

it it starts rolling video now the basic

functionality is awesome I think that

you know with one hand you can pick up

your phone take pictures take videos

without repositioning your hand

one-handed it's awesome but there's way

more to it so Apple has built an entire

UI around that button inside the camera

app and you navigate around this

interface using this camera control

button thing now my initial impression

when I used it at their demo was that it

was a little confusing to use and I

thought the interface even though simple

was difficult to navigate with all these

different inputs like sliding and

tapping with varying pressure but after

using for a week I would say that the

interaction itself is very intuitive

it's just that the interface and the

idea of controlling your camera like

this I'm not sure if it's something most

people would actually want to use like

when you navigate around you still have

to use two hands this is not a

one-handed operation launching it and

just taking the picture yeah you can do

that with one hand on that button but if

you want to actually navigate around and

slide around with your finger you

definitely need two hands and I don't

know if it's any faster or more

convenient than just using the on screen

buttons it does also work in the

vertical orientation but I just just

found this to be an uncomfortable grip I

don't think people typically hold their

phone this far down the sides so it's

like this weird claw grip you kind of

have to go two hands again in vertical

mode now there are some features that I

do think that using the sliding

mechanism is better so there's two that

come to mind the first is like Zoom

because when you use pinch to zoom it

can kind of be fairly inaccurate to kind

of like nail it just right but with that

slide mechanism you can kind of you know

you slide around and you get a good feel

of how much you need to move your finger

the other menu that I think works well

with camera control is their new

photographic Styles menu so this is kind

of like algorithmic processing of your

shots that you take it's non-destructive

and you can play with it but the reason

why it works so well with the camera

control interface is because there's so

many to choose from there's five skin

undertones and then there's like nine

photo tones and you get 14 to flip

through and if you're just using the on

screen controls there's like a lot of

flicking and swiping but with this it's

just you're sliding around it's like a

care cell just choosing the style that

you want and you can f tune each one to

your preferences but I don't know how

often I would personally use a feature

like that I played with it and I just

could not imagine a scenario when I was

just regularly using this thing to be

able to take pictures a certain way but

I'm really lazy with my photos I'm just

like very much point and shoot so I

would say that for the average person if

you're just if the way that you've used

your camera for most of your life is

just point and shoot I don't think the

camera control interface like this whole

thing is all that useful if it's it

really feels like it's geared for people

that like to manually tweak their shots

and then it makes you think how many

people really do that and then if it's

not a lot of people why is it on all of

the devices like even the non-pro

versions of these phones like the

regular iPhone 16s they have this camera

control as well my gut feeling is that

this button thing will be used mostly

for just launching the camera app taking

photos and videos and uh Apple's visual

intelligence when it comes around okay

the camera system so the iPhone 16 have

what they're now calling a 48 mapel

Fusion camera now it seems to be the

same Hardware as the iPhone 15 the

images do look better on the 16 if you

look closely especially when you use

that 2x telephoto but it's subtle

differences you really need to look for

them the ultrawide cameras have also

been updated on the 16s as well these

now have a new 12 megapixel sensor that

can shoot macro photos as well it is

noticeably better in low light photos

compared to the 15 from last year but

it's still not as good as the

competition I think like Samsung and

Google have really good low light Ultra

wide cameras in their normal tier phones

the pro phones also have an updated 48

megap Ultra wide this is a noticeable

step up from the previous generation

like the low light in particular looks

quite a bit cleaner uh the main shooter

has also been labeled as a new 48

megapixel Fusion camera it's supposed to

be a faster sensor but from the shots I

was taking I couldn't really tell much

of a difference between the new 16 Pro

Max and the 15 Pro Max from previous

generation that new sensor though does

allow for 4K 120 shot from that sensor

the mics on all the new iPhone 16s have

a neat feature where when you use the

phone for video recordings you can then

go to the camera app in post and you can

adjust and clean up the audio from the

capture check this out so I have some

pretty loud environmental noise going on

it's coming from a YouTube video that's

off that's on but I'm talking at a

pretty normal talking volume I'm not

talking super loud or anything but

you'll see how good this app is at

removing that sound we've seen third

party apps and tools like this before

but to see it built into the phone and

have like the mics send the spatial data

to be able to calculate it better it's

just neat I think they've done a really

good job of just taking advantage of the

different mics on these devices okay

real quickly let's talk about AI so all

four phones this year have 8 gigs of RAM

and they also have the same kind of

apple intelligence capabilities well

they will when Apple intelligence fully

Launches on these devices but all of the

currently available Apple intelligence

features are in beta still and they're

the same few features that we've been

testing on the iPhone 15 Pro devices so

it's like asking Siri to summarize

something or to ask it some like Loosely

contextual questions or having it to

clean up the photos they're neat but the

more interesting and arguably more

useful features like having some kind of

context aware Siri or the chat GPT

integration or having the image

generation those things are months away

some of them coming out next year and

it's weird to me how so many Apple

intelligence features are really far

away in terms of a timeline and it's

also really weird to me how Apple

marketed this whole thing like this is a

phone that's available today it's

available to be purchased two days from

now and it was supposed to be designed

and built from the ground up for Apple

intelligence yet we can't test the vast

majority of Apple Intelligence on these

things like it could be amazing in the

very distant future but like I'm not

saying they should rush it I'm not sure

they should release it now but I'm just

saying they shouldn't have marketed

these phones as these AI or apple

intelligence phones when it's missing so

much of the equation right now if I'm

being honest I think the pro phones will

have a tough time selling this year

there just isn't enough of a kind of

feature differentiator to pull people to

it I don't think uh the regular 16s they

seem pretty good but yeah that's my take

on the new iPhone 16s