iPhone 16 First Impressions: No Longer The Poor Bro Of The Pro

Over the past two years, there had been a feeling that Apple had been ignoring its 'normal' iPhone. There was a good reason for this. While both the iPhone 14 and 15 were bestsellers, they came with hardly any major design changes from their predecessors and unlike in the past, came with older processors (the ones seen in the previous year's Pro range). In some ways, the non-Pro iPhone seemed to be becoming the youngest kid of the family who is handed down the clothes and toys of their elder (Pro) siblings - the Dynamic Island, the 48-megapixel shooter, a better processor…all came to the Pro first. The iPhone 16 changes that.Finally, A Different LookIt might look the same from the front as the iPhone 15 - a 6.1-inch display with a Dynamic Island and tiny bezels, but flip it around and there is no chance of it being mistaken for being anything other than an iPhone 16. We got the new Ultramarine shade which is unique to the new iPhone, but the phone will be recognisable even if you slap a cover on it (as most people will), thanks to the large camera unit on the back, which moves away from the square-shape seen since the iPhone 11 and now is a smaller capsule of a slightly darker shade than the back with two large lenses placed one below the other. Apple says that the two cameras have been placed in a straight line to enable spatial video, but they play an important visual role too - they might stick out a fair deal from the back, but they make the iPhone 16 stand out from its predecessors and other phones as well. The iPhone 16 not only looks different but looks good as well. Thankfully, it remains delightfully compact, without being slippery. While Apple has changed the size of the Pros, it has not touched the dimensions of the iPhone 16, which are the same as the iPhone 15: 147.6 mm tall, 71.6 mm wide and an impressive 7.8 mm thin. At 170 grams, it is also relatively light (and one gram lighter than the iPhone 15, for the gram-mar nazis). In the proper flagships, only the Samsung Galaxy S24 comes close to being as compact (it is actually a little smaller) and even the hyped-as-compact Pixel 9 and Xioami 14 are larger.It also has a very premium feel to it, being a blend of Apple's famous Ceramic Shield glass and aluminium. The Ultramarine shade of blue could be a little divisive (some might prefer the greenish Teal or the jazzy Pink) but is very distinct with its subtly shining and yet matte finish with an Apple logo with a mirror finish bang in the centre. The darker-looking camera unit is a nice touch, though it does protrude a fair bit. Apple says it has used (Apple terminology alert) "color-infused glass back," and its subtle shine gives the phone a slightly metallic look, which is very classy on the eye and reassuring to the mind. Speaking of reassurance, the iPhone 16 comes with IP68 dust and water resistance, so it can easily take a fall in the water. Changes On The SideThe sides are the same shade as the phone and remain straight as ever. And it is on these sides that some of the most significant changes to the iPhone 16 can be found. The Ring Silent switch on the top of the left side has now been replaced by a customisable Action button, and on the lower part of the right side is the much-hyped Camera Control button, which is a tiny sapphire glass panel with steel surrounding it. You can use it to carry out several camera functions, including tweaking settings and zoom. While it is sensitive, it needs to be pressed firmly to be activated, so there are no chances of any accidental touches. It has a very good haptic feel to it, but how well it works will be revealed in our detailed review. It is business as usual, otherwise, with dual speaker grilles on the base (the phone has stereo speakers), with a Type-C port in the middle, the display/power on/off button on the top right, and the volume buttons below the Action button on the left side, with the top remaining plain. Apple Intelligence Ready, When It ArrivesOf course, the phone runs on iOS 18. But this time, it is being powered by an A18 chip, which is similar to the A18 Pro on the Pro series, and not a handoff from the previous Pro generation. Apple claims this will enable the iPhone 16 to handle high-end games better than ever before, even letting users enjoy AAA titles like Assassin's Creed and Resident Evil on the plain iPhone without any compromises. The display remains a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED one, although some will be disappointed at the 60 Hz refresh rate (Apple claims it is not a decisive factor for the iPhone's 16 audience). The processor also means that the iPhone 16 will be getting Apple Intelligence (Apple's own, secure take on AI) when it is rolled out in the coming months - the iPhone 15 will not get it, alas. How that works might well determine the fate of the iPhone 16, but that is another story to be written later once Apple Intelligence actually arrives. Cameras Get Macro ModeThe cameras do not only help the iPhone 16 stand out in design terms but have got their own share of improvements. The 48-megapixel camera seems largely similar to its predecessor but the 12-megapixel ultrawide now has autofocus, enabling macro photography on a non-Pro iPhone for the first phone. You also get spatial videos, wind noise reduction and the new Audio Mix feature that lets you decrease background noise and highlight different voices in a video, as well as access to the latest Photographic Styles. As on the iPhone 15, there is no telephoto sensor, but you get a very handy 2x optical zoom. The front camera remains largely unchanged - a 12-megapixel sensor with autofocus in that Dynamic Island.Wireless Charging Gets Almost As Fast As Wired Charging Apple also claims that battery life has been improved by about two hours in terms of video playback. While there is still no charger in the box (you only get a Type-C to Type-C) cable, the iPhone 16 comes with much faster wireless charging - you can charge it up to 50 per cent in half an hour with a 20W wired charger or a MagSafe charger attached to a 30W charger. Now, those are not on par with the blazing-fast charging rates of OnePlus and Xiaomi, but at least things are getting better. We do wish Apple would defy Mother Nature and give us a quick-ish charger in the box, though. High Enough Price To Merit ‘Sell Kidney’ JokesApple has kept the price of the iPhone 16 at the same level as the iPhone 15 - Rs 79,900 for 128 GB, Rs 89,900 for 256 GB and Rs 1,09,900 for 512 GB. These are the same as the starting prices of the Samsung Galaxy S24 and the Google Pixel 9, but we do not think that will stop the kidney jokes - why let facts come in the way of a good laugh? Whether it is worth that much will be revealed in our review, but as of now we like what's on the surface and what's below it. For the first time in a few years, the company that thinks differently has made a non-Pro iPhone that looks different too, and is closer to the current Pro in terms of performance than its predecessor. We love that.

Over the past two years, there had been a feeling that Apple had been ignoring its 'normal' iPhone. There was a good reason for this. While both the iPhone 14 and 15 were bestsellers, they came with hardly any major design changes from their predecessors and unlike in the past, came with older processors (the ones seen in the previous year's Pro range).

In some ways, the non-Pro iPhone seemed to be becoming the youngest kid of the family who is handed down the clothes and toys of their elder (Pro) siblings - the Dynamic Island, the 48-megapixel shooter, a better processor...

all came to the Pro first. The iPhone 16 changes that. Finally, A Different Look It might look the same from the front as the iPhone 15 - a 6.

1-inch display with a Dynamic Island and tiny bezels, but flip it around and there is no chance of it being mistaken for being anything other than an iPhone 16. We got the new Ultramarine shade which is unique to the new iPhone, but the phone will be recognisable even if you slap a cover on it (as most people will), thanks to the large camera unit on the back, which moves away from the square-shape seen since the iPhone 11 and now is a smaller capsule of a slightly darker shade than the back with two large lenses placed one below the other. Apple says that the two cameras have been placed in a straight line to enable spatial video, but they play an important visual role too - they might stick out a fair deal from the back, but they make the iPhone 16 stand out from its predecessors and other phones as well.

The iPhone 16 not only looks different but looks good as well. Thankfully, it remains delightfully compact, without being slippery. While Apple has changed the size of the Pros, it has not touched the dimensions of the iPhone 16, which are the same as the iPhone 15: 147.

6 mm tall, 71.6 mm wide and an impressive 7.8 mm thin.

At 170 grams, it is also relatively light (and one gram lighter than the iPhone 15, for the gram-mar nazis). In the proper flagships, only the Samsung Galaxy S24 comes close to being as compact (it is actually a little smaller) and even the hyped-as-compact Pixel 9 and Xioami 14 are larger. It also has a very premium feel to it, being a blend of Apple's famous Ceramic Shield glass and aluminium.

The Ultramarine shade of blue could be a little divisive (some might prefer the greenish Teal or the jazzy Pink) but is very distinct with its subtly shining and yet matte finish with an Apple logo with a mirror finish bang in the centre. The darker-looking camera unit is a nice touch, though it does protrude a fair bit. Apple says it has used (Apple terminology alert) "color-infused glass back," and its subtle shine gives the phone a slightly metallic look, which is very classy on the eye and reassuring to the mind.

Speaking of reassurance, the iPhone 16 comes with IP68 dust and water resistance, so it can easily take a fall in the water. Changes On The Side The sides are the same shade as the phone and remain straight as ever. And it is on these sides that some of the most significant changes to the iPhone 16 can be found.

The Ring Silent switch on the top of the left side has now been replaced by a customisable Action button, and on the lower part of the right side is the much-hyped Camera Control button, which is a tiny sapphire glass panel with steel surrounding it. You can use it to carry out several camera functions, including tweaking settings and zoom. While it is sensitive, it needs to be pressed firmly to be activated, so there are no chances of any accidental touches.

It has a very good haptic feel to it, but how well it works will be revealed in our detailed review. It is business as usual, otherwise, with dual speaker grilles on the base (the phone has stereo speakers), with a Type-C port in the middle, the display/power on/off button on the top right, and the volume buttons below the Action button on the left side, with the top remaining plain. Apple Intelligence Ready, When It Arrives Of course, the phone runs on iOS 18.

But this time, it is being powered by an A18 chip, which is similar to the A18 Pro on the Pro series, and not a handoff from the previous Pro generation. Apple claims this will enable the iPhone 16 to handle high-end games better than ever before, even letting users enjoy AAA titles like Assassin's Creed and Resident Evil on the plain iPhone without any compromises. The display remains a 6.

1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED one, although some will be disappointed at the 60 Hz refresh rate (Apple claims it is not a decisive factor for the iPhone's 16 audience). The processor also means that the iPhone 16 will be getting Apple Intelligence (Apple's own, secure take on AI) when it is rolled out in the coming months - the iPhone 15 will not get it, alas. How that works might well determine the fate of the iPhone 16, but that is another story to be written later once Apple Intelligence actually arrives.

Cameras Get Macro Mode The cameras do not only help the iPhone 16 stand out in design terms but have got their own share of improvements. The 48-megapixel camera seems largely similar to its predecessor but the 12-megapixel ultrawide now has autofocus, enabling macro photography on a non-Pro iPhone for the first phone. You also get spatial videos, wind noise reduction and the new Audio Mix feature that lets you decrease background noise and highlight different voices in a video, as well as access to the latest Photographic Styles.

As on the iPhone 15, there is no telephoto sensor, but you get a very handy 2x optical zoom. The front camera remains largely unchanged - a 12-megapixel sensor with autofocus in that Dynamic Island. Wireless Charging Gets Almost As Fast As Wired Charging Apple also claims that battery life has been improved by about two hours in terms of video playback.

While there is still no charger in the box (you only get a Type-C to Type-C) cable, the iPhone 16 comes with much faster wireless charging - you can charge it up to 50 per cent in half an hour with a 20W wired charger or a MagSafe charger attached to a 30W charger. Now, those are not on par with the blazing-fast charging rates of OnePlus and Xiaomi, but at least things are getting better. We do wish Apple would defy Mother Nature and give us a quick-ish charger in the box, though.

High Enough Price To Merit ‘Sell Kidney’ Jokes Apple has kept the price of the iPhone 16 at the same level as the iPhone 15 - Rs 79,900 for 128 GB, Rs 89,900 for 256 GB and Rs 1,09,900 for 512 GB. These are the same as the starting prices of the Samsung Galaxy S24 and the Google Pixel 9, but we do not think that will stop the kidney jokes - why let facts come in the way of a good laugh? Whether it is worth that much will be revealed in our review, but as of now we like what's on the surface and what's below it. For the first time in a few years, the company that thinks differently has made a non-Pro iPhone that looks different too, and is closer to the current Pro in terms of performance than its predecessor.

We love that..