iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Reviews: 'Pro Features at a Mainstream Price'

[JuicyGoomba]

Very happy to see the comment section almost universally agreeing that 60hz is a disgrace.

Took a few years but we finally got there, just in time for them to add 120hz next year.

It's inevitable that macbooks and iMac will follow the same pattern, once OLED 120hz becomes a thing.

 

[pappl]

I have to correct:​

'iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Reviews: Low End Display Refresh Rate at a Premium Price'​

🎯

 

[GuruZac]

It just needs 120Hz.

I'd get a non-Pro if they added ProMotion and AoD. The only reason I opt for the Pro.

 

[dampfnudel]

Tim knew adding 120Hz to the 16 would tank sales of the 16 Pro. Sales of the 16 Pro probably will be much lower than Tim would like, but adding 120Hz to the 16 would’ve absolutely decimated the 16 Pro. Even with 60Hz the 16 is a compelling choice for a lot of people, not necessarily the typical MR reader, but personally, it might be compelling enough to upgrade to from my 14 Pro. I could always upgrade next year to the 17 Pro or 17 “Air” if that’s compelling enough. The 16 looks fresh, colorful and modern. The 16 Pro looks like the 13 Pro which was released three years ago. It’s a stale design that needs to be refreshed next year.

 

[HJM.NL]

Tim knew adding 120Hz to the 16 would tank sales of the 16 Pro. Sales of the 16 Pro probably will be much lower than Tim would like, but adding 120Hz to the 16 would’ve absolutely decimated the 16 Pro. Even with 60Hz the 16 is a compelling choice for a lot of people, not necessarily the typical MR reader, but personally, it might be compelling enough to upgrade to from my 14 Pro. I could always upgrade next year to the 17 Pro or 17 “Air” if that’s compelling enough.

Your 14pro already has a promotion display and you’ll hate a 60hz because now you’re used to better.

 

[Eracles]

I think iphones are great. Maybe one day I'll buy one. But, my samsung a50, a relatively cheap android phone (about 300 euro/dollars) i bought 4 years ago, has always on display, fm radio and so on... Added a 512 microSD recently, that's my upgrade for this year.

 

[thadoggfather]

Tim knew adding 120Hz to the 16 would tank sales of the 16 Pro. Sales of the 16 Pro probably will be much lower than Tim would like, but adding 120Hz to the 16 would’ve absolutely decimated the 16 Pro. Even with 60Hz the 16 is a compelling choice for a lot of people, not necessarily the typical MR reader, but personally, it might be compelling enough to upgrade to from my 14 Pro. I could always upgrade next year to the 17 Pro or 17 “Air” if that’s compelling enough. The 16 looks fresh, colorful and modern. The 16 Pro looks like the 13 Pro which was released three years ago. It’s a stale design that needs to be refreshed next year.

Part of me wishes they just split the difference and offered two models like they used to, pre Pro-era. And add an SE that's always the smallest form factor of whatever they're recycling. Instead of at least 4 mainline models and an inconsistent SE.

Make a $900 regular iPhone and $1000 iPhone Max , add some color and a new design, and crank em up in volume. Or whatever they find to be the equilibrium for profit and getting away with it vs asking price. $949 and $1049. Whatever. or $1000 and $1100. Point is moot.

You'd lose out on people who would pay more for a more premo iPhone (or add a third category this Ultra Air like they're going to) that's a peak into the future like X was, if need be, but force people who wouldn't have paid extra for 'Pro' to have no choice.

 

[dampfnudel]

Your 14pro already has a promotion display and you’ll hate a 60hz because now you’re used to better.

Maybe you’re right, maybe not. I have a 12 Pro which I use as a “iPod touch” at home. It’s 60Hz and going back and forth between the two doesn’t seem to be a big difference to me. Your mileage may vary.

 

[citysnaps]

Nowadays one can find 200-300$ phones with 120Hz displays. That price tag is not an excuse for Apple's gatekeeping behavior.

If that's really important to you, then please, go ahead and purchase one. Just don't expect it to live up to what an iPhone 16 offers in other aspects.

 

[dampfnudel]

Part of me wishes they just split the difference and offered two models like they used to, pre Pro-era. And add an SE that's always the smallest form factor of whatever they're recycling. Instead of at least 4 mainline models and an inconsistent SE.

Make a $900 regular iPhone and $1000 iPhone Max , add some color and a new design, and crank em up in volume. Or whatever they find to be the equilibrium for profit and getting away with it vs asking price. $949 and $1049. Whatever. or $1000 and $1100. Point is moot.

You'd lose out on people who would pay more for a more premo iPhone (or add a third category this Ultra Air like they're going to) that's a peak into the future like X was, if need be, but force people who wouldn't have paid extra for 'Pro' to have no choice.

I’m really curious about this 17 “Ultra/Air” and how it will fit into the lineup next year. There’s a part of me who wonders if maybe people like Kuo got it wrong and this could actually be a redesigned 17 Pro/17 Pro Max. I find it hard to believe that Apple could go on for another year with a stale Pro design despite falling demand.

 

[Ralfi]

I’ve been using Apple Intelligence for years - by not upgrading iPhones on an annual basis. Great feature.

 

[gfbio]

If that's really important to you, then please, go ahead and purchase one. Just don't expect it to live up to what an iPhone 16 offers in other aspects.

Yeah sure. As if a Ferrari could lack such a basic feature as an automatic transmission because, after all, a Ferrari is a Ferrari!

 

[citysnaps]

Yeah sure. As if a Ferrari could lack such a basic feature as an automatic transmission because, after all, a Ferrari is a Ferrari!

Move forward in life and purchase an Apple competitor mobile phone and find happiness.

Easy.

 

[danielfgom]

The minute I saw the Keynote and the iPhone 16 I knew this would be a hit! I reckon it's going to break sales records in the end.
The colours are finally good, the hardware is as good as it's ever been.
Plus next year the SE will be on sale and it too will sell like hotcakes especially to people jumping over from Android. I just hope Apple price it cheap enough to make it actually affordable.

In many parts of the world the €350/400 (incl vat) mark is the absolute max people can afford on a phone hence they buy android because they can't afford iPhone.

If Apple would price it like that they will have a HUGE winner on their hands and their market share will increase substantially!!!

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

I’ve been using Apple Intelligence for years - by not upgrading iPhones on an annual basis. Great feature.

We stan a consumer who's more than merely sentient. 🫡

But, sarcasm aside -Who in their right mind wouldn't spend those annual upgrader dollars on anything else?

This is so much more about Apple rewarding shareholders than it is about truly pushing the boundaries of tech and value/$ in a smartphone.

I've, in particular, come to loathe how Apple manages to gaslight the media and buyers into being impressed with the mid-tier and Plus iPhones' specs in a given year, when those are really only impressive in the vacuum of high-end specs that the last two mid-tier and Plus iPhones were stuck in.

Always with this baiting and switching.

Ugh!

 

[ericg301]

I'd get a non-Pro if they added ProMotion and AoD. The only reason I opt for the Pro.

Don't you think Apple knows that? They'll gladly take the extra $200.

 

[hans1972]

Nowadays one can find 200-300$ phones with 120Hz displays. That price tag is not an excuse for Apple's gatekeeping behavior.

If that's very important to someone, they would of course just buy those phones saving so much money.

In general, it's not a problem when cheaper phones have good features which are lacking in a more expensive phone.

 

[dampfnudel]

If that's really important to you, then please, go ahead and purchase one. Just don't expect it to live up to what an iPhone 16 offers in other aspects.

You may get 120Hz, but there are other features you won’t, probably a bunch of them compared to the iPhone 16. Of course, that doesn’t mean the criticism of Apple isn’t justified, but we need to put things into perspective here. With that being said, Apple needs to release that next big, segment defining feature for the Pro models next year so Tim can feel comfortable adding 120Hz to the base iPhone without hurting Pro sales…too much.

 

[hans1972]

That's the very definition of technology gatekeeping.

I don't even understand what's wrong with that.

 

[hans1972]

Then compare this with the iPhone 16. € 399,-

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I don't really see the problem. If a Samsung phone is both better and cheaper than an iPhone, just buy the Samsung phone. How difficult can it be?

 

[Royksöpp]

Whatever, I can't wait until I have a phone that doesn't feel like a hot potato after scrolling through Instagram for 15 minutes. Thermal improvements and more storage is why I'm upgrading.

 

[chickenpiccata]

This is so much more about Apple rewarding shareholders than it is about truly pushing the boundaries of tech and value/$ in a smartphone.

That’s why it’s called capitalism and not peopleism.

 

[klasma]

heh. So what’s the point of the pro lineup, except 120Hz screen? Is it Better camera? Or More RAM? Premium build material? Dull colour? More CPU and GPU cores? Better AI performance?

Bigger screen, AOD, USB 3, ProRAW, ProRes, better mics, more precise GPS, LIDAR, larger battery.

The point for Apple is higher profits by having an iPhone at every price point.

 

[rulymammoth]

Bigger screen, AOD, USB 3, ProRAW, ProRes, better mics, more precise GPS, LIDAR, larger battery.

The point for Apple is higher profits by having an iPhone at every price point.

I tried a 15 Plus for two weeks and quickly realized that I needed to head back to the Pros. The Plus was a solid phone, but once you're accustomed to the Pros, the Plus just felt like a second class citizen. Some of it was the 60hz screen, some was the camera, some was the overall build.

 

[Biro]

I tried a 15 Plus for two weeks and quickly realized that I needed to head back to the Pros. The Plus was a solid phone, but once you're accustomed to the Pros, the Plus just felt like a second class citizen. Some of it was the 60hz screen, some was the camera, some was the overall build.

I was with you until you mentioned overall build. The Base and Plus are built just as well as the Pros.