Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
65,683
34,317


Now that it's been two weeks since the iPhone 16 models were released, we've been able to spend enough time with the new devices to share a more in-depth review on their performance, battery life, feature set, and more.


We've been testing the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, but the gap between the Pro models and the standard iPhone 16 models is narrower than usual this year. The Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, and upcoming Apple Intelligence features are available across the lineup, which leaves fewer features to set the two iPhone tiers apart and justify the cost of the Pro upgrade.

You do get the 120Hz ProMotion display, the 5x Telephoto lens, upgraded 48-megapixel Ultra Wide lens, and slightly bigger displays with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, but many people are going to be happy with the standard iPhone 16 models.

Camera Control is kind of a love it or hate it feature that takes some time to get familiar with. It makes opening the camera and snapping a photo much quicker, but getting used to adjusting settings with the button rather than the display takes a good amount of time to get used to. On the bigger iPhones, it's difficult to use the button one-handed, especially in portrait mode.

Macro mode images are better and Photographic Styles and the customization that comes with them are great, but there isn't a lot of additional improvement to be seen with the cameras for photo taking. For videos, there's a 4K 120fps mode that can be adjusted later, and a new Audio Mix feature for adjusting video sound.

The A18 Pro chip is fast, but so was the A17 Pro from last year, and you're not going to notice a difference in performance if you're coming from an iPhone released in the last couple of years. The benefit of the A18 Pro is support for both current and future Apple Intelligence features coming in the next few years. The first Apple Intelligence options will be released in October, and while those won't necessarily stress the chip, future image generation capabilities could take advantage of the additional power you get with the A18 Pro.

Battery life has increased for all iPhone 16 models, and there is a noticeable difference in battery life with the Pro Max that many users will notice day-to-day depending on workload compared to older iPhones.

If you got a new iPhone 16, let us know what you think of it now that a couple of weeks have passed.

Article Link: Two Weeks With the iPhone 16 Pro Max
 

Killerbob

macrumors 68000
Jan 25, 2008
1,907
654
I got the iPhone 16 Pro, my wife the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and our daughter the iPhone 16 Plus.

I can already say that these iPhones are the absolute best we have ever had. I am running iOS 18.1 Beta, and my girls iOS 18, and probably part of the joy is the OS, but the phones... WOW.

Our mobile device ecosystem is complete, with us using one M4 iPad Pro (on iPadOS 18.1 Beta), two M2 iPad Airs, and Apple watches.
 

HouseLannister

macrumors 6502a
Jun 8, 2021
707
1,130
I disagree that the battery life is better. iOS 18 seems to have a lot of battery drain while on static home and lock screens that wasn't there on iOS 17 and the 15PM. I am sure people are getting better results in rundown tests, but in actual usage, it is a step back.
 

IPreferYourUsername

macrumors member
Mar 10, 2017
43
37
I got the iPhone 16 Pro, my wife the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and our daughter the iPhone 16 Plus.

I can already say that these iPhones are the absolute best we have ever had. I am running iOS 18.1 Beta, and my girls iOS 18, and probably part of the joy is the OS, but the phones... WOW.

Our mobile device ecosystem is complete, with us using one M4 iPad Pro (on iPadOS 18.1 Beta), two M2 iPad Airs, and Apple watches.

I mean, that’s pretty much the concept of every release of the iphone, isn’t it? It’d be a bit of a surprise if it wasn’t the best ever iphone.

I like shiny new things, had a quick look at the 16 pro max and compared it to my 15 pro max and quickly walked away. I suppose it’s a good thing.
 

SatanGirl

macrumors newbie
Feb 28, 2024
28
75
Siri set the alarm clock for iPhone 18 release

I am sorry I am afraid I can’t do that. I found this on the web where you can buy iPhone 16.

Time to stand ********
 
  • Haha
Reactions: SamRyouji

cocky jeremy

macrumors 603
Jul 12, 2008
6,490
7,127
I disagree that the battery life is better. iOS 18 seems to have a lot of battery drain while on static home and lock screens that wasn't there on iOS 17 and the 15PM. I am sure people are getting better results in rundown tests, but in actual usage, it is a step back.
You can't really talk about the phone's battery life by comparing two different versions of iOS. I was on iOS 18.1 beta with my 15 Pro Max and the battery life was nothing compared to the 16 Pro Max on 18.1
 
  • Like
Reactions: SFjohn

toph2toast

macrumors 6502a
Feb 24, 2011
793
712
Like some others on this thread, I upgraded from the 13PM to the 16PM.

Aside from the upgraded display (its beautiful), overall speed, battery life, etc. , one of the most enjoyable features for me has been the Dynamic Island. As someone who's been dealing with "the notch" since the iPhone X, i've been pleasantly surprised with how useful the displayed information can be, based on what I'm doing. From directions, to battery life on my airpods, sports scores, etc. its been great.

Overall I'm quite happy I upgraded.
 

pugxiwawa

macrumors 6502a
Nov 10, 2009
534
1,244
Like some others on this thread, I upgraded from the 13PM to the 16PM.

Aside from the upgraded display (its beautiful), overall speed, battery life, etc. , one of the most enjoyable features for me has been the Dynamic Island. As someone who's been dealing with "the notch" since the iPhone X, i've been pleasantly surprised with how useful the displayed information can be, based on what I'm doing. From directions, to battery life on my airpods, sports scores, etc. its been great.

Overall I'm quite happy I upgraded.
Aren't 13PM and 16PM the same display with ProMotion? Are you noticing any improvements?
 

msackey

macrumors 68030
Oct 8, 2020
2,859
3,294
I got the iPhone 16 Pro, my wife the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and our daughter the iPhone 16 Plus.

I can already say that these iPhones are the absolute best we have ever had. I am running iOS 18.1 Beta, and my girls iOS 18, and probably part of the joy is the OS, but the phones... WOW.

Our mobile device ecosystem is complete, with us using one M4 iPad Pro (on iPadOS 18.1 Beta), two M2 iPad Airs, and Apple watches.
How do you like the controversial Camera Control?
 

CarAnalogy

macrumors 603
Jun 9, 2021
5,036
9,154
Does anyone know what that combo calendar and weather widget on the home screen here is?

That is Fantastical.

If Apple Sherlocks that widget, it's all over for them. They still make a better calendar than the built-in, but it's getting really hard to justify the subscription.
 

MacAddict1978

macrumors 68000
Jun 21, 2006
1,764
989
I disagree that the battery life is better. iOS 18 seems to have a lot of battery drain while on static home and lock screens that wasn't there on iOS 17 and the 15PM. I am sure people are getting better results in rundown tests, but in actual usage, it is a step back.

Agreed. I am not getting what I would call noticeably longer battery life from the 14 ProMax I upgraded from. A smidge better, but nothing to write home about.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.