Apple’s iPhone 16 family is a return to the familiar formula, but one that’s been refined and sharpened, with small but significant changes to the hardware and even bigger ideas in terms of what on-device intelligence should look like. The lineup ranges from iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, with clearer feature differentiation than ever — and a handful of surprises that count for something when you use them every day.
Models and key specs
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus both feature Apple’s A18 chip (3nm), with a six‑core CPU, five‑core GPU, and a 16‑core Neural Engine cantered around Apple Intelligence. Apple says it can provide up to 30% faster compute and 35% lower power draw compared to similar system-on-chip in the past, and that’s something you can feel when you’re juggling the camera, maps and messaging, all at once.
The 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max step it up with A18 Pro with six‑core CPUs, six‑core GPUs and hardware‑accelerated ray tracing. Apple claims up to 15% faster CPU performance, up to 20% faster GPU with up to three times faster ray tracing compared to the previous Pro chip — a boon for console‑class titles that have evolved to iOS. All four phones come with 8GB of RAM, according to regulatory filings and component teardowns.
Storage: iPhone 16/16 Plus: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB; iPhone 16 Pro: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB; iPhone 16 Pro Max: 256GB-1TB.
Prices and configurations
$729 (128GB) for the iPhone 16, $799 (128GB) or $899 (256GB) for the 16 Plus, with some carriers offering an extra $30 discount on some models. The 16/16 Plus started with higher starting list prices at its launch, while the 16 Pro began at $999 for 128GB and the 16 Pro Max at $1,199 for 256GB. Apple no longer sells the 16 Pro or Pro Max directly, though carrier and retail stock may remain.
This mirrors Apple’s stated playbook in recent times to nudge down non ‑ Pro entry points after a generation ends whilst rotate out Pro models from the official store in order that demand focusses.
Colors and design
This year, the iPhone 16/16 Plus come in black, white, pink, teal and ultramarine—darker tones than the pastels of the past year. The Pro pair adheres to Black Titanium, Natural Titanium and White Titanium, plus a new Desert Titanium finish that looks like bronze in some light, and blush in others.
Materials will continue to be premium: aluminum for the iPhone 16/16 Plus; titanium on the outside and aluminum on the subframe on Pro models, enable to make it lighter, whilst stronger material. The 16/16 Plus’s rear photo and video cameras have now been placed vertically which is a minor adjustment with potentially huge consequences for photo and video capture in small spaces.
Displays and performance
Both the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus retain 6.1‑inch and 6.7‑inch Super Retina XDR OLED displays with the Dynamic Island. They fall in as low as 1 nit for comfortable bedtime use, but also chug along at 60Hz and eschew Always‑On. That conscious cap is Apple’s most obvious segmentation lever; if you love a smoother scroll, you’re pushed Pro.
iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max add vertical height to clock in at 6.3-inches and 6.9-inches with even thinner bezels, 120Hz ProMotion and Always‑On display. In practice, the A18 Pro’s GPU uplift and faster ray tracing will reduce frame time spikes in visually dense games, while the broader thermal envelope of the larger Pro Max will help maintain peak performance.
Cameras and new Camera Control
Apple didn’t rebuild sensors, but it’s more of a coherent lineup. On the front side of things, iPhone 16 base/Plus provide a 48MP main (f/1.6) with sensor‑shift OIS, default output is 12MP, optional 24MP (4-in-1) or even 48MP modes, alongside a 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2) with autofocus for macro. Crop the 48MP sensor and you get nice 2x shots, but (here it comes) the vertical stack opens up spatial capture for Vision Pro.
Now both 16 Pro models run the same system: 48MP main (f/1.78) with second‑gen sensor‑shift OIS, 48MP ultrawide (f/2.2) with AF, and a 12MP tetraprism telephoto that brings 5x optical zoom. The Pro pair can both record 4K Dolby Vision up to 120fps, a useful win for creators who blend slow‑motion and HDR workflows in the same project.
Headline feature: camera control – a dedicated, pressure‑sensitive capacitive button with haptic feedback. A gentle press, users can launch the camera. Press to shoot. Press‑and‑hold and they’ll record video. Swipe to zoom, double‑press for quick settings, and a two‑stage shutter (where a half‑press locks focus/exposure and a full‑press captures) is squeezed in to software. Apple says third‑party developers can access these controls, which might finally make iPhone ergonomics akin to using a compact camera.
Battery life and charging
Regulatory filings intimate bigger cells this time around too, something like 3,561mAh (on iPhone 16), 4,674mAh (16 Plus), 3,582mAh (16 Pro), and 4,685mAh (16 Pro Max). Paired with the A18 family’s miserliness and better heat rejection, Apple’s advertised video playback numbers go up across the board versus previous generations.
According to China’s 3C certification database, there’s up to 45W wired charging support, which represents a big increase over the old iPhones. Apple’s official specs: wireless up to 7.5W using Qi, wireless up to 15W using Qi2, wireless up to 25W using MagSafe. There’s still no charger in the box, as always, and as always the best way to charge it quickly is to find a USB‑C PD charger to pair with it that meets Apple’s specs.
Connectivity and durability
All U.S. units are eSIM‑only; models in most other countries keep a nano‑SIM slot and support dual eSIM. This mirrors the GSMA’s larger pivot towards embedded SIMs which make it easier to change carriers or roam internationally for frequent travelers.
The lineup carries an IP rating of IP68 for water and dust resistance and supports USB‑C, Wi‑Fi 6E (or better depending on model) and ultra wideband for accurate device finding and ecosystem connectivity features. Like always, think of water protection as a safety net, not a challenge — especially when it comes to saltwater.
Software and Apple Intelligence
The iPhone 16 series is designed to run Apple Intelligence out of the box with iOS 18—the on‑device and private‑cloud AI stack that powers Apple features.* Features are subject to change. And new features on the Mac include Writing Tools for both rewrites and summaries, Mail’s new ability to prioritize notifications, and a more context‑aware Siri. Some of those abilities have come in iOS 18 point releases over the years, but the hardware is definitely provisioned for the roadmap.
Apple doesn’t have a strict update policy that it makes publicly available, but its history makes clear that it provides multi‑year support that outpaces most competitors. For buyers, that consistency — along with new AI features and the new Camera Control — makes both the iPhone 16 lineup an easy upgrade, the Pro models a no-brainer for gamers, creators and spec seekers.