Apple’s latest event showcased the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, both of which are designed to meet the high computational demands of Apple Intelligence, the company’s AI technology. These new models are equipped with the advanced A18 chipset, built on a 3nm process, promising significant improvements in performance and efficiency. Despite these internal upgrades, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus retain the same screen sizes and designs as their predecessors.
Display and Design
The iPhone 16 features a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Plus boasts a larger 6.7-inch screen. The 60Hz refresh rate is maintained on both models, providing a compromise between battery life and performance. Visibility is guaranteed in all lighting circumstances thanks to the displays’ ability to achieve up to 2,000 nits of brightness in direct sunshine and dim down to 1 nit in low light. The newest Ceramic Shield, which is twice as durable as the reinforced glass found in rival smartphones and 50% tougher than the original, protects the displays.
A18 Chipset: Power and Efficiency
The standout feature of the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus is the new A18 chipset. This second-generation 3nm chip is a significant upgrade from the A16 found in the iPhone 15 series. The A18 CPU is 30% faster than the iPhone 15’s CPU and 60% faster than the iPhone 12’s. Additionally, the GPU is twice as fast as the GPU in the iPhone 12 and gets a 40% performance gain over the iPhone 15. Furthermore, the A18 uses 30% less power and 35% less power to provide the same CPU and GPU performance as the iPhone 15. Additionally, Apple has increased system memory bandwidth by 17%.
Enhanced Thermal Management
Apple has reworked the thermal management system in the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, achieving 30% higher sustained performance. This improvement includes a redesigned motherboard and a thermal substrate made from 100% recycled aluminum, ensuring efficient heat dissipation during intensive tasks.
Gaming and Graphics
The A18 chipset’s GPU is powerful enough to run triple-A games like Resident Evil 7 Biohazard and Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, which were previously exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPads, and Macs. The GPU also supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing, enhancing the visual quality of games like War Thunder Mobile. With support for game controllers, the iPhone 16 series offers a console-like gaming experience on a mobile device.
Advanced AI Capabilities
The new 16-core Neural Processing Unit (NPU) in the A18 chipset is twice as fast at machine learning tasks compared to its predecessor. This enhancement enables Apple Intelligence to run efficiently on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, bringing advanced AI features to these models. One such feature is Visual Intelligence, which can recognize buildings, objects, and even pets, providing relevant information with a simple tap and hold on the Camera Control.
Camera Innovations
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus feature a 48MP main camera with an f/1.6 26mm lens and sensor-shift optical image stabilization (OIS). The new imaging pipeline allows for 24MP photos, offering more detail than 12MP shots while maintaining smaller file sizes compared to 48MP images. The camera can also record 4K video with Dolby Vision at 60fps and includes wind noise reduction for clearer audio in videos.
The ultra-wide camera has been upgraded to a 12MP module with a 13mm lens, featuring autofocus and a brighter f/2.2 aperture. This allows the camera to capture 2.6 times more light, improving low-light performance and enabling macro photography.
New Camera Control and Action Button
The Camera Control is a capacitive touchpad protected by sapphire glass, designed to feel like a real button with Apple’s haptic feedback. It allows users to launch the camera, snap photos, record videos, and adjust settings with ease. The Action Button replaces the traditional Alert Slider, offering customizable shortcuts for various functions, such as starting a voice memo, identifying a song, or turning on the flashlight.
Satellite Connectivity and iOS 18
The iPhone 16 series now has improved satellite communication with iOS 18, enabling users to send tapbacks and communicate with friends and family even when there isn’t an emergency. The US and Canada will be the first countries to use this capability. The iOS 18 version of the images app has a new function called Cleanup that allows you to eliminate extraneous objects from images and automatically arranges them according to who is in the photo or where it was taken.
Sustainable Design
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus frames are made from aerospace-grade aluminum, with 85% recycled material in the enclosure. The back glass is infused with color for a vibrant finish, available in Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, and Black.
Availability and Pricing
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will be available for pre-order starting September 13, with official availability beginning on September 20. Both models come with 128GB of base storage, with the iPhone 16 starting at $800 and the iPhone 16 Plus at $900. The first wave of availability includes 58 countries and regions, such as Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, and the US. A second wave, including Macao, Vietnam, and 19 other countries and regions, will follow on September 27.
