Apple iPhone 16 & 16 Plus review: No need for Pro

I’m not sure if it’s intentional (it probably is), but Apple’s iPhone models take turns in the spotlight. For 2023, the iPhone 15 Pro models were far more exciting than the standard iPhone 15 models, with a switch to titanium and the introduction of the Action button. For 2024, it’s definitely the standard iPhone 16 model’s time to shine. 

Don’t get me wrong, the iPhone 16 Pro models are still excellent, but you don’t need to go Pro this year and that’s a testament to the standard models rather than any fault of the Pros. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus offer pretty much everything you could want, and if I didn’t love the Desert Gold finish of the iPhone 16 Pro Max so much, I would 100 per cent be opting for the Ultramarine iPhone 16 Plus. 

Having reviewed the models side-by-side since before launch, here’s what I love about the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, and the few things they are missing.

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The Disconnekt Downlow

The Apple iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are excellent phones. I’d recommend the larger model as you get a bigger display and superb battery performance, but both get my vote. You miss out on a couple of features compared to the iPhone 16 Pro (as you would expect) but the lacking list is significantly reduced this year, making the Pro a much tougher sell. The colour choices of the standard iPhone 16 models are excellent, the Camera Control button is useful, I am a huge fan of the Action Button and there’s solid performance overall, including from the dual rear camera. If you’re looking for a new iPhone (and one that will support Apple Intelligence features when they launch), it’s absolutely these models – and particularly the iPhone 16 Plus – I would recommend without hesitation.

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The reasons you should choose the Apple iPhone 16/iPhone 16 Plus

There are so many good things to say about the standard iPhone 16 this year, it’s tricky to know where to start. The colours are much bolder than the pastel shades of the iPhone 15 and they really pop. Ultramarine was my favourite in the flesh, but the Pink is gorgeous too, as is the Teal. If you want to be boring and go with Black or White then you do you, but I’d highly recommend opting for one of the colours. 

Their aluminium frames make for a lightweight build – much lighter than the iPhone 16 Pro – and that’s particularly noticeable in the larger models. The edges remain flat, which they have been since the iPhone 12, but there are a couple of extra buttons now. The Action button from the iPhone 15 Pro has graced us with its presence on the standard iPhone 16 and it’s an introduction I am very much in favour of. 

It has more customisation options than when it first launched, but if you get geeky with the Shortcuts app, there are endless things you can get it to do with one press. I personally use it to open WhatsApp, but you can set it so it does one thing in the day and something else in the evening if you want to. For more simple tasks without the Shortcuts app, there are options like putting your phone in and out of silent mode, choosing a focus mode, launching the camera, accessing accessibility shortcuts, starting a voice memo, turning the torch on or off, or even Shazam-ing a song if that’s something you find yourself doing a lot. 

I probably wouldn’t choose launching the camera, as there is now the Camera Control button on the right edge of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus too. I’ll be honest, I was surprised Apple brought this to the standard models this year rather than making it a Pro exclusive, but I’m here for it. It takes a bit of time to get used to – like the volume control on the stem of the AirPods Pro 2 – but over the last month, I’ve found myself using it for switching between the camera lenses, as well as taking photos. For landscape shots, it’s in the perfect position.

Speaking of photos, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus offer great results. You don’t get high resolution Macro shots like on the Pro (though you do get Macro in general), or 5x optical zoom or 4K120fps shooting, but you get plenty. The beauty of these devices is that you can just point and shoot, with the phone’s processing doing most of the hard work for you. In bright conditions, the detail and colour balance is excellent, and more natural than you’ll find on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, while low light is decent too. I think Google’s Pixel 9 Pro XL is superior for night shots if low light shooting is your thing, but the iPhone 16 does a solid job and it will serve you well.

Performance is slick and sleek on the iPhone 16 too, with a fluid experience, whether you’re opening apps, taking photos or switching between different tasks. But it’s the battery life where these models really show their worth, especially in the case of the iPhone 16 Plus. That device will get you through the day, into the evening and through the night without an issue. In my testing, it was better than the iPhone 16 Pro Max too, though that model is also a workhorse. There’s also faster charging compared to the iPhone 15, which is always a bonus. It’s not as speedy as you will get on some Android phones, but it matches the likes of both Google and Samsung’s flagships.

What iPhone 16/16 Plus could do better

There are a couple of areas where the iPhone 16 models could improve, though they are few and far between. The first is the display, which has a standard 60Hz refresh rate. Now, a few years ago, that was entirely normal and no reviewer, or user, would have bat an eyelid when a screen had 60Hz. I’m still not even convinced an average user would know what it is. But things are a bit different now, with many devices offering 120Hz refresh rate as standard, and on mid-range devices too. 

The faster refresh rate allows for smoother scrolling overall, though it is especially useful in gaming. On the Pro models you’ll find a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and Always-On Display too. Always On Display is something that has been standard for several years on Android devices so it’s a shame the standard iPhone hasn’t adopted it yet, instead leaving you with a black screen when locked.

If you’re moving from an older iPhone, you won’t be affected as that too will have a 60Hz display and no Always-On Display. If you’re moving from a device that does have an Always-On Display or 120Hz however, you may notice the difference. That said, refresh rate aside, and the iPhone 16 has a great display. There’s plenty of punch, vibrancy and brightness, and being able to drop to 1 nit is also particularly helpful late at night when you don’t want a beacon of light shining into your retinas. Dynamic Island – which arrived on the standard models in 2023 – is great for multi-tasking, allowing you to carry on doing what you’re doing, while offering easy access to features like timers and music playback controls by pressing and holding the interface at the top of the screen.

The other point to mention is the iPhone 16 has introduced the Action Button – and I’ll caveat this section by saying I really am a true advocate for that button over the silent toggle as I use it hundreds of times a day. But, I would like to see it expand to offering different actions with a double press and even a triple press. Given that the Back Tap accessibility feature allows you to set different actions for one tap and two taps, I feel the Action Button has more potential. 

It’s also worth mentioning that there is no telephoto lens on the standard iPhone 16, so you don’t get the 5x optical zoom you will get on the Pro. You still get 2x optical zoom so it’s not a huge issue, it’s more just something to keep in mind if you like to zoom.

iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence

We better talk about the elephant in the room before we get onto the latest iPhone software, iOS 18, hadn’t we? Apple Intelligence is due to arrive in December, or at least some of Apple Intelligence is. You can download the iOS 18.1 beta if you want to try out some of the features now, like Clean Up in photos or some of the Writing Tools, but the beginnings of Apple Intelligence in its final form will appear at the end of year. For the full Apple Intelligence experience, including smarter and more contextualised Siri, you’ll need to wait until March if you’re in the UK.

Still, the iPhone 16 models will support Apple Intelligence, which is more than the iPhone 15 models can say. They also support iOS 18 of course, running the latest software out of the box. There are some great improvements with iOS 18 too, from being able to edit the Control Centre and the Lock Screen controls at the bottom of the display, to a new look for the Photos app and plenty of new tricks. 

There’s some fresh customisation too, allowing you to tint all apps to one colour – something Android’s Material You interface offers, and you can Hide an App now too, joining the ability to hide photos, which you’ve been able to do for a couple of years. 

I’m looking forward to seeing what Apple Intelligence brings in terms of user experience (artificial intelligence on phones is currently a little uninspiring), but for now, iOS 18 offers some great features on the whole. The Passwords app is good, I’m a huge fan or Siri Interactions for AirPods – available on the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, and simple things like adding Send Later to Messages all come in handy.

The software isn’t exclusive to the iPhone 16 models of course, with older iPhones also supporting it, but Apple Intelligence is exclusive to the iPhone 16 models (all four of them) and the iPhone 15 Pro models so that’s worth noting.

Should you buy the iPhone 16/iPhone 16 Plus?

There’s a very simple answer here and it’s yes, you absolutely should buy the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus. I’d recommend the larger model as you get the bigger display and superb battery performance, but both are great phones. 

You miss out on a couple of features compared to the iPhone 16 Pro (as you would expect) but the lacking list is significantly reduced this year, making the Pro models a much tougher sell. The colour choice of the standard iPhone 16 models is excellent, the Camera Control button is useful, I am a huge fan of the Action Button and there’s solid performance overall, including from the dual rear camera. 

Yes, a 120Hz display would’ve been welcomed and I’d love the Action Button to offer extra functions for a double press and triple press, but that’s really all there is to complain about. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are superb, with pretty much everything you could want from your phone, and executed brilliantly in a slim and lightweight build. 

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