iPhone 16 Pro hands-on review: Two-minute preview
Walking from the Apple keynote into the massive demo room just behind it, I found myself faced with long tables filled with new products, including iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max phones on pedestals (as they should be), and hordes of excited media and analysts crowded so tightly around the products that I could barely get close enough to sniff them.
Luckily, there were a lot of Apple representatives there who almost furtively took the shiny handsets out of their pockets and then casually explained the functions.
So I finally got my hands on the iPhone 16 Pro, a now 6.3-inch iOS 18 device that’s slightly larger than the iPhone 15 Pro while offering significantly more screen real estate. Apple managed to do this trick by shrinking the bezel so that it forms just a thin dark line around the Super Retina XDR display. Apparently Apple figured out how to redirect some of the screen traces from the edges under the display, which made the razor-thin bezel possible.
When they handed me the phone, I noticed that its black titanium chassis felt just as solid and smooth as before. It looked familiar, as the design was largely unchanged from the last iPhone. The only noticeable and significant difference is the new camera control. This tactile/haptic combo button, which adorns the entire iPhone 16 lineup, is something of a star of the new iPhone show.
Located below the power button, the technology-packed button is initially used to open the camera app, a lighter press activates the haptic access controls, and a double press accesses a more comprehensive set of camera controls.
After that, you can swipe up and down at the bottom to select different photography functions. After a quick tutorial, I was able to use this to access the different lenses, adjust exposure, and change depth of field. There’s a visual cue on the screen to help you keep track of all touch, tap, and gesture-based camera changes.
Eventually, virtually any app that uses the camera could access the camera control button. Snapchat already does this.
This button could change the way you use your iPhone, and I think people will like it.
There is another big and significant change with the iPhone 16 Pro. Again, in terms of zoom, it is on par with its big brother, the now 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max.
While the iPhone 15 Po only offered a 3x optical zoom, the iPhone 16 Pro has the same 5x tetraprism zoom as the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Other camera changes include a 48MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a faster shutter speed on the 48MP main camera. I saw some of these photography skills in action when I took a few sample photos, but I didn’t gather enough evidence to draw any useful conclusions.
Demos I’ve seen elsewhere of 4K 120fps show some impressive video capabilities. I have yet to see or try Cinematic Slo-Mo, but it looks like a great tool for professional videographers.
The iPhone 16 Pro is powered by the new A18 Pro CPU, a mobile processor with more power than most consumers need, but I suspect pro users will appreciate it. It will also support all of the promised Apple Intelligence features. The news here, however, is that the iPhone 16 Pro will not ship with Apple Intelligence. Apple has promised to ship an iOS 18 update next month that will support it.
The good news is that I’ve seen some Apple Intelligence features in action. Photo Cleanup easily detects leftover photos and expertly removes them with a tap or delete gesture.
The writing tools, while hidden, seem to have a lot of depth and are ready to not only clean up your text, but basically do it for you… if you want.
Siri has literally gotten a glow and now turns on the entire screen of the iPhone 16 Pro when activated. It was difficult to use in the crowded room, but I love the look.
Although I didn’t spend much time with the phone, it was a snap to use at first. The A18 Pro has the power to handle virtually any task and more. Console-level gaming is now possible on the iPhone. Even at 6.3 inches, the screen might be a little small for some AAA games, but it can certainly handle the action. That’s in part due to the new thermal management system that keeps the iPhone efficient for longer during peak use.
I think it will be a challenge to overwhelm this smartphone.
Despite all that power and new AI features, Apple said during the keynote that we can expect longer battery life, and by longer I mean potentially measured in hours. That’s an exciting prospect.
It’s a shame that this iPhone 16 Pro launches with half the storage of the iPhone 16 Pro Max: 128GB versus 256GB. 128GB is nothing to sneeze at, but if you shoot a lot of 4K video, you might wish you had that extra 128GB.
A better and bigger screen, improved cameras including 5x zoom, the new camera control button and so much power could make this one of the best iPhones Apple has ever made. Will it be the best smartphone? That’s a question I can’t answer until I test it.
iPhone 16 Pro hands-on review: price and availability
- From $999 / £999 / AU$1,849
- Pre-orders will be available from September 13th, with the phone shipping from September 20th
The iPhone 16 Pro was announced at Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event on Monday, September 9. Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 begin on Friday, September 9, and the new phone will hit stores on Friday, September 20.
The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 for the 128GB storage model, with storage options going up to 1TB. For comparison, that’s the same starting price as the iPhone 15 Pro.
The full prices for the iPhone 16 Pro are as follows:
| storage | US price | UK Price | AU Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 128GB | 999 US dollars | 999 € | 1,799 € |
| 256GB | $1,099 | 1,099 € | 1,999 € |
| 512GB | $1,299 | 1,299 € | 2,349 € |
| 1TB | 1,499 € | 1,499 € | 2,699 € |
Practical test of the iPhone 16 Pro: Technical data
Below is a summary of the key specifications of the iPhone 16 Pro.
| iPhone 16 Pro | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions: | 149.6×71.5×8.25mm |
| Weight: | 199g |
| Advertisement: | 6.3 inch OLED |
| Resolution: | 2622 x 1206 pixels |
| Refresh rate: | Adaptive 1-120 Hz |
| Chipset: | A18Pro |
| Rear view cameras: | 48 MP main lens (24 mm, ƒ/1.78), 48 MP ultra-wide angle (13 mm, ƒ/2.2), 12 MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom (120 mm, ƒ/2.8) |
| Front camera: | 12 megapixels (ƒ/1.9) |
| Storage: | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
