Apple iPhone 16 Review – Less Reasons To Go Pro

Unboxing the Apple iPhone 16

Kicking off our Apple iPhone 16 review with the unboxing, our unit comes in the usual minimalist Apple packaging with an interesting choice for the cover’s illustration. Typically, we’d see the iPhone’s display but this time, we’re getting the rear instead. This is likely to draw focus on the new camera layout. Inside the box, we found the following items:

• USB-C to USB-C cable
• Documentations
• SIM ejector tool
• The Apple iPhone 16 itself

Note: The protective case that you’ll be seeing throughout the review is a separate purchase and is an official Apple case. Also, this year marks the first time an iPhone doesn’t come with Apple stickers.

Specifications

CPU:	Apple A18 2 x performance cores 4 x efficiency cores 2nd Gen 3nm TSMC 16-core Neural Engine
GPU:	5-core Apple GPU
RAM:	8GB
Display:	6.1″ 2796 x 1290 (460 ppi) Super Retina XDR OLED with Dolby Vision, 60Hz, 19.5:9 ratio HDR10, True Tone, Dynamic Island, P3, 1000 nits (typical), 2000 nits max brightness Ceramic Shield glass (2024 gen)
Storage:	128GB / 256GB / 512GB NVMe (not expandable)
Camera:	48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide 13mm, Dual Pixel PDAF 12MP f/1.9 23mm (wide) selfie camera, 1/3.6″, PDAF SL 3D (depth / biometrics sensor)
OS:	iOS 18
Audio:	Stereo speakers
Connectivity:	Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, dual-band 2.4GHz, 5GHz, Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth 5.3 with A2DP, LE, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS NFC USB-C 2.0 with DisplayPort support
SIM:	NanoSIM and eSIM
Battery:	Li-Ion 3,561mAh 45W charging 25W MagSafe wireless charging, 15W Qi2 wireless charging 4.5W reverse wired
Dimensions:	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm
Weight:	170g
Ingress protection:	IP68
Colors:	Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine

Performance

Starting off our benchmark suite with Antutu v10, the iPhone 16 had a pretty good showing, being pretty much on par with all the other flagship chips of this year. This also makes me excited if the A18 Pro chip could do a whole lot better, but this score is more than acceptable and it shows a healthy step up from last year’s flagship A17 Pro chip.

Moving on to Geekbench 6, I’m surprised how well the iPhone 16’s A18 chip shined here, easily demolishing through the competition in both single and multi core aspects. The numbers also seem to line up with early leaks suggesting that it’s not only better than the A17 Pro chip but also how much better it is. It’s looking great considering this is the most affordable new iPhone.

Then in 3DMark, it seems to be doing well in both Wild Life Extreme and Solar Bay tests. I expected it to be lower since there was an emphasis on it have one less GPU core but it’s still a solid performer regardless. On top of that, it even had a stability rating of 91.7%, which means that it’s quite thermally efficient. Sure, thermal throttling does occur to some degree but it’s barely an issue when you compare it with its flagship competitors from this year.

Lastly, we have GPUScore Sacred Path for the first time in our smartphone reviews. Like before, iPhones do not support VRS but for Native and Official tests, the iPhone 16 easily decimated the competition, coming up head and shoulders above the rest. This further proves that it’s quite strong when it comes to 3D applications like mobile games.

Normally, we’d rely on PCMark for battery life but since the app doesn’t have any form of support for iOS, we’d have to rely on a different method. As such, we opted for a 4K YouTube video endurance test to see how long it can play for. The iPhone 16 lasted 18 hours and 21 minutes before it died, which is an amazing feat as that’s a solid 18-hour screen-on time. This goes perfectly in line with Apple’s claim that it can do 18 hours of video streaming, with standard video playback being 4 hours longer.

As for charging, this is what I managed to get using a 100W GaN charger from 2% battery life:

• 15 minutes = 34%
• 30 minutes = 59%
• 45 minutes = 65%
• 60 minutes = 77%
• 75 minutes = 88%
• 90 minutes = 95%
• 94 minutes = 100%

Note: The Apple iPhone 16 only supports up to 45W of fast charging via wired.

Camera

The iPhone 16 retains much of its camera setup from the iPhone 15, featuring a 48MP main camera with a 1/1.56″ sensor and sensor-shift OIS, as well as a 12MP selfie camera. The real upgrade comes from the 12MP ultrawide camera, which now includes phase detection autofocus and a brighter f/2.2 lens, allowing it to double as a macro camera. In terms of photo quality, the iPhone 16 captures sharp and detailed 12MP stills with excellent dynamic range. While colors are natural, they may seem muted to some users.

A 24MP mode offers more detail but is less accessible in the camera app, while the 48MP mode, easily accessible through the UI, delivers sharp and detailed results. Portrait mode shows a slight drop in sharpness, especially with 2x zoom. The ultrawide camera performs well overall, although it lacks the sharpness and dynamic range of the main camera. In low-light conditions, the main camera excels with clean, detailed shots, while the ultrawide and 2x zoom shots are acceptable but less impressive.

The selfie camera performs reliably, capturing sharp, detailed selfies even in challenging lighting, though sharpness and color saturation diminish slightly indoors. Night mode activates automatically, primarily in ultrawide and zoom shots, with the main camera delivering impressive low-light performance.

Arguably the biggest feature added to the iPhone 16 is Camera Control, the pressure-sensitive button that can function as a shutter button and also be used to customize settings like zoom, changing aperture, and more. On paper, this concept is fantastic as it gives users more ways to capture photos / videos and it can be more convenient than the camera’s own UI at times.

The only issue is the position of the button being a little too far in. It needs to be closer to the edge to make it easier to use because as is, it’s hard to comfortably use it and hold the iPhone steadily at the same time. If you have short fingers, it will be tough to use.

The Good

There are a number of good reasons to consider getting the iPhone 16. For starters, it has an excellent display. It features the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display as the iPhone 15, with a resolution of 2556 x 1179 pixels and a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, and True Tone adjustments, with brightness levels reaching up to 1,000 nits manually and 2,000 nits automatically. The display also includes the Dynamic Island cutout and is protected by 2nd Gen Ceramic Shield (Pro models use the 3rd Gen variant).

While the iPhone 16 lacks LTPO technology and always-on display found in Pro models, it delivers flexible HDR playback that works even in partial screen areas. The display measurements align with expectations, offering impressive brightness and low minimum brightness of just 1 nit. Adding on to that, the stereo speakers (1 bottom-firing and 1 front-facing via earpiece) sound great with a rich and balanced audio. Together with it being capable of loud volumes, it makes for a great multimedia device.

The design is feel mostly the same as its predecessor but there are some changes here and there. The most notable one is the new pill-shaped camera housing, which feels more fitting compared to before as it’s symmetrical and pleasing to the eyes. The camera housing itself is part of the rear glass, giving it a more premium look. With the rear having a matte finish, it’s not prone to smudges and makes it easier to grip with one hand. It’s also really light at 170g, further aiding in single-handed use.

Durability isn’t affected by the design either as it’s still IP68 water and dust resistant, capable of surviving water with depths up to 6 meters for 30 minutes. As mentioned before, there’s also the 2nd Gen Ceramic Shield and it’s built on an aluminum chassis, so its durability is quite high up there unless you’re intentionally smashing it to the ground at full force. A drop or two from about 100cm shouldn’t cause any issues, but best to use a protective case if you’re particularly clumsy to maximize resale value.

With more and more consumers prioritizing longevity in this day and age, you’d be happy to know that despite being the most affordable iPhone in the lineup, the Apple iPhone 16 comes guaranteed with 5 years of iOS updates. This means at a minimum, you can use it for a solid 5 years with ease before considering to upgrade it, provided you don’t run into any major issues along the way. Since Apple Intelligence is a major part of the move to the A18 chip, you’ll likely enjoy most, if not all of the AI features while you’re at it.

Lastly, and this is something I’d never thought I would ever say for an Apple product, is that the iPhone 16 is actually priced well. Sure, it’s not cheap but considering the fact that in Malaysia, the retail prices start at RM3,999. If you want a bigger screen, you can go for the Plus model for RM4,499, and I dare say that it’s worth considering over the iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max. In many ways, it exceeds its predecessor’s Pro models and to be able to do that at a lower price point gives it an insane value that is unprecedented with iPhones.

At the time of this writing, Apple Intelligence has been launched yet so we will have to save that for a future article. Stay tuned.

The Bad

Of course, the iPhone 16 has its share of drawbacks. For starters, the display is still the standard 60Hz affair as higher refresh rates are reserved for the Pro models. While I understand that there’s a need to maintain a gap between the standard and Pro models, 60Hz feels superbly outdated going into 2025. I would have at least hoped for a move to 90Hz with variable refresh rate to further boost its battery life but perhaps that will be something saved for next year. The display itself is excellent if you close one eye on this issue.

While I did praise its pricing, especially given its insane value proposition, keep in mind that the starting price is only for the 128GB storage variant. Only the 16 Pro Max starts out at 256GB. 128GB can be enough if you’re a light user but if you plan on using it over the long term, I would recommend getting at least the 256GB variant as the former capacity is rather little in today’s world. Alternatively, you can opt for a portable SSD instead, especially for heavy video / photo shoots as you can save directly into it, which would be cheaper and likely grant you more storage at the cost of convenience in keeping everything within the device.

With that being said however, do keep in mind that if you are planning to use external storage solutions, be it a portable SSD or a microSD reader solution, the speeds might be bogged down somewhat due to the iPhone 16’s USB-C port using the USB 2.0 specifications. This means that you are limited to max data transfer rates of 480Mbps as opposed to USB 3’s 5Gbps. Yes, 480Mbps is still plenty but keep in mind that it will not constantly be transferring at that speed, just that the ceiling is much lower compared to USB 3.0.

Apple iPhone 16 Verdict

While I would usually tell people to go for the previous generation’s Pro / Pro Max model, the iPhone 16 is the first time I would suggest otherwise. It brings so much to the table, especially with the new Apple A18 chip, that the only reason you would consider getting the 15 Pro / Pro Max is for the dedicated telephoto camera and higher refresh rate, and the same can be said for the 16 Pro / Pro Max too. For everything else and for the average consumer, the iPhone 16 (as well as the 16 Plus) is the better buy, especially given its price.

At the end of our Apple iPhone 16 review, I award this smartphone with our coveted Gold Pokdeward.