Apple unveils new iPhone 16: Design, specifications, and photos

Apple introduced the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus at the event, featuring a water- and dust-resistant design and new colors, including ultramarine, turquoise, and pink.

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The iPhone 16 features a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a 6.7-inch display. Both can reach brightness levels of up to 2000 nits and can dim down to one nit in the dark.

The Action button has also made its way into this iPhone series and is as customizable as the one seen on last year's iPhone Pro models.

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There is also a new camera control button that allows quick access to the camera and controls it with a swipe of your finger.

Users can also use this tool to access Visual Intelligence, an AI-based feature available in iOS 18, which can provide more information about any object you point the camera at. It is similar to Google Lens and can perform actions such as adding event dates to your calendar after you point the camera at a postcard you see on the street.

The camera array on the standard iPhone 16 models includes a 48-megapixel main shooter, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a new ultra-wide camera with autofocus. This array will also be capable of capturing spatial photos viewable with Apple Vision Pro.

Both standard iPhone 16 models are powered by the new A18 chip, featuring a 16-core neural engine optimized for generative models. The internals include a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, both of which will be crucial for powering all the new Apple Intelligence features coming to iOS 18.

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According to Apple, both the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have larger batteries than their predecessors, and combined with the efficiency improvements from the A18 chipset and enhancements in iOS 18, they are expected to offer significantly better battery life overall (although Apple did not provide a precise estimate).

Both the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are available for pre-order starting today, with prices starting at $799 and $899 respectively, and will be widely available on September 20.

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iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max

Design of the Pro models

The Pro models are slightly taller and wider, while the standard iPhone 16 models feature a redesigned camera cutout that is positioned vertically rather than diagonally.

In terms of the external camera design, the iPhone 16 Pro models have seen few changes; Apple continues to use the square camera bump housing three lenses.

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Size сhanges of the iPhone 16 Pro

The iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.27-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 6.85-inch display.

With the increase in display size, the dimensions of the iPhone’s body have also grown. Both models are taller and wider than the iPhone 15 Pro models, though the thickness remains the same. However, the weight has slightly increased due to the larger size.

Display technology

The OLED panels in the iPhone 16 use microlens technology to enhance brightness and reduce energy consumption. Microlens arrays, or MLAs, use a uniform pattern of billions of lenses within the panel to reduce internal reflection. The reflected light increases perceived brightness without increasing energy consumption.

The OLED displays used in the iPhone 16 lineup are more energy-efficient due to improved materials.

A-series chips

All four iPhone 16 models will use the same next-generation A18 chip.

A18 chips with fewer GPU cores are used in the iPhone 16 models, while chips with a more advanced GPU may be used in the iPhone 16 Pro models.

The next-generation A18 chip in the iPhone 16 Pro includes an upgraded neural processor with a "significantly" larger number of cores. This is expected to improve artificial intelligence and machine learning performance, as well as to have a larger die size.

Thermal improvements

The iPhone 16 models will feature a new thermal design to address overheating issues. Apple is developing a graphene thermal system for the iPhone 16 models, while the iPhone 16 Pro models also include a metal battery housing to improve heat dissipation.

Graphene has higher thermal conductivity compared to the copper used in iPhone heat sinks.

The iPhone 16 models include a larger graphite sheet inside to reduce heat and mitigate potential overheating from the Apple silicon chip.

RAM

The standard iPhone 16 models have been upgraded to 8 GB of RAM compared to 6 GB in the iPhone 15 models. This means all four iPhone 16 models offer 8 GB of RAM.

5G Modems

The iPhone 16 Pro models are equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem, which provides faster and more efficient 5G connectivity.

The Qualcomm X75 supports the 5G Advanced standard with improvements in artificial intelligence and machine learning for enhanced 5G, positioning the iPhone 16 Pro models as having "5G Advanced" connectivity.

The standard iPhone 16 models use the Qualcomm X70 chip, which was also used in the iPhone 15 models.

Wi-Fi 7

The iPhone 16 Pro models use next-generation Wi-Fi 7 technology, which offers data transfer speeds of at least 30 gigabits per second and can reach up to 40 Gbps.

Wi-Fi 7 can also utilize 320 MHz channels and supports 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), providing speeds 2.4 times higher than Wi-Fi 6 with the same number of antennas.

Wi-Fi 7 ultimately provides higher maximum data transfer speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity.

While Wi-Fi 7 is exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro models, the standard iPhone 16 models have been updated to Wi-Fi 6E, which supports the 6 GHz Wi-Fi band.

iPhone 16 camera technology

The iPhone 16 Pro models feature an enhanced wide-angle camera with a 48-megapixel sensor, improving low-light photo quality.

The 48-megapixel wide-angle sensor used in the iPhone 16 Pro Max is equipped with an eight-element hybrid lens, including two glass and six plastic elements, along with improvements to the telephoto and ultra-wide lenses.

Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max now feature a 5x telephoto lens in 2024, rather than restricting the technology to the larger Pro Max model.

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Battery

The iPhone 16 Pro models use stacked battery technology, leading to increased capacity and extended lifespan. This type of battery is commonly used in electric vehicles and medical devices but is new to smartphones.

The iPhone 16 Pro supports wired charging at 40 watts and MagSafe wireless charging at 20 watts.

The iPhone 16 battery features an updated stainless steel casing, which allows for an increase in energy density by up to 10 percent. This enhancement results in a longer battery life.