Yesterday, Apple announced the 2024 edition of the iPhone, which once again comes in four models. First, there are the two iPhone 16 models: the normal size (6.1" display) and the larger Plus version (6.7" display). Second, there are the two iPhone 16 Pro models: the normal size (6.3" display) and the larger Max version (6.9" display). All four models support Apple Intelligence, a suite of technologies that will roll out over time, starting next month. And all four models feature more buttons: the two iPhone 16 models gain the Action button that was only available on the Pro models last year, and all four models get the new Camera Control button which looks like a great new way to take pictures. This year, you don't lose any features by getting the smaller size instead of the larger size, which makes the purchasing decision easier. First, decide whether paying $200 extra for the Pro features is worth it for you. Second, decide whether you want a regular-size iPhone or a larger iPhone for $100 more. With all of the new features added this year, the iPhone 16 line looks like a great upgrade for lawyers and other professionals who want to do more with their iPhone, especially if taking great photos and videos is important to you.
The iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus
Let's start by looking at the non-Pro models, which gain lots of new features.
Camera Control. The new Camera Control button comes with all four models, and it looks to be a great new feature. You can press the button to launch the camera app no matter what mode the iPhone is in. It is a physical button, so you can depress the button to take a picture, and apparently, there is zero lag between pressing the button and taking the picture. Or you can hold down the button to take video.
Better yet, if you push down on the Camera Control button just a little bit—not hard enough to take a picture—you can do all sorts of things. Press it lightly once to bring up controls that let you change the zoom level; swipe left and right across the button to change the setting. Double-press it lightly to get other choices such as lens selection, exposure selection, and photo style selection. A future software update will let you use the button to lock in the focus and exposure—similar to what a half-click on the shutter button does on a DSLR camera.
The Camera Control button can also work with third-party apps that take pictures. The developers of those apps can decide what options are available when you half-press and slide your finger. I hope we see some creative uses.
I'll have to try it to know for sure, but this certainly sounds like a big improvement. Having a Camera Control button should reduce the time between when you want to take a picture and when you actually take the picture, helping to ensure that you don't miss a key moment. And the numerous controls that you can access by swiping and half-pressing on the Camera Control will make it easier to get to the precise camera mode that you want.
Action button. Since we are talking about buttons, let's next address the new Action button. When the first iPhone came out in 2007, it had a ringer switch on the side, and that switch stayed there until last year when the Pro model of the iPhone 15 changed from a ringer switch to an Action button. You can use the Action button to turn the ringer on or off if you like, but that's not all. It can also turn on the flashlight, open an app, activate Voice Memos, activate the Magnifier, and much more. And "much more" means an unlimited number of additional things because you can use the Action button to trigger any action that you created in the Shortcuts app.
I've been using the Action button for the last year, and I like it. During the day, I use it to open the Camera app—something that I will no longer need once I get a new iPhone with a Camera Control. At night, it turns off the lamp on my bedstand. That sounds like such a simple thing but every single night when I go to bed I have my iPhone in my hand or nearby because I am about to place it on a charger overnight, and as I'm doing so, I love being able to press a simple button to turn off a light without having to tap multiple times on my screen to do the same thing in the Home app.
Apple Intelligence. Apple is very proud of the fact that all four iPhone 16 models have support for Apple Intelligence—a technology that is not out yet, but it will come with some features next month, more features later this year, and even more features in the future. Apple previewed Apple Intelligence a few months ago, and as I discussed at the time, there is quite a bit that it can do.
I myself have mixed emotions about the writing tools feature in Apple Intelligence because I feel like I know how to write (although I can always use help with spelling and grammar mistakes), but others might find those useful. I'm more interested in Visual Intelligence, a feature that can understand what you take a picture of. Take a picture of a store and get info about the store such as hours, website, etc. Take a picture of something that has a date written on it and you can create a calendar entry. Take a picture of a dog and see what kind of dog it is.
Siri is also much more powerful with Apple Intelligence. Whether it is providing you an answer itself or tapping into a resource such as ChatGPT, we should be able to get better and more relevant answers to questions.
Apple seems to be very excited about Apple Intelligence. My hope is that once I start using it myself, I will also gain enthusiasm. For now, I'm mainly just curious to see how it works.
Better processor. A big reason that the new iPhone 16 can handle Apple Intelligence is that it has a more powerful chip. Indeed, after using the A16 last year, this year's model skips over A17 and goes right to using an A18 chip. Apple says that the powerful A18 chip allows the new iPhone to do much more while using less battery life.
Better battery. Apple said that the battery in the iPhone 16 is better than ever. For example, the iPhone 15 supported 20 hours of video playback, but Apple says that the iPhone 16 gains two additional hours and thus has 22 hours of video playback. The iPhone 16 Plus features up to 27 hours of video playback, an hour more than the iPhone 15 Plus with its 26 hours of video playback.
Better pictures and videos. Not only can you start taking pictures and videos faster than ever thanks to the new Camera Control, but pictures and video that you take can be better. A new 48MP Fusion Canera lens is supposed to do a better job when you change from 1x to 2x, even though it is just a software zoom not a true optical zoom. The 12MP Ultra Wide camera is also better, which not only provides better wide-angle photography but also allows for better Macro photography.
Also, if you own an Apple Vision Pro—or you just want to take 3D pictures and videos that you will one day be able to view on an Apple Vision Pro—Apple has moved the two lenses to a side-by-side position (when you are holding the camera in landscape orientation) and added the ability to take spatial photos and videos. Note that these spatial videos are still only 1080p, not 4K which is what I had hoped for, so you do give up some video quality when you change from 2D to 3D.
The sound of videos that you take can also be better. The new iPhones feature wind noise reduction. More impressively, there is a new feature called Audio Mix that lets you change the level of background sounds to make it easier to hear voices. According to Apple, Cinematic mode "[c]aptures all of the voices around you and consolidates them toward the front of the screen—just like sound is formatted for the movies." In-frame mode "[o]nly captures the voices of the people on camera, even if people off-camera are talking during the recording." and Studio mode "[m]akes voices sound like you’re recording in a professional studio equipped with sound-dampening walls. Great for vloggers or podcasters because the recording will sound like the mic is close to the subject’s mouth, even if it’s a few feet away." This sounds incredibly useful and is a fascinating feature, proof that Apple has some really smart people working in the field of sound just like they have smart people working on preserving what you can see in a camera and preserve in an image.
Better MagSafe. If you use a power adapter that is 30W or higher, Apple says that you can get wireless MagSafe charging of up to 25W. This means that you can charge an iPhone 16 up to 50% in only 30 minutes on a wireless charger. Note that I think that you need to get a charger designed to support this feature. Apple sells one on its website for $39 with a 1 meter cord or $49 for a 2 meter cord.
Wi-Fi 7. Wi-Fi 7 is the latest version of Wi-Fi. It only became available in 2024 so it is not yet enabled in many devices, but when you do encounter Wi-Fi 7, this new iPhone will be ready for it with even faster Internet speeds.
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
The Pro versions of the iPhone 16 models are better in a few specific ways. They feature larger and better screens, have a more powerful processor, can take better pictures and video, and have a longer battery life.
Larger and better screen. Perhaps the most obvious difference with the Pro line is the size. The smaller model has a 6.3" display instead of 6.1", and the Max model has a 6.9" display instead of the 6.7" of the iPhone 16 Plus. For example, the iPhone 16 has 2556 x 1179 pixels, and the iPhone 16 Pro has 2622 x 1206 pixels. The iPhone 16 Plus has 2796 x 1290 pixels and the iPhone 16 Pro has 2868 x 1320 pixels. I'll have to see these in person to see what the new screen size feels like, but there is definitely a little more room.
The Pro models also feature a smaller bezel, so the increase in screen size comes with slightly less of an increase in the overall size of the device.
The Pro models also have better screens. Just like last year, there is ProMotion for smoother motion and an Always-On display, allowing you to glance at your iPhone and see information without even having to touch it.
Better processor. The Pro versions of the iPhone 16 have an A18 Pro chip. That lets it do more and makes many of the other unique features possible.
5x optical zoom. Before I address the other camera improvements, I want to start by focusing on the zoom camera. Just like last year, you can get a 5x optical zoom with the Pro Max model. Unlike last year, that 5x zoom is also on the iPhone 15 Pro non-Max model. Thus, you don't have to get a huge iPhone just to get an awesome zoom.
Last year, for the first time in my life, I got the large version of an iPhone instead of the smaller version specifically so that I could take advantage of the 5x zoom. I am so happy that I made that decision because there have been a ton of pictures that I took over the last year that were only possible because of the 5x zoom. When you are inside and the light is dim, 5x pictures are more grainy. But in a well-lit room, or if you are outside, you can get some amazing photos with the 5x zoom.
This year, I'll have the option of getting the 5x zoom without having to get the larger iPhone, so I could go back to the smaller version of the Pro model. I'm thinking about that right now, but I will probably opt to stay with the larger model. I've gotten used to the larger size (even though it is a little more cumbersome to put in a shirt pocket), and when I'm looking at an iPhone screen, having more space is very nice. Even so, it is nice that you don't have to go to the larger model if you just want the 5x zoom.
Better pictures and video. If you want the best possible pictures and videos, you'll want the iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max.
The UltraWide camera can take a 48MP picture, which is four times better than the iPhone 16 and last year's iPhone 15 Pro. In theory, this means that you shouldn't have to sacrifice quality just to go to the wide or Macro mode, which is great. I also suspect that this helps this iPhone to take even better spatial photography.
The video capabilities are also improved in various ways, including support for Dolby Vision video and 4K at 120 frames per second.
The Pro models also feature an anti-reflective coating on the lenses. Apple hasn't said much about this feature, but I presume that it reduces lens flare.
The Pro models also feature better microphones: a studio-quality four-mic array. Add this to the wind noise reduction and Audio Mix that is also available on the iPhone 16 models and you get some impressive audio improvements.
Even better battery. I noted above that the battery is improved on the iPhone 16 models. They are even better on the Pro models, I presume because the iPhones themselves are a little bigger and thus can accommodate a bigger battery. For example, while the iPhone 15 Pro could handle 23 hours of video playback, the iPhone 16 Pro can handle 27 hours. The iPhone 15 Pro Max could handle 29 hours of video playback, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max can handle 33 hours.
Cases and Costs
The case of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus is aluminum, and it comes in different colors: ultramarine, teal, pink, white, and black. The case of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max is titanium and it lacks bright colors, coming in black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium (a sort of light gold or brown).
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have a 128GB model: $799 for the iPhone 16 and $899 for the iPhone 16 Plus. The iPhone 16 Pro also has a 128GB model for $999. There is no 128GB model for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. All four models come with a 256GB model: $899, $999, $1099, and $1199 for the 16 / 16 Plus / 16 Pro / 16 Pro Max. You can see the pattern here. You pay an extra $100 to increase the size of the iPhone, and you pay an extra $200 to jump from the regular model to the Max model.
There is also a 512GB version for all four models. And for the Pro line, you can get a 1TB model for $1499 (Pro) or $1599 (Pro Max).
Last year, I got the 512GB model and I was happy with that size. It gave me plenty of space to take 4K videos. The shorter ones stayed in my Photos library, but the larger ones got moved to my computer and then turned into home movies using Final Cut Pro. So this year, I plan to stay with the same size and get either the $1299 iPhone Pro 512GB or the $1399 iPhone Pro Max 512GB.
Conclusion
The 2024 models of the iPhone look like nice upgrades. I'm excited about the new Camera Control button. And while I'm still uncertain how useful Apple Intelligence will be, it has the potential to be a big deal, and these devices will have the processor power to support Apple Intelligence. Moreover, Apple knows that many people (like me) love the iPhone because of its capabilities as a camera, and all of the models—but especially the two Pro models—excel in that area. I'm excited to get this new model.
Pre-orders start on Friday, September 13. Pre-orders should arrive starting on September 20, and they will also be available in stores starting September 20.
