Hands on: iPhone 16 Pro review – max zoom without the Max name, plus a new button to use it

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro review: Two-minute preview

Running from the Apple Keynote to the expansive demo room right behind it, I was confronted by long tables of new products, including iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max phones on pedestals (as they should be), and hoards of excited media and analysts who crowded so tightly around the products that I could scarcely get close enough to sniff them.

Lucky for me, many Apple representatives were milling about who would almost surreptitiously remove the gleaming handsets from their pockets and then just as casually walk you through features. 

That was how I finally got close to the iPhone 16 Pro, a now 6.3-inch iOS 18 device that is slightly larger than the iPhone 15 Pro while offering noticeably more screen real estate. Apple managed this trick by shrinking the bezel so it's just a thin dark line surrounding the Super Retina XDR display. Apparently, Apple figured out how to reroute some of the screen traces from the edges to underneath the display, which made the razor-thin bezel possible.

As they handed me the phone, I noticed its Black Titanium body felt just as solid and smooth as before. It felt familiar because the design was largely unchanged from the last iPhone. The one noticeable and significant difference is the new Camera Control. This tactile/haptic combo button, which adorns the full iPhone 16 lineup, is kind of the star of the new iPhone show.

Stuffed full of technology, the button lives below the power button and is used initially to open the camera app. A lighter press activates the haptic response access controls, and a double press accesses a deeper set of camera controls. 

After that, you can swipe up and down on the bottom to select different photography features. After a quick training, I could use it to access the different lenses, set exposure, and change the depth of field. There's a visual cue on the screen to help you keep track of all the touch, tap, and gesture-based camera changes.

Eventually, virtually any app that uses the camera could access the Camera Control button. Snapchat is already doing so.

This button might just change how you use your iPhone, and I think people will like it.

There is another big and significant change in the iPhone 16 Pro. Again, it has parity on the zoom front with its big brother, the now 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max.

While the iPhone 15 Po offered just a 3x optical zoom, the iPhone 16 Pro has the same 5x tetra prism zoom as the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Other camera changes include a 48MP ultra-wide and a faster shutter speed on the 48MP main camera. I saw some of these photographic skills in action when I took a few sample photos, but I didn't gather enough evidence to draw any useful conclusions. 

Demos I saw elsewhere of the 4K 120fps show some impressive video skills. I have yet to see or try out the Cinematic Slo-Mo, but it looks like a great tool for pro videographers.

The new A18 Pro CPU powers the iPhone 16 Pro, a mobile processor with more power than most consumers need, but I suspect pro users will appreciate it. It'll also support all those promised Apple Intelligence features. The news here, though, 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 did see some Apple Intelligence features in action. Photo Cleanup works smoothly to identify photographic detritus and expertly remove it with a tap or erase gesture. 

Writing tools are hidden but appear to have a lot of depth and are ready to not just clean up your writing but almost do your writing for you...if that's your thing.

Siri got a literal glow-up and now turns on the entire iPhone 16 Pro screen when activated. It was hard to use her in the crowded room but I do love the look of it.

While I didn't spend a lot of time with the phone, the initial operation appeared snappy. A18 Pro has all the power you need for virtually any task and more. Console-level gaming is now a thing on the iPhone. Even at 6.3 inches, the screen might be a bit small for some AAA games, but it can certainly handle the action. Part of that is due to the new heat management system that makes the iPhone more efficient for longer at peak operation.

I think it'll be a challenge to over-tax this smartphone.

Even with all that power and new AI features, Apple said during the keynote that we should expect longer battery life, and by longer, I mean you might be able to measure it in hours. That's an exciting prospect.

It's a shame that this iPhone 16 Pro will start with half the storage of the iPhone 16 Pro Max: 128GB vs. 256GG. 128GB is nothing to sneeze at, but if you're shooting a lot of 4K video, you might wish for that extra 128GB.

A better and bigger screen, improved cameras, including 5x zoom, that 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.

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro review: Price and availability

• Starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,849
• Pre-orders open on September 13, and the phone ships from September 20

The iPhone 16 Pro was announced at Apple's 'It's Glowtime' event on Monday, September 9. iPhone 16 preorders will begin on Friday, September 9, and the new phone will hit store shelves on Friday, September 20.

The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 for the model with 128GB of storage, with storage options rising to 1TB. For reference, that's the same starting price as the iPhone 15 Pro.

Full iPhone 16 Pro pricing is as follows:

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro review: Specs

Below, you'll find a roundup of the iPhone 16 Pro's key specs.