Early Verdict
...
Pros
- +
Camera Control could be a game-changing addition
- +
Nice to see the Action Button on the base model
- +
A18 Chip looks to be plenty powerful
Cons
- -
Still just a 60Hz display
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Hands-on iPhone 16 review: Two-minute preview
Apple's iPhone 16 is official, and it arrives with some vibrant new color options, a new-look (or old-look if you go back far enough) camera bump and, most interestingly, a couple of new buttons. I was on the ground for the 'It's Glowtime' event at Apple HQ in Cupertino, California, and as Tim Cook wrapped up the keynote I dashed out of the Steve Jobs Theater and made a beeline for the media area and the iPhone 16.
First, the colors are fantastic and best described simply as 'fun', at least for most shades. Ultramarine (a mix of blues, but don't call it blue), pink, and teal all come together to freshen up the iPhone palette, and look delightful. I think Pro buyers will be a little upset with the vibrant options here, though, given the more neutral shades on offer for the Pro and Pro Max.
Regardless of which color you go for, it's most prominent on the back of the phone, where it's also the canvas for the redesigned main camera bump, with the two lenses now arranged vertically rather than diagonally. There's a 48-megapixel primary lens and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and the new orientation will allow this iPhone to capture spatial video for playback on the Apple Vision Pro.
The other physical changes are on the sides of the phone. The Action Button has trickled down to the standard iPhones this year, and sits above the volume rocker. I see it as a welcome addition, and much like the new customization features of iOS 18, it's a customizable button on your iPhone. You can be like me and use it to unlock your car, play a specific version of Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, create a custom shortcut to trigger, or pick from presets like turning on the flashlight or launching the camera.
Although I don't know why you would set it to launch the camera, considering that the iPhone 16 also has an all-new Camera Control button on the left side. It's in the perfect position, as when you're holding the iPhone 16 horizontally it's on the top-right, which mirrors the design of nearly any camera. You can press it once to open the camera and again to take the shot, but it's no ordinary single-function button. You can swipe left or right to zoom in or out, and a slightly lighter press-in lets you jump between shooting modes and other effects. It's really cool, and I can't wait to spend more time with it.
Aside from these changes, the iPhone 16 resembles the iPhone 15 quite a bit. Thanks to an aluminum build it still feels solid in the hand, but it won't weigh you down. To the untrained eye, the front is nearly all display, at 6.1 inches, and the OLED panel is still vibrant and crisp. It's still just 60Hz, so there's no buttery smooth refresh rate, and if you've used a phone with a 120Hz screen you won't be impressed with the downgrade; however, if you haven't experienced 120Hz I don't think you'll miss it.
Plus, the Dynamic Island is at the top of the screen, so you can use the Live Activities galore. During my brief hands-on time the iPhone 16 felt snappy when I was opening applications, playing around with the new buttons, and even dabbling in a few games. There's also a new chip under the hood – yes, entirely new, rather than inherited from last year's Pro. The Apple A18 will be plenty powerful enough for daily tasks, and will be ready to help you make the most of Apple Intelligence when those features arrive.
To address the proverbial elephant in the room, the iPhone 16 will be running iOS 18 out of the box, but no Apple Intelligence features will be available. The first of those features, Writing Tools and Photo Cleanup, will arrive with iOS 18.1 in October.
That about sums up my first impressions of the iPhone 16 – it's a powerful smartphone with some useful extra buttons in a familiar design. I suspect the experience will be a lot like using the iPhone 15, but I'm also curious to see how it steps things up, especially compared to earlier iPhones. At a minimum, these new iPhones are way more colorful, which is something to celebrate.
Hands-on iPhone 16 review: Price and availability
- Starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399
- Pre-orders open on September 13, shipping from September 20
The iPhone 16 was announced at Apple's 'It's Glowtime' event on September 9. iPhone 16 preorders will begin on September 13, and the new phone will hit store shelves and start shipping on September 20.
The iPhone 16 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 for the model with 128GB of storage, with that price rising to $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for 256GB of storage, and $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,949 for 512GB of storage.
You can see full iPhone 16 pricing below.
| Storage | US price | UK price | AU price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 128GB | $799 | £799 | AU$1,399 |
| 256GB | $899 | £899 | AU$1,599 |
| 512GB | $1,099 | £1,099 | AU$1,949 |
Hands-on iPhone 16 review: Specs
Below, you'll find a roundup of the iPhone 16's key specs.
| iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions: | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm |
| Weight: | 170g |
| Display: | 6.1-inch OLED |
| Resolution: | 2556 x 1179 pixels |
| Refresh rate: | 60Hz |
| Chipset: | A18 |
| Rear cameras: | 48MP main (26 mm, f/1.6), 12MP ultra-wide (13 mm, f/2.2) |
| Front camera: | 12MP (f/1.9) |
| Storage: | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
What is a hands on review?
Hands on reviews' are a journalist's first impressions of a piece of kit based on spending some time with it. It may be just a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is we have been able to play with it ourselves and can give you some sense of what it's like to use, even if it's only an embryonic view. For more information, see TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee.
