iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus arrive with Camera Control button and more speed

AppleInsider

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have been announced, with a new vertical camera bump, a faster processor, and the addition of both Action and Camera Control buttons.

The new iPhone 16 range

Apple unveiled the two models at its September 9 "It's Glowtime" event, alongside the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Both of the regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models have broadly the same design as their predecessors.

The rear cameras have been redesigned and are now in a vertical arrangement, specifically to facilitate shooting Spatial Photos. Images taken with the new camera system can be viewed in 3D in Apple Vision Pro.

That camera system now comprises a 48MP Fusion camera with a 2x Telephoto option, plus a new 12MP Ultra Wide camera. Alongside the cameras, Apple claims that what it calls next-generation Photographic Styles will help users personalize their images.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus both feature the new 3nm A18 processor, which is up to 30% faster than the iPhone 15. It's twice as fast for Machine Learning, and includes 17% more memory bandwidth specifically so it can support Apple Intelligence.

Apple's summary of iPhone 16 features

The screen sizes remain the same as before, at 6.1 inches for the iPhone 16, and 6.7-inches for the iPhone 16 Plus. Apple says that the updated ceramic shield is 50% tougher than the previous generation, and twice as strong as the glass on any other smartphone.

Apple's iPhone 16 now comes in five colors:

• Ultramarine


• Teal


• Pink


• White


• Black

The most noticeable visual difference when compared to the iPhone 15 range, though, is that the rear two cameras are now arranged vertically instead of diagonally.

The two cameras include a primary wide camera, with 1x and 2x optical zoom. The second camera is an ultra wide one for the .5x zoom out, which has also been improved with a faster f/2.2 aperture to improve low-light photography.

But then there is also the addition of a customizable Action Button, which was previously introduced with the Apple Watch Ultra in 2022, and then the iPhone 15 Pro series in 2023.

The new Camera Control button gives quick access to taking photos or adjusting features

A last visible difference is the addition of a Camera Control button, which is new to the whole range and appears on all four models of iPhone 16. By default, the Camera Control button makes taking photos a one-press job, but it also has options, such as which camera app it opens.

iPhone 16 adds a new 12MP Ultra Wide Camera system

For taking photos quickly, a light press brings up a minimal camera app interface, but allows for the user to slide to zoom. Apple says that developers will be able to bring Camera Control to third-party apps, such as Snapchat.

That will depend on developers adopting the new control, so it is likely that apps will begin using it over the next months. Also coming later this year is Apple's own additions to Camera Control, letting it work with visual intelligence.

Pressing and holding on it starts examining the surroundings, with data detectors for animals, faces, restaurant names, and dates. The same Camera Control button will also be able to give users quick access to searching Google or ChatGPT.

Alongside images, the new cameras can capture video in Spatial Audio for playback across AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, and surround sound systems. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro has a new Audio Mix feature that lets users adjust sound after capture, rearranging the spatial balance and improving noise reduction.

The new iPhone 16 colors

On the inside of the chassis, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have been given larger batteries. Apple says that the chassis has been reengineered to allow for that larger battery and provide better heat dissipation, but it has not as yet quoted battery life.

Apple will start taking pre-orders for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus on Friday, September 13, with shipping beginning a week later on September 20. The iPhone 16 will start at $799, and the iPhone 16 Plus at $899.



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Iermode

finally iphone 16 models has little bit more interesting update than 15.

dee_dee

I used to look forward to these events, not they are just super boring snore-fests.

eightzero

dee_dee said:

I used to look forward to these events, not they are just super boring snore-fests.

we're now an hour and a half into this. not sure what i'm learning, other than AAPL really wants my money. guess that's the point.

kdupuis77

Man, so far I'm kinda thinking I wanna just get an iPhone 16 instead of the Pro lol.

mikethemartian

So what is the “Glowtime” a reference to? I thought maybe they were going to go with 60s DayGlo colors.

CheeseFreeze

Ignore the marketing, take it face-value. The reason it’s a snooze-fest is because the product has been mature for years now. Not much Apple can do about it.

fred1

What’s with the extremely ugly (or, in the case of dark grey, boring) colors?
Are these what a focus group wanted or did someone at Apple just decide?
Definitely not the year to upgrade. 

appleinsideruser

Apart from not having the Pro’s 48MP Ultra wide, the base model looks quite good this year.

sflagel

I have an iPhone 12 Pro and I *still* don’t see a reason to upgrade. I don’t even see a reason to watch these events anymore, it’s just technobabble. 

StrangeDays

Dear lord the whining butthurts. It’s a nearly twenty year-old product, what are you expecting from it?

Things were more “exciting” when the hardware sucked and was getting better. We’re there now. Annual car models are incremental, too. 

dewme

I hate to say it, but long before this event came to a merciful conclusion I was hoping for someone, anyone to redirect back to Tim so he could put a lid on it. I have never felt this way about an Apple event in the past. I'm usually eager for it to continue with me hoping beyond hope for a "One More Thing ..." surprise. The slickness of the production and the lack of connection to what have now become slick advertising-like character actors made it feel like an elaborate infomercial. Communication - yes, connection - no.

Of course everything new and improved that they announced is commendable and proves that Apple will never let up on refining all their core products in ways that we never could have imagined. The new iPhones and Apple Watches are seriously nice and amazing if you're ready for an upgrade or are new to the Apple ecosystem.

But you know what, next years models will be even better, as they are always and predictably are the "best ever." If you have an iPhone 15, 14, and maybe even 13, waiting another cycle will not be an arduous journey for many. We've survived without Apple Intelligence since the birth of the iPhone and the first iteration is bound to have some bumps, warts, and potholes. No doubt that Apple Intelligence will be recalibrated over the next cycle based on the mass pseudo-beta test phase that is about to begin. This isn't a knock on Apple either. All "AI" will forever be in a constant state of adaptation, tuning, and refinement.

Also, I don't think putting announcements for relatively trivial things like new product color options or port changes from Lightning to USB-C were necessarily worthy of this big splash event. Those things were part of the reason the entire presentation/mega-commercial went on too long. 

Like so many other things, these big Apple events and keynotes have been forever changed by the pandemic. We can reminisce about the live Apple Events of the past but I don't see them coming back again. The production value and predictability of the slick prerecorded presentations slash infomercials is obviously much higher when the possibility of random screw ups, demo fails, ad libs, and improvisations associated with live presentation are removed from the picture. Apple's prerecorded events are undoubtedly extremely well done, but that perfection comes at a cost. 

rue

I believe that we live in the age of pessimistic cynics, or is it cynical pessimists? 

welshdog

Wife and I have iPhone 11 models. Hers is the base model and it has always been not so great. We'll get her a new 16 Pro so she can have the better camera features. She will also appreciate the speed and improved run time. Pretty much everything else Apple went on about to day, she will never use. In fact I can safely predict that after she accidentally hits the Activate button a few times, she will hand me the phone requesting I disable that feature. The camera button - that's either going to be great or frustrate a lot of people - hard to say at this point. AI? Come on, no one who is a grown ass adult and who is able to express themselves adequately with words, really wants any of that stuff. Someday it might have real value to the broadest class of users, but right now it all seems rather trivial in functionality.

bulk001

StrangeDays said:

Dear lord the whining butthurts. It’s a nearly twenty year-old product, what are you expecting from it?

Things were more “exciting” when the hardware sucked and was getting better. We’re there now. Annual car models are incremental, too. 

Real innovation? For one if the worlds largest companies (yes, they lost that claim too to another chip maker) they have become a startlingly boring company. It is starting to show up in the share price and even Berkshire is figuring that the dividends are not worth the risk and cutting their holding. The Titan and Vision debacles show how big companies can lose their way by missing out on new trends and customer behavior. Apple brought us Siri and then just let it rot. OpenAI was working on chatGTP. Apple had titan, BYM delivered cars that millions are buying. You’ll have to settle for starting your Ford with your phone. Chinese cell phone companies are innovating with a variety of phones, Apple gives you a better camera and a new chip (always the most amazing thing ever they say). Outside of these types of sites the average user has no real interest in rushing out and buying an iPhone 16 when their I11-15 / Samsung / locally made Chinese phones are doing just fine. Cook needs to bring in a product visionary while he handles the CEO stuff, not mess around with changes to the CFO position!