The iPhone 16 is the most recent iPhone, introduced September 2024. The lineup comes in five different models in two sizes.
With somewhat similar designs as the year before, the differences are more minor.
Apple announced the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max on September 9, 2024 at the “It’s Glowtime” event. On February 19 2025, Apple added the entry-level iPhone 16e.
All iPhone 16 models run Apple Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered features that runs on the latest Apple devices. It leverages the powerful hardware of the device for instant responses and generation, and Private Cloud Compute for bigger tasks.
Apple Intelligence enables system-wide writing tools, summarization, visual look-up, image generation, automation and more. An additional layer of functionality is integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
The most significant design change is the addition of the Camera Control, a new button that sits next to the power button on the right side.
You can use it to open Camera (or customize it to open a different app) from wherever you are. Clicking the physical button is faster than other methods of opening the app.
Swipe your finger on the camera control to zoom in or out. Click it again to take a picture; click and hold to record a video. You can also half-click to show the menu, or double-half-click to switch between other settings.
If that’s a bit complicated, you can disable the gestures, too. In Settings > Camera > Camera Control > Camera Adjustments, you can disable Light Press and Swipe to make it a simple button. Click it to open, click it to take a picture.
The Camera Control button is available on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models. The iPhone 16e doesn’t have it.
A new feature of the 16 series phones is the new Photographic Styles. Photographic styles allow you to reprocess pictures with different color palettes, enhancing details and adding vibrancy. You can change or edit the photographic style at any time. You can also set one as a default for a more saturated or vintage look.
The ultrawide camera now has a 48 MP sensor, allowing your macro photos and sweeping landscape images to be in much higher resolution.
On the pro models, you can capture video in 4K 120 fps for incredible slow-motion video at full quality. You can also record video with Spatial Audio, which lets you adjust the mix of dialogue and background noise while editing.
Cult of Mac has reviewed all the latest iPhones:
The entry-level colors include black, white, pink, teal and ultramarine. All five colors are available on both the basic and Plus models.
The budget iPhone 16e only comes in black and white, with no extra colors.
The pro models come in black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium and desert titanium. In person, the desert titanium color is far more muted than in its official product shots from Apple. It looks like a pale beige color.
The latest iPhones show the devices’ battery cycle count, helping users track the long-term “health” of the battery. Displaying this data is simple, though it’s somewhat hidden.
In addition, you can check when the iPhone 15, 16 or 17 was manufactured and first activated. (Note: This does not work with older iPhones.)
iOS 26 will improve wireless charging on the iPhone 16 by adding Qi 2.2 support. This will unlock faster charging speeds of up to 25W.
Apple’s current iPhones already support 25W wireless charging, but only with MagSafe chargers.
The iPhone 16 is the bestselling smartphone in the world, according to a market research firm. In fact, the global list of the top five bestselling handsets in the first quarter of 2025 includes four iPhones and one Samsung model in the bottom slot.
According to the analysts, the iPhone 16 base model outsold either of the Pro variants in Q1.
The new Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 lineup opens the Camera app, takes pictures and adjusts camera settings on the fly. It offers a quick shortcut to using one of the most popular and important iPhone features.
Apple baked a lot of controls and interactivity into this innovative button. But while Cupertino’s designers are usually restrained, some people find this new user interface a little fiddly. The physically clicking button also accepts touch input when you swipe your finger along it. And it utilizes pressure sensitivity and haptic feedback as you maneuver through the iPhone’s camera settings.
Learn how to master the iPhone 16’s new Camera Control button in our guide below.
Most of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 lineup may receive a significant memory upgrade that will power the next generation of Apple Intelligence features, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Thursday. The iPhone Series 17 RAM boost will even come to the rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 “Air.”
The iPhone 16e already seems to be a winner for Apple. US sales data analyzed by CIRP show the new budget iPhone accounting for 7% of sales in Q1 2025.
This is with the device only launching at the end of February. So, it spent just one month on sale during the entire quarter.
Despite all the criticism and negative publicity, more U.S. iPhone users are willing to pay for Apple Intelligence than before. A survey conducted by Morgan Stanley found “stronger-than-expected Apple Intelligence engagement.”
The survey results also suggest that more than 80% of U.S. iPhone users tried Apple Intelligence in the last six months.
The new iPhone 16e proves about as repairable as other members of the iPhone 16 family, according to iFixit’s teardown of Apple’s new budget phone. Despite its lower price tag, the iPhone 16e packs many of the repairability features of its more-expensive siblings, including the ionic liquid battery adhesive that makes replacement easier.
However, iFixit’s teardown leaves one key question unanswered: Why did Apple omit MagSafe from iPhone 16e?
Apple reached an agreement with the Indonesian government to end the iPhone 16 sales ban in the country. The company could sign a memorandum of agreement with the Indonesian government as early as this week.
Indonesia banned Apple from selling the iPhone 16 in October 2024 after failing to invest the committed amount.
iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 — it’s decision time for anyone considering an affordable iPhone. The iPhone 16e, Apple’s newest addition to its iPhone 16 family, costs $599. It iPhone replaces the iPhone SE 3 to become the cheapest Apple smartphone with an A18 chip.
At first glance, the iPhone 16e seems quite similar to the iPhone 16, despite a $200 lower price. So, how does the iPhone 16e compare to the iPhone 16? Should you save your money and get Apple’s newest iPhone? Or pay extra and go for the iPhone 16? If you’re wondering which device best suits your needs, our iPhone for life guide breaks it down in detail.
To absolutely nobody’s surprise, the newly launched iPhone 16e is missing features found in higher-end models. But what exactly did Apple exclude from this stripped-down version of the iPhone 16? The two models have quite a lot in common — the same size screen, general design, A18 chip and more. But many secondary features don’t appear in the cheaper model.
Check this list of all the missing features in the iPhone 16e before deciding to buy Apple’s budget handset. You might not be able to live without some of them.
Apple’s budget iPhone SE morphed into the new iPhone 16e Wednesday, bringing a thorough redesign with a larger screen, longer battery life, a more robust camera, and a processor that can handle Apple Intelligence tasks. It’s a whole new “budget” iPhone, and it comes at a 40% price increase over the iPhone SE 3, at $599.
This is iPhone 16e with our latest-generation Apple silicon, breakthrough battery life, an incredible high-resolution, two-in-one camera system, and the powerful features of iOS 18, all in a durable and beautiful design,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a video about the new entry-level iPhone. However, unlike the standard model, the 16e lacks some premium features like the iPhone 16 Dynamic Island, which enhances user experience with interactive notifications and multitasking improvements.
“iPhone 16e joins the iPhone 16 family as its most affordable member,” he added. “And it has Apple Intelligence, our powerful personal intelligence system with features that help you save time, quickly get more things done, and express yourself in new ways.”
When buying an iPhone 16 series model in the December quarter, a higher percentage went for Apple’s cheapest variant than they in the previous year, according to a market research firm. The basic iPhone 16 even beat out the 16 Pro.
Some of that growth was siphoned from the 16 Pro Max, just not quite enough to keep it from being Apple’s most popular during last quarter. And sales of older models without Apple Intelligence also lost ground.
I’m not a fan of the Camera Control on all the iPhone 16 models. It’s too hard to use, it’s in the way, and it’s mostly unnecessary. But I stumbled across an alternative way to use it that’s preferable.
Even so, I can honestly see the Camera Control going the way of the infamous MacBook Pro Touch Bar in a few years.
The new iPhone setup process gets easier every year. Apple continuously improves the steps needed to set up an iPhone. These days, you only need to do a few things to transfer all your old iPhone data to a new one. Still, certain tips and tricks can smooth the way.
The hot new tip this year is that you can directly transfer data from your old iPhone to your new one using a cable. Plus, other time-honored iPhone setup tricks will help things run smoothly. Here’s how to set up your new iPhone the right way.
Popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee recognized Apple’s iPhone 16 series in two significant categories in his much-anticipated 2024 smartphone awards Thursday. No one will be shocked to hear iPhone 16 Pro won for Best Camera in the MKBHD Smartphone Awards 2024. But some might raise an eyebrow to learn iPhone 16 won for Best Small Phone.
And no iPhone took the coveted MKBHD Phone of the Year prize. That went to the “boring” Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which also won Best Big Phone.
★★★★☆
The Tizag Digital Canvas iPhone Case makes cases with single pictures obsolete. It includes a screen you can update with new images whenever you want, and so offers almost endless personalization.
It won’t drain your phone’s battery, but the case does protect your device when you’re on the go.
I tested the case, and I really like it, despite some screen limitations.
iOS 18.2 brings exciting new Apple Intelligence features like Image Playground, Genmoji, Visual Intelligence and ChatGPT integration. These flashy new tools let users create images and custom emoji, look up information using the iPhone’s camera and tap into one of the hottest AI chatbots around.
How well do they work? Keep reading or watch our hands-on video to see iOS 18.2’s new Apple Intelligence features in action.
Carrying out repairs on your new iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro is now easier than before. You can purchase the repair parts and tools for the latest iPhones from Apple’s Self Service Repair store.
The replacement components and tools are available to customers in the US and parts of Europe.
Apple cannot sell the iPhone 16 in Indonesia following a government ban for failing to meet local investment requirements.
Apple’s Indonesian arm invested around $95 million, about $15 million less than its commitment of $108 million.
One of the highlights of the iPhone 16 is its longer runtime. However, numerous owners of Apple’s latest iPhones are reporting significant battery drain issues.
Most users report “horrible standby battery life,” with their iPhones losing most of their charge when idle.
Apple came extremely close to becoming the top smartphone vendor in Q3 2024. Reportedly, iPhone shipments reached a record-high in the quarter.
Despite tough competition, Samsung retained its top slot in the worldwide smartphone market.
If you own an iPhone 13, should you upgrade to the iPhone 16 for its faster performance, better cameras and Apple Intelligence support? Or should you wait another year?
Three years is a long time in the tech world. The iPhone 13 launched in 2021 with cutting-edge specs. But in 2024, it is showing its age, especially when compared to the iPhone 16. Find out if this is the year to upgrade in our in-depth buying guide, which pits iPhone 16 versus iPhone 13.
The iPhone 16 sports a new design, a faster A-series chip, a longer battery life and comes in snazzy new colors. It’s possibly the biggest upgrade to the non-Pro iPhone lineup in the last few years. But are these improvements enough for you to ditch your iPhone 15 and upgrade to iPhone 16? Find out in this iPhone 15 versus iPhone 16 comparison.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: After nearly a week with our new iPhone 16 Pros, it’s time for a spirited conversation about the things we love — and several things we don’t. The Camera Control is undeniably interesting, but touchscreen problems and software glitches take a little of the shine off the new iPhone experience.
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.