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The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus were never on my radar — until I had a sudden change of heart.
As a Pro Max exclusivist, the entry-level iPhone typically doesn’t catch my eye. After all, “Who wants a puny little phone?” I once thought.
And the “Plus” was always the awkward middle child, often ignored for the base model or the top-tier variant.
However, my experience with these phones has changed my mind. For those who don’t need pro-level photo and video capture, I’d go as far as saying that the iPhone 16 Plus is a better buy than the iPhone 16 Pro (though not the iPhone 16 Pro Max).
Stick around for everything that made me reconsider the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models as viable daily drivers.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus price and specs
Before I can dive into the meat and potatoes of this review, I need to give you some insight into how much you’ll have to spend on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
iPhone 16
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
The iPhone 16, available for pre-order as of now, starts at $799 via Apple’s official store. The iPhone 16 Plus, on the other hand, starts at $899.
“Why does the iPhone 16 Plus cost more than the iPhone 16?” you may be wondering. Well, the iPhone 16 Plus has a larger display and a bigger battery, which means you should be able to squeeze out more runtime on a single charge (more on that later).
Other than the aforementioned differences, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus both share the same specs, including the following:
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New A18 chip
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8GB of RAM (required for Apple Intelligence support)
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New Camera Control button
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Action Button from last year’s iPhone 15 Pro models
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128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options
I highly recommend getting the 256GB storage option. Take it from me, 128GB runs out pretty quickly — in about a year and a half, give or take. (But I also understand there are budget constraints, so iCloud+ is another option for storage space if you don’t mind subscriptions.)
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus design
The iPhone 16 Plus review unit I received, draped in bubble-gum pink deliciousness, would have been a showstopper during 2023’s peak Barbie craze. It’s just dripping in Margot Robbie cuteness, cotton candy sweetness, and pink lemonade joy.
iPhone 16 Plus in Pink
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Simply called “Pink,” this rose-tinted shade is available only for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
If you decide to go caseless (because you love this color as much as I do), you’ll be relieved to know that iPhone 16 lineup is now equipped with an even more durable display glass that’s technically “Ceramic Shield 2.” The OG Ceramic Shield debuted with the iPhone 12, and four generations later, we’ve got a new-gen Ceramic Shield that is 50% tougher, according to Apple.
In other words, the screen on the iPhone 16 should be just a little more resistant to your clumsy incidents — within reason, of course. (Don’t get too clumsy.)
My non-Plus iPhone 16, however, comes in teal. Not my taste (I would have preferred Ultramarine), but I love Apple’s decision to leave the pastel palettes behind, going deep, vivid, and rich. Other colors on the iPhone 16 menu include black and white.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus no longer have their cameras arranged in a diagonal position. They’re now stacked. This doesn’t necessarily bother me. But since the iPhone 13, the base models have had that diagonal-style placement that became Apple’s signature.
But now, the cameras are positioned in a way that’s very Android-esque —à la Samsung Galaxy S24 and Nothing Phone (2). So if you have a finicky teenager who wants to fit in with their fellow iPhone-owning friends, the iPhone 16’s new design may be a tough sell.
iPhone 16
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
They’ll likely urge you to purchase, at the very least, the iPhone 16 Pro, which maintains that familiar, triple-camera Apple design language that screams “This is an expensive iPhone!”
iPhone 16 Pro
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
The iPhone 16 (particularly the non-Plus model) is beautifully light. If I accidentally dropped the iPhone 16 on my face while watching Love Island USA on my back — which is totally a “hypothetical” and never happened to me before — I won’t get a black eye. Nice!
I checked the weight to see if the iPhone 16 is lighter than its predecessor — and there is, indeed, a tiny difference; Apple managed to shave off about 0.3 ounces gen-over-gen (6.03 ounces to 6 ounces). As for the chassis, the iPhone 16 is still 0.31 inches thin, which matches the iPhone 15.
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iPhone 16 – 6 ounces
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iPhone 15 – 6.03 ounces
iPhone 16 Plus is slightly lighter, too, but it has the same thickness as the iPhone 16 base model (0.31 inches).
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iPhone 16 Plus – 7.02 ounces
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iPhone 15 Plus – 7.09 ounces
I knew I wasn’t losing it. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are totally lighter than last year’s entry-level variants.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models continue to have volume buttons on the left and a side key on the right (which doubles as a way of invoking Siri). But like the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the entire iPhone 16 lineup now has the Action Button.
Finally, the iPhone 16 models are rated for splash, water, and dust resistance (i.e., IP68); this means they can handle six meters of water submergence for up to 30 minutes.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus display
Some people aren’t going to like this, but sorry to say, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus still have a 60Hz screen.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
You may be wondering, “Why won’t Apple put a 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rate on the iPhone 16?” My guess is that the Cupertino-based tech giant needs something to lure users into purchasing the Pro models (which have a variable refresh rate that go up to 120Hz). Also, there are superfans who don’t give a rat’s behind about whether a display is 60Hz, 90Hz, or 120Hz; they love iPhone and will buy one regardless.
Unlike the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, which had their displays increase to 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively (yeah, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is practically a phablet at this point), the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus’ displays have remained the same:
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
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iPhone 16 – 6.1 inches, 2,556 x 1,179-pixel resolution, 1,000 nits of screen brightness (2,000 peak)
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iPhone 16 Plus – 6.7 inches, 2,796 x 1,290-pixel resolution, 1,000 nits of screen brightness (2,000 peak)
The iPhone 16 models still have Dynamic Island (that pill-shaped notch at the top of the screen), which disguises the TrueDepth selfie camera. I found myself admiring it every now and then while listening to music. The bouncing waveform animations that dance along to my tunes are hypnotizing. But at the same time, I wouldn’t miss it if it ever got the boot in the future. (More screen real estate is always welcome.)
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
I miss TouchID, though. Perhaps one day, maybe iPhone 17, I’ll see it appear somewhere on the side of the chassis — or maybe under the display.
Of course, the iPhone 16’s compact form factor is advantageous because it’s more pocketable. But while using it for streaming pleasures, I couldn’t help but miss my iPhone 15 Pro Max, which has 6.7 inches of delicious display. But I enjoyed the iPhone 16 Plus, which nearly matches my iPhone 15 Pro Max’s dimensions.
While watching Netflix’s Selling Sunset and taking in the colorful array of — er — interesting outfits in the famed real estate office, I noticed that the colors were vivid and heavily saturated on both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Action Button
The Action Button hit the iPhone last year — and it was an absolute hit. Some people configured this customizable button to have it call their spouse, others programmed it so that it plays their favorite Apple Music playlist.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
I don’t have a “cool” Action Button story. My use case is more practical. I configured the Action Button to pull up Google Authenticator, which lets me log into accounts with 2FA requirements. It’s boring, yes, but it’s super useful.
You can also use the Action Button to run more-than-one task using Shortcuts. For example, if your iPhone detects you’re away from home, you can transform the Action Button into your “Tap to Pay” key, but if it “knows” you’re at your residence, the Action Button can become a flashlight instead.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Personally, I’d love it if Apple could make it easier to assign more gestures (e.g., double and triple presses) to the Action Button. For example, with three quick presses, I can close Amazon super fast before my fiancé sees it — he’s had enough of my designer perfume obsession.
The Action Button isn’t the only button that’s made its way onto the iPhone 16 models.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Camera Control
Since MagSafe, Camera Control is my absolute favorite hero feature that Apple has added in recent years. This is a slam dunk!
You can find the Camera Control button all across the iPhone 16 lineup
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
I said this in my Camera Control hands-on, but with just a few gestures (e.g., sliding motion, and one or two presses), you can access so many camera features, including the following:
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Zoom
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Cameras (swap between ultrawide, wide, and 2X zoom)
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Photographic Styles (e.g., filters like “Gold,” “Amber,” “Vibrant,” and more)
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Tone
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Depth
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Exposure
Camera Control makes it easier for me to play around with features I’ve often ignored, including depth and tone. While I use the likes of exposure and zoom all the time,
