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iPhone 16 Models Add Camera Control, Prep for Apple Intelligence
Adam Engst
At its [1]Glowtime event on 9 September 2024, Apple unveiled the new
iPhone 16 lineup, keeping the base models at their traditional screen
sizes, with the 6.1-inch iPhone 16 and 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus.
However, Apple increased screen sizes on the Pro side, giving us the
6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max in exchange for 2
millimeters more height. New cases will be required anyway since all
four iPhone 16 models gain the innovative Camera Control that allows
photographers to manage the Camera app in various ways with clicks,
light presses, and touch interactions. The entire iPhone 16 lineup will
be able to take advantage of Apple Intelligence once iOS 18.1 ships
next month.
The third-generation [2]iPhone SE, [3]iPhone 14, and [4]iPhone 15
continue to provide lower-cost options for those for whom the $799 or
$999 starting prices of the iPhone 16 models are too high.
You can pre-order all the new iPhone 16 models at 5 AM Pacific on
Friday, 13 September 2024, and they'll be available a week later on 20
September 2024.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus
While Apple reserves the deepest technical improvements for the Pro
line, the base [5]iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models feel like a
better deal than ever before. Notable changes include the following:
* A18 chip: Apple is plugging Apple Intelligence hard, which is only
a little awkward given that its features won't start to be
available until October 2024 with the release of iOS 18.1 (see
'[6]Examining Apple Intelligence,' 17 June 2024). Nevertheless,
Apple's new A18 chip gives the base iPhone 16 models access to
Apple Intelligence features, which were previously advertised as
limited to the iPhone 15 Pro models with the A17 Pro chip.
* Action button: Introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro models last year,
the Action button replaces the Ring/Silent switch with a button
whose function you can configure. Although I was bullish about it
then, I've had trouble training myself to remember it (see '[7]Do
You Use It? iPhone 15 Pro Action Button,' 9 September 2024), and it
doesn't seem to have taken iPhone 15 Pro users by storm.
The top iPhone shows the Action button above the volume buttons;
the bottom one shows the Camera Control below the side button.
* Camera Control: This new multifunction button below the side button
offers flexible control of the Camera app. Click it to open the
Camera app; click again to take a photo or click and hold to record
a video. It's set flush with the surface and can detect the
difference between a click and a light press. A single light press
displays a cleaner preview and displays an overlay with access to
common camera functions that you choose among by sliding your
finger along the Camera Control; two light presses display yet more
controls. Developers will also be able to leverage the Camera
Control for specific actions in their apps, and later this year,
Apple Intelligence will enable it to identify and tell you about
objects in the viewfinder. The Camera Control feels significantly
more focused (sorry) than the Action button.
* 48-megapixel Fusion camera: Although Apple gave the iPhone 16's
camera a new name, it sounds similar to the iPhone 15's
48-megapixel main camera. The main difference is that the
12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera is now advertised as enabling macro
photography. Video can now be captured with spatial audio, wind
noise can be reduced automatically, and the new Audio Mix feature
lets users adjust the sound of a video after capture. Spatial
photos and videos are now standard for providing content to the
Vision Pro.
* Messages via satellite and Emergency SOS Live Video: These features
come to all the iPhone models that support satellite
communications'everything from the iPhone 14 on'but they're
sufficiently impressive that I can't help but include them here.
With Messages via satellite, you'll be able to carry on text chats
even when there's no cellular service, and Emergency SOS Live Video
lets you share live video with participating 911 dispatchers. Pure
magic. These features are free for 2 years from the time of
activation.
* Longer battery life: Apple re-engineered the internals of the
iPhone 16 to allow for a larger battery that improves battery life
over the iPhone 15 by an hour or two on Apple's estimates. There's
no telling how that will play out in the real world; suffice it to
say that it should be better than before.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available in black, white,
pink, teal, and ultramarine in 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB storage
capacities, starting at $799 and $899, respectively.
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
Every year, it seems like the Pro models of the iPhone offer ever more
rarified features for the so-called 'creative' professionals. For many
of us not in that category, the Pro models have just been the best
iPhones with the latest technology, but this year, the split between
the base and Pro models is less evident for those who don't need the
ultimate in smartphone photo, video, and audio capabilities. All four
models now have the Action button and Camera Control, and all four will
support Apple Intelligence. So what sets the [8]iPhone 16 Pro and
iPhone 16 Pro Max apart?
* A18 Pro chip: Unlike last year, when the iPhone 15 was relegated to
an older chip, Apple gave both the base and Pro models a new chip.
However, the Pro models get the A18 Pro, which promises faster
Apple Intelligence processing and 15'20% faster processing across
the board. It's impossible to know how noticeable the Apple
Intelligence speedup will be.
* Larger screens: If you're interested in the maximum screen real
estate, the iPhone 16 Pro's 6.3-inch screen and iPhone 16 Pro Max's
6.9-inch screen will deliver more pixels. For comparison, the
iPhone 15 Pro Max resolution was 2796 by 1290 pixels, while the
iPhone 16 Pro Max is 2868 by 1320, so you gain 72 pixels high by 40
pixels wide. The gains are slightly less for the iPhone 16 Pro.
* Better cameras: Pro photographers will like zero shutter lag when
shooting 48-megapixel ProRAW photos. The rest of us may opt for
photo options that aren't quite so large. More of a jump is the
48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera for better macro photography, and
the iPhone 16 Pro gets the 12-megapixel 5x Telephoto camera thanks
to the tetraprism design that Apple restricted to the iPhone 15 Pro
Max last year. As with the base models, the Pro models can take
spatial photos and videos that can be viewed on the Vision Pro.
* Better video: Working videographers may appreciate the 48-megapixel
Fusion camera's 4K video recording at up to 120 frames per second
in Dolby Vision in Video or Slo-Mo mode, allowing them to adjust
the speed afterward to quarter-speed, half-speed, or a fifth-speed
option that corresponds to 24 fps. A new image signal processor in
the A18 Pro enables frame-by-frame cinema-quality color grading for
4K120 fps in Dolby Vision. Apple also says the iPhone 16 Pro models
have 'four new studio-quality mics that preserve true-to-life
recorded sounds.'
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available in four
finishes: black titanium, white titanium, natural titanium, and a new
desert titanium that looks bronze. The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 for
128 GB, with 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB storage options. The iPhone 16
Pro Max starts at $1199 for 256 GB, with 512 GB and 1 TB storage
options.
Upgrade Decisions
Last year, I thought the iPhone 15 was a more compelling upgrade than
the iPhone 15 Pro for most people, and I think that's even more true
this year. The main reason to choose the iPhone 16 Pro over the iPhone
16 continues to be the better cameras. Professionals won't blink at
buying a Pro model, but those of us who just appreciate better photos
will have to think hard about whether the higher price is worth a
relatively more minor feature gap.
The open question is if Apple Intelligence will be sufficiently
compelling to encourage upgrades from older iPhones, given that only
the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will support it. If you're on
the fence, I encourage you to wait until at least October, when Apple
Intelligence features will start to become broadly available. Since
Apple says it will roll out Apple Intelligence features over the next
year, you may be able to stick with your current iPhone until something
like a less stupid Siri becomes available. (We're still waiting to hear
from Apple whether Siri on the HomePod will gain any Apple Intelligence
capabilities, perhaps via Private Cloud Compute.)
I have an iPhone 15 Pro whose wireless connectivity (and thus battery
life) has been weak, but having it checked out at an Apple Store
revealed no issues. I'll gladly trade it in, though I'm having trouble
deciding between the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro. I usually opt for
the Pro model for the better cameras, but I'm not wild about it being 2
millimeters taller (the width of a US nickel) and 12 grams (the weight
of two nickels) heavier, plus $200 more expensive. I'll have to decide
before pre-orders open on Friday morning.
Where do you come down on the upgrade decision?
References
Visible links
1. https://www.apple.com/apple-events/
2. https://www.apple.com/iphone-se/
3. https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-14
4. https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-15
5. https://www.apple.com/iphone-16/
6. https://tidbits.com/2024/06/17/examining-apple-intelligence/
7. https://tidbits.com/2024/09/09/do-you-use-it-iphone-15-pro-action-button/
8. https://www.apple.com/iphone-16-pro/
Hidden links:
9. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/09/iPhone-2024-lineup.jpg
10. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/09/iPhone-16-buttons.jpg
11. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/09/iPhone-16-photos-spec-card.jpg
12. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/09/iPhone-16-satellite-features-1.jpg
13. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/09/iPhone-16-spec-card.jpg
14. https://tidbits.com/wp/../uploads/2024/09/iPhone-16-Pro-spec-card.jpg