I switched to the iPhone 16 from an iPhone 15, and the upgrade was bigger than expected

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

ZDNET's key takeaways

At $899, the iPhone 16 Plus undercuts the Pro Max by $300 while still giving you the bulk of the big-screen iPhone experience.The configurable Action button and Camera Control offer users more iOS shortcuts than ever. Expect the learning curve, let your imagination run wild, and enjoy the ride.The features that I hoped Apple would improve this year -- such as the 60Hz refresh rate and slower-than-average 20W wired charging -- haven't changed.

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Being a tech enthusiast means I always default to the beefiest, most powerful, wallet-shredding devices that companies have to offer. So, every year, when the latest iPhones roll around, testing the standard models brings me back to mainstream reality. 

These are the iPhones that most people buy, with Counterpoint Research reporting that in 2024, the iPhone 15 outsold the iPhone 15 Pro. In the year before, the iPhone 14 outsold both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. 

Also: We've used every iPhone 16 model and here's our best buying advice for 2024

After testing the iPhone 16 Plus for the past two days (and with much more evaluation to be done in the coming weeks), I'm expecting a similar consumer trend with this year's iPhones -- but with an ever-wider gap.

View at Apple

With this year's standard iPhone models, Apple is taking what I'd like to call the "Sibling" strategy. You know how the older sibling tends to get all the latest and greatest things first -- shirts, toys, shoes? After a year, or when the excitement for something wears off, it's passed down to the younger sibling, so what's old is new again. That's exactly what Apple has done with last year's iPhone 15 Pro model and this year's iPhone 16, and I don't mind that at all. 

Also: iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 16: Should you upgrade to Apple's latest model?

The new Action button, for example, replaces the physical mute-switch toggle and can be mapped to a unique function, from turning on the flashlight to starting a voice memo to firing up the camera. Of course, you can also set the Action button to switch between alert and silent. 

Considering this is the iPhone's have-it-your-way era, you should really try to embrace the customization freedom here. My Action button is currently set to "turn on AirDrop for 10 minutes" as I'm camera-testing the phone and frequently uploading images and videos to my MacBook. That prompt will likely change by the end of the week, which is the beauty of the new hardware key.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

There's also a new Camera Control located on the bottom right side of the phones, which looks and functions like the one on the Pro versions. At the most basic level, pressing the Camera Control snaps a photo or starts a video recording. For some Apple magic, a lighter, more gentle press of the same key (Apple tells me not to call it a button) brings up a slider for your most recent camera setting, whether that's zoom range, exposure, or f-stop.

Also: Apple says the iPhone 16 is a lot easier to repair than its predecessor. Here's how

A double light press on Camera Control brings up a carousel of shooting modes and settings, each of which you can access with another light press. Lastly, swiping on the touch-capacitive surface will dial between the settings. That's to say, Camera Control has a learning curve, so much so that I wouldn't have been mad if Apple made the feature exclusive to the Pro models. Because it's not, it will be many users' first experience with adjusting camera settings at such a finite level, and that's very exciting.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Going into my testing, my biggest concern was whether the placement (or ergonomics) of the Camera Control would spoil what was otherwise a genius feature. Since the key is situated closer to the middle of the side edge (more so if you're on the smaller iPhone 16), you're now capturing photos by pressing down with your index finger instead of your thumb. Retraining your muscle memory is required here; I often found myself habitually tapping the screen to focus and capture instead. 

Camera Control encourages you to position the iPhone in landscape orientation, which plays to the 16's newest ability to capture immersive spatial photos and videos for VR. It's another feature that's trickled down from last year's Pro model, but nothing to stress about using. Much like how you'll need an elusive 8K TV to watch 8K videos, you'll need a compatible VR headset to consume spatial content. I've watched several spatial videos on both the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3, and while they're much more immersive than any other digital content out there, the ability to capture them should be seen as a bonus and not a requisite as you consider the iPhone 16.

Also: Every iPhone 16 model features a new camera button. Here's what it can do

Something you're more likely to take advantage of: the new 12MP ultrawide camera. With an f/2.2 aperture (versus last year's f/2.4), the iPhone 16 can pull in more light (read: capture more details both during the day and night) and take macro shots, much like how the iPhone 15 Pro did with its ultrawide lens.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Combine the utility of the ultrawide with the new 48MP Fusion camera (combines the main with a 2x digital zoom capability) and Photographic Styles that can now be modified before and after the shot, and you've got one of the most versatile iPhone camera systems ever. Whether it was reproducing the vibrant colors of my dinner in a dimly lit restaurant, extracting details from small succulents, or capturing the controlled chaos of my morning commute, I rarely felt like the iPhone 16 Plus was unable to get the shot.

Also: How to clear the cache on your iPhone (and why you should)

I say rarely because there was one evening when I wanted to take a photo of the moon. It appeared closer to the Earth than ever, was glowing in a warm orangish hue, and felt like the perfect photo-op with my family celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. But the iPhone 16's zoom capability, capped at 2x, was barely able to capture the essence of the moment. There was a noticeable amount of noise as I hesitantly dialed up the digital zoom, and I sorely missed the 5x optical camera on the Pro models.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

While I hoped to see at least a 90Hz refresh rate on the new iPhones, assuming that ProMotion (120Hz) was restricted to Pro devices only, Apple continues to ship the standard models with 60Hz panels. This isn't a deal-breaker by any means, and frankly, users coming from older non-Pro iPhone models won't know what they're missing. Rendering fewer frames also helps the iPhone 16's battery life, which has been sufficient so far.

But in 2024, when even a $150 Android phone comes with smoother display tech, a 90Hz panel would've made me instantly switch from an iPhone 15.

Also: How iOS 18 changes the way you charge your iPhone

To Apple's credit, it did bump up the wireless charging speed (up to 25W via MagSafe) on iPhone 16 models, though wired charging rates remain at 20W. From my testing, the iPhone 16 Plus charged from 0% to 100% in roughly one hour and 47 minutes, which is noticeably slower than most flagship phones ($700+) on the market.

ZDNET's buying advice (for now)

There's one thing I haven't mentioned yet in this review, and that's Apple Intelligence, the suite of artificial intelligence tools scattered across iOS 18. That's because the bulk of the AI experience, which includes a revamped Siri, call recording, and text generation, won't be readily available until October, unless you download the iOS 18.1 public beta today. That's to say, you shouldn't buy the iPhone 16 for its AI capabilities -- not yet, at least.

Until the software is official, I'll continue to evaluate the iPhone 16 for what it is and keep you posted on how it fares with battery life, video-capturing, day-to-day performance, and more.