iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus launched: Apple Intelligence and a cool camera button

Apple finally held its Glowtime event today, and we’re expecting the company to announce the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. But the Cupertino brand just announced the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

The two iPhones share several features. Starting with the design, they both pack IP68 dust/water resistance, the remappable Action Button that debuted on last year’s Pro phones, and the brand-new Camera Control key. This button is basically a smarter version of the camera shutter key as seen on some camera phones over the years. More specifically, it also supports swipe gestures for zooming in and out (see below) and a light press for a cleaner viewfinder UI.

Speaking of camera-related capabilities, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus also share the same dual rear camera system. That means a 48MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide lens. In a ridiculously overdue move, the ultrawide cameras finally have autofocus and, therefore, macro support. Apple adds that the iPhones also support spatial photos and video capture if you’re one of the three people who own a Vision Pro headset. The firm is also offering wind removal tech for videos, the ability to adjust sound after the fact (e.g. to focus on a subject or offer different effects), and new photographic styles. Otherwise, a 12MP camera handles selfies.

The phones also share the 3nm Apple A18 chipset, which packs a hexa-core CPU, a five-core GPU with ray tracing, and a 16-core neural engine. This chip enables Apple Intelligence capabilities when they start rolling out next month. The chip also seems suspiciously similar to last year’s A17 Pro chip that powered the iPhone 15 Pro series. So don’t be surprised if it’s effectively the same chip with a new name.

Looking for a pocket-friendly iPhone 16? The vanilla version has a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a 6.7-inch panel. Unfortunately, neither phone has a high refresh rate screen. That’s a real shame when even cheap Android phones offer 120Hz OLED screens.

Apple added that the iPhone 16 series has larger batteries but didn’t dish out specific battery capacities during its presentation.

iPhone 16 price and availability

Interested in buying an iPhone 16? Then you’ll have to cough up $799 for the 128GB model. Want a bigger screen? The iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899 for the 128GB model. Yep, Apple is still sticking with just 128GB of base storage. The phones will be available in Black, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine, and White.