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iPhone 16 Pro has a DSLR-like camera button and a slightly bigger display
The new button lets you focus, swap modes and zoom without touching the screen.
Say hello to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. Apple’s latest high-end models may look familiar, but they have slightly larger displays than the iPhone 15 Pros: The screen on the iPhone 16 Pro is 6.3 inches and the Pro Max is 6.9 inches, an increase of 0.2 inches in both cases. This means the bezels on the 16 Pros are ultra slim.
Really, it’s all about the camera button this time around. Both of the new Pro models have a dedicated button just for snapping photos and filming video, professional style. It’s touch-sensitive, too: A light press opens up additional tools that are controlled by swiping along the button, such as setting the zoom, exposure and aperture. A long hold on the Camera Control button swaps between still photo and video modes. Apple plans to update the button with a two-state focus feature later this year, allowing a half press to activate the focus and a full press to actually snap a picture.
The Camera Control button feels like a natural evolution for Apple, as part of the company’s long-standing mission to position the iPhone as an all-inclusive filmmaking machine. The button is also built into the non-Pro iPhone 16 models.
Internally, the camera is getting a little boost. The telephoto lens is capable of 5x optical zoom — that’s an increase specifically for the smaller Pro, which previously maxed out at 3x zoom. The ultra-wide-angle camera has been upgraded from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels in both Pro models. The new phones support customizable Photographic Styles, and users are able to change their chosen style after a photo is taken, which is a useful improvement.
The iPhone 16 Pro can shoot video in 4K at 120 fps, and after shooting, you're able to select frames to be played in slow motion if that's your jam. It also supports spatial audio capture in videos. With Audio Mix, you can isolate the voices of people on camera, make the shot sound like it was recorded inside a studio, or pull in environmental noise with speaking voices highlighted, resulting in a more cinematic feel.
The iPhone 16 Pros have a larger battery, delivering us another classic line during Apple's live event: This is the "best iPhone battery life ever," apparently. The new phones run on the A18 Pro chip, which is an upgraded version of the A18 found in the regular iPhone. It has a 16-core neutral engine, and Apple says its AI features will run up to 20 percent faster than on the iPhone 15 Pro.
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have built-in support for Apple Intelligence, as do the non-Pro models this time around. Apple Intelligence is an AI system that touches every aspect of the new phones, improving Siri, the Writing Tools feature, phone call summaries and other apps. This includes a new Visual Intelligence feature, which functions a lot like Google Lens — using the new camera button, users are able to take photos of signs and objects to instantly receive information about those places and things.
The newest Pros come in gold (Apple calls it "desert") titanium, or the standard white, black or natural titanium colorways that we’ve grown accustomed to. The gold titanium replaces last year’s blue titanium case for the iPhone 15 Pro.
The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 and the Pro Max starts at $1,199. They come in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB sizes. This is a show of consistency from Apple — The iPhone 15 Pro was priced at $999 with 128GB of storage, while the 15 Pro Max was $1,199 with 256GB of storage.
Catch up on all the news from Apple’s iPhone 16 event!
