Each fall Apple releases 4 new iPhones, however till final 12 months I solely had eyes for the Professional. Not the usual, not the mini or the Plus (relying on the 12 months), and never the Professional Max. Simply the Professional—an exquisite mixture of high-end options and a compact physique.
However in 2023 that modified, primarily as a result of my colleagues already had entry to Professional and Professional Max evaluate samples and it simply made extra sense editorially for me to ask for the Plus. I made this resolution with dangerous grace and low expectations, considering the cellphone can be the worst of each worlds: too chunky to slide in a pocket comfortably whereas missing in specs and options. However I used to be pleasantly shocked by how a lot I loved utilizing the 15 Plus, and volunteered to strive the 16 Plus this 12 months—notably as my colleague reckoned this was the only option.
However what’s it like upgrading from an iPhone 15 Plus to a 16 Plus? Right here’s what I discovered from the method.
The 16 Plus appears to be like nicer. It simply does
That sounds odd, proper? Contemplating that Apple has largely stored the identical design this 12 months. However I far choose my new cellphone’s appears to be like due to a number of minor aesthetic tweaks.
The colours, for one factor, are far more vibrant. I plumped for pink each instances, however the place the 2023 pink was a washed-out rose blush that appears nearly white in pictures, the 2024 pink is unbelievable. I talk about my ideas on the significance of a very good pink in a separate article.
David Worth / Foundry
I additionally choose the digicam module on the rear, which due to the vertical configuration is much less obtrusive, and the truth that the Motion button means the case has no cutout on the lefthand edge. It’s only a cleaner, extra satisfying look.
The Motion button is best, however not by a lot
Right here’s one of many downsides of utilizing the 15 Plus final 12 months: I’m out of contact in terms of the Motion button, certainly one of 2023’s flagship Professional options. I’m utilizing it for the primary time now. Apologies if the next sizzling take has gone chilly.
Right here’s my view. Having an Motion button as an alternative of a mute swap is clearly higher, as a result of it appears to be like nicer (see above), is less complicated to make use of, doesn’t get clogged with mud, is presumably much less vulnerable to failure, and might be programmed to carry out features aside from mute/unmute in case you’d choose. However the final one is the principle profit despite the fact that I don’t actually see why you’d need to use any of the opposite core features.
Having easy accessibility to a mute management is beneficial, and whereas utilizing the 16 Plus I’ve by no means been prepared to sacrifice that for a unique management. I would like the flashlight much less typically, and it’s already simply accessible by way of the Lock Display screen; the latter level additionally applies double to the digicam, which is accessible by way of the Lock Display screen or the brand new Digicam Management. Shazam is a correct area of interest operate I can think about myself utilizing, what, a few instances a 12 months? For Magnifier, that determine most likely rises to 5 – 6 instances. And let’s face it, most individuals aren’t diving into Shortcuts to create their very own actions.
The one various use I can see for the Motion button is Translate. If I am going on vacation someplace the place I don’t communicate the language, I’ll swap the button to that operate and use my iPhone as a helpful sci-fi translator. However for the remainder of the 12 months, it’s staying as a glorified mute swap.
The digicam is a lot better for close-ups, however that’s about it
The digicam is an important ingredient of a smartphone’s armory, so I’ve been intensively testing out the 16 Plus’s photographic chops… and to be trustworthy, 90 % of the time, it’s not noticeably totally different. The primary digicam has been rebranded as “Fusion” which, you already know, sounds good, the Extremely Vast aperture has improved from f/2.4 to f/2.2, and Photographic Types have been up to date. However none of that resulted, no less than in my subjective expertise, in higher pictures.
Apart from the brand new macro pictures function. Shut-ups are a lot better and it’s not even shut (no pun meant).
Should you spend plenty of your time taking pictures of tiny painted fashions to submit on the web, this might be an enormous profit to upgrading.
I actually don’t like Digicam Management. Not now, and possibly not ever
So the digicam itself isn’t all that totally different, however the best way you entry it’s. There’s a brand new button known as Digicam Management on the righthand edge and this allows you to open the Digicam app with one click on, and take a photograph with a second click on.
My drawback with that is twofold. First, as talked about beforehand, it isn’t particularly wanted: the Digicam app is already straightforward to open by swiping proper from the Lock Display screen. Second, the button is positioned in an ungainly a part of the chassis the place my ring finger presses it unintentionally after I choose up the cellphone in my left hand, and the place my proper index finger can’t simply attain it when holding it two-handed in panorama orientation. It’s only a bit too far alongside the sting to be comfy. (This can be a difficulty unique to the Plus mannequin with its longer edges. I haven’t tried out the usual iPhone 16.)
David Worth / Foundry
That’s earlier than we get to the superior controls. Should you do a “light press” on the Digicam Management, it permits you to regulate the publicity, depth of area impact, zoom, type, and so forth. Doing two mild presses permits you to swap between these. However these actions are so counterintuitive, so fiddly to get proper, that I’ve no real interest in utilizing them… which suggests I’m unlikely to ever get higher. The excellent news is you possibly can flip it off.
Wind noise discount doesn’t appear to do a lot
All 4 of the 16-series telephones have a brand new function Apple calls wind noise discount, “which uses powerful machine learning algorithms to reduce unwanted noise for better audio quality.” I recorded myself speaking into my cellphone like an fool on a windy, wet day with each the 15 Plus and the 16 Plus, however after I watched again the movies I didn’t discover any distinction: in each instances, the wind was barely noticeable however the noise from passing automobiles very a lot was.
Check out the specs sheet and also you’ll discover that (no less than in idea) we’re leaping ahead two generations of processors this 12 months: from the A16 Bionic on the 15 Plus to the A18 on the 16 Plus. Apple is cagey in regards to the exact specs of its proprietary chips, however my velocity benchmarking backed up the concept this can be a main step ahead. The 16 Plus was about 25 % sooner than the 15 Plus throughout the Geekbench 5 and Geekbench 6 CPU exams, and an astonishing 45 % sooner within the GB5 Compute take a look at.
Whereas that’s a formidable enchancment on paper, nevertheless, the real-world impact is scarcely noticeable. There merely aren’t any iPhone duties proper now that want that a lot theoretical velocity, and you might be more likely to discover, as I do, that the 16 Plus doesn’t really feel any sooner in observe.
It does offer you an additional 12 months or two of future-proofing, nevertheless. Apps will develop extra demanding to make the most of the larger processing energy showing in the marketplace. And naturally, there’s Apple Intelligence. Talking of…
The iPhone 16’s pink shade appears to be like good all the best way round.
Connor Jewiss / Foundry
And we’re nonetheless ready for Apple Intelligence
It feels odd to be coming to this final as a result of Apple Intelligence is the tentpole function, the improve round which Apple constructed your complete iPhone 16 launch. Nevertheless it’s not right here but, and possibly received’t be for a number of extra weeks. It’s laborious to know what to make of this.
Most clearly, you possibly can hardly anticipate prospects to be as eager to improve if the principle function doesn’t arrive till nearly two months after launch. However extra insidiously, you’re asking individuals to purchase their iPhone on the power of a function that no one outdoors Apple Park has examined, and which can not (maybe we should always say “almost certainly won’t”) instantly reside as much as the hype. Apple has needed to construct its personal AI platform largely from scratch and we can not anticipate it to operate in addition to ChatGPT and different established rivals from day one. AI wants time and coaching knowledge, and Apple hasn’t had a lot of both; it may take years for Apple Intelligence to hit its stride.
Apple’s hardcore followers are generally accused–not fully with out purpose–of shopping for the most recent iPhone on launch day whether or not or not it’s a worthwhile improve. However no less than, previously, these followers had a tough thought of what to anticipate. This time Apple is getting them to crack open their wallets earlier than anybody has sighted the principle function, and this appears dangerous for everybody.
Conclusion: Price an improve?
Should you’ve obtained an iPhone 15 Plus, I wouldn’t suggest that you simply improve to the iPhone 16 Plus. It doesn’t really feel any sooner, the digicam is simply higher in a single particular use case, and I don’t fee Digicam Management in any respect. The colours are nicer, however that doesn’t justify spending this a lot cash.
Should you should improve, no less than wait till Apple Intelligence launches on the finish of October. Then we are able to see if the principle occasion is definitely worth the worth of admission.