iPhone 16 Pro gets release button, better camera and larger display

Apple has unveiled the latest generation of its smartphones. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max grow by 0.2 inches. The biggest improvements are in the photography area. The new A18 Pro chip should be faster and ensure longer battery life.

The regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus get the Action Button from the last Pro model. However, the new chip is probably more important: The A18 is not quite as powerful as the A18 Pro, but it too is suitable for the upcoming Apple Intelligence.

The new iPhones will be available from 20 September and can be pre-ordered from Friday 13 September. The official sales prices:

• iPhone 16, 128 GB: 849 francs / 949 euros
• iPhone 16 Plus, 128 GB: 949 francs / 1099 euros
• iPhone 16 Pro, 128 GB: 1049 francs / 1199 euros
• iPhone 16 Pro Max, 256 GB: 1249 francs / 1449 euros

Design: smartphone or already a tablet?

With its 6.9-inch display, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the largest iPhone of all time. The smaller Pro model also grows from 6.1 to 6.3 inches. Although Apple has made the edges around the display slimmer, the casing is still slightly larger and heavier. The weight of the normal Pro increases from 187 to 199 grams, the Pro Max from 221 to 227 grams.

The titanium frame of the Pro model remains, but gets a new finish with more texture. "Titanium Black" becomes darker, "Titanium White" becomes lighter and "Titanium Natural" remains the same. The fourth colour this year is "Titanium Desert Sand", something between gold and beige.

The design of the regular iPhone 16 remains largely the same. The only noticeable change is the new arrangement of the two cameras, which now sit directly above each other. The colours are a little more vibrant this year. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are available in black, white, pink, green and blue.

Operation: the comeback of buttons

Buttons, buttons, buttons: Apple introduced the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro last year. This is now finding its way into the regular model. It replaces the mute switch there.

At the bottom right, all new models also have a dedicated camera button: "Camera Control". Unlike the other buttons, it does not have a physical pressure point, but is capacitive with touch functions. A small taptic engine under the button provides haptic feedback.

Camera Control offers various functions:

• First press: Open the camera app
• Light tap: Focus
• Second press: Take photo
• Press and hold: Record video
• Double light tap: Call up settings
• Lightly tap and swipe: Zoom

In this way, Apple is adopting the concept of a separate shutter button from smartphones such as the Sony Xperia 1 VI - and adding additional functions. The new button should also be particularly suitable for quick snapshots.

Cameras: 5x zoom for the small Pro

According to Apple, the "Fusion" main camera of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max contains a new sensor. It still has 48 megapixels, but eliminates the previous shutter lag for ProRAW and HEIF recordings. There was no information on the image quality, so it should remain roughly the same.

The new ultra-wide-angle camera is different: its sensor no longer has a resolution of 12 megapixels, but now also 48 megapixels. The iPhone uses this to calculate images with 24 megapixels as standard. The telephoto camera with a focal length of 120 millimetres (5x zoom) was not available on the Pro Max last year. Now it also makes it into the 6.3-inch Pro.

The Californians are also installing a new ultra-wide-angle camera in the regular iPhone. It has a faster lens with an aperture of ƒ/2.2. The main camera appears to remain the same, but has been given a new coating to reduce reflections.

At the software level, Apple says it has further improved digital image processing. New "Photo Styles" are available, some of which appear more vibrant than the previous ones.

The Pro models can now record videos in 4K resolution at 120 frames per second. Apple is still foregoing 8K. However, the microphones are said to be significantly better - and AI support allows voices, noise and background noise to be separated.

Chips: Apple promises more battery life

All iPhones will receive new chips. The regular models the A18, the Pros the A18 Pro. Both are based on second-generation 3-nanometre production. This allows for more performance and better energy efficiency thanks to smaller transistors.

This should ensure a longer battery life, among other things. Apple speaks of a "big boost" for the regular models and a "huge leap" for the Pro models. More detailed information can be found in the specifications: The iPhone 16 Pro manages 27 hours of video playback, compared to 23 for the 15 Pro. The iPhone 16 manages 22 hours compared to the previous model's 20.

What Apple didn't mention at the keynote: The charging speed seems to have improved. "The Verge" reports that a Chinese certification shows higher watt values than before. According to this, the new iPhones support up to 45 watts. The previous model only managed 29 watts. Via MagSafe, 25 watts are possible instead of the previous 15 watts.

Depending on the application, the A18 Pro delivers between 15 and 20 per cent more computing power than its predecessor, the A17 Pro. It was not clear from the presentation where the regular A18 ranks. Probably the most important specification: both new chips come with a 16-core neural engine (NPU).

This is relevant because the NPU has to calculate the upcoming AI functions. However, Apple Intelligence will not yet be available when the new iPhones are delivered. Instead, the first parts of it will be rolled out with iOS 18.1 in October. Exactly which AI functions will be available and when remains to be seen. Apple analyst Mark Gurman does not expect the full version of the new Siri, which can perform tasks across apps, until 2025.

Software boss Craig Federighi also presented an AI image processing system called "Visual Intelligence" at the keynote. It can search the web for information about an image. For example, when you take a photo of a restaurant, a poster or a product. The other AI functions presented were already known.

What else stood out

Four insights away from the headlines:

1. The "Fine Fabric Case" dies a quiet death after just one year and is removed from the range. No wonder, it wore out far too quickly. Instead, only silicone covers and a clear case are available. There is no leather or imitation leather. Third-party manufacturers will be rubbing their hands in glee.
2. The iPhone will not become more expensive in 2024 either - for the eighth time in a row, despite high inflation in the USA in the meantime. In Switzerland, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max even cost 30 and 50 francs less respectively. A consequence of the current exchange rate. Apple also emphasised the high resale value at the presentation.

1. The keynote looked different than usual. The lighting was more dramatic, with lots of backlighting and slightly underexposed backgrounds. The whole video was again shot with an iPhone, like the last few.
2. Craig Federighi looked like a Greek hero among the pseudo-antique columns of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. It's a wonder he didn't spontaneously rip his shirt off and take on a Hydra.

How does the latest upgrade compare to previous advances? To get to the bottom of this question, I evaluated all the top models of the last 17 years in terms of their innovative strength. A lot used to be different - but not everything:

You can pre-order the new iPhones from 13 September here. A test report will follow in the next few weeks, and we will also be talking about the new devices in the Techtelmechtel podcast. If you want to watch the keynote, you can find the recording here: