The iPhone 16 Pro arrived at our newsroom
The newest iPhone 16 Pro arrived at our editorial office, where we immediately started diligently testing it. Although the design of the phone remained the same, it made changes to the camera equipment Apple a step forward, and it is these changes that may convince many to upgrade. The iPhone 16 Pro has received major improvements in half of all its cameras.
First impressions of the iPhone 16 Pro – what’s in the box
Let’s start with the contents of the package, which is not rich, as we are used to from Apple. It contains a USB-C cable, user manuals, a pin to open the SIM card slot and the phone itself. This year, Apple decided to skip the set of stickers with the company logo.
The sales package no longer includes the traditional Apple stickers
Durable construction with a titanium frame
iPhones are known for their precision-crafted construction, and this year’s iPhone 16 Pro is no different, with a back made of Corning tempered glass and a Class 5 titanium frame. The first time I held the phone, I felt how light it is – it weighs only 199 grams. Thanks to its smaller 6.3-inch screen, I had no problem controlling the phone with one hand.
Compared to last year’s model, the phone has grown slightly, due to the larger display, but it’s nothing dizzying, because Apple managed to reduce the frames around the screen. The iPhone 16 Pro has a height of 149.6 mm and a width of 71.1 mm. As for the thickness, it has remained the same – it is still 8.7 mm. The entire phone again boasts IP68 water and dust resistance certification. This year, the iPhone 16 Pro series has a new color, desert titanium, in which I am testing the phone and I personally like it very much – an elegant combination of white and gold.
Unification of iPhone 16 Pro and Max cameras
The iPhone 16 Pro received perhaps the biggest camera upgrade of all the models introduced this year, as it received a 12 Mpx telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom from its bigger sibling, which is very good news for those who like to zoom beyond the 5x or 10x level. Apple also slightly redesigned the photo algorithm this year, but more on that in the full review.
The ultra-wide-angle camera was completely replaced, which now has a resolution of 48 Mpx and should handle much better macro photos, which I will properly test against the currently best photomobile Vivo X100 Ultra. The main and selfie camera remained unchanged. Anyway, it’s good to see that the camera equipment is the same for both Pro models this year, as in the past it was customary for the model with the bigger display to always have the upper hand in photography.
Sample photos:
The OLED display grew, but otherwise remained the same
If you look at iPhone 16 Pro from the front, you can hardly tell it from last year’s model. However, there have been several improvements. The display has grown to 6.3 inches and the frames around it are slightly thinner, so the usable screen area is larger. But you’ll only notice the thinner bezels when you have both phones next to each other and focus on this detail.
The fact that the display has not changed is not bad at all, because iPhones use high-end OLED panels from the workshops Samsungso it boasts great maximum brightness and good viewing angles, which is also true this year. When setting the maximum brightness, the display was above standard bright, and a brightness level below 50% was more than enough for me.
The display hasn’t changed much
Currently the most powerful phone on the market
The iPhone 16 Pro currently has no competition in terms of performance, as it is equipped with the latest Apple A18 Pro chipset, which is economical and powerful at the same time. We’ll see how it fares in the review during longer gaming sessions or a stress test. In any case, this chipset will last you at least 4 years ahead. The RAM capacity has not changed since last year, remaining at 8 GB, which is quite sufficient for iOS, since the system works with RAM a little differently than Androidwhere even 12 GB of RAM is not lost.
The new generation of iOS 18 is still without the main attraction
I was most looking forward to Apple Intelligencebut I and the rest of Europe will have to wait for that, as Apple has not yet specified when AI will start working in Europe. Anyway, in iOS 18, AI is not accessible even for America, because it will arrive there only with the iOS 18.1 update.
The system as such ran without any error so far and I very much welcomed the possibility to arrange the icons according to my preferences. In the same way, unifying the color of all icons can be especially useful at night, when I like to set darker shades. Overall on me iOS 18 it feels like a step in the right direction and a good evolution, but the essential will come later in the form of Apple Intelligence.
A few final words
In the few hours I’ve been testing this phone, I’ve been impressed with it and can’t find any flaws. But that may change until the full review is completed, where I’ll be comparing the photography capabilities of this latest iPhone against fierce competition in the form of the Vivo X100 Ultra. The only thing that makes me sad is the unavailability of Apple Intelligence immediately upon its release in the Czech Republic. However, I believe that Apple will deal with this deficiency in time and we will enjoy Apple AI in the Czech Republic, even if for now only in English.
Price and availability
The iPhone 16 Pro went on sale in the Czech market today, i.e. from September 20. The price for a model with 128 GB of storage is 29,990 crowns, but if this capacity is not enough for you, you can choose a storage of up to 1 TB, which will cost you 44,990 crowns. The phone is sold in the following color variants: black, white, natural and desert titanium.
If you’re looking for a place to buy a phone with the best possible benefits, be sure to check out the Mobile Emergency site, where you’ll receive a free 3-year extended warranty worth 7,200 crowns. The best way to upgrade your iPhone is with the Buy, Sell, Payback service. Thanks to this, you have the opportunity to purchase an iPhone 16 Pro for a regular payment of CZK 544/month for 26 months after the purchase of your old device. If you want to know more, click on mp.cz/apple-iphone-16.
Source: mobilizujeme.cz
