iPhone 16 test – multigeneration jump –

In the last two years, the system was that those who wanted really significant innovations had to choose from the Pro versions of iPhones, while customers with a smaller budget had to make do with a mobile phone equipped with an older processor, weaker camera system and less durable battery. There was a significant difference between the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, since the former did not even benefit from the Dynamic Island, which was a great innovation of that generation, and the iPhone 15 also did not offer the same user experience as the iPhone 15 Pro, among other things, for example because because the latter has a programmable button, not the classic mute switch. The manufacturer was not even willing to give this penny change, which significantly improves the quality of life, to the buyers of the cheaper devices.

Only in the meantime did Apple realize that it was significantly lagging behind its competitors, and while everyone had already deployed AI in one way or another, not only in their high-end but also in their mid-range devices (primarily Samsung), among the Apple Intelligence smartphones only the It was able to work on members of the iPhone 15 Pro family, and it is only now available for them, in a limited way, in certain regions.

Although Apple Intelligence will be available in Europe next year at the earliest, and even then only in English, the manufacturer was aware that it had to prepare as many devices as possible for it – what Siri can do is becoming less and less satisfactory today. That’s why the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus came with a powerful new processor, and if it turned out that way, not only the interior was updated.

iPhone 16 Pro Lite

In terms of design, more has changed than the fact that the color palette has been completely renewed (there is no yellow and gray, instead there is ultramarine blue and white, and the other colors have completely different shades). There is nothing new at the front, the 12 MP, f/1.9 camera remains, as well as the 6.1″ display with a brightness of 2000 nits, which unfortunately – and this is the biggest drawback of the phone – is still only capable of 60 Hz updates and cannot always be active – I think, after all, we just needed something that for years 120 It directs users in the direction of Hz Pro models. However, the action button has also appeared here, which can be used not only to mute, but also to activate many other functions as required (for example, the Do Not Disturb mode, the flash, sound recording, or any programmed by us command (shortcut), and what’s even better, we also got the camera controller, which thus became not just a toy for the rich.

As a major innovation of this year’s series, the new touch button capable of haptic feedback appeared on the right side of the devices, below the power button. With this – accompanied by a spectacular animation – we can open the factory camera app, then zoom by dragging our finger, or if we tap twice, we can switch between fine-tuning the exposure, depth of field, styles or tone.

If you take a picture horizontally, it is much easier to use anything else to take the picture, be it the volume control or the virtual button that appears on the screen, because it is placed too far from the bottom of the phone (which is the right edge when it is lying down), of course you cannot reach it comfortably while holding it. It doesn’t make zooming any easier either, it’s also easier to do by reaching for the screen, but it can really help you quickly adjust other functions.

If you hold the phone in a vertical position, the situation is different: although zooming is more difficult with the camera controller than using the screen, clicking is really better with it, and other functions can be accessed more quickly and adjusted more thoroughly. It is a bit more difficult to use with a case, on Apple’s factory cases the place is not simply cut out, but a layer is placed between our finger and the button. Its functionality can be further enhanced by external developers, if this is allowed by Apple.

The rear cameras are no longer shifted in relation to each other, they are placed below each other, quoting the iPhone X, but more importantly, we can create with a 48 MP Fusion and a 12 MP ultra-wide camera. This made it possible to take macro photography (in excellent quality, see below), as well as spatial photos and videos (which Vision Pro displays very extra, and all the few thousand users can be happy about it). There is no dizzying leap in image quality, but the basic iPhones have not been lagging behind either. The maximum optical zoom remained at 2x, while the Pro is already capable of 5x, but you can make peace with that. In the name of the main camera, Fusion refers to the fact that it “stitches” pixels together, resulting in very detailed 24 MP images.

Play, work, take photos for hours

The A18 chip works inside, the power of which is clearly demonstrated by the fact that it can run games originally published for PC and consoles, which were only available on the iPhone 15 Pro last year. After some fine-tuning, Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4 also play well, of course, playing them on a 6.1″ touchscreen is a gourmet experience, so to speak, but the knowledge that it is possible is enough to make you happy.

The processor also makes photography, the application of styles before exposure smooth, and even increases the operating time: according to Apple’s promise, we can now squeeze 22 hours of video playback out of it (if we download the video), which if used for what normal people would use it for , so we make phone calls, take photos, play with it, it can mean up to a day and a half of availability, but it will definitely last from morning to night. Charging has become faster, we can charge wirelessly with a 30-watt adapter at 25 watts, which is a significant jump compared to the 15W of the previous generation, and the peak is 45W via cable, which is also a significant improvement.

The iPhone 16 is light, fast, comfortable to use, takes beautiful pictures and videos, lasts long enough on a single charge, and its processor is prepared for the demanding processes of Apple Intelligence in the same way as for running AAA console games. It’s an excellent phone, but the display holds it back from perfection – the 60Hz limit and the lack of at least showing the time while sleeping is a painful compromise in 2024.

(Thanks to iStyle for the test product!)