The regular iPhone 16, which is “as confident as a pro”, has a smaller gap than ever

In recent years, Apple has been aggressively differentiating between the regular iPhone and the Pro models. In addition to the excellent camera system with the telephoto lens, Apple has periodically introduced interesting perks exclusive to the Pro iPhone, such as the dynamic island, the 48-megapixel main camera, the action button, and even Apple Intelligence. These advanced features were exclusive to the Pro version for a year. The Pro model gained exclusivity, while the non-Pro new product felt like a mid-range phone with limited features.

But this time, things are different. The iPhone 16 series not only introduces some of the features of the existing Pro models to the regular models, but also has important changes that could only be applied to the Pro line. Therefore, most users will not feel much regret even if they choose the regular iPhone 16 for the first time in a long time.

The most radical change in the 2024 iPhone is the new camera control button. It’s not just a button that takes you straight to the camera app. It uses touch and pressure-sensitive technology to do a variety of things, like zoom, take photos or videos, adjust exposure, and switch between different photo styles. It also provides a dedicated API so third-party developers can integrate this functionality into their camera apps.

Realistically, Apple could have made the camera control button a Pro-only feature. It’s a high-end feature that’s high-end enough to be in the Pro category. That would have forced users who aren’t so sure about buying the higher-end model to use the shiny new button. But why not? The camera control will be available on all iPhone 16 models released in 2024, a somewhat surprising move given Apple’s recent history of adding new features only to the Pro models.

The camera upgrades for the regular iPhone 16 don’t necessarily center around a new button. There’s also support for a macro mode, which lets non-Pro users take photos and videos of very close subjects, and the rear lenses have been rearranged to support spatial photos and videos on the regular model.

In addition, iPhone 16 users can use advanced camera features such as the latest photo style that allows them to easily adjust the color and tone of their photos. They can also use the audio mixing function that changes the sound of recorded videos. All of these features are advanced camera experiences that iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have gained.

The chips are the same too

Apple started offering more advanced processors in its recent Pro iPhones, starting with the A16 in 2023, following the A17 Pro last year. This year, that gap is still there, but now the gap is smaller. Instead of putting an older chipset in the non-Pro iPhone 16 models like the past two generations, Apple is releasing the latest A18 Pro chip in a slightly more limited release. So the A18-based iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will have the same base specs: 8GB of RAM, a six-core CPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. The only difference is that the standard model has five GPU cores, while the Pro model has six.

So both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models perform similarly in everyday tasks. They also both benefit from the full Apple Intelligence Experience, including new visual intelligence features triggered by the camera control button. On the graphics side, you get all the features that were available only on the A17 Pro last year, including hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

There’s little reason to think this year’s Pro iPhones will perform any better than the regular iPhones, given that the software feature sets and processors are largely identical.

A more vivid regular iPhone

Aside from the tech specs and features, there are other advantages to the regular iPhone 16. The iPhone 15, released in 2023, came in light pastel colors, missing the vibrant feel that was usually characteristic of regular iPhones. The iPhone 16 solves this problem.

This year, regular iPhone users can choose from a variety of bright colors, including ultramarine, teal, and pink, in addition to white and black. Compared to the drab colors of the iPhone 16 Pro, you get a device that really stands out. The back is also designed to be more stylish this year, with a smaller iPhone X-style array for the dual cameras. In short, the regular iPhone 16 this year actually looks better than the Pro model.

The downsides are negligible

It goes without saying that the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will continue to support advanced features on their own. For example, the always-on display feature that was first introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro is still missing from the regular iPhone 16 version. (Apple Watch users, however, will likely not care much about this feature since it will display the time, notifications, and other relevant information on their wrist.) Likewise, ProMotion technology is still exclusive to the top-end models. While some users can tell the difference between a 120Hz and 60Hz refresh rate, many others either can’t or won’t care.

Finally, and most notably, the Pro camera system. The iPhone 16 lacks the telephoto lens, which supports a longer 5x optical zoom range, 4K video recording at 120fps, Night Portrait, RAW shooting, and LOG video recording. It would be nice to have, but most casual users won’t necessarily envy the other advanced features except for the telephoto lens.

The regular iPhone 16 camera is more than capable of capturing everyday moments forever, but most pro-level iPhone cameras are designed for serious content creators and professionals, rather than Instagram Stories.

Comparing the differences between the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro to the differences between the 15 and 15 Pro, you can see how much the regular iPhone 16 has advanced. The regular iPhone 16 model not only catches up with some of the features of last year’s iPhone 15 Pro, such as the addition of the action button and the graphics capabilities of the A17 Pro chip, but it also supports the latest features of 2024, such as the camera control button and Apple Intelligence.

It also showcases Apple’s latest tech, including a camera control button, 25W MagSafe charging, the latest version of Photo Style, and visual intelligence. The display also shares the same pixel density and peak brightness as the 16-inch Pro model, but is slightly smaller (6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, down from 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches).

Now, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are finally products that I can wholeheartedly recommend. There is no need to list the missing features. It is easier than ever to choose the iPhone that is right for you. For most ordinary users, even the standard iPhone will feel premium enough.
editor@itworld.co.kr