Not only Pro: iPhone 16 proves that even the base model can be amazing

In recent years, the pro models of the iPhone have received special attention, with spectacular improvements in the camera, state-of-the-art chips and a multi-purpose action button. Meanwhile, the standard iPhones are left behind, almost abandoned. But this year, the wind is blowing in a different direction. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus narrow the gap significantly, and offer an experience that hardly falls short of that of their larger and more luxurious brothers, and some even say that they drew design inspiration from the world of Android. Should you upgrade? We received the iPhone 16 for review from the Triple Y chain - a chain with two branches in Hod Hasharon and two in Eilat, and we returned from the review with some interesting conclusions.

Design: Familiar, but with a twist

At first glance, the iPhone 16 may look very similar to its predecessor, but a closer look reveals some interesting design changes. While the screen size remains unchanged - 6.1 inches in the base model and 6.7 inches in the 16 Plus - Apple chose to change the rear camera setup. Instead of the familiar diagonal array, two separate camera rings are placed in a vertical configuration, giving the devices a unique and cleaner look. In addition, the camera's LED flash has been moved outside the camera bump, which improves the overall aesthetics of the rear design. The body of the devices is made of high-quality aluminum with a variety of bright and cheerful colors, in contrast to the duller shades of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. Some say this new look is too "Android", but we think it's refreshing and modern.

As mentioned, in an attempt to reduce the gap between the Pro models, Apple brought two more innovations to the base models. The first is the new Camera Control button, which was introduced at the announcement event last month and will be available for the entire iPhone 16 series. The second is the Action Button, which was introduced last year with the Pro models, which allows the setting of a variety of actions beyond silencing the device. In terms of dimensions - the iPhone 16 is separated by a single gram compared to the previous generation (only 170 grams), and finally, at the bottom of the device, as requested, there is a USB-C connection.

Screen

Let's start from the end and say that all in all, the iPhone 16 screen is good. But there is a big and significant "but" that simply cannot be ignored. Although Apple has narrowed the gap between the pro models and the standard models in recent years, especially by bringing the Dynamic Island last year, and this year by bringing the action button to its cheaper iPhones, there is one upgrade that is still missing: The Always On screen Display. This feature, which has already become standard in Apple's pro models and many Android devices, allows a quick look at the time, notifications and selected widgets, even when the screen is "off". It's convenient, it's useful, and it's just missing on the iPhone 16. Maybe next year.

However, the really puzzling decision is Apple's insistence on sticking with just a 60Hz refresh rate on the base models. While much cheaper Android devices, with a budget of about NIS 1,000, get a refresh rate of 120 Hz which makes the screen feel much smoother and more flowing, Apple leaves the basic and outdated scrolling experience in the regular iPhone 16 models.

Beyond that, overall, the screen looks excellent, as requested by Apple, with a brightness of 2000 nits that will allow you to see the content even in direct sunlight. Seasoned iPhone users will feel at home and that's great, but again - it's hard to ignore the feeling that Apple missed an opportunity to significantly upgrade the viewing experience of its base models, certainly in a year when the changes are quite small.

New photo button

We have already discussed the camera control in detail in the review of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, so there is not too much to update. But still, the real challenge behind the new button is that it requires us to change old habits. Instinctively, our hand still reaches for the camera button on the lock screen, instead of the new camera control button.

And true, the idea of using a button as a shortcut to activate the camera is not new either. We could already do this with the Action Button on last year's iPhone 15 Pro. Samsung Galaxy phones also allow you to activate the camera by double-pressing the side button, and some Sony Xperia phones already have a dedicated shutter button. Therefore, the real advantage behind the camera control is not the ability to operate the camera, but the way you can easily navigate between different options and modes.

In practice, it's easier to adjust settings while keeping the shot well-framed, because the finger doesn't hide the screen, and there's no need to move the other hand to switch between shooting modes. It's a small change, but it significantly improves the shooting experience, especially for those who take a lot of photos and videos.

Alongside all this, I discovered a surprising advantage to the new photo button on the small iPhone 16. Because this is only a 6.1-inch device, unlike the huge iPhone 16 Pro Max with a 6.9-inch screen, the operation of the button is far more convenient. My finger easily reaches it while I'm holding the device, and the compact size makes it possible to control the shooting settings in a more stable and comfortable way. Maybe it won't change the minds of the skeptics, but it's a small but significant addition to the iPhone 16 photography experience.

Performance and iOS 18

The base model in the iPhone 16 series comes with Apple's A18, which worked smoothly and quickly whether I was playing games, running apps or browsing the settings menus and photos. No big surprises here, iPhone users will feel right at home, but this is exactly what is expected of a modern iPhone. By the way, as in the pro models, the devices here too get 8 gigabytes of working memory, which proves once again that excellent optimization is just as important as raw power.

The real advantage of the A18 chip in the iPhone 16 models, in contrast to the base models from last year, is the ability to activate Apple's artificial intelligence model - Apple Intelligence. This is the most significant change in the base models this year. Currently, these capabilities cannot be tested, as all features are expected to arrive only with the iOS 18.1 update that will arrive within the next two months.

camera

Apple continues to keep the iPhone 16 camera setup simple, with only two cameras: A main camera and a wide-angle camera. The main camera still offers a 48-megapixel sensor, with fast autofocus, optical stabilization and x2 optical zoom. Next to it, the wide-angle camera with a 12-megapixel sensor allows you to capture the entire landscape, or to get closer to small objects with an improved macro mode that manages to capture 2.6 times more light than the previous generation.

In photos taken in daylight, the iPhone 16 shows impressive performance. The images are full of details, the colors are accurate and the exposure is well balanced. In fact, the only difference I detected between the photos taken on the iPhone 16 and those taken on the iPhone 16 Pro is that the latter produces a brighter image by increasing the exposure in the shadow areas. It's a subtle difference that most users won't notice, and it may well be enough for those of you for whom photography isn't the primary use of the device.

Although 4K shooting at 120 frames per second is exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro, the iPhone 16 still has two options for slow-motion shooting: 1080p at 120 frames per second and 720p at 240 frames per second. And in any case, as with most smartphones today, here, too, you can shoot normal 4K quality video at a rate of 60 frames per second - and that's completely enough.

To view photos taken with the iPhone 16 in full quality - click here

Bottom line

After years of neglect, a good year has finally arrived for the base models of the iPhone. iPhone 16 offers significant improvements in the overall experience, camera and design, and is definitely a fun device to use. But let's be honest, there's nothing ground-breaking here, and certainly nothing to warrant replacing your iPhone 15, unless you're waiting for or needing Apple's AI capabilities to arrive in the coming months. These capabilities, which will allow you to have AI-based editing tools (such as creating emoji and deleting objects from photos), the ability to communicate more naturally with Siri, and all the other things related to correcting and editing text using artificial intelligence, may change the rules of the game, but true For now, they are only a promise.

However, if you've been debating for a while about upgrading from previous models - 14 and below, this is probably the year to do it. You will get better performance here, an advanced camera with a significant difference from the previous editions and also two new buttons that add comfort and functionality.

The device was handed over for review from Triple Y - a chain with two branches in Hod Hasharon and two in Eilat, known as the cheapest in Eilat to purchase iPhones and with a unique promise to replace a new device in the event of a malfunction under warranty.