iPhone 16 reviews: The AI phone with no AI has other features worth upgrading for

Apple iPhone 16 models will be released this Friday. Ahead of the official launch, Cupertino sent some media experts its latest phones to test. Here are their thoughts and which model you should get if you should be buying any of them.

The Washington Post‘s review mentions the new Camera Control, which is available in all four iPhone 16 models. It feels “too clever for its own good.” While this is not an issue, this feature can be many things, which can be an issue for most users.

Granted, it’s useful for some things, like dialing in just the right zoom level. But even after mastering its little gestures, sifting through options with this new button never felt faster or easier than just using the touch screen.

British GQ Magazine praises the regular iPhone 16 models as being more “Pro” than ever in its review thanks to bigger battery life, faster processor, and upcoming Apple Intelligence platform:

From its delightful new colour options to a set of finely-tuned internals that bring notable boosts to battery, performance and camera functionality, there’s a good deal more to this iPhone than meets the eye. It’s the closest the entry-level iPhone has come to going Pro in a while.

TechCrunch‘s iPhone 16 Pro Max review focuses on Apple Intelligence, a platform that will only land in beta later next month for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 users. The reviewer enjoys some of the features currently available for the developer’s beta. However, they note that (thankfully) this is an opt-in function, not something users will need to use.

I will note, however, that Apple Intelligence is opt-in. This is a good thing; there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical about generative AI at the moment, and making something opt-in rather than opt-out is generally the right move. There is, however, the slight annoyance of having to manually turn the feature on in settings. Not the end of the world. Some features can be enabled even with Apple Intelligence toggled off. Clean Up, Apple’s answer to Google’s Magic Eraser photo editor, is one of these features. You’ll still find it in the Photos app, though it requires a separate download the first time you use it.

The Wall Street Journal‘s Joanna Stern brings a funny chatbot in her review of the iPhone 16. In addition, she mentions the only three reasons why someone should go with a Pro model this year:

• The third camera, with 5X telephoto lens, which I love for getting close-ups of my kids on the stage or soccer field. 
• The better battery life.
• The always-on ProMotion displays.

Despite complaining about the lack of a dynamic refresh rate, The Verge‘s review of the regular iPhone 16 models was pretty positive, especially thanks to the bigger battery life:

Even on the smaller model, the battery keeps up all day. On a day of heavier use that included streaming KEXP with Strava using GPS in the background, I still had around 30 percent by bedtime. If you opt for the 16 Plus, with its larger battery, you can stretch a single charge well into a second day. The real question will be how it keeps up a year or two down the line; Apple’s recent track record here isn’t great.

CNET praises the revamped Photographic Styles feature, which was first available with the iPhone 13 Pro. This new take makes photos easier to capture with a better look:

It makes the old version of Photographic Styles feel limiting and basic by comparison. For someone like me who doesn’t have a background in photography or video editing, it helped me create dramatic, striking images with little more than just the press of a button. I particularly liked the more dramatic looks, such as the vibrant option and the stark black and white choice. 

You can also read reviews by ZDNET, CNBC, and Tom’s Guide.

iPhone 16 video reviews and hands-on

These are some of the videos about the upcoming iPhone 16 models, including its best features, differences, and more: