Apple focuses on cameras and customization

It could look like Apple is behind the competitors numerous the time. The corporate gave the impression to be sluggish to developments like widgets, bezel-less shows with digicam notches and screens with excessive refresh charges. And with the iPhone 16 Professional, it seems to as soon as once more be late to the get together, bringing generative-AI options and an actual button for the digicam to its 2024 flagship. However if you happen to’ll permit me to play therapist for a second, I feel it isn’t that Apple is sluggish. I feel Apple is cautious. Maybe overly so.

Warning by itself is not a foul trait — in reality, it might be thought-about considerate. Slightly than rush to the innovative with its friends, Apple deliberates, often discovering a barely totally different method that’s usually an enchancment on what’s on the market. Simply take a look at the Imaginative and prescient Professional headset or Apple Silicon. And even the iPod, the iPad and the AirPods, which have been removed from the primary of their sort once they launched.

With the iPhone 16 Professional, the main focus is on cameras and Apple Intelligence. The issue is, Apple Intelligence is not fairly right here but. We will take a look at some options within the developer beta that is at the moment obtainable, however that is not essentially the identical because the expertise the general public will get when the replace rolls out in October. It’s not unprecedented for brand new iPhones to launch with out some marquee options, certain, and fortunately there’s nonetheless a lot that the iPhone 16 Professional brings. From Digicam Management, the Fusion Digicam and different video-related updates to barely greater shows and iOS 18, the iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max are intriguing successors, even absent the vaunted Intelligence options which can be nonetheless to return.

Apple / Engadget

The iPhone 16 Professional Max presents wonderful cameras and enhancing instruments, a big roomy display screen, lengthy battery life and the most effective that Apple has to supply. 

Editors’ be aware: The present rating displays our expertise with the {hardware} and iOS 18 options that shall be obtainable to customers at launch. We are going to consider Apple Intelligence and different post-launch options over the approaching weeks and months, and should alter our overview rating if warranted.

Execs

• Glorious cameras with minimal shutter lag
• Lengthy-lasting battery
• Nice photograph and video enhancing updates
• Good customization choices all through

Cons

• Digicam management is not good

$1,199 at Apple

Video overview of the iPhone 16 Professional

The iPhone 16 Professional’s design and shows

I’m getting deja vu. Wanting again at my overview of the iPhone 15 Professional, I see an image of that cellphone and its predecessor lined up facet by facet to point out simply how a lot thinner the bezels are. Apple has as soon as once more trimmed the borders on its flagship telephones, however whereas doing that enabled it to scale back the handsets’ dimension in 2023, this 12 months it allowed the corporate to cram in bigger screens with out a lot change in footprint.

The iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max shows have elevated in dimension from 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches as much as 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively. Each handsets have grown ever so barely, too, by slightly below 1mm in width and about 3mm in peak.

Principally, the iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max are a hair wider and taller than their predecessors, however preserve the identical 8.25mm (0.32-inch) profile. And but, regardless of this minimal change, you gained’t be capable of preserve your previous circumstances if you happen to’re upgrading from an iPhone 15 Professional to an iPhone 16 Professional.

Not solely would the circumstances not fairly match, you’d additionally want one thing with both a cutout or a sapphire crystal and conductive layer to have the ability to use the brand new Digicam Management. In fact, Apple sells suitable circumstances, as do some third events like Otterbox, so you might have loads of choices.

I’ve spent most of this 12 months’s {hardware} overview season remarking how Samsung and Google’s flagships really feel like iPhones, and I’ve now reached a wierd inception level. As I’ve been evaluating competing telephones for this overview, I’ve been surrounded by a couple of dozen handsets from all these totally different corporations on my sofa, together with final 12 months’s iPhones, the Galaxy S24 Plus and the Pixel 9 Professional and Professional XL. Attempting to determine which one is the iPhone has grow to be extra complicated than ever, as all of them really feel comparable in construct. The easiest way to confirm at a look is their digicam arrays or my wallpaper.

All that’s to say that the iPhone 16 Professional feels just like its predecessor, which is what these different corporations have been making an attempt to emulate. Apple can be proper to really feel flattered by this imitation, and but I’ve to surprise if it’s time to do one thing totally different. Google’s Pixel 9 Professional is definitely an entire six grams lighter than the iPhone 16 Professional at 221 grams (7.79 ounces), and I’m completely passionate about its wealthy pink hue and glossy edges. Although I like the brand new golden Desert shade for the iPhone 16 Professional, I do want Apple’s premium flagship had extra enjoyable and vibrant exteriors. That stated, I do love the bottom iPhone 16 in pink, teal and Ultramarine.

Digicam management is (not) only a button

Arguably the most important change to the iPhone 16 lineup, to not point out the iPhone 16 Professional, is the introduction of Digicam Management. This can be a button on the correct facet of the system, which has contact and stress sensors on it to allow larger management with swipes and semi-presses. (That’s along with the Motion Button on the highest left that was added to final 12 months’s Execs, and carries over to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, too.)

One of many issues this was purported to do was allow you to push flippantly on the button to set off focus, just like what half urgent a DSLR shutter button would do. That perform gained’t be obtainable at launch, so I can’t say if it’s efficient.

However by and huge, Digicam Management is a really Apple method to a function that has been round for years. From telephones by Sony and Nokia with devoted shutter buttons to Android handsets with hardware-based double-click shortcuts, the notion of fast entry to your digicam with out having to futz with the display screen is a well-liked one. For good cause, too — I’ve hated having to swipe or long-press the icon on my iPhone’s lock display screen up to now, and although I might set the iPhone 15 Professional’s Motion button to open the digicam, it simply wasn’t positioned effectively and I’d have to surrender my mute button.

So Apple isn’t breaking new floor with its {hardware} shortcut for a often used app. However it does do a number of issues in another way with the contact sensor. You’ll be able to swipe on it to tweak issues like publicity, zoom ranges and tone, and the half-press nonetheless works as a solution to choose choices or return out of menus throughout the new Digicam Management interface. In idea, it’s a pleasant solution to make adjustments on the fly.

In actuality, there have been a number of points, and so they largely should do with placement. The button sits slightly farther from the bottom of the cellphone than I’d like, so my fingers have to succeed in a bit extra to press it, whether or not I used to be in panorama or portrait mode. This wasn’t often an issue after I had each arms free and will regular the iPhone with my different hand and readjust my grip.

However if you happen to’re making an attempt to take a fast shot with only one hand, the button’s location can really feel unintuitive. In fact, everybody has totally different finger lengths and ratios, so it’s solely potential that different individuals discover this logical. It additionally relies on your grip — if you happen to’re cradling the underside of the system in your palm, it’s tougher to maneuver. When you’re protecting a part of the display screen and reaching for the button head on, it’s barely simpler to make use of digicam management.

Nonetheless, even for these with the strongest claws, swiping and half-pressing and double-half-pressing on the sensor is difficult. I used to be solely ever actually ready to try this if I had my thumb holding up the underside edge and my center, ring and little fingers steadying the correct finish of the cellphone. Perhaps this can be a new digicam grip I simply have to relearn for this button.

The awkward placement is a minor gripe in comparison with what I discovered most annoying: the button’s contact sensor. Not solely was it troublesome to swipe by totally different settings when holding the system with one hand, it additionally reacts to unintended touches and swipes. Typically, the cellphone would slide down my palm and alter the publicity or zoom degree, utterly ruining the vibe. I ought to level out that you could go into accessibility settings to both tweak the swipe sensitivity or flip it off altogether, if it actually bothers you. Actually, if you happen to’re planning on making changes with Digicam Management, it’s greatest to have time, persistence and each arms free.

In these conditions, I had numerous enjoyable enhancing settings and watching them be mirrored within the viewfinder in actual time. I additionally appreciated zooming out and in of topics, recomposing a shot and tweaking publicity until I appreciated what I noticed, earlier than then pushing right down to snap the image. (This motion does result in some small points, however extra on the precise photograph high quality later.) I particularly beloved this whereas recording video, because it makes slowly zooming in or out of a topic smoother than utilizing the onscreen slider.

Then once more, for situations the place I simply wish to fireplace off a fast shot with out worrying about publicity or zoom settings, the ache of finagling with the sensor principally goes away. In change, having the ability to quickly snap footage is a pleasure. I discovered myself taking extra footage than ever due to digicam management, which if you understand me is a feat worthy of the Guinness E book of Data.

A random individual lower me off in line? Click on. Humorous signal on a constructing I move by in a Lyft? Click on, click on. Out of your lock display screen, you’ll should press the button twice — as soon as to wake the cellphone up and as soon as to open the digicam. Then press once more to take the photograph. It’s not splendid, however not too far off the identical course of on a Pixel cellphone, as an example. Plus, you’ll be able to long-press the iPhone’s button to begin recording a video, and it’ll mechanically cease if you let go.

This form of speedy entry to the digicam is the most effective factor concerning the new button, and I might see it being doubtlessly helpful not only for shutterbugs like me, however for the upcoming Visible Intelligence function that Apple teased at its launch occasion. The corporate’s model of Google Lens might permit individuals to ask questions on issues in the actual world round them. However after all, since this wasn’t obtainable throughout my overview interval, I wasn’t in a position to take a look at it.

For now, you’ll be able to go into Settings to both change the variety of clicks it takes to set off the digicam app, remap it to a Code scanner or the Magnifier device or disable it altogether. Since you can even arrange the Motion button to do this stuff, you might have extra selections now over the place you need your digicam shortcut or unencumber the previous quantity slider to do one thing else.

The iPhone 16 Professional: Fusion digicam for quick and sluggish moments

Even if you happen to’re not a glutton for buttons, there are nonetheless some digicam updates which may intrigue you. This 12 months’s flagships sport what Apple calls a 48-megapixel Fusion Digicam, which has a sooner quad-pixel sensor. This allows what the corporate describes as “zero shutter lag,” which is wording it has used repeatedly through the years. On this case, it’s referring to how rapidly the digicam will seize a shot after you press the shutter button (onscreen or {hardware}).

I’ll admit I used to be initially confused by this replace, partially as a result of it requires relearning some behaviors I had adopted to mitigate the shortfalls of older cameras. Principally, the iPhone 16 Professional’s cameras at the moment are so quick that after I requested somebody to toss something so I might seize it in movement to see how nonetheless the photographs have been, my pictures ended up being of the individual holding the article.

Our video producer and I have been very confused, and it wasn’t till the “zero shutter lag” idea was defined clearer to me that I bought it. I had grow to be used to urgent the shutter early since cameras, in my expertise, can be fractions of a second sluggish. Apple has grow to be so quick that it really captured the literal second I tapped the button, as a substitute of the break up second after, when the article was in mid-air.

That is going to vary how individuals take soar pictures, I’m certain, however principally if you happen to and your folks are taking footage of yourselves floating within the sky, the photographer doesn’t should hit seize earlier than telling you to leap. I do know this can be a very particular and foolish instance, nevertheless it’s additionally probably the most relatable illustration of how a lot faster the Fusion digicam is.

Additionally, why can’t digicam tales be foolish and enjoyable? That’s what numerous the most effective moments in life are, and among the new options are nice in these conditions. The help for 4K video at 120 fps in Dolby Imaginative and prescient, for instance, led to some stunning high-quality, wealthy and colourful clips of my buddy’s lovely pomeranian trotting alongside on a stroll. Her little tongue slowly peeking out as she bounded in the direction of the digicam seemed crisp and clean after I performed it again at 25 p.c and 20 p.c speeds, too.

The iPhone 16’s new Photographic Types are wonderful

Relying in your temper, the brand new Photographic Types might be enjoyable or critical. Apple’s tweaked the built-in digicam filters to not solely provide extra choices however offer you larger management. As a consequence of how the corporate has refined its processing every year, there’s additionally an improved depth map captured when it detects a face within the scene. This, mixed with a larger give attention to shade science round skintone, has led to what may be my favourite new iPhone 16 function.

Whether or not I shot them in Portrait mode or not, photographs of those that I took utilizing the iPhone 16 Professional have been a dream to edit. Merely switching between the Normal, Pure, Luminous, Quiet or Ethereal kinds already resulted in enhancements to the colours and shadow, however I might additionally faucet on every thumbnail to entry the brand new enhancing touchpad and drag a dot round. This let me extra exactly tweak the hues and distinction ranges, and an extra slider beneath let me alter how heat the picture was.

An unpleasant selfie with my cousin within the hideous overhead lights of a gathering room grew to become a phenomenal snapshot after I switched to the Ethereal or Luminous kinds. Each of these are rapidly changing into my favorites, however I’m extra impressed with how effectively Apple was in a position to phase the topic from the background. In nearly each shot I edited, adjusting the slider principally solely modified the background, conserving individuals and their complexions throughout the realm of actuality as a substitute of making use of harsh oversaturation or excessive distinction ranges to them. In addition they added a background blur that lent a nice gentle focus impact, and more often than not the system precisely recognized outlines of individuals within the scene.

Maybe my favourite half is the truth that you’ll be able to change between kinds after you’ve shot the photograph on the iPhone 16. As somebody who dwells on her Instagram filters and edit instruments for a while earlier than every submit, I undoubtedly respect how a lot nicer Apple’s variations are and solely want I might retroactively apply them to photographs I had taken at a latest marriage ceremony. Alas, because the edits are depending on info captured when the photographs have been taken, these new retouching options will solely work for footage taken with an iPhone 16 or 16 Professional.

Audio Combine on the iPhone 16 is… combined

One closing digicam replace I’ll contact on earlier than telling you about precise photograph high quality is Audio Combine. This makes use of the spatial audio now recorded by default with the brand new studio mics on the iPhone 16 Professional (and even the system on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus) to know the route of sound sources in your footage. Then, if you edit the clip, you’ll be able to select between Normal, In-frame, Studio and Cinematic mixes, in addition to drag a slider to scale back background noise.

You’ll should be recording in pretty particular acoustic situations to get probably the most out of Audio Combine. I examined it in a wide range of conditions, like my cousin speaking on his cellphone on a busy New York road, me interviewing my fellow fitness center buddies after a tiring exercise with the background music quietly taking part in or my buddy speaking to me whereas his spouse talks about one thing else off-camera of their pretty quiet kitchen.

For probably the most half, going to Cinematic or Studio modes from Normal resulted in a noticeable discount in environmental noise. My favourite is Studio, which typically appeared to enhance voice readability as effectively, making individuals sound like they might be speaking on a podcast. In-frame, nevertheless, hardly ever did what I anticipated and sometimes produced some warped distortion. It seems there would possibly should be extra distance between numerous sources of sound for this to work greatest, and I’ve to spend extra time testing to raised perceive this device. You’ll be able to take a look at our overview video for examples of a clip with totally different audio mixes, however for now, whereas the promised enhancements aren’t what I anticipated, there no less than seems to be some profit to Audio Combine.

The iPhone 16 Professional’s photographs versus the Pixel 9 Professional

On to the precise photographs and the way they maintain up towards the competitors. I’ve lengthy thought-about Google’s Pixel telephones to be the gold normal in smartphone images, since I favor the corporate’s shade and element processing. I do know some individuals really feel that Google tends to oversharpen, so keep in mind that, as with most issues, your desire could also be totally different from mine.

After I in contrast photographs I took with each telephones on the identical laptop computer display screen, the variations have been minimal. Often, Google would expose higher, being extra in a position to retain shadows close to a brilliant mild supply than the iPhone 16 Professional. However the Pixel’s nightscape pictures had extra mild leakage into the sky, whereas Apple was more proficient at conserving the background darkish towards the define of a skyscraper.

Actually at this level we’re actually nitpicking and pixel-peeping to seek out variations. Each corporations ship nice cameras, and although I nonetheless favor Google’s method to Portrait pictures, Apple has been slowly however absolutely closing the hole with enhancements to its depth maps yearly.

I’ll point out, although, that much more of the photographs I shot on the iPhone 16 Professional got here out blurrier than the Pixel 9 Professional, and it might need to do with the truth that I used to be utilizing the Digicam Management to snap them. This was the problem I alluded to earlier, the place utilizing a bodily button to take an image is extra prone to introduce shake than a software program shutter. It’s not like Samsung or Google telephones are proof against this downside, although I’ll say that the way in which Digicam Management is constructed, the place the recessed button depresses into the cellphone’s body, does go away it a bit extra weak to this than, say, utilizing a quantity rocker would possibly.

Oh and at last, a fast be aware for my Gen Z readers: I understand how a lot you all favor flash images in comparison with night time modes in low mild situations. (Due to my a lot youthful cousin for the precious perception.) I’ve achieved the testing and may say that I favor Google’s Pixel 9 Professional for its software program, hotter flash in comparison with the iPhone 16 Professional’s, which is stronger and brighter, resulting in my face wanting washed out.

iOS 18 is right here, however not Apple Intelligence

It’s been about two months because the public beta for iOS 18 was launched, and it was good to get a style of upcoming options like the brand new customizable residence pages, expanded Tapback reactions and the redesigned Images app. With the iPhone 16 launch, iOS 18 is principally prepared for primetime… with some caveats.

This 12 months, greater than ever, it’s laborious to determine what’s coming to your iPhone and what isn’t. With the discharge of Apple Intelligence slated for October, options like writing instruments, Cleanup for photographs and the redesigned Siri gained’t be prepared until subsequent month. And even then, your non-pro iPhone 15 gained’t be suitable.

Plus, some options that have been teased at WWDC, like Genmoji, nonetheless haven’t been added to the iOS 18.1 developer beta, which is the place most Apple Intelligence options have been arriving as a preview for app makers. Throughout the iPhone 16 lineup, too, there are issues coming solely to the Professional fashions, like multilayer recording in Voice Memos.

It’s complicated, and may make selecting your iPhone a trickier resolution. However for this overview, no less than the iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max are getting every thing. I can not wait to check out multi-track recording in Voice Memos, and I hope Apple sees this craving as an indication that it ought to convey this to extra units.

It was good to get time with iOS 18, even within the absence of Apple Intelligence. Actually, I’m not even certain I’d like these options that a lot. In an analogous method, Gemini AI was good on the Pixel 9 Professional sequence, however didn’t really feel like must-haves.

Among the new iOS 18 touches I seen instantly have been the refreshed Management Middle, which took some getting used to as I needed to re-learn how one can swipe again to the house web page, since there are extra pages to scroll by now. I particularly loved seeing the brand new little chat bubble seem on my voice recordings, indicating {that a} transcript had been generated for them. And although I haven’t exchanged messages with Android-toting buddies but, I’m glad to see RCS help is lastly reside this week.

Although I used to be excited for the brand new customized routes device in Maps, I struggled to truly create them. You’ll be able to set your begin and finish factors and have the app shut the loop for you, or simply faucet landmarks or factors on the map to get the path to principally join the dots. Sadly, regardless of what number of instances I attempted to get the route to chop by a constructing the place I knew a pedestrian walkway existed, Maps resisted me at each flip, forcing the path to undergo extra established (and due to this fact extra crowded) paths as a substitute. It’s not unreasonable, however definitely not the open-world route-creation function I used to be envisioning.

The perfect factor about iOS 18, and likewise some new options within the iPhone 16 lineup (like within the digicam controls) is the customizability. I do respect that if you happen to don’t like one thing, you’ll be able to often flip it off. With the brand new capacity to position apps outdoors of a inflexible grid, now you can lay your own home display screen out simply the way in which you want. The redesigned Images app allows you to create and pin collections so you’ll be able to extra simply discover the photographs most vital to you. And once more, I’m glad Apple is giving individuals the choice to show off Digicam Management altogether or alter its sensitivity.

Efficiency and battery life

The iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max are powered by Apple’s A18 Professional chip, that are constructed on “second-generation 3-nanometer technology and [feature] a new architecture with smaller, faster transistors.” All that is meant to ship “unprecedented efficiency,” in accordance with Apple’s press launch.

Some small software program glitches apart, I’ve by no means run into slowdown on the iPhone 16 Professional, however I used to be definitely stunned by the smaller handset’s battery life. Generally, the iPhone 16 Professional would barely final a full day, which is paying homage to the iPhone 15 Professional, too. It’s price noting that earlier than this overview I used to be primarily utilizing an iPhone 15 Professional Max as my each day driver, which often will get by a day and a half with no downside, so the drop in endurance is much more pronounced for me.

Most days, I’d decide up the iPhone 16 Professional at about 9AM and would get to about 9pm earlier than getting low battery alerts. If I began the day a bit later, nearer to 11AM as an example, I bought to 1am earlier than the iPhone 16 Professional ran utterly dry. On Sunday, I unplugged the cellphone at about 9:30AM and was shocked on the prepare residence to get a warning that remaining energy was at simply 20 p.c. It was solely 6:50PM, and the night time had barely simply began!

You’ll get considerably higher battery life on the iPhone 16 Professional Max, which delivers the identical nearly two-day runtime as its predecessor. And certain, a cellphone with a smaller battery not lasting as lengthy makes mathematical sense. However contemplating the Pixel 9 Professional is a comparably sized handset and manages to final about two days, there’s no excuse for the iPhone 16 Professional to conk out earlier than the night time is up.

Which iPhone 16 must you get?

The most effective issues concerning the iPhone 16 Professional lineup is that, in contrast to final 12 months, there isn’t a lot of a tradeoff in cameras if you happen to go for the smaller system. The iPhone 15 Professional Max had a 5x telephoto zoom digicam, whereas the iPhone 15 Professional solely went as much as 3x. As a budding photographer of skittish wild animals, I opted for the Max, particularly because it was a lot lighter than its predecessor due to the titanium construct.

With the iPhone 16 Professional having primarily the identical digicam system because the Professional Max, I assumed it was time for me to return to a dimension that was a lot simpler on my arms. Alas, with the disappointing battery efficiency, I would simply have to stay with a Max, and also you would possibly too.

There’s additionally the non-Professional iPhone 16 fashions to think about, and you’ll take a look at my colleague Billy Steele’s overview of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus for extra particulars. Simply as there have been fewer variations than ever between the Professional and Professional Max, the tradeoffs aren’t as vital this 12 months, both. Apple introduced the beforehand Professional-exclusive Motion button to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, whereas additionally together with the Digicam Management on its less-premium telephones.

The primary issues that set the 2 strains aside this 12 months are processors, display screen high quality, digicam sensors and onboard mics. You’ll lose help for ProRaw photographs and multi-layer recording by choosing the cheaper units, too. Principally, if you need all the most effective options Apple has to supply, otherwise you plan on utilizing your cellphone to create high-quality movies and get 5x telephoto zoom in your photographs, the Execs are the way in which to go.

In any other case, you’ll nonetheless have all of the iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence options coming to the Execs, in addition to spatial audio recording, which allows the Audio Combine I described within the digicam part earlier.

Wrap up

Apple’s warning is typically warranted. Particularly at a time when distrust of AI-generated content material runs rampant, the corporate taking its time to get Apple Intelligence proper is comprehensible. However its deliberation doesn’t at all times result in winners. Whereas I respect the try and differentiate digicam management with the contact sensor for extra versatility, I’m not but satisfied of its usefulness.

The excellent news is, and I can not stress this sufficient, you might have the choice to tune it to your liking. And that’s a theme I’m seeing in latest Apple options that trace at extra thoughtfulness than standard. When you don’t like one thing, or if one thing isn’t proper in your wants, you’ll be able to alter or disable it. In iOS 18, you might have larger management over your own home display screen’s app format and may pin customized collections for simpler attain within the Images app. The Motion button launched final 12 months might have been a spectacular fail had Apple not allow you to nonetheless preserve it as a mute change, nevertheless it managed to offer individuals extra performance whereas sustaining the established order for individuals who are simply as resistant to vary.

Change is frightening. Change is difficult. However with out change there is no such thing as a progress. Apple’s cautious method is a difficult balancing act that’s evident on the iPhone 16 Professional. Some new options, like Audio Combine and customized routes in Maps, ship combined outcomes. Others, like Photographic Types, are hits. Then there are the essential elements, like good battery life and sturdy, engaging designs, that Apple can not neglect.

The iPhone 16 Professional’s subpar battery life holds it again from beating the competitors, which is stiffer than ever this 12 months, particularly from Google. Fortunately for Apple, most individuals who’ve iPhones are going to stay with iPhones — it’s simply simpler. For these already sucked into the ecosystem, the iPhone 16 Professional (and significantly the Professional Max) are well worth the improve from a mannequin that’s no less than two years previous. If you have already got an iPhone 15 Professional (or perhaps a 14 Professional), for the sake of our planet and your pockets, you would possibly favor to carry off on upgrading, particularly since this 12 months’s units aren’t that a lot totally different.