Should you upgrade to the iPhone 16?

The iPhone 16 might look like the same phone as last year, but look closely and there’s a big difference, plus how it works and what it can do is a huge change for smartphones.
I’ve been using the iPhone 16 for a week, and have been testing all four models;
Let’s call the 16 and 16 Plus the ‘standard’ models while the Pro and Pro Max we’ll refer to as the ‘pro’ models.
NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.
Firstly, they look sensational thanks to a far more vibrant colour palette. It’s like we’ve switched from watercolours to thick paint. Apple has found a way to really infuse the colour of the phone into the metal frame and that colour really pops on iPhone 16.
Around the camera lenses is also a vibrant colour, while the back has more of a matte finish with a bit of a washed-out sense to the colour, though not as much as the iPhone 15 colours.
Speaking of cameras, the two lenses – wide and ultra-wide are now arranged vertically on the phone, not on an angle. This is to allow the iPhone 16 to take Spatial Photos – a new photo format which is basically 3D photos, for viewing on the Apple Vision Pro.
Additionally, the lenses now fuse together when taking some photos to give a more accurate colour representation and extract more detail. You probably won’t notice that in day-to-day life snapping photos of the kids.
If you are a stickler for the way a photo should look, you can now choose a ‘Photographic Style’ to be your default or add it after the fact, which will manipulate the colour of the photo to make it pleasing to your eye.
Everyone’s view of what makes a good looking photo from a colour perspective is different so this really helps you get the photos you want.
Video recording is just as good as ever, except there’s now a new Audio Mix mode which lets you highlight the audio of a person in the frame of view, and essentially fade down the background noise. This works so well it’s frightening. Really remarkable.
Above the volume buttons on iPhone 16 is the new Action button, introduced on iPhone 15 Pro models last year this replaces the volume mute ‘switch’ in favour of a user customisable action. I’ve never used it for anything more than just mute though personally.
Even the standard iPhone 16 gets the all-new Camera Control button on the right side of the phone – this is instant access to your camera and works great. More on that soon.
BIG – the Pro models for the first time are an all-new screen size, bigger than the standard phones. The iPhone 16 Pro is 6.3 inches while the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a staggering 6.9-inch screen size!
Under the hood the pro models have a better processor, the A18 Pro – now this is all great, and powerful (kinda like the Wizard of Oz right?), but in your day-to-day use you probably won’t notice much. Just appreciate it’s there for you.
The Camera Control button is also new on both Pro models and Pro users will tap into even more features of that just thanks to the camera’s additional lens which offers a 5x optical zoom.
Going back to how they used to do it, both Pro models have the exact same lens features – something that differentiated the Pro and Pro Max on iPhone 15. This is great news, as I’ve been using the iPhone 16 Pro mainly and still getting that 5x zoom!
For serious video takers, the Pro models now shoot in 4K 120 frames per second. And the software now allows you to choose a replay speed with a simple drop-down, it works great.
This is an interesting little button. It’s not an actual button, it’s a sensor that has a haptic engine underneath to buzz and make you think you pressed it.
You can press at any time, even when the phone is locked, and open the camera. Press again for a photo. Press and hold for a Video.
Additionally, you can gently half-press it to bring up a camera menu. This will allow you to swipe the same button and zoom in or out. You can even double-press it to access additional features like depth or exposure settings.
It’s fun, and it’s good. I feel many people will see it as a gimmick, and I will say, it takes some days to get used to – once you understand the half pressure and such, it becomes very usable.
Despite being perfectly placed to mimic a traditional camera, it is also still a bit jarring to get used to putting your finger there for the shutter.
Well, this is the big deal really – this is AI, by Apple.
Now, when you buy the iPhone 16 it won’t have Apple Intelligence, it’s ‘Apple Intelligence ready’. Apple says they will launch their AI in December in Australia. It’s worth the wait.
Only the iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max and all iPhone 16 Models will be able to use Apple Intelligence, that’s what makes the iPhone 16 such a compelling upgrade for probably more people than in any recent year.
With Apple Intelligence Siri gets smarter, there’s all the amazing help writing and re-writing text, there’s image generation. Lots of things that Google and Samsung are also doing.
But what Apple is doing that no one else is, and I’ve been testing this – is using AI in ways that help you without even asking. Got a long text message from a mate? The notification on your Home Screen or the text that shows in your message list will be an AI summary of the message.
Did you get five notifications from one app in the last 6 hours and not open any? Apple Intelligence will show you one notification that summarises them all!
Honestly, a game-changer.
Yes. Apple Intelligence is the reason to buy an iPhone 16, but it’s also the one missing feature of the iPhone 16. But that delay will all be forgotten in years to come.
Camera Control is cool, but it’s not a reason to upgrade.
Plus, the iPhone 16 is cheaper than last year’s model – and that’s something we don’t often say about Apple.
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