iPhone 16/Pro Impressions: The Great Separation!

The Nugget

The iPhone 16/Pro introduces mostly incremental updates with a focus on camera advancements and battery life, alongside the peculiar separation of hardware and future software features related to AI and camera controls.

Make it stick

📸 The new camera control button is a touch-sensitive area that allows for intuitive camera functionalities, like taking photos and adjusting settings with gestures.
🔋 The iPhone 16 boasts up to 22 hours of video playback, despite Apple not releasing explicit battery specifications, suggesting improved battery life.
🎨 New colors for the iPhone 16 include ultramarine, teal, and pink, alongside a return to a classic camera alignment for spatial video capabilities.
💻 Both Pro models come with the A18 Pro chip, promising 20-30% performance boosts, but still retain features like a 60Hz display that may disappoint some enthusiasts.

Design Changes:
1. Small design changes such as new color options: ultramarine, teal, and pink.
2. Classic camera orientation restored for spatial photo/video capabilities.
Performance Enhancements:
1. Upgraded to A18 chip (20-30% performance increase).
2. Notable improvements in Ray tracing capabilities and RAM (8 GB).
Camera Control feature:
1. Introduces a new pressure-sensitive camera control button for quick access to camera functions.
2. Allows gestural controls and includes integration with third-party camera apps.

Pro Differences:
1. Larger display sizes (6.3” & 6.9”) with thinner bezels.
2. New 48 MP main and ultrawide cameras; 5x telephoto on the smaller Pro.
Battery and Efficiency:
1. Claims of the longest battery life in an iPhone; unclear specifics but promising enhancements.

Notable Absence:
1. New software and features (like AI enhancements) will not launch with the phone but will come in later updates.
2. Emphasis on upcoming software could overshadow hardware upgrades.

Apple Watch Series 10:
1. Minor updates: thinner and lighter, new S10 chip, and new colors.
2. Features like sleep apnea detection pending FDA approval.
AirPods and AirPods Max:
1. Launch of AirPods 4 with redesigned shape and active noise cancellation.
2. AirPods Max received minimal updates, primarily color and port changes, retaining high price point despite aging design.

"This feels like a big separation moment for the iPhone."
"The camera control button is fascinating; it’s technically impressive but I’m curious about its everyday utility."
“They literally had a lightning port in 2024—what did the AirPods Max team do for four years?”
“It feels like each year’s new physical phone is just a small improvement—faster chip, better screen, slightly better cameras.”
"Overall, the base model is probably a better buy for most people over the Pro models."

This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.