It’s the day after Apple introduced the iPhone 16and although I published Practically with the iPhone 16 Pro immediately after eventI haven’t had much time to devote to the main models so far. With this extra time, I was able to learn more about the differences between the standard iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro, and to be honest, I was surprised that there weren’t that many.
One of the most obvious ways to tell the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro apart is in their color options. The entry-level range has a nice, vibrant range of colors this year, with the teal, pink and blue options really catching my eye. These shades are saturated and sharp compared to the light pastel shades of recent years. I especially like how deep the “ultramarine” blue is – the pictures don’t do either of these finishes justice.
The entire iPhone 16 series features new camera controls, meaning you can use a hardware switch to launch the camera app, then change settings like zoom, depth, and tone. Having played with both of them, I can confirm that they are equally clicky and a joy to use. Unlike last year, when only the Pro models had an Action button, the iPhone 16 has similar controls, so you won’t miss out on a dedicated key by opting for a cheaper model.
You also get spatial video and audio recording thanks to iPhone 16’s updated cameras. In addition to the new ultra-wide camera that supports autofocus and macro shots, the sensors have been redesigned and are now stacked vertically on top of each other. Most interestingly, the iPhone 16 will also support the new Audio Mix feature, which will allow you to more finely control the sounds and voices in your footage after you’ve taken it.
It would be easy to assume that “four new studio-quality microphones” iPhone 16 Pro has Audio Mix behind it, but it’s just the ability to record spatial audio that provides the new feature. With it, you can access the iPhone 16’s video editing interface, Audio Mix, and “In-frame,” “Cinematic ” and “Studio” options, the former isolates the sound from objects on stage and cuts out background noise, while the Studio mimics the acoustic environment of a recording studio, complete with dampening walls. The Kinematic brings together all the sounds front and center in the venue.
I was able to get a demo of the Audio Mix feature and was really impressed that the iPhone 16 was able to isolate the sounds of people talking on the outdoor deck echoing in Apple’s new Observatory. Not only did switching between different mixes effectively change how loud different audio sources were, but it was nice to learn that you could adjust the volume of specific streams in each profile. It’s something I want to play with more to get a better understanding of it, but for now I’m very interested in the possibility of using the iPhone 16 for future Apple event videos.
One disappointing exception from the iPhone 16 is the multi-track recording feature that comes on the iPhone 16 Pro. That Voice memo update will only be available on Pro models.
In fact, if you sign up for a Pro, the main upgrades are: ProMotion screens with higher refresh rates and Always On Screen, as well as superior camera equipment with a 48-megapixel ultra-wide lens and 5x telephoto option. Premium phones also support 4K120p high-quality slo-mo footage and professional formats such as ProRaw. The Pros also have an A18 Pro chip compared to the iPhone 16’s A18, and the differences are mostly in GPU performance, so you might have a better time with the more premium model.
Other differences are pretty minimal, like the Titan build and faster USB speeds on the Pros. Overall, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus feel like less of a trade-off to save, and you get more fun colors, too. They also look like a more advanced than its predecessorsit’s a welcome change after years of incremental changes.
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