With new hardware that brings added utility, a chipset fit for Apple Intelligence, and a winning design, justifying the standard iPhone just got easier.
Being a tech enthusiast means I always default to the beefiest, most powerful, wallet-shredding devices that companies have to offer. So, every year, when the latest iPhones roll around, testing the standard models brings me back to mainstream reality.
These are the iPhones that most people buy, with Counterpoint Research reporting that in 2024, the iPhone 15 outsold the iPhone 15 Pro. In the year before, the iPhone 14 outsold both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
After testing the iPhone 16 Plus for the past two days (and with much more evaluation to be done in the coming weeks), I’m expecting a similar consumer trend with this year’s iPhones — but with an ever-wider gap.
With this year’s standard iPhone models, Apple is taking what I’d like to call the “Sibling” strategy. You know how the older sibling tends to get all the latest and greatest things first — shirts, toys, shoes? After a year, or when the excitement for something wears off, it’s passed down to the younger sibling, so what’s old is new again. That’s exactly what Apple has done with last year’s iPhone 15 Pro model and this year’s iPhone 16, and I don’t mind that at all.
The new Action button, for example, replaces the physical mute-switch toggle and can be mapped to a unique function, from turning on the flashlight to starting a voice memo to firing up the camera. Of course, you can also set the Action button to switch between alert and silent.
Considering this is the iPhone’s have-it-your-way era, you should really try to embrace the customization freedom here. My Action button is currently set to “turn on AirDrop for 10 minutes” as I’m camera-testing the phone and frequently uploading images and videos to my MacBook. That prompt will likely change by the end of the week, which is the beauty of the new hardware key.
Calling this iPhone 16 color “Pink” does not do it justice. Instead, I’d call it “Atomic, Razzleberry, Flamingo, Bubblegum Blast.”
There’s also a new Camera Control located on the bottom right side of the phones, which looks and functions like the one on the Pro versions. At the most basic level, pressing the Camera Control snaps a photo or starts a video recording.
