- The iPhone 16 series was unveiled and is set to launch later this month
- The new handsets include AI-powered features known as Apple Intelligence
- The smartphone range also includes the brand new Camera Control button
After months of rumours and speculation, we finally know what to expect with the iPhone 16. Announced this morning during its “Glowtime” event, Apple’s flagship smartphone is set to launch later this month and is available in four models – the standard iPhone 16, the Plus, the Pro and the Pro Max.
For the most part, the upgrades are what you’d expect. The new handsets include improved battery life, better cameras and a new processing chip. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have bigger displays than last year’s models, which have been bumped up to 6.3-inches and 6.9-inches, respectively, from last year’s 6.1-inches and 6.7-inches.
As far as new features go, every iPhone 16 model now gets an Action Button, along with the brand new Camera Control button. However, the highlight of the event was the announcement of Apple’s new AI features, cleverly named “Apple Intelligence”.
Let’s take a look at the new features announced for the iPhone 16 range.
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iPhone 16 Features
Chip
The standard iPhone 16 and Plus will be powered by an A18 chip, which is custom-built to handle the handset’s new AI features. According to Apple, this new processor promises to be 30% faster CPU and 40% faster GPU, compared to the A16.
The Pro and Pro Max models will be powered by the A18 Pro, which Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, has described as being “the most advanced iPhone models we’ve ever made.” Thanks to this chip, the Pro and Pro Max support 4K120fps video recording in Dolby Vision.
For some reason, Apple has completely skipped the A17 chip. On the one hand, it’s a fun bit of kayfabe to show off that this new chip is extra powerful, but can you skip something that was never available in the first place?
Camera
Apple has slightly adjusted the back-mounted cameras for the iPhone 16 and Plus models, stacking them atop one another. This will help users capture spatial images and video, which will be viewable in the Apple Vision Pro. This camera array includes a 48MP Fusion camera with a 2x Telephoto option, along with a 12MP Ultra Wide lens.
The ability to capture spatial images and video will also be available with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models, which come back mounted with a 48MP Fusion camera, a 48MP Ultra Wide camera and a 12MP 5x telephoto camera.
Buttons
The Action Button, which was previously only available for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models, is now available across the entire iPhone 16 range. This button acts as a shortcut to various features, whether that’s turning on the phone’s torch, setting it to silent or opening the camera.
Each handset will also receive a Camera Control button, which does what it says on the tin. This tactile button will allow users quick and easy access to the phone’s camera, and allow you to adjust capture settings by sliding your finger across it.
The Camera Control button also allows you to access Apple’s take on the Google Lens. Called “Visual Intelligence”, this feature will allow you to access a range of information just by pointing your camera at an object or location. According to Apple, this includes being able to pull up the ratings of a restaurant that you’ve passed, identifying dog breeds or adding an event to your calendar from a poster or flyer.
What Is Apple Intelligence?
From what we’ve seen so far, most of Apple’s AI features revolve around writing assistance. It’ll let you summarise text, proofread your work and even rewrite it with a different tone.
If you’re someone who is easily distracted, Apple Intelligence will also help you intuitively prioritise what notifications you’ll be shown, while also offering summaries of their contents.
This feature also extends to the Mail app, where important emails will be filtered to the top of your inbox along with short summaries. On top of this, Apple Intelligence also offers a Smart Reply feature, which will let you quickly draft an email based on context-relevant prompts.
On the non-text side of things, you can create custom generative emojis based on text prompts or by using pre-existing photos.
There is a slight catch here, however. Apple Intelligence won’t be available until October 2024, when it’ll be rolled out as a beta version with an iOS 18 update. This version of Apple Intelligence will use US English, while an Australia-specific language option won’t be available until December.
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When Will The iPhone 16 Be Released In Australia?
The iPhone 16 range will be available in Australia starting September 20th – preorders will open at 10pm (AEST) on September 13th.
How Much Will The iPhone 16 Cost In Australia?
One of the biggest surprises here is that, despite all of these upgrades, the iPhone 16 range is launching at cheaper retail prices than the iPhone 15 range. In most cases, it’s a difference of around $50 to $100, but you won’t see us complaining.
For example, the iPhone 15 (128GB) was priced at $1,499, while the equivalent iPhone 16 is available for $1,399 – which is the same launch price as the iPhone 14.
Here’s the full pricing for every iPhone 16 model in Australia:
| Phone | RRP |
| iPhone 16 (128 GB) | $1,399 |
| iPhone 16 (256 GB) | $1,599 |
| iPhone 16 (512 GB) | $1,949 |
| iPhone 16 Plus (128 GB) | $1,599 |
| iPhone 16 Plus (256 GB) | $1,799 |
| iPhone 16 Plus (512 GB) | $2,149 |
| iPhone 16 Pro (128 GB) | $1,799 |
| iPhone 16 Pro (256 GB) | $1,999 |
| iPhone 16 Pro (512 GB) | $2,349 |
| iPhone 16 Pro (1 TB) | $2,699 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256 GB) | $2,149 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (512 GB) | $2,499 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (1 TB) | $2,849 |
iPhone 16 Specifications
| Feature | iPhone 16 | iPhone 16 Plus | iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen szie | 6.1″ | 6.7″ | 6.3″ | 6.9″ |
| Display | Super Retina XDR OLED | Super Retina XDR OLED | Super Retina XDR OLED | Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Case design | Aluminium with colour-infused glass back | Aluminium with colour-infused glass back | Titanium | Titanium |
| Processor | A18 | A18 | A18 Pro | A18 Pro |
| Apple Intelligence | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cameras | 48MP (Fusion), 12MP (Ultra Wide), 12MP (Selfie) | 48MP (Fusion), 12MP (Ultra Wide), 12MP (Selfie) | 48MP (Fusion), 48MP (Ultra Wide), 12MP (Telephoto), 12MP (Selfie) | 48MP (Fusion), 48MP (Ultra Wide), 12MP (Telephoto), 12MP (Selfie) |
| Optical zoom | 6x | 6x | 25x | 25x |
| Wireless connectivity | Wi‑Fi 7 | Wi‑Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Water-resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| Battery size | Up to 22 hours (Video playback) | Up to 27 hours (Video playback) | Up to 27 hours (Video playback) | Up to 33 hours (Video playback) |
| Colours | Black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine | Black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine | Black titanium, white titanium, natural titanium, desert titanium | Black titanium, white titanium, natural titanium, desert titanium |
| Storage capacities | 128/256/512 GB | 128/256/512 GB | 256GB/512GB/1 TB | 256GB/512GB/1 TB |
Did Apple Announce Anything Else?
While the new iPhones were the main event, it wasn’t the only new product announced by Apple.
These other announcements included the AirPods 4, which is powered by the H2 chip and features active noise cancellation. Apple also announced a new hearing aid feature that’ll be available for the AirPods Pro 2 later this year and a slight design tweak to the AirPods Max range. The Apple Watch Series 10Â was also announced, along with a new colourway for the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
