New displays, dimensions, camera button, and 4K/120 fps recording: Apple unveils iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max

Flagship iPhones have not changed size since 2020, when the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max were introduced. Back then, this was due to an increase in display diagonals to 6.1 and 6.7 inches, respectively. Since then, the updated models have minimally changed their dimensions, but this did not affect everything else. And this could not go on forever.

So this year, the newly introduced iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models have brought more changes. In addition to the expected processor upgrade, camera capabilities, and other improvements, the new smartphones have increased display diagonals, which has affected the cases and batteries accordingly.

At the same time, the overall design concept has not changed much. Externally, the new models are similar to several previous models, made of glass panels on the front (improved Ceramic Shield) and back, with a titanium frame between them, as well as "traditional" water and dust protection according to the IP68 standard.

This year, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will offer a choice of four colors: Black, White, Natural, Desert (all with a Titanium finish, of course).

While increasing the size of the displays, the company managed to avoid a significant increase in size by reducing the bezels. The weight has not changed fundamentally either. In numbers, it looks like this:

And now the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have the largest screens of Apple smartphones ever. The resolution has also increased minimally. Again, compared to last year's models, the changes are as follows:

The Dynamic Island cutouts have not disappeared, OLED matrices with an image refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hz are used, support for the Always-On function remains, and the maximum brightness, depending on the conditions, is up to 2,000 cd/m².

Most of the control elements (power and volume keys, Action button, speakers, USB-C port...) remained in their usual places. However, on the right side of the case, a Camera Control button has been added to control the camera, as the name implies. And unlike Sony smartphones, where this is a two-position mechanical key, in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max it is capacitive, with gesture support.

Thus, it can be used to take a photo or start/stop video recording, change settings with swipes, etc. The company will add more functionality later.

Of course, these are not all the updates. As always, the new flagship models have the best A18 Pro processors, manufactured using a 3-nanometer process. They consist of 6 CPU cores (2 powerful and 4 energy-saving), another 6 cores in the graphics accelerator, and 16 cores in the NPU.

There was no mention of the amount of RAM, so we can easily assume that it remained at the level of its predecessor - 8 GB, and the storage, which in the iPhone 16 Pro offers from 128 GB to 1 TB, and in the iPhone 16 Pro Max - from 256 GB to 1 TB.

The support for 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) remains among the communication options. The company has not revised its approach to SIM card slots, so in the US, the devices will be sold only with eSIM support. There is support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, navigation systems, and Emergency SOS satellite communication (still not available in Ukraine).

iOS 18 was not a significant part of this presentation. We talked about its features in this article (and video). However, the focus is mostly on the AI capabilities of Apple Intelligence, which the company also announced at WWDC 2024. This is a big launch of new functionality for iPhones, but only owners of the newly presented flagships and their last year's versions will be able to test it. Apple Intelligence is now being supported in more countries, but currently only in English (the list is expected to be expanded next year). 

The cameras have also been updated. The main camera now has a Fusion index - 48 MP, ƒ/1.78, 24 mm, Sensor-Shift OIS. The ultra-wide-angle has quadrupled its resolution - 48 MP, ƒ/2.2, 13 mm. Tetroprismatic telephoto is now available in both flagship models (not just the Max version) - 12 MP, ƒ/2.8, 120 mm, 5× optical zoom. LiDAR is also in its place. 

The latest flagships are not without new "tricks" either. Among these features are 4K video recording at 120 frames per second (Cinematic Video Capture) and improved use of color presets (Photographic Style), which the smartphone can now process in real time.

The front camera hasn't undergone any significant changes and has hardly been mentioned: 12 MP, ƒ/1.9, 23 mm, OIS.

Among other things, Pro versions of iPhones have four microphones each and can record spatial audio. In addition, voice notes can be recorded simultaneously with additional audio and then separated, which can help musicians.

Apple continues to ignore fingerprint scanning, leaving Face ID for quick unlocking (without improvements).

The batteries have grown in size along with the cases. Unfortunately, the company traditionally does not indicate their capacity during the presentation, so we will get the exact figures a little later. However, in the specifications, the manufacturer emphasizes the estimated operating time. Thus, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max can play video four hours longer than their predecessors, and audio for as much as 10 hours.

The initial price of the iPhone 16 Pro in the US remains at $999, while the terabyte option will cost $1,499. The same is true for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which will start at $1,199, but will offer 256 GB of storage as standard, not 128 (as was the case with previous models), and its maximum version will cost $1,599.

Pre-orders in the US will start on September 13, and actual sales will begin on September 20, 2024. Official prices and availability in Ukraine will be announced later.