Apple iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus: Are the base models on the same impressive level as the Pro?

The Apple iPhone 16 series is official in the latest “Its Glowtime”Apple event. The event launched the iPhone 16 series alongside the wearables; Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Ultra 2, AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2 and the new AirPods Max. The iPhone 16 series includes four phones; iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone 16 Pro models including the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have a different hype on their own with the most flagship specs and performance. The base models including the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have also got the attention of many smartphone enthusiasts with the AI features. The base iPhones usually get the features of the previous generation Pro models. For this year, the base models have the only available action button in the 15 Pro models. The new camera button however is available in base models too.

The base models of the iPhone 16 series have some notable changes from last year’s base models of the iPhone 15 series. The main notable change is the design of the layout of the back cameras. Other updates include better display protection, chipset, camera features and charging.

Let us see what the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus deliver regarding specifications.

Specifications of the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus

Design and Display

The iPhone 16 base models; the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus have a new design or some say the old design in a new way. The camera layout has been changed on the iPhone 16 base models back to vertical which was diagonal in the iPhone 15 base models. The vertical camera layout was available in the iPhone 10 series followed by the iPhone 11 and 12 base models. The design was then changed in the iPhone 13 base models with the diagonal cameras.

The change in the layout of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus cameras is for the use of spatial video and audio. The change is mostly targeted at the future of virtual reality and also compatibility with the recent Apple Vision Pro. Other major design changes can be the addition of new colour options. The back is made up of glass and has a matte texture whereas the frame is made up of aluminium.

The other new change is the addition of the action button and the camera control button. The action button was introduced only in the iPhone 15 Pro models.

Coming to the front, the display of the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus is similar to the last generation iPhone 15 base models. The dynamic island sits in the centre of the display in a pill-shaped design. The bezels are thin on all sides of both the smartphones giving a premium feel while using. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus differ mainly in size and resolution. The iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2556 x 1179 pixels at 460 ppi, while the iPhone 16 Plus offers a larger 6.7-inch OLED display with a slightly higher resolution of 2796 x 1290 pixels at 460 ppi.

Both models share several impressive display features including a Super Retina XDR display, HDR support and True Tone technology. The contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1 and the brightness capabilities are the same across both models, with a typical max brightness of 1000 nits, HDR peak brightness of 1600 nits and outdoor peak brightness of 2000 nits.

The display of both the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus has a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. The display is protected by a better ceramic shield from last year; increasing resistance and protection. Both smartphones also get IP68 dust and water resistance for further protection.

Performance and Storage

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are both powered by the new A18 chipset, built on a 3nm architecture, ensuring improved performance and efficiency alongside AI processing. The base models get a new chipset this year which was different in previous years. The base models used to get the chipset of Pro models of the previous year like the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus with the A16 bionic chipset.

The CPU features a 6-core configuration with 2 performance cores for handling demanding tasks and 4 efficiency cores for power-saving operations during everyday use. Both models are also equipped with a 5-core GPU to handle graphic-intensive tasks. Both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus run on iOS 18. As for memory, both smartphones have 8GB of RAM. In terms of storage, both smartphones offer three options: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

AI features

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 along with its Pro siblings mark a new chapter in AI with the Apple Intelligence. It enables powerful new Writing Tools that help you proofread, rewrite and summarize text across apps. Siri is smarter with richer language understanding, personalized context awareness and the ability to take action across multiple apps. The new Priority Notifications system ensures users never miss important alerts, while the Clean Up tool in Photos lets you easily remove distractions from images. Plus, with privacy measures like Private Cloud Compute, your data stays secure without compromising performance.

Camera

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus both share a dual-camera system. It includes a 48MP Fusion camera with a 26 mm lens, ƒ/1.6 aperture and sensor-shift optical image stabilization. This camera enables high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) and also supports a 12MP 2X telephoto lens with a 52 mm focal length. It is accompanied by a 12MP Ultra Wide camera with a 120° field of view, ƒ/2.2 aperture, and 100% Focus Pixels. The ultra-wide camera offers 2X optical zoom in and out and digital zoom up to 10x.

For video recording, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have support for 4K Dolby Vision video of up to 60 fps and Cinematic mode with 4K HDR. It also supports macro video recording, slo-mo in 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps, and spatial video recording at 1080p for immersive experiences. For video recording, both smartphones include features like QuickTake video, Sensor-shift optical image stabilization, Audio zoom, Time-lapse, Night mode time-lapse and action modes to enhance the versatility of the video options.

The camera system is enhanced by features such as True Tone Flash, Smart HDR 5, and Deep Fusion, ensuring optimal image quality across all lighting conditions. Portraits are uplifted from next-gen Focus and Depth Control and wide color capture ensures vibrant and detailed shots. Both smartphones can capture spatial photos, use advanced lens correction and employ tools like burst mode and auto image stabilization.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are equipped with the TrueDepth front camera featuring a 12MP sensor and a ƒ/1.9 aperture. The front camera has features like the Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion and Smart HDR 5 to enhance images and portraits with Focus and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting effects and the latest Photographic Styles. It supports high-definition video recording with 4K Dolby Vision at up to 60 fps, slo-mo video at 1080p and 120 fps and stabilized time-lapse video. Additional features include Animoji and Memoji, Night mode, wide colour capture and spatial audio recording.

Battery and Others

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are powered by a lithium-ion battery. Both smartphones have a longer battery life than the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus. As for charging options, both include wired fast charging and MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W when used with a 30W adapter or higher. Additionally, both smartphones support Qi2 wireless charging up to 15W and Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W.

In terms of connectivity, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are equipped with advanced Wi-Fi capabilities, supporting standards from 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7 and dual-band operation for improved network performance and Bluetooth 5.3 for stable connections with other devices and accessories. The smartphones have network support with LTE and 5G capabilities and include dual SIM functionality for added flexibility. For an enhanced audio experience, both smartphones feature stereo speakers and an array of sensors; face ID, a barometer, a high dynamic range gyro, a high-g accelerometer, a proximity sensor, and dual ambient light sensors.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are available in four colour options; Black, White, Pink, Teal and Ultramarine.

Both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus can be expected to launch soon in the Nepali market with an expected price as follows;