The iPhone 16 Pro series, designed for AI applications, features larger displays and improved performance. While Apple Intelligence remains unavailable in Europe, the new models offer several enhancements over their predecessors.
Bigger displays and enhanced performance
Apple’s latest flagship smartphones, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, come with increased screen sizes. The smaller Pro model now boasts a 6.3-inch display, up from 6.1 inches, while the Pro Max grows to 6.9 inches from 6.7 inches. Both devices retain the 120Hz refresh rate and always-on display functionality. Apple claims to have improved the Ceramic Shield protection for the screens.
The titanium-crafted bodies are available in four colors: black, white, natural, and a new “Desert Titanium” option. Apple also states that the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers “the best iPhone battery life ever.”
Powering these devices is the new A18 Pro chip, manufactured using a 3nm process. The CPU consists of two performance and four efficiency cores, while a new 16-core Neural Engine promises a 15% performance boost over the iPhone 15 Pro, particularly beneficial for AI functions.
Apple reports that GPU and CPU performance have increased by 20% and 15% respectively compared to the A17 Pro. Ray-tracing capabilities have doubled, and energy consumption has been reduced by 20%.
Camera improvements and new features
Both iPhone 16 Pro models now feature a 5x optical zoom telephoto camera, previously exclusive to the Pro Max variant. The camera system includes:
- A 48-megapixel wide-angle camera
- A new 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera
- A 12-megapixel telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom
A new side camera control button has been added, with a two-stage shutter release coming via a software update later this year. Apple also introduces new photo styles, allowing users to modify image styles post-capture. The Pro models can now record 4K videos at 120 frames per second, with adjustable playback speed in the Photos app.
Audio capabilities have been enhanced with four “studio-quality” microphones, designed to capture spatial audio for Apple Vision Pro’s Spatial Videos. A future update will enable voice memo overlays, potentially useful for music recording.
Pricing and availability
The iPhone 16 Pro starts at €1,199 for the 128GB model, while the Pro Max begins at €1,449 for 256GB. Pre-orders open on Friday, September 13, with availability from September 20.