Apple iPhone 16, 16 Plus debut with new Camera Control button

Apple finally wrapped up its most anticipated hardware event of the year, “It’s Glowtime,” a few hours ago, and we finally got a clear and detailed look at the iPhone 16 family: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

While some Apple fans look out only for the Pro models, this year’s vanilla and Plus models have grabbed some noticeable upgrades. Here’s what we got from the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus’s announcement.

iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have a new chip but the same 60Hz refresh rate

As usual, the two standard iPhone 16 models share several features, such as the design; they both pack an IP68 dust and water-resistant rating, the programmable Action Button that came out last year, and the new Camera Control button.

The pocket-friendly vanilla iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch display, while the larger iPhone 16 Plus has a 6.7-inch panel. Unfortunately, the standard iPhone models are stuck with the same 60Hz refresh rate, which is a shame, as it is a standard feature on cheaper Android phones these days.

However, the biggest upgrade Apple brings to the standard iPhones this year is under the hood.

If we look at Apple’s previous trends, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models should have the A17 Pro chip under the hood. But this year, Apple took it up a notch and added a 3nm A18 Bionic chipset, as the Cupertino firm wanted a powerful chip capable of running the upcoming Apple Intelligence.

It packs a hexa-core CPU, a five-core GPU with ray tracing, and a 16-core neural engine to run Apple Intelligence, which the company will start rolling out next month.

Interestingly, the new chip is very similar to the older A17 Pro chip that powered last year’s iPhone 15 Pro models, and we wouldn’t be surprised if this is the same chip with a name.

The cameras on the new iPhone have always been one of the company’s biggest focuses, and this year, they are even more so due to the new Camera Control button , which is essentially a better version of the camera shutter key that we have seen on older phones.

However, this one supports the swipe gesture for zooming in or out, and a light press gives you a cleaner viewfinder UI.

Besides the new button, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have the same dual-camera system on their backs: a 48MP primary sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide.

In addition, the ultra-wide now has autofocus and macro support. Apple has also added spatial photos and video capture, which is only useful if you have an Apple Vision Pro .

On the front side, a 12MP camera is there for taking selfies.

Apple also mentioned that the new iPhone 16 series has larger batteries, but as usual, it didn’t provide the specifics.

iPhone 16 and 16 Plus: price and availability

If you want a new iPhone 16, the pocket-friendly option is the vanilla iPhone 16 with 128GB of storage, which costs $799, while the iPhone 16 Plus with 128GB of storage costs $899.

The phones come in five new colors: Black, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine, and White. Pre-orders start on Friday, September 13, and availability begins on September 20.

Are you planning on getting the iPhone 16 or 16 Plus? Or would you rather opt for the Pro models? Talk to us below in the comments, and feel free to reach out to us via our Twitter or Facebook .