iPhone 16 series: 5 things to know before upgrading

The iPhone 16 series phones have been the talk of the town since they were announced at the ‘Glowtime’ launch event held on September 9 this year. As is the case every year, the new iPhones offer better performance and some handy new features.

However, if you’re someone looking to upgrade to the iPhone 16 series, or buy your very first iPhone, these are the top 5 changes you should know about.

iPhone 16 series: The new chip

The iPhone 16 series comes with a new chip – The A18 for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, and an A18 Pro that powers the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The reason for a new chipset was to enable all AI-related tasks and features under the Apple Intelligence for all four models. On the non-Pro models, the new A18 chip takes a two-generation leap over its predecessor.

The new A18 chip has a six-core CPU that Apple claims is 30 per cent faster and consumes 30 per cent less power than last year’s A16 Bionic found in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. The A18 Pro is said to have improved memory bandwidth and a larger cache size that supports ‘Advanced media’ features. this is in addition to features like a ProMotion display, Always-On display, faster USB 3 speeds and ProRes video recording.

iPhone 16 series: Action Button and Camera Control

The Action Button has replaced the mute switch since the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Now, it comes to the entire iPhone 16 series. The button is also customisable to have different functions at different times of the day. The user can set it up to activate the flashlight or recording Voice Memos. It can be programmed to trigger Shortcuts and specific Control Center toggles in iOS 18.

ALSO READ: Apple’s Lightning cable officially retired as all products shift to USB Type-C

The Camera Control button is dedicated to capturing images and videos with a single tap. The touch-sensitive button works like the capture button on a DSLR camera where a light press focuses on the subject and a full press takes a photo. In order to record a video, you can hold the button. You can also adjust zoom setting by sliding your finger back and forth on the touch-sensor.

Soon, the Camera Control button will also support Visual Intelligence, a feature where you can point your phone at things and get quick information. For instance, you could point the camera at a new restaurant, and find out details about the opening hours and menu.

iPhone 16 series: Colour lineup

The muted colour tone from the iPhone 15 series have been replaced with fresher, warmer and bright colours. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have three new shades: Ultramarine, Teal and Pink. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max also gets a new colour, Desert Titanium which replaces the Blue Titanium from last year’s lineup.

iPhone 16: Camera specs

There are a few notable changes to the exteriors of the devices. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have a different camera composition than the iPhone 15 series. This includes a dual rear camera with a 48MP primary lens a 12MP Ultrawide camera that offs a macro mode that captures better close-up photos.

The iPhone 16 Pro models features a 48MP main camera, a 48MP Ultrawide camera that can capture stunning details, and a 12MP 5x Telephoto with a 3D sensor-shift optical image stabilisation and autofocus in a tetraprism design.

iPhone 16 series: Lower Prices

The iPhone 16 variants are priced at Rs 79,900 with different prices according to the storage capacity you require. The iPhone 16 Plus variants begin at Rs 89,900. The Pro models will feel a lighter on your wallet as the iPhone 16 Pro prices start at Rs 1,19,900 and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is valued at Rs 1,44,900.

The iPhone 16 series will be available globally from September 20. You can check it out and purchase it from Croma’s retail stores and the website.