Apple’s iPhone 16 Plus does two things over the regular iPhone. It has a much larger screen and even longer battery life.
The new plus-size model has the exact same specs, camera, and multiple extra buttons as the vanilla 16, giving you a big Apple screen without blowing the budget of the most expensive 16 Pro Max with a huge 6.9-inch display. Provides a mobile phone experience.
Instead, prices start at £899 (€1,099 / $899 / AU$1,599), placing it between the £799 iPhone 16 and £999 iPhone 16 Pro models.
The 16 Plus has the same bright and crisp 6.7-inch display as its predecessor, but it uses a slower 60Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling less smooth than Apple’s Pro iPhones and rivals. Masu. However, it’s still good for movies and TV shows on your commute.
It’s an aluminum and glass sandwich with a relocated camera on the back, reminiscent of the iPhone 12. At 199g, the Plus is very light for a large phone, but you still need to use it with both hands most of the time. We recommend using a case or phone grip.
The two new buttons match other 16-series iPhones this year. The action button replaces the mute switch on previous models and can be used to open apps, perform actions, turn on the torch, and activate focus and mute modes. Press the camera control button to instantly open the camera, adjust settings like zoom and depth, and take photos with just one finger.
iOS 18 works out of the box, but it lacks the AI features that Apple is currently touting. They won’t be available in beta until the iOS 18.1 update in late October in the US and in December in the UK, Australia, and other English-speaking countries outside the US, but in other parts of Europe. It will take even longer.
specification
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screen: 6.7 inch Super Retina XDR (OLED) (460ppi)
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Processor: Apple A18
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Ram: 8GB
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Storage: 128, 256, or 512GB
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operating system: iOS18
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camera: 48MP Main + 12MP UW; 12MP Front
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Connectivity: 5G, wifi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, thread, USB-C, satellite, UWB, GNSS
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water resistance: IP68 (30 minutes at 6 meters)
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size: 160.9×77.8×7.8mm
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Weight: 199g
Faster A18 chip and amazing battery life
Powered by the same new A18 chip as its smaller sibling, the 16 Plus offers similar performance and a much better feel than its predecessor, with more headroom to stay fast for longer and more power when you’re on the move. It has 8GB of RAM and an AI processor, which are prerequisites to support Apple Intelligence. Features.
Improved power efficiency also significantly improves the 16 Plus’ battery life, lasting nearly 72 hours of normal use between charges, including 9 hours of active screen use with a combination of 5G and Wi-Fi. That means you’ll be charging it every three days, which is about a day longer than a regular iPhone 16. Even with full 5G and heavy mapping, the 16 Plus lasted up to two days.
sustainability
Apple says the battery will last more than 1,000 full charge cycles at at least 80% of its original capacity and is replaceable for £95. Screen repairs outside of warranty will cost £349. The 16 Plus comes with a repair guide and was rated 7 out of 10 by experts at iFixit for repairability.
Contains over 30% recycled materials including aluminum, cobalt, copper, gold, lithium, plastics, rare earth elements, steel, tin, and tungsten. The company details the environmental impact of mobile phones in its report. Apple offers trade-in and free recycling schemes, including for non-Apple products.
better camera
The dual camera system on the back is the same as the regular iPhone 16. Compared to the previous model, it comes with a faster version of the 48MP main camera and 12MP ultra-wide camera, which makes a difference in motion and in low-light environments.
The main camera takes great images, but the ultrawide camera’s new macro photo mode is a lot of fun. The Photo Styles feature adjusts the color, tone, and palette of your photos to fine-tune their look during or after the photo is taken. If you don’t like the look of Apple’s default photos, you can get super creative with your own settings.
The camera can also take spatial photos and video for viewing on headsets like the Vision Pro, and the 16 Pro has impressive audio mix capabilities for videos.
Overall, the 16 Plus has a good camera, but the lack of an extended zoom camera is a shame, especially at this size and price.
price
Prices for the iPhone 16 Plus start at £899 (€1,099 / $899 / AU$1,599) with 128GB of storage.
For comparison, the iPhone 16 costs £799, the iPhone 16 Pro costs £999, the iPhone 16 Pro Max costs £1,199, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL costs £1,099, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus costs £1,099. £999, Fairphone 5 costs £499.
verdict
The iPhone 16 Plus occupies an odd position in Apple’s 2024 smartphone lineup. In terms of features and hardware, it’s identical to the cheaper and smaller iPhone 16. That means it lacks the zoom camera, more advanced screen, and other features of the company’s Pro iPhone.
The 6.7-inch display is quite large, but the 16 Pro Max has an even bigger and better display, and you’ll have to pay a hefty premium for it, so it’s no longer the largest screen on an iPhone. Instead, the Plus has a very long battery life, lasting up to three days between charges under normal use and lasting even on your heaviest days.
So the 16 Plus is for people who want a bigger screen but not the best, or a very long battery life. The trade-off is that it’s £100 more expensive than the already nice regular iPhone 16, harder to use with one hand, and a bit bulkier in your pocket.
Strong Points: Fast and great dual cameras with macro mode, large screen, action button, camera control button, photo style, USB-C, very long battery life, long software support, Face ID.
Cons: There’s no telephoto camera, the screen is slower than the competition and the Pro iPhone, there’s no always-on mode, and you need both hands to use it most of the time.
