Introduction
Apple will officially present iPhone16 Series on Monday, September 9th, but we already know most of the new features from various leaks and rumors.
Despite the difference of three years iPhone16 will look very similar to the iPhone13as both have a size of 6.1 inches and a similar design. iPhone16 will add two new physical buttons, the action button and the record button, and it also comes with a higher resolution 48MP main camera.
Of course, it also has a new and faster processor and will support Apple Intelligence, which is not coming to market. iPhone13.
Unfortunately, the 120Hz ProMotion display feature is not available on the iPhone16 and will remain exclusive to the Pro models for at least another year.
Let’s take a closer look at all the changes below.
iPhone16 Against iPhone13 Expected differences:
| iPhone16 | iPhone13 |
|---|---|
| Same 6.1-inch form factor | 6.1 inch size |
| New action button instead of mute button New recording button for the camera |
Older mute switch only |
| Newer and faster chipset, either Apple A18 or A18 Pro | Apple A15 Bionic chipset |
| More memory, 8 GB RAM | 4GB RAM |
| Support for AI | Does not support AI |
| Same storage options | Storage models with 128/256/512 GB |
| New vertical camera with support for spatial video | Diagonal camera layout |
| Same 48 MP main camera | 12MP main camera |
| 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera with macro support | 12MP ultra wide angle camera |
| Rumored 10% larger battery size | 3,240 mAh battery |
| USB-C port | Lightning connector |
| 20 W charging or faster (uncertain) | 20W wired charging speed |
| 15W MagSafe or faster (uncertain) | 15W wireless MagSafe charging |
Table of contents:
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Design and display quality
Slightly refined design and new buttons
From afar, the iPhone16 looks very similar to the iPhone13After all, both phones are roughly the same size at 6.1 inches with flat sides.
But if you look more closely, you can see the differences. First: iPhone16 gets two new physical buttons. The mute switch from the iPhone13 is replaced by a new programmable action key.
There's also a new capture button on the right side, below the power button, which in many ways works like the shutter button on a real camera. It's a two-way button, so you can half-press it to lock focus, while fully pressing it takes a photo or records a video. It's a capacitive button, so it won't fire if you have the phone in your pocket, and its surface can also act as a sort of trackpad, so you can do things like swipe to zoom in when taking portraits or adjust the amount of background blur.
There are other minor styling changes: The dual camera on the back is now aligned vertically instead of diagonally.
The back itself will probably be matte and not glossy like the iPhone13.
And you have a USB-C port on the iPhone16a very welcome departure from the Lightning connector on the iPhone13.
Both devices have full IP68 water and dust protection.
Has Apple improved the screen? Both phones have the same 6.1-inch OLED screen with the same 1170p resolution, but the new The iPhone 16 can be brighter. The older iPhone13 has a peak brightness of 1,200 nits, while we expected the iPhone16 reaches at least 2,000 nits. This makes outdoor use much easier.
Performance and software
New iPhone, new chip
In the three years since the iPhone13 Market launch, chips were improved and the iPhone16 will actually be much faster.
Even more important is the fact that the iPhone16 will get 8 GB of RAM, compared to 4 GB for the iPhone13. This will iPhone 16 Access to all new Apple Intelligence (AI) features, while the iPhone13 will miss AI.
Do not expect an increase in storage on the iPhone16 – You still have a 128GB base model as well as 256GB or 512GB storage options.
The The iPhone 16 will probably use a newer modem (the Snapdragon X70) compared to the iPhone13 (Snapdragon X60), so the signal should be improved in some areas.
camera
New recording button and a more powerful main camera
Both the iPhone16 And iPhone13 have a similar dual rear camera with a main and an ultra-wide-angle lens.
The big change for iPhone13 Owners will see the jump to a 48MP main camera compared to the 13's 12MP snapper. With this new sensor, you get more detail, better low-light photos, and 2x lossless zoom quality, a big improvement over the iPhone13's digital zoom.
However, not much has changed in the ultra-wide-angle camera, both phones have a similar 12 MP sensor.
And we have already mentioned the useful record button, which makes it easier to capture these fleeting moments on the iPhone16We expect a full breakdown of its features at the Apple event soon.
We also expect a new JPEG XL image format on the iPhone16So we are curious to see whether this also means higher image quality.
But the big thing in photography is AI. We've already seen the new “Clean” tool in Photos that lets you easily delete objects from images, and we're expecting a smart resize and move feature too.
However, you don't need to expect any major changes in videos, as the quality will still reach a maximum of 4K60.
Audio quality and feel
Apple continues to work on improvements to the iPhone speakers, but these changes are subtle, so don't expect any groundbreaking improvements in the iPhone 16 Audio.
Haptic feedback has been consistently excellent since the introduction of the Taptic Engine on the iPhone 6s, so we don't expect any changes in this area either.
Battery life and charging
Slightly larger battery and even faster charging (possibly, maybe)
The iPhone16 will only get a slightly larger battery than the iPhone13Leaks mention a 3,561mAh battery, an increase of almost 10% over the 3,240mAh battery of the iPhone13.
Let’s see if this actually noticeably extends the battery life.
Apple is currently evaluating the iPhone13 for 19 hours of video playback and 75 hours of audio playback, and soon we will have the estimates for the iPhone16.
Surprisingly, we also noticed a change in loading speed, the first in years.
Rumor has it iPhone16 could get wired fast charging at 40W, which is twice the speed of before. Even wireless charging with MagSafe could be faster at 20W, compared to the current 15W.
However, this is more of a possibility than a certainty, so let's wait for the official announcement to celebrate.
Specifications comparison
| Technical data | iPhone16 | iPhone13 |
|---|---|---|
| Mass | Same or very similar to iPhone 15 | 146.7×71.5×7.7mm |
| Weight | Same or very similar | 174g |
| Screen | 6.1 inches OLED 60Hz |
6.1 inches OLED 60Hz |
| processor | Apple A18 3nm |
Apple A14 Bionic 5nm |
| RAM, memory *Price expectations |
8/128GB for $800 8/256GB for $900 8/512GB for $1,100 |
4/128GB 4/256GB 4/512GB |
| Cameras | 48 MP main lens, f/1.6 12 MP ultra wide angle, f/2.2 12MP front |
12 MP main lens, f/1.6 12 MP ultra wide angle, f/2.4 12MP front |
| Battery size | 3,561mAh | 3,240mAh |
| Loading speeds | Upgrade possible, but not secure | 20W wired 15W wireless |
Should you upgrade?
Is it time for iPhone13 Owners the leap into the iPhone16?
Our opinion is: You could wait another year.
The main reason for this is that the highly anticipated new feature, ProMotion, is not yet available on the iPhone16and rumors say it could finally be on the iPhone 17 in 2025.
The other reason is that the big AI upgrades will be slow to arrive. iPhone16and features like the new Siri aren't expected until next year, so even if you like AI, it will be slow to arrive on iPhones.
Otherwise, there are some welcome improvements to the camera and overall performance, and the new buttons are nice. And we really like that there is a USB-C port on the iPhone16. But all of this is unlikely to make a real difference for most people.
Of course, if you have the money, you will be happy with the iPhone16 as it has been improved all around, but if you really want a big upgrade, we think it might be wise to wait for the iPhone17.
What is your opinion on this? Would you switch to iPhone16 and what is your favorite new feature?