The iPhone 16 is finally here, with Apple having debuted its new base model alongside the iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max at its latest Apple event.
All four devices look set to rank among the best iPhones ever, offering new buttons, redesigned cameras, and Apple Intelligence features that could also make them some of the best AI phones of 2024 (as Tim Cook noted on stage, they’re the “first iPhones designed from the ground up for Apple Intelligence”).
Below, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the iPhone 16, from its price and release date to its new hardware and software. We’ll be updating this article with new information as it’s confirmed, but if you’re keen to tune into Apple’s still ongoing Apple event, head to our Apple Event live blog.
iPhone 16: what you need to know
- The iPhone 16 was announced on September 9
- Starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399
- It inherits the Action button from the iPhone 15 Pro
- … and gets a new dedicated Camera Control button
- Camera Control can be used to instantly learn about your surroundings
- The iPhone 16 uses the new A18 chipset
- It likely comes with 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence
- … and up to 512GB of storage
- Apple Intelligence features will begin rolling out in October
- The iPhone 16’s cameras are aligned vertically for spatial video capture
- It ships with iOS 18
- The iPhone 16 comes in ultramarine, teal, pink, white, and black
iPhone 16: price, release date and preorders
- Starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399
- Pre-orders open on September 13, and shipping begins on September 20
The iPhone 16 was announced at Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event on Monday, September 9. It will be available to pre-order from Friday, September 9, and the phone will hit store shelves on Friday, September 20.
The iPhone 16 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 for the model with 128GB of storage, with that price rising to $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for the model with 256GB of storage and $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,949 for the model with 512GB of storage.
Full iPhone 16 pricing can be found below.
| Storage | US price | UK price | AU price |
| 128GB | $799 | £799 | AU$1,399 |
| 256GB | $899 | £899 | AU$1,599 |
| 512GB | $1,099 | £1,099 | AU$1,949 |
iPhone 16 specs
Below, we’ve detailed the iPhone 16’s key specs.
| Dimensions: | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm |
| Weight: | 170g |
| Display: | 6.1-inch OLED |
| Resolution: | 2556 x 1179 pixels |
| Refresh rate: | 60Hz |
| Chipset: | A18 |
| Rear cameras: | 48MP main (26 mm, ƒ/1.6), 12MP ultrawide (13 mm, ƒ/2.2) |
| Front camera: | 12MP (ƒ/1.9) |
| Storage: | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
iPhone 16: key upgrades
- New Action Button
- New Camera Control button
- New A18 chipset
- Will get Apple Intelligence features in October
- Vertical cameras for spatial video capture
Save for its vertically aligned rear camera lenses (which have been re-arranged to allow for spatial video capture) and the additions of both the iPhone 15 Pro’s multi-purpose Action button and an all-new Camera Control button, the standard iPhone 16 looks a whole lot like the standard iPhone 15.
Of course, those three physical upgrades are not inconsequential – they’re most definitely all welcome, especially the new Camera Control feature – but alone, they’re not enough of a reason to upgrade. The real exciting improvements for the iPhone 16 come under the hood.
For starters, Apple’s latest standard model is powered by the new A18 chipset, which marks a two-step jump over the A16 Bionic chipset inside the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. That’s a big deal, since Apple almost always slaps its previous-generation top-end chipsets on its new standard models; instead, this year, the iPhone 16 gets an exclusive chipset (well, alongside the iPhone 16 Plus).
We can also assume that the iPhone 16 comes with 8GB of RAM, up from 6GB of RAM on the iPhone 15. Why? Well, Apple actually hasn’t disclosed the new phone’s RAM capacity, but we do know that at least 8GB of RAM is needed to power Apple Intelligence features, which we know the iPhone 16 has (albeit not until October, when Apple Intelligence will begin rolling out in beta).
Among the most exciting Apple Intelligence features on the horizon are a ChatGPT-powered Siri, text summarization, writing assistance, and generative image creation. These tools will bring the iPhone 16 in line with rival devices like the Google Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S24 – in other words, Apple is no longer behind in the AI race.
Apple hasn’t yet disclosed the size of the iPhone 16’s battery, but we do know that the new phone offers a “big boost in battery life.” It also supports wireless charging at up to 15W.
Expert Analysis
So, should you upgrade to the iPhone 16? We’re currently reviewing Apple’s latest base model, but we can make some early judgments based on the key information we already know about the new phone.
The bottom line is this: the iPhone 16 is designed for those who want to access Apple Intelligence features without paying the premium demanded by the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max (or indeed last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max).
On a design level, this is a very similar phone to the iPhone 15. It’s the same size, it’s got similar cameras, it’s got the same Dynamic Island and the battery isn’t likely to prove a dramatic improvement on the iPhone 15’s battery, despite Apple’s bold marketing claim (we’re happy to be proved wrong, though). Sure, the addition of a Camera Control button and the Action button are welcome, but neither look to be game-changing upgrades – especially as the iPhone 16 is still saddled with that 60Hz refresh rate.
Instead, the iPhone 16 is all about software. Or more specifically, Apple Intelligence. Yes, the new phone’s A18 Pro chipset and presumed 8GB RAM capacity will certainly bring general performance improvements over the iPhone 15, but the latter handset is already a supremely fast phone. The iPhone 15 can’t, however, access any of the Apple Intelligence features that Apple is marketing as the key selling point of its latest handsets.
So, if you don’t want to be left behind in the AI race, then the iPhone 16 may be worth picking up. However, if you’re not too fussed about virtual assistance and are holding out for some more consequential iPhone design upgrades, then Apple’s latest standard model doesn’t look like a must-own. Stay tuned to TechRadar for our full iPhone 16 review, which we’ll be publishing in the coming weeks.
