iPhone 16 review roundup: This year, the base models are almost an iPhone Pro

The first iPhone 16 reviews are out, alongside those of the Pro models, and the general verdict is that the gap between the two is smaller than ever.

While 9to5Mac readers have understandably favored the Pro and Pro Max, even the base model gets a lot of the new camera functionality, and reviewers were impressed …

The Verge

The Verge’s Allison Johnson opens with this – but says that the Camera Control button was disappointing.

Over the past few years, Apple’s standard iPhone looked a little neglected. The Pro models got new chipsets, camera features, and a customizable Action Button, while the standard models made do with the leftovers.  But this year, things are different: the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus played catch-up, and the gap between these phones and the Pro models isn’t as wide as it once was.

I also have mixed feelings about the Camera Control […] Boy, do I love a button. But in practice, I find it hard to use and have largely been ignoring it […] The mechanism feels too stiff to me, and no matter how hard I try to support the phone, I end up shaking the whole device every time I take a picture. And if I linger on that light press too long, I end up changing the exposure compensation or some other setting inadvertently. I have to take my focus away from the moment and think about pressing a damn button, and at that point, what are we even doing here?

TechRadar

TechRadar’s Jacob Kroll similarly leads with this, but disagrees about That Button.

The line between standard iPhones and Pro models is getting increasingly blurred, as the base iPhone 16 is now a powerful pick that mixes affordability with a lot of newness. The range of available colors, including some strikingly vibrant options, make a great first impression, and the speed of Apple’s A18 platform, combined with two excellent cameras and an entirely new Camera Control button, make the iPhone 16 a great choice for folks who don’t need to go Pro.

The cameras are similar to the iPhone 15’s, but the real reason to upgrade would be for the new Camera Control button if you’re into content creation. It’s a major enhancement, and lets you easily capture photos or record videos while intuitively adjusting settings along the way – just be ready to have to practice the difference between a light and a heavy touch on the technology-filled button … err, control.

CNET

CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco was also a big fan of the button, and the new Photographic Styles.

The Camera Control button and Action button are the most significant changes on this year’s standard iPhone […] The real benefit behind Camera Control isn’t the ability to launch the camera but the way you can easily swipe through different options and modes. It’s easier to adjust settings while keeping your shot consistent since your finger isn’t obscuring the screen, and you don’t have to move your other hand to toggle between shooting modes […]

You can cycle through different Photographic Styles when previewing a photo before pressing the shutter (which is a breeze with the Camera Control button), or you can apply an effect after the fact. 

It makes the old version of Photographic Styles feel limiting and basic by comparison. For someone like me who doesn’t have a background in photography or video editing, it helped me create dramatic, striking images with little more than just the press of a button. I particularly liked the more dramatic looks, such as the vibrant option and the stark black and white choice. 

GQ

GQ’s Robert Leedham continues the theme of this being the most pro-like non-Pro model Apple has ever released.

Last year’s iPhone 15 was a genuine step up after a few fallow years, but the 16 takes things further with a bunch of Pro-level features it had previously been missing out on. From its macro photography capabilities to the handy Action Button and significantly more powerful internals, there are a lot of small upgrades here that all add up to something significant […]

This handset also benefits from an ultra-wide camera with bigger pixels and a faster aperture. Not only does this make for better shots in low light, but it also enables the formerly Pro-exclusive macro photography on all iPhones. If you, like me, get a kick out of sticking a camera dangerously close to your subject, then you’ll have a lot of fun with this upgrade. Most of the time it results in some unique photos with unexpected pops of colour or texture, especially when married with Apple’s new Photographic Styles that are better tuned to skin tones and creative whimsy. 

What are your own thoughts on what you’ve read? As ever, please let us know in the comments.