Apple iPhone 16 Plus Review

The second phone from Apple after the iPhone 16, the question is always, are there big differences between the iPhone Plus version and the regular version? We will discover this in the following lines. We will show you the capabilities of the device and you can differentiate it from the iPhone 16

Unboxing

The Apple iPhone 16 Plus comes in a thin paper box containing a braided USB-C cable and a SIM card ejector tool.

The papers are still here, but the Apple sticker is now gone.

Design

The Apple iPhone 16 Plus is a larger version of the iPhone 16, which is obvious. It has the same build and design, but it is just larger in size.

However, it offers some improvements compared to the old Plus model. The iPhone 16 Plus comes with second-generation Ceramic Shield glass, which is more resistant to breakage. It also comes with a smaller camera island with a stylish design and new colors, of course!

The front of the iPhone 16 Plus is covered in a new generation of Ceramic Shield glass, which is marketed as being twice as strong as any other glass found in smartphones. You gotta love Apple for its numbers and generations, making everything look new and premium, right?

Anyway, we can’t deny the durability of Ceramic Shield and we’re glad Apple keeps improving it. The back of the iPhone 16 Plus features a glass panel made by Corning. The metal frame is made of aluminum, and everything except the display glass has a smooth, matte finish.

The new camera design is a welcome change given its smaller size and easier-on-the-eyes appearance. It looks more natural on the back of the phone, and it’s actually symmetrical.

The iPhone 16 Plus has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance with an extended endurance rating of surviving a depth of 6 meters for 30 minutes.

The iPhone 16 Plus is available in black, white, pink, teal, and light blue.

Camera

The new iPhone 16 Plus has pretty much the same camera hardware as its predecessor. The 48MP main camera is still on board, featuring the same lens, while the wide-angle camera gets a more significant upgrade – a larger aperture and autofocus for better close-up shots. Apple upgraded it from f/2.4 last year to f/2.2, letting in more light and improving low-light photography.

The 16 Plus also borrows the selfie camera from its predecessor, so there are no changes there either.

If we notice any noticeable difference with this year’s 16 Plus, it’s likely due to the newer, more powerful Internet signal processor or a change in post-processing.

A few words about the new camera control button. It’s a physical button with a physical movement, but it also integrates a high-precision force sensor that enables a light-press gesture, and a capacitive sensor that allows for touch and slide interactions.

When you unlock your iPhone, one tap opens the camera, and another tap takes a photo. You can press and hold it to record a video as long as you keep it pressed. You can set it so that double-tap opens the camera instead to avoid accidental activation.

When you open the Camera app, a double-tap opens the camera control menu with options, which you can scroll through using the touch-sensitive surface of the button. These options include exposure, depth, zoom, cameras, styles, and tone.

Device performance

Apple’s iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max all come with the latest available version of iOS 18 preinstalled. While Apple has tried to present this new version as one of the biggest redesigns, it doesn’t feel like much in day-to-day use. However, allowing for deep customization options across the home screens and interface has the potential to make the UI feel somewhat unique and different, something that has been missing from iOS over the years.

Conclusion

We think that the iPhone 16 Plus is a great phone if you are a fan of a larger screen than the smaller version, as they offer very similar capabilities in performance and camera. If you want a larger screen, we recommend the iPhone 16 Plus.