The iPhone 16 event took place on September 9 and as expected, it brought with it no fewer than four new phones and a new smartwatch. And if you're looking for a big-screen phone without going Pro Max, the iPhone 16 Plus is for you.
The iPhone 16 Plus comes with a large 6.7-inch display, a new A18 chip, and two new buttons. And that's just the beginning.
iPhone 16 Plus: The headlines
- What is it? The iPhone 16 Plus will be the new big-screen iPhone for non-Pro buyers.
- Expected release date: September 20, 2024.
- Are there any surprises? Not as such, but there are two new buttons to play with.
iPhone 16 Plus: Release date
The iPhone 16 Plus will join the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max when it is made available for preorder on September 13. It'll then be available to buy on September 20.
iPhone 16 Plus: Display
The iPhone 16 Plus display is the same as the iPhone 15 Plus that came before it, which is to say that it measures 6.7 inches and uses OLED technology. There's no support for the Always-On Display, unfortunately, and there is no ProMotion support either.
For those who like their displays to be bright, iPhone 16 Plus buyers can look forward to a peak 2,000 nits of brightness when using the handset outdoors while support for HDR, True Tone, P3 Wide Color, and Haptic touch round out the main specs for pixel fans.
iPhone 16 Plus: Design
It's fair to say that if you already own an iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 16 Plus will be immediately familiar. But there are some changes worth noting.
The first thing most people will notice is the arrangement of the cameras on the back of the device. They're now vertical rather than diagonal, a change that allows the new iPhones to capture Spatial Videos for viewing on the Apple Vision Pro.
Another change is the addition of the Action Button which was previously limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. This button can be configured to do a range of things including running custom shortcuts, meaning the world really is your oyster here.
Finally, the iPhone 16 Plus includes the Camera Control button, a new touch-sensitive button that can be used to quickly launch the camera app and interact with some of its tools while holding the device in landscape orientation.
The overall construction of the iPhone 16 Plus is still made from aluminum while some new, brighter colors are offered when compared to the previous iPhone 15 Plus.
iPhone 16 Plus: Specs
In terms of main specifications, the first upgrade is the new A18 chip that allows the iPhone 16 Plus to sport support for the new Apple Intelligence features. In terms of raw specs, the A18 has a six-core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores while a new five-core GPU should upgrade the gaming performance. A new 16-core Neural Engine is also included.
Buyers of the iPhone 16 Plus can expect improved gaming performance when compared to the outgoing iPhone 15 Plus, while Apple has given the new model 8GB of RAM which won't hurt, either. The upgraded memory is designed to help Apple Intelligence work more smoothly, but it will also aid gamers who want the highest possible frame rate.
Other specs of note include support for 5G as expected as well as super-fast Wi-Fi 7 connectivity for those with the latest setups.
iPhone 16 Plus: Cameras
While the Pro models will always feature new features and improvements for photographers, that doesn't mean that the iPhone 16 Plus doesn't have plenty going for it.
The iPhone 16 Plus sports a 48-megapixel main camera while a 12-megapixel selfie camera is also included. There is of course also a 12-megapixel ultra wide camera for those who want to be able to capture more of what's around them a swell.
iPhone 16 Plus: Colors
The iPhone 16 is available in five different colors; Black, White, Pink, Teal, and Ultramarine. All are based on an aluminum design and are more colorful than the colors offered on the Pro iPhones.
iPhone 16: Storage
The iPhone 16 is available in the standard 128GB configuration while 256GB and 512GB options are also available for those who need more space.
Action button
The iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899 for the entry-level 128GB model while the 256GB model will set buyers back $999. Upgrading to the range-topping 512GB configuration means paying a whopping $1,199.
