The first iPhone 16 reviews are in, and so far it’s a selection of relatively glowing write-ups for the four new phones. However, while many are keen to highlight the upgraded cameras and Camera Control button, the lack of AI features on launch is a sticking point.
The main takeaway from reviews from Tom’s Guide, TechRadar, and CNET is that the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have closed the gap between the cheapest Apple smartphones and the premium versions. This glow-up is primarily due to the A18 chip, which boosts both gaming and day-to-day performance, as well as the 2GB RAM upgrade and Action button. However, some of the reviews note the 60Hz refresh rate limit as a disappointment, which makes sense given that plenty of the cheaper best mid-range phones offer 120Hz refresh rates for super smooth visuals.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have been reviewed by Wired, Forbes, and The Verge. These write-ups are even more glowing, with Forbes’ David Phelan calling Camera Control “outstanding,” while also praising the improved battery life of the premium flagships. The iPhone 16 Pro Max’s larger screen is a little more divisive, though. Some, such as Phelan, appreciate the extra display retail estate, while The Verge’s Nilay Patel suggests that it’s “very close to being too big.”
Admittedly, these reviews are all more enthusiastic than we’d anticipated, given almost all of them admit there’s little change from last year’s iPhone 15 series. It also seemed like Apple might get more criticism for not launching new devices with AI capabilities ready to go.
After all, the best Samsung phones of 2024 all came with Galaxy AI pre-installed, so it seemed like Apple could have been shooting itself in the foot by not setting the same precedent. While most of the reviews lightly criticize Apple for delaying its AI push, it hasn’t stopped the writers from handing out plenty of 8/10 and 9/10 scores. In fairness, these are hardware reviews, not software write-ups, but I’d expected a bit more scorn from the tech world.
Of course, these are just the first few iPhone 16 reviews to come out of the woodwork. Ultimately, it’s on consumers to decide if the latest Apple smartphones are worth shelling out for. From the first-weekend sales results, it seems that fewer are upgrading than ever before. Still, it’s possible that the positive critical reception could offer an iPhone 16 sales boost, even before the first Apple Intelligence features arrive next month. We’ll have to wait until Apple publishes its financial results next year to see whether all the positive reviews boost sales following the impending release date.