I believe I speak for regular people when I say that we don’t typically change our smartphones every year—which is why my upgrade from the iPhone 12 Pro to the iPhone 16 Pro deserves its own long-term review. The launch of the iPhone 16 series were particularly exciting for several reasons, with some including the new Camera Control button, camera features, and—one that I was personally excited for—the Audio Mix and general audio capabilities that came with video recording.
As someone whose job requirements now entail shooting and editing Instagram Reels, camera functionality has become one of the most important aspects I look for in a smartphone. Below, you’ll find a myriad of Reels taken for the GRAZIA Malaysia Instagram account, all #shotoniPhone16pro.
One of the many things I came to appreciate with the 16 Pro is the ability to film in 4K, 120 fps in regular or slo-mo video mode and adjust the playback speed after. In fact, the Photos app has become somewhat of its own video-editing app, because you can edit your videos with quarter-speed playback, half-speed option, and a fifth-speed option corresponding to 24 fps. Both the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max models have four studio-quality mics, which almost renders the need for an external mic zero. Expanding on that, Apple has introduced Audio Mix; a feature powered by AI and machine learning (ML), allowing us to adjust the video’s sound after capture in several different modes: Standard, In-Frame, Studio, and Cinematic. There’s also a wind noise reduction feature in the mics now, which reduces unwanted wind noise (but doesn’t alienate it completely so it still feels quite natural) for better audio quality.
The upgraded camera system on the iPhone 16 Pro (and Pro Max) is powered by A18 Pro and comes with the new 48MP Fusion camera that has a faster, more efficient quad-pixel sensor and Apple Camera interface. This equates to 4K, 120fps video recording in Dolby Vision. Now, I’m not shooting Hollywood movies here, but I certainly appreciate that the quad-pixel sensor can read data two times faster, which means zero shutter lag for 48MP ProRAW photos. Another thing that’s different from the iPhone 15 series is the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max now have the same camera capabilities; the latter has a larger size. Meanwhile, I’m grateful that the 16 Pro has the 5x Telephoto lens (a great upgrade from my 2x Telephoto lens in the 12 Pro).
Better display, better performance, better batteries
Beyond its camera capabilities, the 16 Pro has plenty else to offer. Good battery life, while commonplace for a brand-new phone, gets even better. This is thanks to a new internal design and advanced power management, leading to larger batteries that are optimised for better battery life. There is also a new mechanical architecture that improves heat dissipation—which I have noticed for myself—and efficiency up to 20 percent. While maintaining the same size as my former phone, the new 16 Pro also has a larger display size at 6.3 inches thanks to thinner borders—all the better to doom scroll on TikTok with.
Doom scrolling aside, there is another feature with the 16 Pro that is gaining my appreciation: better gaming abilities. With the new A18 Pro chip, the phone gets a 17 percent increase in total system memory bandwidth, resulting in better graphics, as well as a better-performing 6-core GPU. Think more consistent frame rates with lower latency, so my AirPods and other wireless accessories are more responsive—no more losing my games because of delayed responses.
Bottom line
If you’re looking for an upgrade from anything below a 15, the iPhone 16 Pro with its fancy new features are most certainly worth it. It packs a punch and is smaller than a Pro Max or a Plus, which is perfect for those who prefer a smaller footprint in their pockets.
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