Apple announced the iPhone 16 lineup on September 9, 2024, and the phones were released on Friday, September 20, 2024. In a press release, Apple described the iPhone 16 Pro models:
“Powered by the A18 Pro chip and built for Apple Intelligence, the Pro lineup introduces larger display sizes, Camera Control, innovative pro camera features, and a huge leap in battery life.”
The iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and also the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Max were marketed specifically as “featuring Apple Intelligence.” However, no Apple Intelligence features were available at launch, and no release was was shared. Apple Intelligence, Apple’s name for Artificial Intelligence, was described as different than other versions of AI because it “harnesses the power of Apple silicon and Apple-built generative models to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks.” Further, Apple Intelligence “maintains the privacy and security of user data with Private Cloud Compute.”
The iPhone 16 Pro (and Pro Max) models were made from titanium with four available finishes: black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium. The Pro iPhone options offered no colors, just “finishes.” This example is black titanium.
The iPhone 16 Pro featured a 48MP Fusion camera that could record 4K video at 120 fps. The camera was further enhanced with “a new 48MP Ultra Wide camera for higher-resolution photography, including macro; a 5x Telephoto camera on both Pro models; and studio-quality mics to record more true-to-life audio.”
Apple also touted the bezel of the iPhone 16 Pro by saying it had, “the thinnest borders of any Apple product” with sizes including a 6.3 inch display on iPhone 16 Pro and a 6.9 inch display on iPhone 16 Pro Max (“the largest iPhone display ever”). The display on the iPhone 16 Pro was described as the Super Retina XDR display and had 2622 x 1206 pixel resolution at 460 ppi. It used Apple’s “latest-generation Ceramic Shield material that’s two times tougher than any smartphone glass.”
The iPhone 16 line introduced a new Camera Control button on the lower-right side. When turned sideways, the button was positioned in the traditional location of a camera capture button. Pressing the Camera Control button gave immediate access to the camera, and sliding your finger across the surface of the button allowed access to “functions like exposure or depth of field, and toggle through each lens or use digital zoom to frame your shot.” At release, the “two-stage shutter that lets you automatically lock focus and exposure with a light press” was not yet available, but was announced as coming “later this year.”
In addition to advanced camera and video capture, a new Audio Mix technology was also included with three settings that allowed for adjusting the way voices were recorded. According to Apple’s description:
- In-frame—Only captures the voices of the people on camera, even if people off-camera are talking during the recording.
- Studio—Makes voices sound like you’re recording in a professional studio equipped with sound-dampening walls.
- Cinematic—Captures all of the voices around you and consolidates them toward the front of the screen — just like sound is formatted for the movies.
The iPhone 16 Pro measured 5.89 inches high, 2.81 inches wide, and 0.32 inch thick. It weighed 7.03 ounces. All iPhone 16 models used a form of the A18 chip—a major bump from the A16 chip used in the iPhone 15, and an increase from the A17 Pro chip used in the iPhone 15 Pro. Notably, Apple never released an A17 chip (only anA17 Pro)—they apparently skipped it in favor of using A18 generation chips in the iPhone 16 models to power their yet-to-be-delivered-at-launch Apple Intelligence features.
Sources: Apple (Newsroom, product, Specifications)
