iPhone 16 Pro camera review boasts one of the best smartphone cameras on the market today, but whether it’s the right choice for you depends on your priorities and expectations. Let’s dive into the new features, the camera’s strengths, and some areas where it falls short.
New Features: Camera Control Button and More
One of the standout additions to the iPhone 16 Pro is the Camera Control button, which aims to provide a more hands-on photography experience. Unfortunately, this feature falls short of expectations. While the concept is promising — allowing you to adjust settings like exposure or modes with a press or half-press — it doesn’t offer much beyond what you can already do on-screen. In fact, the soft-touch sensitivity of the button can lead to accidental changes in settings, making it more of a hassle than a help for most users. As a result, many might find themselves turning this feature off after testing it out.
Photographic Styles: A Big Improvement
A much more successful addition to the iPhone 16 Pro is the Photographic Styles feature. This allows you to customize the tonal and contrast settings of your photos, making them more in line with your personal style. Unlike simple filters, Photographic Styles change the core image pipeline, allowing for more natural, nuanced edits without degrading image quality. Styles like Standard and Amber provide more balanced color and contrast, offering a more professional look than the default settings. The ability to adjust the style even after taking a photo is a major advantage, allowing more flexibility in post-processing without needing to shoot in RAW.
4K 120FPS Video: A Professional Video Tool
For videographers, the addition of 4K at 120 frames per second (FPS) is a game-changer. This feature allows you to capture smooth, high-quality slow-motion video that rivals professional cameras. When paired with Apple Log, it offers a flexible, cinematic look with extensive post-production potential. While the phone can’t sustain 4K 120fps for long periods due to heat and storage limitations, it’s perfect for shorter video clips. The combination of high resolution, high frame rates, and Apple’s log format makes the iPhone 16 Pro an excellent choice for content creators looking to shoot professional-grade video on the go.
Audio Features: Spatial Audio and Enhanced Microphones
The iPhone 16 Pro also introduces a new microphone array capable of capturing spatial audio. This allows for a more immersive audio experience in video recordings, with the ability to focus on specific sounds — like voices — while still picking up ambient noise. This feature is particularly useful for vloggers and content creators who want more control over their audio without external equipment. It’s a subtle but valuable improvement for anyone recording video on the device.
Performance Across the Lenses
The iPhone 16 Pro’s camera system is highly impressive, with a main rear-facing sensor that produces vibrant colors, excellent dynamic range, and stunning detail. Apple has made significant improvements to the sensor, claiming it captures more light than previous generations. This translates to better performance in both bright and low-light conditions.
In terms of zoom, the 5x telephoto lens replaces the previous 3x telephoto lens, offering improved zoom capabilities. However, for users who preferred the 3x lens, this change may be disappointing. The ultra-wide lens still performs well in most lighting conditions, though it’s not as strong in low-light scenarios as the main sensor. In general, the main sensor is superior in terms of image quality, and it outshines the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses, particularly in low-light environments.
Low-Light Performance and Lens Flare
Speaking of low light, this is where the iPhone 16 Pro starts to show some weaknesses. While the main sensor excels in low-light situations, the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses struggle to maintain image quality in darker environments. The result is often noisy, grainy footage in low-light video, especially when switching between lenses. The main sensor performs better, but it’s still not perfect.
Another issue that continues to plague the iPhone 16 Pro is lens flare, especially in low-light conditions with artificial light sources (like streetlights). Apple has claimed improvements in flare performance, but it remains a persistent issue. This can detract from the quality of videos shot at night or in environments with bright, artificial light.
Battery Life: Improved but Still a Concern
Battery life has been a common concern for iPhone users, and the iPhone 16 Pro is no exception. While the phone’s performance is generally solid, users have reported that the battery drains quickly under heavy use, especially when recording video or using power-intensive apps. Some improvements have been made with the release of iOS 18, but it’s still something to keep in mind if you plan on using the phone for extended periods of video recording or high-performance tasks. Battery life can improve with regular use, but it’s not quite on par with the device’s camera capabilities.
Conclusion: Is the iPhone 16 Pro Worth It?
The iPhone 16 Pro remains one of the best smartphones for photography and video, offering top-tier performance in most areas. The main camera sensor is excellent, delivering high-quality images with vibrant colors and excellent low-light performance. The Photographic Styles and 4K 120fps video are fantastic additions, providing more flexibility and professional-grade options for users.
However, there are some significant downsides to consider. The Camera Control button feels underwhelming and prone to accidental presses, and the lens flare issue remains unresolved. Additionally, the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses don’t perform as well in low light, which is a downside for users who shoot in more challenging lighting conditions.
Despite these flaws, the iPhone 16 Pro is a powerful tool for anyone serious about mobile photography and video. The Apple Log feature for video, combined with the high-quality main sensor, makes it a top choice for content creators. If you can live with some of the compromises, especially in low light, the iPhone 16 Pro is an excellent all-around device for creative professionals and enthusiasts alike.
