Apple iPhone 16 Plus Review: Incremental Upgrades, Familiar Design

The iPhone 16 Plus is Apple's latest iteration in its popular smartphone lineup, bringing subtle yet meaningful improvements. While it may not revolutionise the iPhone experience, this new model refines key aspects that matter to everyday users.

With its familiar 6.7-inch design now sporting a sleek vertical camera layout, vibrant new colour options, and the addition of the customisable Action button, the iPhone 16 Plus aims to strike a balance between tried-and-true features and fresh enhancements.

So, is the iPhone 16 Plus THE upgrade you've been waiting for, or is it just more of the same? Let's find out.

Design – Subtle Changes with a Familiar Feel

The iPhone 16 Plus doesn't look dramatically different from the 15 Plus. It has the same flat-sided aluminium design and maintains the same 6.7-inch screen size. It weighs 199 grams and is 7.8 mm thick.

Visually, the most notable change is that the camera layout is now vertical, giving it a sleek look and enabling spatial photo and video capture for Apple's Vision Pro headset. 

Apple has introduced new vibrant colour options, like pink and ultramarine. The frosted back is infused with colour, giving it a premium look, and you will want to show it off.  Apple says it has improved the Ceramic Shield material that protects the screen, making this year's iPhones more durable.

A major addition is the new Camera Control button. This capacitive, pressure-sensitive pad doubles as a shutter and controls various camera settings. While it has potential, its placement could be more comfortable, especially for portrait shots on the larger 16 Plus and Pro Max models, because you will have to reposition the phone to use it.

The Action button, introduced on last year's Pro models, is now available on the base iPhone 16 series. It's customisable and allows quick access to functions such as the flashlight, voice memos, or custom shortcuts.

Display – Beautiful, But No AOD?

This 6.7-inch OLED display is stunning, as always. It's sharp, has rich colours and deep blacks, and supports Dolby Vision HDR, so watching movies is a delight. The new 1-nit minimum brightness is handy when using this phone at night.

However, with midrange Android phones hitting 120Hz, Apple is still sticking to a 60Hz refresh rate on the iPhone 16 Plus, which is a downside. But even at 60Hz, it's leagues ahead of 120Hz Android smartphones. The whole system is tightly optimised, so it's still smooth and fluid in day-to-day use, but a trained eye will notice the difference, primarily when gaming.

Another area in which Apple is holding back is the need for an always-on display, a feature still restricted to Pro iPhone models. I hope the standard models get this feature next year.

Camera – The Big Button Upgrade

Apple has nailed the primary camera with its 48MP (f/1.6) sensor. Daylight shots are excellent, with lots of detail. The improvements in edge detection for portrait shots are pretty good. The ultrawide camera has a 12MP sensor with an improved f/2.2 aperture, and finally, we get autofocus, which means macro shots on a non-Pro iPhone.

The macro mode lets you capture those ultra-fine details up close. It's one of those features that seems small but makes a big difference when you want to get creative with your photography.

The iPhone 16 Plus still stumbles a bit in low light. We're still seeing some flare issues, especially around point-light sources. Android phones such as the Vivo X100 Pro mitigate lens flare with a Zeiss T* coating on the lens, and it's quite effective. So, this is something that Apple needs to address, maybe via an update or a lens coating in next year's lineup. 

Video capabilities include 4K 60fps Dolby Vision HDR recording and the new spatial video feature for Vision Pro compatibility. 

The iPhone 16 lineup introduces spatial audio capture and a new Audio Mix feature, which is terrific for creators. It allows post-recording adjustments to isolate voices, reduce background noise, and apply cinematic sound effects.

While the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus's hardware is similar to last year's models, software improvements are notable. The new Photographic Styles feature offers more control over image aesthetics and lets you experiment with different tones and moods. These can now be applied, changed and removed after shooting, rather than being permanent.

This year's headliner is the new Camera Control button. It's more than just a shutter—a multi-function pressure-sensitive pad that lets you adjust settings like exposure, zoom, and photographic styles on the fly.

This pressure-sensitive button is located just below the power button, allowing you to keep your hand steady while making adjustments. It's intuitive, though, I'll admit—it took some getting used to. You have to train yourself to use it.

Performance – The A18 Powerhouse

The iPhone 16 Plus is powered by Apple's brand-new A18 chip. It promises 30% faster performance and better power efficiency than the A16 chip that powers the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. You probably won't notice it in everyday tasks, but for gaming, it's a different story.

In real-world usage, this phone breezes through daily tasks like emails, social media, and browsing. And if you're into gaming, you'll appreciate the smoother frame rates, though that 60Hz screen does hold it back compared to the Pro models. Games like Genshin Impact feel smoother, and the iPhone 16 Plus stays much cooler than the 15 series thanks to its improved power efficiency and thermal design.

With 8GB of RAM across the board, even on the non-Pro models, multitasking is smoother than ever, and these phones are ready for upcoming AI features.

Software – iOS 18 & What's Coming

iOS 18 comes pre-installed, and it brings small but valuable changes. There's the new notification summary, widget control, icon customisation options, and dynamic lock screens. These changes are subtle, but they make daily interactions smoother.

But the big thing on everyone's mind is Apple Intelligence. These are promised features rolling out beginning next month, but here's the thing: users in India might not get them till some time next year when local language support is added. We'll have to wait a while to see the real impact of these AI tools. For now, the iPhone 16 Plus is future-proof enough, but that's a question for tomorrow.

Battery Life – Bigger and Better

Apple has beefed up the battery, and it isn't a massive leap over the iPhone 15 Plus, but it shows. The iPhone 16 Plus battery is about 6% larger than last year's model. In my experience, it lasted through a full day of heavy use, including email, navigation, music, and some gaming,  with about 40% left – enough to stretch into a second day with moderate usage.

The iPhone 16 Plus does get a bump in fast charging speed, now supporting up to 25 Watts with MagSafe. When it comes to wired charging, it went from 0 to 80% in 54 minutes and 100% in 90 minutes.

Verdict – Is It Worth the Upgrade?

So, is the iPhone 16 Plus worth your money? If you're coming from an iPhone 13 or older, you're in for a significant upgrade. 

The camera's better, the battery lasts longer, and there's just enough customisation to make daily tasks easier. The new Camera Control button is a neat addition for anyone into photography, making it easier to fine-tune your shots on the go.

And for gamers or multitaskers, the power of the A18 chip and 8GB of RAM will keep things smooth. However, the real-world performance boost will be subtle if you're upgrading from an iPhone 14 or 15.

You're still looking at a 60Hz display, and while the Camera Control button is fantastic, it's not a must-have. 

The iPhone 16 Plus costs 10K more than the standard iPhone 16, but that gets you its larger screen and better battery life. In all other ways, the two models should perform exactly the same, so the choice between these two options comes down to what suits you better. 

The iPhone 16 Plus is an excellent all-rounder with incremental improvements, starting at Rs 89,900 for 128 GB of storage. 

It's a solid choice for those looking to upgrade from an iPhone 13 or earlier models or even switch from Android. It's not a revolutionary device but is refined where it matters. The question is—do you need these small improvements today, or should you wait until you can see what Apple Intelligence brings tomorrow?