iPhone 16th review: An excellent choice with just one real disadvantage

The iPhone 16th is the new Budget model from Apple and also the cheapest iPhone of 2025 that has only one disadvantage. We think this is.

iPhone 16th: Excellent choice with one disadvantage

Apple has released the iPhone 16th on February 19, 2025. Since Friday, February 21, it is possible to place a pre-order and now the iPhone 16th is actually in stores! For you we list what we think of the latest iPhone.

Design of the iPhone 16th

You can see the iPhone 16th as the successor of the iPhone SE 2022, even though they don’t really look alike. They are both cheaper versions of the iPhones that are or were for sale in the same period. For example, the iPhone 16th on the inside has parts of the iPhone 16, but the outside is based on the iPhone 14. The design had a welcome change in our opinion, because the iPhone SE 2022 was strongly outdated. With the iPhone 16th, the design is reasonably up to date.

The iPhone 16th also has an action button instead of a mute button, but we don’t necessarily find that an advantage or a disadvantage. The new camera control that we know from the iPhone 16 series is missing on the 16th. There is, however, a USB-C connection on the iPhone 16th.

Furthermore, the iPhone feels 16th light and handy. Compared to the regular iPhone 16, the 16th is slightly smaller and lighter, although it doesn’t make much difference: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm and 167 grams compared to 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm and 170 grams. A plus point is that the camera of the 16th protrudes less far than that of the 16. This makes the iPhone 16th when you use a silicone case completely flat on the table, without play.

The back of the iPhone 16th is made of matt glass and the sides are made of aluminum. Possibly disadvantage is that the iPhone 16th is only available in black and white, but if you buy a silicone case from Apple, you have the following options: blue green, fuchsia, winter blue, white and black.

A great screen with a lower brightness

Just like the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16th has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR screen with a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels. Only the brightness of the screen is somewhat lower than that of the iPhone 16. The latter achieves a maximum of 2000 Nits, while the new 16th gets stuck at 1200 Nits. Inside we have not noticed much of that, but the difference is noticeable in the open air. The screen of the iPhone 16th is less clearly readable with bright sunlight.

The edges around the screen are clearly somewhat wider than with the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 16, but that is not really disturbing. The image is also sharp and the colors are certainly fine. As with the regular iPhone 16 models, the 16th with 60 Hz has no high renewal frequency. Only the Pro models have a renewal frequency of 120 Hertz and the same applies to an Always-on display. If you come from a telephone with 120 Hz, it takes some getting used to, but we didn’t find it disturbing.

A single but good camera

Compared to the iPhone 16 Pro, the camera of the iPhone 16th does not seem to imagine that much. After all, you miss an ultra-corner and a telephoto lens. And even compared to the regular iPhone 16 you have to do it with a lens less on the 16th. Fortunately, this single camera is not bad at all and for many people probably even more than enough.

It is a camera with 48 megapixel that can zoom in up to 2x without loss of quality. With this camera you can also take just as beautiful photos as with the main camera of the regular iPhone 16. At least as long as there is enough light. The only drawback is that the camera sensor of the iPhone 16th is slightly smaller, so that slightly less light comes in. And this creates a little earlier noise with little ambient light.

Relatively high performance, especially for Apple Intelligence

Just like the regular iPhone 16, the iPhone 16th has an A18 chip and 8 GB of memory. Apple has chosen this because this is a condition for Apple Intelligence. We have nothing to do here in the Netherlands at the moment, but with the iPhone 16th you are prepared for the future.

A possible disadvantage is that the A18 chip of the iPhone 16th has one graphic core less than that of the iPhone 16. You will not notice that at everyday tasks at everyday tasks. Only if you are going to play graphically heavy games do you possibly discover a small difference. Incidentally, the function is also missing on the iPhone 16th (and not on the iPhone 16). We think that is a shame, because this function has been available since the iPhone 15 from 2023. So it had not been a superfluous luxury at the iPhone 16th.

A very good battery life

This is perhaps the largest sales argument of the iPhone 16th, which has a battery with a capacity of 4321 MAH. That is a lot more powerful than the 3561 MAH battery of the iPhone 16. That is also apparent from the battery life. According to Apple you can watch video with the iPhone 16th to 26 hours and with the iPhone 16 to 10 pm. Those 26 hours is even almost the same as the battery life of the iPhone 16 Pro, which reaches up to 27 hours. In practice, the iPhone 16th effortlessly lasts a day.

Charging is just about as fast as with other recent iPhones. At least, as long as you do it wired. The iPhone 16th has no magsafe and that means that you can charge wirelessly, but that this is half the slower. You then charge with 7.5 W and not with 15 W like with the iPhone 16.

In addition, you must decide whether the 16th is well on the charger. If that is not the case, then charging may be even slower. Magsafe takes care of this with other iPhones. You can imitate that by purchasing a case with a magnetic ring. Then you know that your iPhone is good, but you still charge with only 7.5 W. If you charge your iPhone at night, that is no problem at all. As far as we are concerned, it is at least an advantage that the iPhone does fast.

Conclusion iPhone 16th

The iPhone 16th is the cheapest iPhone of 2025. Compared to the current top models, you have to make some concessions. So you only have one camera, no camera control, a slightly less clear screen, no Dynamic Island and no Magsafe. These are all things that are not very important to everyone.

In addition, there are of course also plus points. You have a fast processor and a lot of memory, making the iPhone 16th super fast and you also have support for Apple Intelligence in the future. In addition, the one camera that you have is not bad at all and the iPhone 16th also has a very good battery life.

But even though it is the cheapest iPhone in 2025, the only real disadvantage of the iPhone 16th is the price. We find that too high if we look at what you get for it. Since Apple Intelligence is not yet available here, the long battery life may be a reason to switch. In any case if you still have an iPhone SE 2022. But for a few tens more, you buy a ‘regular’ iPhone 16 with, among other things, Magsafe and an extra camera. The iPhone 16th is an excellent choice if you want to spend less money, but it must first become a bit cheaper for that. For now the phone is worth a 7.5, but with a lower price it will undoubtedly be an 8!

Buy iPhone 16th?

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