iPhone 16 Plus: Unveiled! Pricing, Advanced Camera & Smart Features Revealed

The iPhone 16 Plus is now on the market, hailed by many as Apple’s finest iteration of its larger, more economical iPhone models. Our detailed review of the iPhone 16 Plus reveals that it incorporates all the standout features of the standard iPhone 16 into a nearly iPhone 16 Pro Max-sized device, without the hefty price tag.

This model introduces a larger display, enhanced specifications including the new Action Button and Camera Control button, subtle design tweaks, and increased processing power. This boost is particularly significant as it supports the upcoming rollout of Apple Intelligence – a suite of AI tools poised to differentiate the iPhone 16 Plus and its counterparts from the previous iPhone 15 series.

The iPhone 16 Plus is currently available, and to ensure you get the best deal, make sure to explore our roundup of iPhone 16 offers.

Continue reading to discover everything you need to know about the iPhone 16 Plus.

Essential Details on the iPhone 16 Plus

• The iPhone 16 Plus was officially announced on September 9 and released on September 20
• Pricing starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for the 128GB model
• There is a new dedicated Camera Control button
• The device includes the Action Button previously found on the iPhone 15 Pro
• Apple Intelligence is slated for beta release in October and a full launch in December
• Siri will incorporate ChatGPT, and the camera will feature new Visual Intelligence capabilities
• The iPhone 16 Plus is powered by the new A18 chipset
• Available in storage capacities of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB
• … and it comes equipped with 8GB of RAM
• The cameras are arranged vertically for Spatial Capture of photos and videos
• Features a 48MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera
• The device comes with iOS 18 pre-installed
• Available in five colors: ultramarine, teal, pink, white, and black

Cost and Availability

• The iPhone 16 Plus is priced starting at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599
• It was released on September 20, with immediate availability in stores and for shipping

Preorders for the iPhone 16 Plus began on September 13, and due to its popularity, delivery dates for some configurations are now being pushed back.

The launch price of the iPhone 16 Plus remains consistent with that of its predecessor, the iPhone 15 Plus, aside from a AU$50 price reduction in Australia.

Below we’ve compiled a complete pricing guide for the iPhone 16 Plus.

Specifications of the iPhone 16 Plus

• Similar to the iPhone 16, the Plus model features the new A18 chipset
• Apple reports a 30% improvement in CPU speed and a 40% increase in GPU performance
• RAM has been upgraded from 6GB to 8GB to support Apple Intelligence capabilities

The iPhone 16 Plus marks a significant enhancement in Apple’s lineup of economically priced large-format phones. We’ve highlighted the most crucial upgrades below.

Key Enhancements in the iPhone 16 Plus

• New Action Button
• New touch-sensitive Camera Control button
• Latest A18 chipset
• Vertically-aligned cameras enable Spatial Capture for video and photo
• Apple Intelligence set to launch starting with a beta in October

Although it resembles the previous iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 16 Plus introduces several important changes both externally and internally. The most visually noticeable change is the vertical camera alignment, switched from the diagonal setup seen in earlier base models since the iPhone 13. This new arrangement facilitates Spatial Capture, a format also used by the Apple Vision Pro headset.

The traditional mute switch has been replaced by the versatile Action Button from the iPhone 15 Pro, which can be customized for various uses within the Settings.

The innovative Camera Control button provides physical interaction with the camera app, serving as a dedicated focus and shutter button, and is capable of detecting touch gestures.

Internally, the iPhone 16 Plus has received significant upgrades. While incremental, these changes are set to unlock substantial software capabilities, marking some of the most impactful spec enhancements in recent iPhone history.

The new A18 SoC supersedes the A16 Bionic chip from the iPhone 15 Plus, reportedly enhancing performance by 30%, a claim we will verify in our upcoming review. This chipset is also said to boost graphics performance by 40%.

Aside from the anticipated performance improvements, the A18 chipset is equipped to support the forthcoming Apple Intelligence features, a suite of AI tools including a ChatGPT-powered Siri capable of executing commands across different apps, text summarization, and image generation.

The iPhone 16 Plus ships with 8GB of RAM, consistent across the iPhone 16 lineup, and necessary for the Apple Intelligence features. These features are scheduled for a beta release in October, followed by a full rollout in December.

The Camera Control button will also facilitate Visual Intelligence by using AI to analyze and retrieve information about images viewed through the camera. This positions Apple as a contender in the AI landscape, competing with technologies like Google Gemini and Samsung Galaxy AI.

We previously found the iPhone 15 Plus to offer the best battery performance among iPhones, and we are eager to see if the iPhone 16 Plus continues this trend. The device offers various storage options, including 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, with the first units shipped on September 20, following a week of preorders.

Revolutionizing Camera Control

• The Camera Control button elevates the camera app with a multifunctional button
• This new feature is standard across all iPhone 16 models
• It combines a physical button with haptic feedback and touch gesture detection

The iPhone 16 Plus, like the rest of the iPhone 16 series, introduces the innovative Camera Control button as a standard feature.

The Camera Control is a physical button that also detects touch inputs via a capacitive surface, enabling a variety of camera operations through clicks, half-presses, swipes, and double taps.

These operations include opening the camera app with a button click, zooming in and out with swipes, and accessing more options with a half-press. The tactile sensation of the button is enhanced by Apple’s Taptic Engine, which provides additional haptic feedback.

The Camera Control also integrates with Visual Intelligence, part of the Apple Intelligence suite of AI tools.

Visual Intelligence employs the camera to identify and provide contextual information about objects in the user’s environment. For instance, pointing the camera at a dog and activating Visual Intelligence could display breed information from the internet, similar to Google Lens.

The Arrival of the Action Button

• The iPhone 16 Plus inherits the Action Button from last year’s Pro models
• It can be customized for various functions or complex shortcuts

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus both adopt the Action Button from the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

This button replaces the mute switch that has been a staple on every base-model iPhone since the original release in 2007.

In the settings menu, users can assign the Action Button to perform several functions or customizable shortcuts, such as activating the flashlight, changing focus modes, or even opening the camera.

Interestingly, the Action Button can still function as a mute switch if preferred.

Bright and Vibrant Display

• 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
• Resolution of 2796 x 1290
• Peak outdoor brightness of 2,000 nits; typical peak brightness of 1,000 nits
• Minimum brightness capability of 1 nit

The display of the iPhone 16 Plus is essentially the same as that of last year’s iPhone 15 Plus, with a minor adjustment.

Like its predecessor, the iPhone 16 Plus features a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2796 x 1290 and a 60Hz refresh rate.

This display supports the P3 color gamut, offering a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1 and a peak outdoor brightness of 2,000 nits. The typical peak brightness indoors is set at 1,000 nits.

The only notable difference in this year’s model is that the iPhone 16 Plus can achieve a minimum brightness level of 1 nit.

Aside from that, this display is the same high-quality panel that was featured on the iPhone 15 Plus, though it lacks a high refresh rate.

Enhanced Camera Capabilities

• Apple now refers to the main camera on the iPhone 16 Plus as the Fusion Camera
• The Fusion Camera features a 48MP sensor and an ƒ/1.6 aperture with a 26mm focal length
• The secondary camera is a 12MP ultrawide with an ƒ/2.4 aperture and 13mm focal length
• Apple considers the Fusion Camera to have a 2x telephoto zoom, which is effectively a crop of the central 12 megapixels of the 48MP sensor

The iPhone 16 Plus introduces a major redesign of its camera system, returning to the vertical alignment not seen since the iPhone 12 and moving away from the square camera island that has been a feature of every mainline iPhone since the iPhone 11.

The device is equipped with a 48MP main camera, which Apple has dubbed the Fusion Camera. This camera achieves a 2x telephoto effect by cropping into the central 12MP of the camera sensor.

The secondary camera is a 12MP ultrawide with a 120° field of view.

The main camera supports up to a 10x digital zoom.

Apart from their orientation, these cameras are largely similar to last year’s models. However, the vertical alignment introduces a new capability altogether.

Thanks to the side-by-side camera arrangement, the iPhone 16 Plus can capture 3D photos and videos through the Spatial Capture feature.

This format is also utilized by the Vision Pro headset, indicating that Apple may be aiming to integrate the iPhone and Vision Pro more closely.

The A18 Chipset

• The A18 chipset replaces the A16 Bionic found in the iPhone 15 Plus
• Apple claims the new chipset offers a 30% faster CPU and a 40% faster GPU

The A18 chipset in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus promises significant performance improvements, according to Apple’s assertions.

The chipset consists of a 6-core CPU, a 5-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine for machine learning and AI processing.

While Apple has not provided specific details on its testing methods or reference points for its performance improvement claims, we are currently evaluating the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to confirm these figures.

Apple states that the A18 offers a 30% increase in CPU speed and a 40% improvement in GPU performance compared to its predecessor.

The A18’s GPU also supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a technique increasingly used in modern video games.

Additionally, the A18 chipset includes ‘Secure Enclave’, which helps prevent the camera and microphone indicators from being disabled by malicious apps.

Regarding battery life, Apple does not disclose the exact battery capacity of its products. However, the company claims that the iPhone 16 Plus can support 27 hours of video playback or 100 hours of audio playback, suggesting a battery life comparable to that of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

It also appears that the iPhone 16 Plus will support charging speeds of up to 45W, a significant increase from last year, while wireless charging capabilities reach up to 25W.

Apple Intelligence

• Apple Intelligence is set to arrive on the iPhone 16 Plus in October, with additional features following in subsequent months
• The iPhone 16 lineup will be enhanced by new AI tools, although these will not be available at launch

In terms of software, AI is at the forefront of the notable upgrades for this year’s iPhone lineup. While Apple Intelligence will not be available at launch, this new set of AI features is coming to the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max in a free update.

Apple Intelligence will start with a beta release in October, followed by a full launch in December.

The features of Apple Intelligence include text summarization and rewriting, audio transcription including phone calls, and notification prioritization with AI-generated summaries.

Additional features will be introduced in a phased rollout, including generative image creation, generative emoji creation termed Genmoji, and a screen-aware Siri capable of executing complex commands across various apps.

Siri will also gain access to ChatGPT, allowing users to interact with Apple’s personal assistant via text as well as voice.