Apple has introduced the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, featuring Apple Intelligence, larger display sizes, new creative capabilities with innovative pro camera features, graphics for immersive gaming, and more.
All these features are powered by the A18 Pro chip. Camera Control unlocks a way to tap into visual intelligence and interact with the advanced camera system. Featuring a new 48MP Fusion camera with a faster quad-pixel sensor that enables 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision, these new Pro models achieve the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available on an iPhone.
Additional advancements include 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. The durable titanium design is strong yet lightweight, with larger display sizes, the thinnest borders on any Apple product, and a leap in battery life — with the iPhone 16 Pro Max offering the best battery life on iPhone ever.
The new Pro lineup features the thinnest borders of any Apple product and introduces larger display sizes: 6.3 inches on iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches on iPhone 16 Pro Max — the largest iPhone display ever. The Super Retina XDR displays with Always-On and ProMotion technologies help users accomplish more, according to Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available in four finishes: black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium.
Both models offer industry-leading durability with a strong, lightweight titanium design, as well as the latest-generation Ceramic Shield, which has an advanced formulation that is 2x tougher than glass on any other smartphone, he adds. The new mechanical architecture improves heat dissipation and efficiency for up to 20% better sustained performance. Along with the new internal design and advanced power management of iOS 18, larger batteries are optimized to offer a huge leap in battery life.
Introducing Camera Control
The new Camera Control is packed with innovation, including a tactile switch that powers the click experience, a high-precision force sensor that enables the light press gesture, and a capacitive sensor that allows for touch interactions. It can quickly launch the camera, take a photo, and start video recording so users don’t miss the moment. A new camera preview helps users frame the shot and adjust other control options — such as zoom, exposure, or depth of field — to compose a photo or video by sliding their finger on the Camera Control. Additionally, developers will be able to bring Camera Control to third-party apps such as Snapchat.
Later this year, Camera Control will unlock visual intelligence to help users learn about objects and places. Users can click and hold Camera Control to pull up the hours or ratings for a restaurant they pass, add an event from a flyer to their calendar, quickly identify a dog by breed, and more.
Camera Control will also serve as a gateway into third-party tools with specific domain expertise, like when users want to search on Google to find where they can buy an item, or to benefit from ChatGPT’s problem-solving skills. Apple says that users are in control of when third-party tools are used and what information is shared.
New Pro Creativity Across Photo, Video, and Audio
Powered by A18 Pro, the upgraded camera system introduces a new 48MP Fusion camera with a faster, more efficient quad-pixel sensor and Apple Camera Interface, unlocking 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision — the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available on an iPhone, and a smartphone first.
The quad-pixel sensor can read data 2x faster, enabling zero shutter lag for 48MP ProRAW or HEIF photos. A new 48MP Ultra Wide camera also features a quad-pixel sensor with autofocus, so users can take higher-resolution 48MP ProRAW and HEIF images when capturing uniquely framed, wider-angle shots or getting close to their subjects with macro photography. The 5x Telephoto camera now comes on both iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, allowing users to catch the action from farther away, no matter which model they choose. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max now take spatial photos in addition to videos to help users relive memories with depth on an Apple Vision Pro.
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max feature a 48MP Fusion camera, a 48MP Ultra Wide camera, and the 5x Telephoto camera, now available on both models.
Users can capture 4K120 fps in Slo-mo or Video mode, and adjust the playback speed after capture in the Photos app, including a quarter-speed playback, a new half-speed option for a dreamy effect, and a fifth-speed option that corresponds to 24 fps. When coupled with the new image signal processor (ISP) of A18 Pro, users can do frame-by-frame cinema-quality color grading for 4K120 fps in Dolby Vision. Users can also capture 4K120 fps ProRes and Log directly to an external storage device for efficient pro workflows.
Both Pro models feature four new studio-quality mics that preserve true-to-life recorded sounds, and video can now be captured in Spatial Audio for immersive listening with AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, or a surround sound system, according to Joswiak.
The iPhone 16 Pro lineup also introduces creative new ways to edit video sound with Audio Mix — allowing users to adjust their sound after capture to focus on the voice of the person on camera, make it sound like the video was recorded inside a professional studio, or position vocal tracks in the front and environmental noises in surround sound. With wind noise reduction, powerful machine learning (ML) algorithms reduce unwanted noise for better audio quality.
Next-generation Photographic Styles help users express their creativity and customize their photos by locally adjusting color, highlights, and shadows in real time. Styles also have a deeper understanding of skin undertones, so users can personalize how they appear in photos.
Unlike filters, which often use a one-size-fits-all approach by adding a color to an entire scene, adjustments are applied to specific colors of a selected style. A wider set of styles offers more creative options for editing a photo’s aesthetic, and styles can be further personalized with a new control pad and intensity slider for simultaneous adjustments across tone and color. These adjustments can be rendered during live preview, applied after a photo is taken, or even reversed later.
Coming later, Siri will be able to complete in-app requests and take action across apps, like pulling up a specific shot from a user’s Photos library and then applying an edit to the image in Darkroom. Siri can also help users fully utilize the wide range of photo and editing capabilities, such as asking how to adjust the blur in the background of a photo.
Industry-Leading Performance and Power Efficiency
The new A18 Pro chip is designed with industry-leading compute power to propel Apple Intelligence, ushering in a new era of pro performance, according to Joswiak. Built with second-generation 3-nanometer technology and featuring a new architecture with smaller, faster transistors, A18 Pro delivers unprecedented efficiency, he adds.
The new 16-core Neural Engine is designed to be faster and more efficient than the previous generation, powering on-device performance for Apple Intelligence. According to Apple, a 17% increase in total system memory bandwidth — the highest ever in iPhone — enables faster experiences when using Writing Tools and Image Playground, and helps deliver astounding graphics.
The bandwidth increase also benefits the 6-core GPU, which is up to 20% faster than the previous generation, driving graphics rendering for Apple Intelligence and visuals for gaming.
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing gets up to 2x faster for even more realistic light sources and reflections, and Game Mode in iOS 18 unlocks more consistent frame rates while making AirPods, game controllers, and other wireless accessories more responsive.
A new 6-core CPU is, per Apple, the fastest in a smartphone, with two performance cores and four efficiency cores that can run the same workload as the previous generation 15% faster while using 20% less power. Next-generation ML accelerators are optimized for Apple Intelligence, and save power by handling high-efficiency, high-throughput, and low-latency computations on the CPU without engaging the Neural Engine.
The A18 Pro enables Always-On and ProMotion technologies for an exceptional viewing experience on iPhone, as well as faster USB 3 speeds and ProRes video recording. A new ISP and video encoder process 2x the amount of data for faster video encoding and pro workflows.
Expanded Communication and Safety Capabilities
The iPhone 16 Pro lineup features ways to stay connected and provides enhanced safety capabilities. Powered by the same g technology as Emergency SOS via satellite, users are able to connect to the nearest satellite to send and receive texts, emoji, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS while outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.
Messages via satellite in iOS 18 are end-to-end encrypted. Also new with iOS 18, Emergency SOS Live Video allows users to share a live video feed or photos with participating emergency dispatchers during an emergency call. Later this fall, Roadside Assistance via satellite — which connects users to a roadside assistance provider if they have car trouble while off the grid — expands beyond the U.S. to the U.K.
Better for the Environment
Apple says the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are designed with the environment in mind. They feature more than 30% recycled content overall, including 85% recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 80% or more recycled steel across multiple components.
The battery is made with 100% recycled cobalt and — in a first for iPhone — over 95% recycled lithium. The packaging is entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal of removing plastic from its packaging by next year.
Pricing and Availability
° The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available in black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium, in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage capacities. The iPhone 16 Pro starts at US$999 or $41.62 per month, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 or $49.95 (U.S.) per month.
° Apple offers ways to save and upgrade to the latest iPhone. Customers can get $180 (U.S.) to $650 (U.S.) in credit when they trade in iPhone 12 or higher, or up to $1,000 (U.S.) in credits to put toward an iPhone 16 Pro with a carrier offer. Customers can take advantage of these offers by visiting the Apple Store online or an Apple Store location. For carrier offer eligibility requirements and more details, see apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/carrier-offers. To see what their device is worth and for trade-in terms and conditions, customers can visit apple.com/shop/trade-in.
° Customers in more than 58 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Türkiye, the UAE, the U.K., and the U.S., will be able to pre-order iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max beginning at 5 a.m. PDT this Friday, September 13, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
° The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be available in Macao, Vietnam, and 19 other countries and regions beginning Friday, September 27.
°· iOS 18 will be available as a free software update on Monday, September 16.
° Apple Intelligence will be available as a free software update. The first set of Apple Intelligence features will be available in beta next month as part of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, with more features rolling out in the months to come. It will be available on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad and Mac with M1 and later, with device and Siri language set to U.S. English. Additional languages and platforms are coming over the course of the next year. Later this year, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. In the coming year, Apple Intelligence will expand to more languages, including Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish.
° In addition to an iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max Clear Case, available for $49, a Silicone Case with MagSafe will be available for $49 in black, denim, fuchsia, lake green, plum, star fruit, stone gray, and ultramarine. Apple cases for the iPhone 16 lineup work with Camera Control, featuring a sapphire crystal coupled to a conductive layer that communicates finger movements to the Camera Control. FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe will be available for $59 in black, blackberry, dark green, and deep blue.
° A new MagSafe Charger enables faster wireless charging up to 25W, is Qi2 certified, and is available in a 1-meter length for $39 (U.S.) or a 2-meter length for $49 (U.S.).
° AppleCare+ for iPhone provides service and support. This includes unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and 24/7 support from the people who know iPhone best.
° iCloud+ plans start at 50GB for $0.99 per month and offer up to 12TB for $59.99 per month, providing additional storage to keep files, photos, videos, and more safe in the cloud, accessible across devices, and easy to share with others. iCloud+ also gives access to premium features, including Private Relay, Hide My Email, Custom Email Domains, and HomeKit Secure Video support.
° Customers who purchase iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will receive three free months of Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and Apple Fitness+ with a new subscription.
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