iPhone 16/16 Pro Review: Times Have Changed! | Highlights and Annotations by Gistr.

Tim reviews the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, noting minor hardware upgrades but highlighting the unfinished "Apple Intelligence" AI features, heavily marketed but absent at launch. The camera receives significant attention; a new "camera control" button offers customizable settings, improving photo control but proving finicky. The Pro models boast superior cameras and displays, while the standard model offers good value with improved RAM and faster charging. He advises purchasing based on current features, not promised future AI updates, and suggests upgrading from iPhone 13 or older. The video discusses the iPhone 16's incremental hardware improvements and the heavily marketed AI features ("Apple Intelligence") that are absent at launch. The presenter argues that the phone's current state, lacking promised AI functionalities, makes it feel unfinished and represents the most incomplete iPhone launch they've witnessed. The creator announces the launch of their new wallpaper app, "Panels," available on iOS and Android, featuring artwork from various artists with a 50/50 profit split. The app includes a wide range of artwork, with more content planned for the future, and offers a subscription model to support its ongoing development and expansion. A detailed comparison of the camera systems in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro is presented. The standard iPhone 16's cameras are deemed solid but not significantly better than previous models, while the iPhone 16 Pro's cameras, particularly the main sensor, ultrawide, and 5x telephoto, represent a significant upgrade. The presenter highlights improvements in detail, zoom capabilities, and low-light performance, but also notes the persistence of lens flare issues.This segment focuses on the video recording capabilities of the iPhone 16 Pro, specifically the new 4K 120 FPS mode. The presenter praises the video quality and convenience but cautions about high storage consumption. The discussion also touches upon the "Fusion Camera" technology, explaining its functionality and limitations. The video highlights the incongruity between Apple's marketing emphasizing "Apple Intelligence" and the absence of these features in the launched product. The presenter discusses the implications of releasing a product with promised features still under development, drawing parallels to other AI-focused products that launched with incomplete functionality.The presenter compares the iPhone 16's delayed AI features to similar issues faced by other AI-focused products, such as the Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pin, highlighting the level of trust placed in Apple's promise of future software updates. The presenter reflects on the bold decision to ship a product lacking key advertised features and the industry pressure to appear as an AI leader. This segment details the subtle design changes in the iPhone 16 compared to its predecessor, including the addition of the action button and a new camera control button. The presenter notes the new color options and slightly larger camera bump, while highlighting the phone's surprisingly wobbly feel despite maintaining a largely similar overall shape and dimensions.The presenter analyzes the iPhone 16's battery life and charging capabilities. Despite Apple's claims of longer battery life, real-world testing reveals only a minor improvement (around 6-9% larger batteries), with battery life remaining comparable to the previous generation. However, a significant improvement is noted in faster wired charging (up to 45W) and MagSafe wireless charging (up to 25W).The video discusses the performance improvements brought about by the A18 and A18 Pro chips, noting that while real-world differences might be subtle, benchmarks show significant speed increases. A notable upgrade is the inclusion of 8GB of RAM across all models, likely in anticipation of the future Apple Intelligence features.This segment focuses on the new features introduced in iOS 18, including enhanced home screen customization options such as repositioning and coloring icons, along with customizable lock screen shortcuts. The presenter argues that these software improvements might be more impactful than the hardware changes.The video delves into the new camera control button, describing its functionality and user experience. The presenter compares smartphone cameras to headphone EQs, emphasizing the importance of user control. While praising the increased control over camera settings, the presenter also points out the button's finicky half-press sensitivity and potentially confusing scrolling interface, suggesting most users might only use it as a simple shutter button. The video concludes with a recommendation on whether to purchase the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro. The presenter suggests buying the iPhone 16 only if upgrading from an iPhone 13 or older, while recommending the iPhone 16 Pro for users prioritizing improved camera and display quality.