It’s that time of year again where Apple unveils its latest products. Chief amongst which are its new smartphones, including the models we’ll be focusing on in this article: the iPhone 16 Pro series.
So what’s new? For starters, the displays on the new Pro-tier models are larger than their predecessors by 0.2-inches. To be more specific, the regular variant now features a 6.3-inch screen, while the Pro Max gets a 6.9-inch. Both have Super Retina XDR OLED displays with 120Hz “ProMotion” refresh rate, Always-On capability, Dynamic Island, and 2000 nits peak brightness. Resolution-wise, the Pro Max takes the lead with 2868 x 1320 pixels, whereas the vanilla has 2622 x 1206 pixels.
In terms of build, both iPhone 16 Pro models feature Grade 5 Titanium bodies, along with a chassis made of 100% recycled aluminium, as well as water and dust resistance rating of IP68. Flipping them over to the back, we’re greeted with a familiar rear panel design with the signature triple camera array. Joining the existing Natural, White and Black colourways is an all-new Desert Titanium option.
Making a return to the next-gen Pros is the Action Button, which now provides shortcuts to even more features such as song identification, magnifier, and so on. Meanwhile, the side button not only can be used to lock and unlock the device, but also call up Siri via a long press.
Like the non-Pro models, both phones also feature the new Camera Control button which supports touch inputs and soft presses to access various camera functions. For instance; clicking it launches the camera app, sliding your finger on the button will adjust zooming, double tap changes camera modes, soft clicking lets you change between different camera modes, while clicking and holding initiates video recording.
Under the hood of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max is Apple’s latest 3nm flagship chipset for its smartphones, the A18 Pro. According to the company, it delivers 15% faster processing speed, 20% faster graphics processing, 2x faster ray tracing capabilities, and 20% less power consumption when compared to the A17 Pro.
Speaking of power, both models are said to offer improved battery performance, but no specifics were provided. Instead, Apple claims the Pro is capable of lasting up to 27 hours of continuous video playback, while the Pro Max goes further at up to 33 hours. The company adds that a 30-minute charge via USB-C and a compatible 20W adapter can top up 50% of juice on either iPhone 16 Pro model, whereas MagSafe now supports up to 25W fast charging.
Storage-wise, the vanilla Pro starts with 128GB storage, while the Pro Max starts with 256GB. The highest configuration for both models is at 1TB. As usual, Apple did not disclose the RAM capacity for either model.
For imaging, the triple camera setup on the back of both iPhone 16 Pro models now feature two 48MP sensors for the primary and ultra-wide, while the telephoto gets a 12MP with 5x optical zoom via Apple’s Tetraprism tech. It should be noted that unlike their predecessors, the maximum optical zoom distance on the base Pro model is now on par with the Pro Max. Other improvements include lower aperture counts and faster shutter speed for the primary camera, as well as 4K120p video recordings in ProRes and log formats.
Both Pro models also feature four studio quality microphones that can pick up audio better and also reduce unwanted noise. Users can choose between several different spatial audio recording modes while shooting videos, including In-Frame Mix which focuses on people that are on screen, Audio Mix which identifies and separates speech from background noise, Studio Mix which removes reverb, and Cinematic Mix which prioritises on voices while keeping other noise in the background.
Last but not least, the iPhone 16 Pro models also get a chock full of new Apple Intelligence features via iOS 18. These include an upgraded Siri experience that can now understand irregular speech and text-based input, summarised notifications, generative text and emojis, the ability to search for any item or photos on your device through a simple text description, a new Visual Intelligence feature that allows you to look up on certain items by simply pointing the camera at it, and much more. Apple notes that iOS 18 will ship together with its newer iPhones, while older models will receive it on 16 September 2024, with Apple Intelligence included as a free update.
The vanilla Pro starts at RM4,999 for the 128GB configuration, RM5,499 for 256GB, RM6,499 for 512GB, and RM7,499 for 1TB. Meanwhile, the Pro Max starts at RM5,999 for the 256GB trim, RM6,999 for 512GB, and RM7,999 for 1TB. It should be noted that the starting prices for both variants are actually lower than their predecessors, which originally launched from RM5,499 and RM6,499 respectfully.
The new iPhone 16 Pro series will be up for pre-order via Apple’s official online store in Malaysia this Friday on 13 September, with availability beginning 20 September 2024. The company adds that customers who purchase both models are also entitled to receive three free months of Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and Apple Fitness+ with a new subscription.
(Source: Apple Malaysia [1] [2] [3])
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.
