iPhone 16 Series Launch: A Transitional Model or "Adaptive Apple Fans?"

iPhone 16 Series Launch: A Transitional Model or "Adaptive Apple Fans?"On the morning of September 10th, 2024, at 1 AM, Apple held its "Highlight" online launch event, unveiling multiple new products across its Apple Watch, AirPods, and iPhone lines. Under the watchful eyes of the audience, the iPhone 16 series made its grand debut

iPhone 16 Series Launch: A Transitional Model or "Adaptive Apple Fans?"

On the morning of September 10th, 2024, at 1 AM, Apple held its "Highlight" online launch event, unveiling multiple new products across its Apple Watch, AirPods, and iPhone lines. Under the watchful eyes of the audience, the iPhone 16 series made its grand debut. However, this time, Cook's "precision cut" seemed to miss the mark, as the upgrades to the iPhone 16 series sparked widespread controversy.

iPhone 16: Is the Camera Control Button the Biggest Breakthrough?

The iPhone 16 number series includes two models, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, with screen sizes of 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches respectively. The screen brightness range has been boosted to a maximum of 2000 nits and a minimum of 1 nit, but disappointingly, it lacks high refresh rate and always-on display features.

The iPhone 16 features a new generation of Ceramic Shield glass, offering an upgrade in material compared to its predecessor. The newly added camera control button allows for quick camera activation and parameter adjustment, and seamlessly integrates with Apple's smart features for real-time AI operations on the preview image.

In terms of hardware configuration, the iPhone 16 is equipped with the new A18 chip, using a 3nm fabrication process, and upgraded AI capabilities, but these are currently unavailable in the Chinese market. Camera-wise, the main camera has been upgraded to a 48MP 26mm wide-angle camera, which can be cropped to achieve a 12MP 52mm 2x telephoto camera. Additionally, the wide-angle camera's macro mode has been extended to the iPhone 16.

It's worth mentioning that the iPhone 16 has improved heat dissipation and increased battery capacity. The low-power characteristics of the A18 chip and the AI features of iOS 18 also contribute to longer battery life.

iPhone 16 Pro: Slight Improvements in Heat Dissipation, Battery Life, and Imaging

The iPhone 16 Pro series continues to offer two sizes: the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, with screen sizes of 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches respectively, featuring narrower screen bezels.

The iPhone 16 Pro also boasts improved heat dissipation and battery life. Chipwise, it's powered by the A18 Pro processor, utilizing a 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, and 16-core NPU configuration.

In terms of the camera, the iPhone 16 Pro adopts a triple-camera system, featuring a 48MP 26mm wide-angle camera, 48MP 13mm ultra-wide-angle camera, and 12MP 120mm periscope camera. The 48MP wide-angle camera has been upgraded to the second generation, offering significantly faster response and read/write speeds. Meanwhile, the A18 Pro's AI capabilities enhance the iPhone 16 Pro with a wider array of camera color styles.

The iPhone 16 Pro series also improves slow-motion shooting, color grading in Cinematic mode, and video recording capabilities, supporting 4K120 video recording and more comprehensive post-production slow-motion processing. Additionally, the iPhone 16 Pro employs a four-microphone audio system with spatial audio recording. The newly added AudioMix feature allows users to perform audio track separation and reverb processing on their phones.

Continuous Doubts: A Transitional Model or "Adaptive Apple Fans?"

Despite upgrades in certain areas, the iPhone 16 series still faces a considerable amount of controversy. Firstly, the base iPhone 16 lacks a high refresh rate screen and an always-on display, and continues to use a USB 2.0 interface, creating a stark contrast with other flagship Android models.

Secondly, the AI features of the A18 chip are currently unavailable in the Chinese market, undoubtedly a significant disappointment for Chinese users.

Furthermore, the iPhone 16 Pro Max's hefty price tag of 13,999 yuan has also raised eyebrows. While improvements have been made to imaging, performance, and functionalities, the absence of core features like high refresh rate screens and faster charging technologies makes the high price difficult to justify for users.

Conclusion:

The launch of the iPhone 16 series has triggered discussions about whether Apple has fallen from grace. Despite Apple's emphasis on "highlight moments" during the launch event, the iPhone 16 series is essentially a transitional product, failing to deliver any revolutionary breakthroughs.

Whether the iPhone 16 series can retain its loyal fanbase remains to be seen.

Appendix:

• IFA 2024 is about to begin, and Lei Technology will be reporting live from the event.

• The iPhone 16 series will be available for pre-order on the evening of September 13th and officially launched on September 20th.