iPhone 16 Pro: AI, image capture and design, here's what to remember about Apple's latest product

The iPhone 16s, just made official by Apple during its traditional back-to-school keynote, are not coming alone. They are accompanied by a Pro version, of course available in two formats. In the case of the iPhone 16 Pro, which succeeds the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro, Apple is giving itself an additional 0.2 inches for a 6.3-inch diagonal. While the weight and dimensions of the device remain to be specified (187 g for the iPhone 15 Pro), Apple swears that it has further reduced the bezels of its smartphone to prevent this traditionally “compact” model from changing category.

In order to avoid being overweight, Apple is betting on titanium (grade 5), here combined with new colors (black, white, gray and sand), as in 2023. This material is synonymous with solidity and is combined with a Ceramic Shield screen protector also used on the standard iPhone 16. For the screen, count on Super Retina combined with LTPO, i.e. a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. Apple is not very specific about the hardware side of its smartphone, but it is a safe bet that it has increased the maximum brightness of its display.

A Pro chip for an iPhone focused on AI, photos and audio

Apple is much more forthcoming about power. And for good reason, its iPhone 16 Pro is designed for Apple Intelligence artificial intelligence, coming to France in 2025thanks to its chip. This is not the A18 launched on the iPhone 16, but its Pro counterpart, also engraved in 3 nm, but promising more CPU, GPU and NPU power. Apple associates it with more graphite to limit heating, a problem that had tarnished the launch of the iPhone 15 Pro in 2023.

This overview would not be complete without a word on multimedia capture. Apple offers a triple photo module, whose main 48-megapixel sensor (Fusion Camera) promises significant improvements in both photo and video, the recording of which is now possible up to 4K at 120 i/s, in Dolby Vision to boot.

On the ultra-wide-angle side, a clear gain in definition is also on the menu, since a 48 Mpx sensor replaces that of the 12 Mpx of the iPhone 15 Pro. The Camera Control button, offered on the entire range and located on the edge of the smartphone, allows you to adjust the settings during shots. A small frustration, on the other hand: if a two-level shutter has been announced (to lock the focus and exposure), it will only be available via an update available by the end of the year.

A word on the 16 Pro's telephoto lens, which retains a definition of 12 Mpx, but gains a x5 magnification, identical to that of the iPhone 15 and 16 Pro Max, instead of the x3 zoom of the iPhone 15 Pro. Finally, let's specify that the iPhone 16 Pro targets creators, but not just image creators; sound artisans are also targeted. The iPhone 16 Pro is also full of options announced as being able to facilitate audio capture.

All this comes at a price: expect a starting price of €1,229 for an iPhone 16 Pro offered with a minimum storage of 128 GB. A price identical to that of the iPhone 15 Pro when it was launched last year.