Apple has lifted the curtain off the iPhone 16 and the Apple Watch Series 10, and it’s quite an exciting array of devices. Not only is this the first line of iPhones built from the ground up to support Apple Intelligence, but Apple also gave us some incredibly fun colors for the regular models.
Even so, Apple still fell short on some aspects of the iPhone 16 line. Let’s dive in.
The iPhone 16 still has a 60Hz display
In 2017, Apple added ProMotion to the iPad Pro. This is the name for its displays with a 120Hz refresh rate, which means smoother scrolling and animations on the screen.
With the iPhone 13 Pro, Apple finally introduced ProMotion to the iPhone display. Previously, 60Hz was the standard Apple used for years. Once ProMotion arrived on the iPhone, Apple kept it exclusive to the Pro models, even to this day. The standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus only have a 60Hz refresh rate, while the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have a 120Hz ProMotion display.
In recent years, many Android phones, even the base models or budget-friendly options that only cost a few hundred dollars, have featured 120Hz or 90Hz refresh rates. But for Apple to charge at least $799 for a phone that still only has 60Hz in the year 2024? It’s insulting.
Perhaps most people who end up getting the iPhone 16 don’t care. I admit it can be a little difficult to see the differences between 60Hz and 120Hz unless you are looking at them side by side. But once you’ve been using a device with 120Hz, especially for a few years, it can be pretty hard to go back to anything less.
Think of it like when Apple introduced the Retina display on the iPhone 4. When that display technology debuted, you could no longer see the individual little pixels on the screen if you looked closely. Again, refresh rates aren’t quite as obvious to some people, but it is hard to downgrade once you notice.
I seriously hope that Apple considers raising the refresh rate to at least 90Hz, if not 120Hz, with the iPhone 17. In 2025, 60Hz should be obsolete.
No significant telephoto camera upgrades
OK, I know, I know. The iPhone 16 Pro finally got the improved periscope camera with 5x optical zoom that debuted last year with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I’ve been demanding this for the past year after the iPhone 15 Pro was stuck with just 3x optical zoom. But even so, I’m still not satisfied.
I’m honestly surprised that Apple didn’t increase the megapixel count on the telephoto lens this year for either the small Pro or the larger Pro Max. The ultrawide camera jumped significantly to 48MP from the previous 12MP, so why didn’t the telephoto camera get this treatment, too?
For context, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has two telephoto lenses, 10MP and 50MP, which can do 3x and 5x optical zoom, respectively. The Google Pixel 9 Pro, which just came out a month ago, has a 48MP ultrawide lens and a 48MP telephoto camera. Apple increasing the spec on just the ultrawide lens and not the telephoto feels a little, well, lazy.
Apple could have also increased the digital zoom past 15x. The Pixel can do up to 30x right now, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra can do 100x. Apple still doesn’t let you go past 15x, which is a shame.
All of the Pro colors are bad
I have to give props to Apple for the colors of the regular iPhone 16 models. Those colors are absolutely stunning. Though pink is my favorite, I love teal and ultramarine, too. Especially when you compare this year’s pink phone to the pink iPhone 15, I just love how Apple really saturated these colors.
But the iPhone 16 Pro models? Could the colors be any more boring this year? It’s the worst color lineup by far — there’s not even a blue, for crying out loud. Some people may like that Desert Titanium color, but I am not a fan, and I typically get the “new” color every year. But this year, it looks like I’ll end up going for white titanium instead, though I’m really not a fan of any of them; that’s just the least bad of the bunch.
Seriously, why can’t Apple listen and give us an actual fun color for the Pro models? I love that Google gave us a Rose Quartz Pixel 9 Pro this year, and I really hope that Apple can take a hint. People want a colorful iPhone Pro, not four different shades of gray.
Still no return of Touch ID
The iPhone 16 series adds a new hardware feature: Camera Control. This new button on the right edge of the frame launches the Camera app, acts as a shutter button, and uses haptics to detect sliding movement and adjust settings when using the camera.
The Camera Control is one of the biggest changes to the iPhone in a long time, but some people may be left wondering why didn’t Apple bring back Touch ID to that button (or even on the power button)?
Though many Android phones these days have both face unlock and an under-display fingerprint sensor, we may never see that come to an iPhone. Apple’s own iPad models, aside from the iPad Pro, still use Touch ID with a fingerprint sensor housed in the sleep/wake button. With Apple adding more buttons to the iPhone line in recent years, one would think Touch ID could return at some point.
Why have Touch ID and Face ID? I think having more than one biometric security measure on a smartphone is a smart move, just for that extra layer of protection. I would have loved to see Apple bring back Touch ID with the Camera Control or even the sleep/wake button.
Perhaps one day, we can get two forms of biometric security on an iPhone.
Try again next year
Don’t get me wrong — the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are exciting updates. I’m eager to check out the Camera Control since photography is a big part of how I use my phone. And I absolutely love those iPhone 16 colors!
Still, it is disappointing to see some of the missteps made this year. No smartphone is perfect, and we should never expect one to be, but some of these things are so frustrating. A 60Hz screen? No telephoto upgrades? Come on, Apple.
Hopefully, Apple can address these complaints in the future. A base model iPhone with a 120Hz screen, a Pro iPhone with fun colors, significant telephoto camera improvements, and an iPhone with Touch ID and Face ID? It doesn’t hurt to dream.