Apple iPhone 16 Plus review: with a big screen and the latest chipset, this is my recommended iPhone 16

Very close to the 16 Pro in performance, the iPhone 16 Plus has a big screen and all the essential features most users will need...

An ultramarine blue iPhone 16 on a wooden desk
(Image: © Future / Erlingur Einarsson)

Our Verdict

Usually, the 'vanilla' iPhone is the Pro's slightly less attractive alternative, partly because of the downgraded camera spec and partly because usually it features the previous year's Pro chip while the Pro gets a shiny new processor. This year, however, the iPhone 16 Plus is my iPhone of choice, over the Pro model. Yes, the camera could be better (come on, Apple, put macro in all your models already), and the GPU is slightly slower, but it's close enough for anyone who's not a content creation professional.

For

  • Bigger battery than 16 Pro
  • 6.7in screen is great
  • New A18 chipset has lots of power

Against

  • No macro photos :(
  • 4K video maxes out at 60fps

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It's autumn, so like every autumn, we get pumpkin spice everything, bring our warm coat out, and get a new iPhone. In my instance, I've had the iPhone 16 Plus for just under a week now. Still haven't had a pumpkin spice bolognese with pumpkin spice red wine yet though.

While the iPhone 16 Pro may grab more headlines due to its new telephoto lens or added macro abilities (and better gaming performance than before), I assume all made specifically to put it back at the top of our list of best camera phones, I may actually prefer the iPhone 16 Plus. Why?

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Chipset:A18 chip with unified graphic memory
Memory:8GB
OS:iOS 18
Screen:6.7in Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:2796 x 1290p (460 PPI)
Refresh rate:60Hz
Storage:128GB-512GB
Rear cameras:48MP Fusion camera, 12MP Ultrawide
Front camera:12MP
Connectivity:Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C 2.0 (supports DP)
Battery:4,674mAh
Dimensions:160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8mm
Weight:199g
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iPhone 16 Plus: Benchmark scores
Geekbench 6Row 0 - Cell 1
CPU single-core:3,329
CPU multi-core:8,060
GPU Metal::28,048
The Verdict
8.5

out of 10

Apple iPhone 16 Plus

Usually, the 'vanilla' iPhone is the Pro's slightly less attractive alternative, partly because of the downgraded camera spec and partly because usually it features the previous year's Pro chip while the Pro gets a shiny new processor. This year, however, the iPhone 16 Plus is my iPhone of choice, over the Pro model. Yes, the camera could be better (come on, Apple, put macro in all your models already), and the GPU is slightly slower, but it's close enough for anyone who's not a content creation professional.

Erlingur Einarsson
Tech Reviews Editor

Erlingur is the Tech Reviews Editor on Creative Bloq. Having worked on magazines devoted to Photoshop, films, history, and science for over 15 years, as well as working on Digital Camera World and Top Ten Reviews in more recent times, Erlingur has developed a passion for finding tech that helps people do their job, whatever it may be. He loves putting things to the test and seeing if they're all hyped up to be, to make sure people are getting what they're promised. Still can't get his wifi-only printer to connect to his computer. 

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