Apple iPhone 16 Plus

The iPhone 16 Plus sports a refreshed design that's much more stylish. There's less of a gap between this phone and the 16 Pro Max thanks to the long-lasting battery on the Plus, excellent main camera, and similar Apple Intelligence features that are still to come.

That's pretty much the theme for the iPhone 16 range. The gap isn't that wide between this version and the Pros, which means you can get a great, well-rounded iPhone for $799. Get the Plus if you like bigger screens and want longer battery life. But as always, ask yourself if you really need to upgrade first.

For once, you don’t have to wait a year to get the best new features from the iPhone 16 Pro.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus come in visually delicious colors, deliver improved camera results, and feature a tougher display, but I recommend one over the other.

I wouldn't recommend buying the iPhone 16 just for the Camera Control button or the better ultrawide camera. But when you think about how the Camera Control key, the Action button and the Dynamic Island come together, along with the camera and battery improvements Apple has made over the last several years, you have a compelling upgrade for someone coming from an older phone.

You’ll get a couple of new buttons to play with, and who knows, maybe you’ll get along better with the Camera Control than I did. And If Apple Intelligence arrives and proves to be the time-saving, stress-easing set of features Apple insists it will be, then this phone will be ready for it.

The iPhone 16 Plus aims to be the fill-in-the-blank answer for those who want a big-screen capable iPhone at a more affordable price, and this year's model certainly fits the bill. The 16 Plus packs a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display into a lightweight, durable body that comes in fun colors and features two buttons that up the experience. For those who love taking photos, I'd highly suggest the 16 Plus for the large screen to review shots and for the Camera Control button that greatly improves how you can shoot.