Apple iPhone 16 Plus review

Design, build quality, handling

The Apple iPhone 16 Plus is a larger version of the iPhone 16 - something that is obvious. It has the same build and design; it is just bigger.

It does offer a few improvements over the old Plus model, though. The iPhone 16 Plus comes with the second-generation Ceramic Shield glass, which is even more shatter-proof. It also brings a smaller camera island with a refined design, and new colors, of course!

The front of the iPhone 16 Plus is covered with the new generation Ceramic Shield glass, which is marketed as 2x tougher than any other glass found on a smartphone. Gotta love Apple for its numbers and generations, making everything sound new and fancy, right?

Anyway, we cannot deny the toughness of the Ceramic Shield and we are happy Apple keeps improving it. The back of the iPhone 16 Plus features a glass panel by Corning. The metal frame is made of aluminum, and everything except the screen glass has a smooth matte finish.

The new camera design is a welcome change for its smaller footprint and easier on the eyes look. It does feel more natural on the back of the phone, truly symmetrical even.

The iPhone 16 Plus is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance with an expanded endurance for survivability in up to 6m deep water for 30 mins.

The iPhone 16 Plus is available in Black, White, Pink, Teal, and Ultramarine (ours).

Let's take a closer look at the iPhone 16 Plus.

The front has a 6.7-inch OLED screen with all sorts of perks except a high refresh rate. Instead of a notch, it has the pill-shaped cutout for the Dynamic Island, which was introduced on the iPhone 15 Plus last year. The bezels are nicely thin, though now that we have seen the ones on the 16 Pro Max, we know that they could have been even thinner.

The large cutout houses the selfie camera, the Face ID technology and some sensors. Above it is the earpiece, barely visible, with also doubles as an impressively loud speaker. The second speaker is at the bottom of the iPhone, next to the USB-C port.

The back has the new camera arrangement with reduced size and newly discovered symmetry. The two cameras are now under each other and look much more fitting on the back of the phone. The island is not a separate piece, it is a part of the glass back.

The iPhone 16 Plus offers the customizable Action Button on the right and the new Camera Control key on the left. Both are new to the Plus model. The new camera key is a three-in-one piece with a truly clickable part, a capacitive surface, and force touch sensors for press detection.

iPhone 16 Plus

We wonder what's keeping Apple from introducing the two-step shutter functionality. For now, you can control everything with presses and swipes - zoom, exposure, depth, camera modes - you can also capture photos and videos immediately - but it does not have the option to focus manually first. At least Apple is working on this implementation and will add it soon enough.

The iPhone 16 Plus measures 160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8 mm - the same as the iPhone 15 Plus. It is 2g lighter now at 199 grams.

The iPhone 16 Plus is a solid phone of premium build. It has a likable design and tough panels, and you can see Apple's meticulous attention to detail across the board.

The phone is grippy enough and we can imagine many people will be using it case-free. It is also smudge resistant because of the all-matte finish, and even the display is not that prone to collecting fingerprints thanks to the oleophobic coating.

In the end, as far as Apple's design is at scrutiny here, we can easily consider it as exemplary.