iPhone 16 design — here are the biggest changes

iPhone 16 feature a strong back glass, a water- and dust-resistant design, and the latest-generation Ceramic Shield with an advanced formulation.
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by Moses Johnson

iPhone 16 has a vibrant new look. It is made from beautiful aerospace grade aluminum with 85% recycled content in the enclosure.

iPhone 16 celebrates color in an unparalleled way. Apple evolved the process of developing their unique and durable color infused back glass to create new, rich colors – Ultramarine, teal, and pink. Together with white and black, they create a bold new palette.

iPhone 16 devices are shown in black, white, pink, teal, and ultramarine.

A Beautiful New Design with Industry-Leading Durability

iPhone 16 is built to last with industry leading durability. It features a water and dust resistant design and has a new most advanced glass ceramic formulation. This latest generation ceramic shield material is 50% tougher than the first generation ceramic shield and two times tougher than glass bound in any other smartphone.

The display on iPhone 16 provides an exceptional viewing experience under all conditions. Up to 2000 nits when you’re in a sunny environment and down to one nit in the dark. And it comes in two sizes, 6.1 inches for iPhone 16 and 6.7 inches for iPhone 16 Plus.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus in ultramarine are shown side by side.  

iPhone 16 now has the customizable action button allowing you to perform a variety of functions with just a press. You can record a voice memo, identify a song, or translate a phrase. You can also customize the action button with a shortcut so it opens calendar during the day and flashlight at night. Or use it to directly access in app functionality like unlocking and locking your car with the Ford Pass app.

iPhone 16 introduces the all new innovative camera control. The camera control provides instant easy access to the camera with just a click. It allows you to adjust various camera features simply by sliding your finger. Its convenient design ensures it’s always within reach. And with iPhone 16, the camera becomes even more important, now serving as a powerful tool for intelligence. The camera control offers instant access to a set of visual intelligence features.

An arrow points to the location of the Camera Control on the side of iPhone.  

iPhone 16’s beautiful design is joined by powerful performance inside. Every experience on iPhone is powered by Apple Silicon. With industry leading processing power and efficiency, Apple Silicon is at the heart of new capabilities starting with Apple Intelligence.

Five iPhone 16 devices are shown, featuring Apple Intelligence features such as Writing Tools, Siri, and Priority Notifications.

The internal design on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus has also been reengineered to allow for an even larger battery, while making battery service easier. With the new internal design and advanced power management of iOS 18, the batteries are optimized to offer a big boost in battery life.

Apple updated the main logic board, centralizing the chip placement, and optimizing the surrounding architecture. Apple also added a thermal substructure to dissipate heat, made from 100% recycled aluminum. As a result, iPhone 16 delivers up to 30% higher sustained performance for gaming.

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Author: Moses Johnson

Moses is the Editorial Director of iGeekCentral and has been writing about Apple for over 10 years. Formerly a magazine journalist, his work has appeared in over 20 newsstand print publications and online brands covering a range of topics, from the latest trends in technology to the mysteries of ancient history. He continues to run iGeekCentral, and provides editorial oversight as well as business direction.

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