A new iPhone has arrived this year as well. The featured AI “Apple Intelligence” is still a long way off, but how is the ultra-wide-angle camera with high pixel count and the much-talked-about “camera control” comfortable to use? I immediately walked around taking photos with the iPhone 16 Pro in hand.
Please refer to the separate article in this magazine for details such as device specifications, functions, and prices.
“iPhone 16 Pro” does not change much in appearance
The three-lens style “iPhone Pro” series is now familiar, but this “iPhone 16”
Pro” also retains the same design as the previous model. It’s nice that you won’t find out if you buy a new one (lol), but it’s true that you’re getting tired of it. I hope to see a drastic change next year.
The chipset is “A18 Pro” and is ready for “Apple Intelligence”, but its deployment in Japan is said to be delayed for some time. However, there are benefits such as faster image processing, so if you are using an iPhone from several generations ago, you may want to consider changing your model.
Ultra wide-angle camera with 48MP
There are three cameras installed. The specs are like this.
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The current model has an ultra-wide-angle camera of 48 million pixels. As a result, we can expect the same improvement in depiction power through pixel binning as with wide-angle cameras. Please note that photos taken in portrait mode, portrait lighting mode, night mode, macro mode, or using flash are recorded at 12 million pixels, so be careful.
“Photograph style”
“Photograph Style” is also interesting, allowing you to finish photos with your own favorite tone. Using the control pad displayed on the display, you can freely manipulate “tone” and “color” to create your favorite photo.
There are many presets available, so it will be easy to create your own original style based on these. You can perform the same operations from “Edit” under “Photo” after taking a photo, so we recommend that you do the developing work while you’re at it after taking a photo.
Control pad operation screen
The preset is as follows.
Are you looking forward to the future? “Camera control”
The “camera control” feature has received a lot of attention, but it is currently quite difficult to use.
First of all, the position of the “camera control” button is awkward in both vertical and horizontal positions. Furthermore, it is difficult to call up functions with a double tap, make settings, and make decisions, and it is difficult to return to the default state.
You can change the sensitivity etc. in the settings, but it is faster and more reliable to touch the display with your fingertip. The button also moves mechanically, so one drawback is that it tends to shake when releasing the shutter. I look forward to the software update.
Also, the addition of this button has made the clamp-like camera holder difficult to use. The iPhone has a power button and volume button on both sides, so you need to avoid them and place it between the clamps (otherwise the shutter will go off or it will go to sleep).
With the appearance of this button, the range that can be pinched becomes more limited. You could use a MagSafe-compatible holder, but in Apple’s official video, it looked like it was inserted as if to cover the “camera control.” I thought to myself, “Oh, they’re not using camera control.”
Apple “iPhone 16 Pro” summary
Since “Apple Intelligence” is still a long way off, “Camera Control” and “Photograph Style” are attracting attention, but to be honest, I have the impression that there is still much to be expected in the future. If you operate it on the display, you won’t have to worry about not having a “camera control”, and the “Photograph Style” can also be said to be just an improvement on a previously available function by adding a control pad.
When it comes to camera functions, I think it’s a somewhat disappointing model. However, there is no doubt that this is a smartphone that allows anyone to easily take beautiful photos as long as they press the shutter button.
It may be wise to wait until there is a significant price drop or Apple Intelligence becomes available in Japan, or perhaps wait for the next model, without rushing to change the model.
