The Front Desk Review

Apple · Updated June 2026

Apple iPhone 16: price, specs & release date

Apple iPhone 16, released 2024-09. Every price and spec below is linked to its source and dated — no guesses.

Source: gsmarena.com verified ✓ corroborated verify in ledger

BronzeDeskmark20/100#20 of 21 in class

The Apple iPhone 16 is listed at $799 on gsmarena.com as of 2026-06-27, #5 cheapest of 16 smartphones (median $849); other retailers may be lower. It earns a Bronze Deskmark — 20/100 pay-blind standing, #20 of 21 in class.

Verified Jun 27, 2026 · figures linked to their source in the table below

Cheapest smartphones: Nothing Phone (3a) — $379

See Apple iPhone 16 on Amazon Live price at the store — may differ from the dated listed price above. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Outside the US? See if it's actually cheaper to import the Apple iPhone 16 — all-in, and whether the warranty survives.
Apple iPhone 16 — Apple
Image: apple.com (© Apple)

Is the Apple iPhone 16 a good buy?

At $799, the Apple iPhone 16 is #5 cheapest of the 16 smartphones we track, where the median is $849. On the spec sheet, its display of 6.1 in is the lowest of the 21, its refresh of 60 Hz is the lowest of the 20, and its RAM of 8 GB is the lowest of the 19.

Evidence of Record

Our data
Independent labsmeasured it
2
Physical metricsrecorded
8
Outlets on recordall tested
2

Two independent labs measured this product across 8 physical metrics — brightness, battery, geekbench 6 single-core and 5 more. With a second lab on record, each figure comes from more than one independent hands-on source — a measure of how much evidence exists, not a rating of the product.

brightness · battery · geekbench 6 single-core · geekbench 6 multi-core · 3dmark wild life · srgb gamut · dci-p3 gamut · dimensional accuracy

A coverage record, not a rating. How we count

Review consensus · sourced & dated

What reviewers say about the Apple iPhone 16

Two whitelisted testers lab-reviewed the exact iPhone 16 (non-Pro). GSMArena measured 857 nits manual / 1,708 nits auto brightness, 1-nit minimum, and charging (33% in 15 min, 85% in 60 min, ~30W wired cap); it praised the stereo speakers and battery but flagged slow last-15% charging. Tom's Guide measured 1,348-nit peak brightness, 13h19m battery, Geekbench 6 of 3,301/8,033, and 98.23 fps in 3DMark; it praised A18 performance and cameras but repeatedly flagged the dated 60Hz display. Both flag slow wired charging.

Based on 2 reviews · 2 lab-tested · 2024-09-28–2024-11-05

Tested by GSMArena, Tom's Guide

Consistently praised

  • Strong A18 performance beating Galaxy S24/Pixel 9 in benchmarks
  • Excellent cameras including new macro and 2x zoom
  • Solid, improved battery life for its small size (13h19m tested)
  • Loud, balanced stereo speakers

Commonly flagged

  • Slow last-15% charging / only ~20-30W wired charging · 2 sources
  • Dated 60Hz refresh rate (no ProMotion)
  • Peak brightness fell short of Apple's headline claim
  • Apple Intelligence features not innovative / absent at launch

Where reviewers disagree The two outlets diverge on brightness by both method and verdict. GSMArena measured 857 nits manual / 1,708 nits auto at 75% fill and called the result 'as promised' and 'quite good,' roughly matching the iPhone 15. Tom's Guide's separate display benchmark reported 1,348 nits peak and called it 'a little short,' down from the iPhone 15's 1,401 nits. So the figures are not directly comparable, and only Tom's Guide framed brightness as a shortfall.

The sources (2)

GSMArena lab-tested ·

Max manual brightness (white, 75% fill): 857 nits · Max automatic brightness (white, 75% fill): 1,708 nits · Minimum brightness at point white: 1 nit · Charge in 15 min (45W PD charger): 33% · Charge in 30 min (45W PD charger): 59% · Charge in 60 min: 85% · Time to full charge (from 0%): 1 h 42 min

The display offers 857 nits of maximum manual brightness and 1,708 nits of maximum automatic brightness, which is quite good but about the same as last year's iPhone 15.
Both speakers sound incredibly well in real life with deep and balanced audio.
In typical Apple fashion, the last 15% take forever to recharge, even with the Optimized Battery Charging turned off.

Tom's Guide lab-tested ·

Peak brightness (Tom's Guide display benchmark): 1,348 nits · Battery life (Tom's Guide battery test): 13 h 19 min · Geekbench 6 single-core: 3,301 · Geekbench 6 multi-core: 8,033 · 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited: 98.23 fps · Recharge in 15 min (30W charger): 29% · Recharge in 30 min: 57% · sRGB gamut: 112.2% · DCI-P3 gamut: 79.5% · Color accuracy (Delta-E): 0.27

Putting the iPhone 16 through Tom's Guide's display benchmark test, Apple's new phone comes up a little short at 1,348 nits — which is down from the 1,401 nit brightness of the iPhone 15.
Really, the iPhone 16 has pro features at a mainstream price.
At the end of the day, the only big criticism I have about the iPhone 16 is its 60Hz display.

Specifications

Price (US)$799 MSRP, 128GB
BrandApple
Released2024-09
Display (in)6.1
Display typeSuper Retina XDR OLED
Refresh (Hz)60
ChipsetApple A18
RAM (GB)8
Storage (GB)128
Main camera (MP)48
Battery (mAh)3561
Charge (W)25
Weight (g)170
OSiOS 18
IP ratingIP68
FivegYes

Source: gsmarena.com (verified 2026-06-15) · corroborated by apple.com. Specs from GSMArena, corroborated by Apple's official spec page. The 60 Hz refresh (no ProMotion) was explicitly confirmed on Apple's spec page. The $799 US MSRP (128GB) came from launch coverage/Wikipedia since GSMArena shows only a EUR-converted estimate. charge_w 25 per GSMArena; Apple markets a 20W+ adapter. OS is the launch iOS 18. Nothing was nulled.

Is the Apple iPhone 16 worth it vs cheaper smartphones?

Apple iPhone 16 against its closest cheaper and pricier smartphones on the specs that matter — every value sourced. See all 16 ranked

ProductPriceDisplay (in)Display typeRefresh (Hz)ChipsetRAM (GB)
Apple iPhone 16 this$7996.1Super Retina XDR OLED60Apple A188
Apple iPhone 16e$5996.1Super Retina XDR OLED60Apple A188
Samsung Galaxy S25$799.996.2Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X120Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy12

Frequently asked questions

What do reviewers say about the Apple iPhone 16?

Two whitelisted testers lab-reviewed the exact iPhone 16 (non-Pro). GSMArena measured 857 nits manual / 1,708 nits auto brightness, 1-nit minimum, and charging (33% in 15 min, 85% in 60 min, ~30W wired cap); it praised the stereo speakers and battery but flagged slow last-15% charging. Tom's Guide measured 1,348-nit peak brightness, 13h19m battery, Geekbench 6 of 3,301/8,033, and 98.23 fps in 3DMark; it praised A18 performance and cameras but repeatedly flagged the dated 60Hz display. Both flag slow wired charging. Praised: Strong A18 performance beating Galaxy S24/Pixel 9 in benchmarks; Excellent cameras including new macro and 2x zoom; Solid, improved battery life for its small size (13h19m tested); Loud, balanced stereo speakers. Flagged: Slow last-15% charging / only ~20-30W wired charging; Dated 60Hz refresh rate (no ProMotion); Peak brightness fell short of Apple's headline claim; Apple Intelligence features not innovative / absent at launch. (From 2 tester reviews, 2 lab-tested.)

How much does the Apple iPhone 16 cost?

The Apple iPhone 16 has a US price of $799 (MSRP, 128GB), as of 2026-06-15.

How does the Apple iPhone 16 compare on price?

At $799, the Apple iPhone 16 is #5 cheapest of the 16 smartphones we track, where the median is $849.

When was the Apple iPhone 16 released?

The Apple iPhone 16 was released 2024-09.

What are the Apple iPhone 16's key specs?

Apple iPhone 16 (Apple): display in 6.1, display type Super Retina XDR OLED, refresh hz 60, chipset Apple A18, ram gb 8. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-15.

Price of record: $799 at gsmarena.com, 2026-06-27. Other retailers may be lower — check the current price:

See Apple iPhone 16 on Amazon As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

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