Best iPhone 16 Deals & Prices

The iPhone 16 range has hit stores today, bringing with it a new generation of Apple handsets that offer more power, better photography – and, from October, – AI.

With starting prices unchanged from last year at £799, there’s the regular choice of four handsets in the new range. We’ve rounded up what there is to know about the entry-level new handset, the iPhone 16.

Price and availability

For the handset itself, the base iPhone 16 comes in a choice of three storage sizes: 128GB, 256GB and 512GB, which cost £799, £899 and £1,099, respectively.

Network contract prices for 128GB storage, according our mobile phones partner, start at £36 a month with no upfront cost for 5GB of data on a three-year contract with Sky. You can compare contract lengths versus upfront costs across a range of models and data allowances below.

iPhone 16 specifications

So what do you get for your money?

The 6.1” iPhone 16 is available in a choice of ultramarine, teal, pink, black and white. Its dimensions are the same as its iPhone 15 predecessor, but the phone is 1g lighter.

The phone’s OLED display is the same as the iPhone 15s, with a resolution of 2556×1179 pixels, as well as the same brightness and contrast ratio. 

The iPhone 16 camera is broadly the same as the iPhone 15’s, except that the ultra wide lens resolution has been upped to 12 megapixels. Optical zoom is unchanged at: 2x telephoto zoom for close ups, 1x zoom for middle-distance shots and 0.5x for ultra-wide angle shots.

The ‘big’ addition in terms of form factor is the new Camera Control button, which is a touch sensitive slider on the side of the iPhone 16 that controls things like zoom and exposure.

In terms of processing power, Apple is introducing the A18 Bionic processor chip. Apple says the chip has a 30% faster CPU than the iPhone 15 and a 40% faster GPU.

iPhone 16 also runs iOS18, the newest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. iOS18 has focussed heavily on customisation, allowing users to choose custom colours for the user interface. iOS18 is already available for iPhone users to download for free.

Apple’s Dynamic Island, its name for the way it masks the camera-housing notch at the top of the screen, is back. The feature gives contextual notifications, reminders and other information.

Apple Intelligence

Like any other tech product launching in 2024, AI is a focal point. Here it stands for Apple Intelligence.

Apple’s AI focus is on streamlining productivity, offering features like automatic transcriptions, text generation for messaging, and email prioritisation. These enhancements, along with optimised performance, contribute to extended battery life. 

But, while the iPhone 16 is AI-enabled, the functionality itself will only become available to users after Apple’s iOS 18.1 software update which rolls out in October.

The iPhone 16 Plus boasts 27 hours of video playback, while the iPhone 16 delivers up to 22 hours. This represents a substantial improvement of 2 and 7 hours, respectively, compared to the iPhone 15.

While Apple emphasises AI’s role in privacy and security, the everyday user might be more drawn to the novelty of creating personalised emojis using text prompts. A demonstration showcased the generation of a rainbow cactus, for example.

Buying previous models

As living costs remain high and the battle for revolutionary tech becomes tougher, industry experts have expected sales of Apple’s latest iPhone 16 to be tepid.

We poll we ran a couple of weeks ago revealed that only 11% of respondents felt the latest generation of Apple handsets were worth the money.

Forbes Advisor, September 2024

However, new model launches can also be a good time to consider buying previous generations of handsets, such as the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Plus, or the iPhone 15 Pro Max. You can compare deals on these below, too.

Insuring your iPhone

Whatever the model of your latest piece if kit, if you’re looking to get it protected, head over to our dedicated iPhone insurance page. Gadget insurers offer cover tailored for mobile phones like the iPhone 16. And because cover is tailored it’s often more comprehensive and includes:

• liquid damage
• theft
• mechanical failure
• accidental damage
• loss
• unauthorised calls

Costs to cover a 128GB iPhone 16 start at around £5 a month with a £150 excess, according to our partner for gadget insurance, Comparison Creator.

Cover extends globally too, meaning an iPhone 16 covered by a gadget insurance policy will be protected abroad. There are usually no limits on the number of claims one can make annually, though some insurers limit loss and theft claims.

Here are some considerations for anyone thinking about buying a standalone policy:

• claim are subject to excess – typically somewhere between £50 and £150. The higher the level excess a policyholder opts for, the less they’ll pay in monthly premiums
• some insurers prohibit claims in the first two weeks of a new policy
• insurers expect you to take ‘reasonable precautions’ to keep your gadget safe from theft, loss or damage.

If you have your phone stolen, protecting your data is key. Here are 5 simple and immediate steps to take if you fall foul of phone theft.