I was wrong about the iPhone 16

The iPhone 16 is simply a small complete a period old, and I’ve been utilizing it almost nonstop since it was announced past month. I reviewed nan telephone for Digital Trends and bought 1 pinch my ain money arsenic my individual telephone of choice.

Not agelong aft its unveiling, I wrote an op-ed complaining astir nan iPhone 16’s deficiency of a 120Hz display. I said it was nan “one point holding backmost nan iPhone 16” and that its 60Hz surface was “an unreasonable spec.” I’d still for illustration to spot nan refresh complaint addressed pinch nan iPhone 17, but aft surviving pinch nan iPhone 16 for complete a period now, I’ve recovered that it’s not astir arsenic large of an rumor arsenic I believed it would be.

A 60Hz surface matters, until it doesn’t

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

I switched to nan iPhone 16 aft utilizing nan iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel 9 Pro — 2 phones pinch 120Hz displays. And I’ll admit, it was a unsmooth transition. After months of my eyes seeing 120Hz refresh rates each day, going to a telephone pinch a 60Hz 1 felt beautiful bad. Be it scrolling done Reddit aliases swiping done my location screens, everything connected nan iPhone 16 felt slow and choppy.

But past thing happened. I stopped noticing it.

A small complete 2 weeks into utilizing nan iPhone 16, I realized I had stopped reasoning astir nan 60Hz refresh rate. I could still spot it, sure, but I didn’t find it was actively souring my clip pinch nan phone.

Fast-forward to today, erstwhile I’ve utilized nan iPhone 16 for complete a month, and nan 60Hz show doesn’t moreover hap to me. I usage my iPhone 16 constantly throughout nan time to matter friends connected iMessage, cheque my imagination shot league, complete my regular Duolingo lessons, and walk excessively overmuch clip connected X and Reddit. The iPhone 16 handles each of those things flawlessly.

Does it show each of my apps and games pinch nan aforesaid hyper-fluidity arsenic an iPhone 16 Pro? No, and if I usage nan iPhone 16 Pro broadside by broadside pinch nan iPhone 16, nan quality betwixt a 120Hz surface and a 60Hz 1 is still noticeable. But normal group don’t do that. Almost anyone getting nan iPhone 16 will usage it arsenic their only phone; successful that situation, it’s a nonissue.

Refresh rates don’t make aliases break a phone

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Another facet comes into play: nan remainder of nan iPhone 16. A 60Hz refresh complaint doesn’t instantly make a telephone terrible, conscionable for illustration a 120Hz surface doesn’t guarantee a telephone will beryllium excellent.

Take nan Moto G Power 5G 2024 arsenic an example. It’s a $300 smartphone pinch a 120Hz display. It’s a amended spec than nan iPhone 16’s 60Hz refresh rate, but it’s besides an objectively worse show successful each different regard. It has highly mediocre viewing angles, little awesome colors, and unspeakable outdoor visibility. And moreover pinch a 120Hz refresh rate, it’s overmuch slower and much laggy owed to its little powerful chipset.

None of this should beryllium surprising. That Motorola telephone costs $300, while nan iPhone 16 is $799. Of course, nan iPhone is going to beryllium better! But that’s my point. We tin constituent to cheaper Android phones pinch 120Hz screens arsenic examples of nan iPhone 16’s “poor value,” but that speech ignores everything other that makes the iPhone 16 1 of my favourite phones of nan year. It doesn’t relationship for its fantabulous and comfortable design, awesome cameras, reliable artillery life, top-notch performance, aliases thing else. Refresh rates should beryllium portion of nan conversation, sure, but they’re acold from the be-all and end-all .

Don’t fto it extremity you from getting nan iPhone 16

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

I want to make thing clear. Don’t return this arsenic my measurement of saying Apple should get a free walk for not offering a 90Hz aliases 120Hz show connected nan iPhone 16. At $799 (or $899 if you get nan iPhone 16 Plus), nan deficiency of a 120Hz sheet is objectively a mediocre worth — particularly erstwhile you look astatine competing Android phones.

However, I besides deliberation it’s adjacent to raise that disapproval while besides acknowledging it’s not astir arsenic large of an rumor arsenic immoderate group make it retired to be, conscionable for illustration I did a period ago. For really costly nan iPhone 16 is, should it person thing faster than a 60Hz refresh rate? Probably! But it’s besides acold from a deal-breaker.

If you’re eyeing nan iPhone 16 arsenic your adjacent smartphone acquisition and are putting it disconnected solely because it doesn’t person a 120Hz refresh rate, extremity it. It’s a adjacent complaint, but it’s obscurity adjacent arsenic large of a woody arsenic I and others online person made it retired to be. Whether 60Hz aliases 120Hz, nan iPhone 16 is simply a awesome small telephone that I proceed to emotion utilizing — refresh rates beryllium damned.