The MacRumors Show: iPhone 16 Pro First Impressions

After some hands-on time with the iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through our first impressions of the new devices.


We consider some of the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro's most noticeable features and improvements, such as longer battery life, the 48-megapixel ultra wide camera, enhanced microphones, overhauled Photographic Styles, and the 5x telephoto camera. We also explore our mixed feelings about the all-new Camera Control button. We also discuss the revamped design of the Apple Watch Series 10, as well as the fit improvements and active noise cancellation capabilities of the ‌AirPods 4‌. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips:

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about our favorite iOS 18 features.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...

Top Rated Comments

juju90 Avatar
15 months ago
What improvements??
It’s the same phone
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
carrrrrlos Avatar
15 months ago
Possibly the most 'gimmicky' iPhone release. Passing once again.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Logamaniac Avatar
15 months ago

They literally paid China half a trillion dollars to have a market there (well, around 300 billion). They weren't selling in China and the CCP agreed to help market the iPhone there in exchange for the money. This actually happened, regardless if it makes sense to you or not.

https://www.theinformation.com/articles/facing-hostile-chinese-authorities-apple-ceo-signed-275-billion-deal-with-them

Couple that with all the chip manufacturing they invested in China, and the numbers are very high. It's because of China that their market valuation is what it is today.

It wasn't paid all at once. It was paid over 5 years, but it more than paid off for them.
so roughly half the amount you said. got it.

also a deal “worth” including business deals, investments and worker training. This could all be included in its foxconn deals as well.

this isn't paying 275 billion dollars outright in any form
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
15 months ago

I totally disagree with Hartley. Maybe he got a bad unit. The camera control is not as bad as he makes out. After all he has had the phone 48 hours. I double click twice and the camera immediately opens, it’s not slow and certainly is faster than going to the screen clicking the camera icon and turning the phone to take a picture.
And I agree with you. I'm really digging the camera control button. Which for landscape orientation puts the button where it belongs.

As far as shake goes... when *making* (as opposed to taking) photos, especially ones I care about, I always use two hands, and the camera button is right where it needs to be, and there is no shake. It's far better than tapping the red "button" on the screen from a stability aspect.

All in all, it's an excellent upgrade for making photos.

And I especially like the photo browser app. Where I can fluidly zoom the grid in and out while scrolling to find a past photo I'm looking for. At the moment I have more than 28,000 photos on my phone and the new Photos app is killer for going through them.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Darren.h Avatar
15 months ago
Max has issues with the 16.

Glad I did not buy this year. I'll keep using my Trusty 8 Plus until 2nm and better upgrades

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iRizz Avatar
15 months ago

That one guy online posed an interesting question: How is it possible iPhones incl. the latest iPhone 16 are being sold in China while Google Phones are not?
Because Apple gave China over half a trillion dollars to have a market there.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)