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(Image credit: Future) |
An increasing number of eager early adopters of the iPhone 16 are receiving their handsets, however some are having significant issues with their brand-new iPhones.
Two of the four iPhone 16s—the entry-level model, the iPhone 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max—are among our top phones, and all four are terrific in different ways. However, that doesn't lessen the numerous complaints about problems with the phones' cameras and screens, as well as some potential durability issues.
Numerous problems have been reported online, some of which we have personally observed with our own iPhones. It is likely that you are not alone if you are now facing an issue with your iPhone 16.
iPhone 16 Display Issues: Common Problems
The display of the new iPhone 16 range is impacted by two distinct problems. One seems to have an unexpected refresh rate restriction, while the other looks to have a touchscreen freezing issue.
The restricting "downgrade" was discovered by Ice Universe, a frequent Samsung leaker. This problem seems to specifically impact iPhone Pro models, which are intended to have a refresh rate of 120Hz. The 60Hz frequency is still locked into the basic and Plus versions.
They provide video proof to support their assertion that the iPhone's refresh rate won't go over 80Hz. The video demonstrates that the iPhone never exceeds 80 Hz, with a few occasional dips near 120 Hz, but nothing steady enough to be measured.
Don't confuse the elegance and fluency of animation. For example, the animation of iOS 18 is still elegant, but it is not smooth. Anyone can feel that iOS 18 still limits the refresh rate of most scenes to 80Hz. For Android users who are used to 120Hz, iOS 18 looks really not… pic.twitter.com/5RHeTWzHf8
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) September 22, 2024
Wccftech made the suggestion that Apple could be lowering the refresh rate while you scroll, particularly if it's happening quickly, in order to save battery life.
If Apple is restricting the refresh rate on phones, even if it is changeable, that would be shocking. However, like with all of these concerns, take it with a grain of salt, since it may not effect everyone.
Cold screens
With iOS 18.0.1, Apple resolved this issue; nonetheless, the problem's initial description is as follows.
We were able to confirm that the iPhone 16 Pro is experiencing the following display problem.
On Reddit, users discovered that the entire screen may become unresponsive if you unintentionally touch the area next to the new camera control button.
For our evaluations, we put it to the test on a brand-new iPhone 16, and we were able to verify that the problem exists. In our video, a number of users suggested that since some earlier iPhones are also stopping in a similar way, the issue could be connected to iOS 18. According to 9to5Mac, the problem can impact the four display sides.
@tomsguide New iPhone 16 users are reporting serious touchscreen response problems related to the area near the Camera Control button, as demoed in the video. Anyone else having this problem 🤔 #iphone16pro #iphonefail #iphone16 #newiphone #applevsandroid #iphonevsandroid #iphonenews #applenews #techtok #techfail #tech #phones #ios18 #tomsguide ♬ Yikes On Bikes - Atomica Music
It's possible that the problem stems from the phone's inbuilt palm rejection system, which is too sensitive and prone to overreacting, freezing the device.
The only true solution as of right now is to refrain from resting your fingers or palm on the iPhone's edges for extended periods of time. Avoid the area of the display near the Camera Control button in particular if you own an iPhone 16. There have been suggestions that iPhones may lessen this issue in some circumstances, but they do not solve it.
Until Apple arranges a software update, it won't be fixed.
iPhone 16 Camera Issues: Key Problems
There have been a few complaints of issues with the new iPhone camera app. We're afraid we weren't able to duplicate this one. We even conducted a flawless 200-photo face-off between Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max recently.
Nevertheless, a number of users have reported that the iOS 18 camera app occasionally crashes or stutters a lot, particularly while shooting video. The camera app opens with controls, but the "image" is just a dark screen, according to one Redditor. They said that after they closed the app, the iPhone became "super sluggish" and other applications wouldn't open. Another reported that the camera app would not record at all or would stutter when filming.
Additionally, reports have surfaced—specifically regarding the iPhone 16 Pro Max—of the Camera app crashing either immediately after snapping a picture or while attempting to open it from the lock screen via the Camera Control.
It was advised that restarting or resetting the phone will assist with all concerns. Rebooting the device seems to help, according to the afflicted users, but the problem inevitably recurs.
Lastly, we've heard reports of the new camera control button's slide controls being quite picky. There have been reports of unintentional sliding malfunctions that cause unwelcome in- or out-of-focus zooms. This might be a user mistake, though, as our research revealed that it takes some experimenting to figure just how sensitive the new button can be.
iPhone 16 Durability: Concerns and Issues
After several YouTubers and other websites get hold of the newest iPhones, a number of drop test films were recently made public.
It's a mixed bag thus far. In contrast to the iPhone 15 Pro from the previous year, which survived 12 drops up to a height of 20 feet, one video showed the iPhone 16 Pro giving up the ghost after just four drops. This may be partly explained by the iPhone 16's less cushioning due to its smaller bezels.
A different organization released a video showing the iPhone 16 surviving a much longer. It highlighted the strength of the new Ceramic Shield on display, which created less severe cracking than the iPhone 15. Better heat performance was also demonstrated in their tests, supporting Apple's assertions that internal modifications to the iPhone 16 will result in longer sustained performance.
To be fair, the iPhone 16 is being put through a rigorous battery of testing in those films. Unless they are really unfortunate or possess butterfingers, the average user is probably not going to drop their phone a lot. In that case, you should get one of the top iPhone 16 Pro cases.
These films, if anything, demonstrate how seriously the newest phones may be taken.
iPhone 16 Issues: Future Outlook and Concerns
To restate, gadgets that clearly do not function right out of the box will be included in every product launch.
With the exception of the frozen touchscreen problem, the most of these known issues seem to be isolated cases or to be so rare that the typical user of an iPhone 16 shouldn't have any problems.
Watch out for security upgrades as Apple addresses vulnerabilities in iOS 18 and, ideally, develops a software fix for the palm algorithm.