iPhone 16 Pro: 3 cool camera features that make a difference—And no, Camera Control isn’t one of them

iPhone 16 Pro introduces three significant camera upgrades over the iPhone 15 Pro, and they truly make an impact in real-world use. Read on.

Now that we have had a little time to reflect on how the iPhone 16 Pro is performing in real-world scenarios, there are several camera features that stand out and genuinely make a world of difference in everyday situations, as well as in some niche ones. Having said that, Camera Control isn’t one of them, and based on our testing, we would argue that it isn’t necessary; yes, it is cool to quickly launch the camera, but apart from that, it has a steep learning curve that most won’t master. That aside, here are three iPhone 16 Pro camera features that do make a difference—read on.

A man checks an iPhone 16 Pro as the new iPhone 16 series smartphones go on sale at an Apple store. (Reuters)

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

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iPhone 16 Series Photographic Styles Put You in Control

This year, you have control—right from how your photos look to how you capture them. With that, the Photographic Styles feature has received a significant update, now allowing you to adjust the tonalities and colours of what you capture. It’s like a baked-in look, similar to what you would expect from a Fuji camera film simulation. Yes, these aren’t that detailed, but what you do get is a quick and easy way to create your own look—something you want from a camera.

You can choose between Amber, Rose Gold, Quiet, and Ethereal, but the real fun lies in tuning them and making them your own. Additionally, you can choose to pick and alternate styles after you have taken the photo because Apple captures all that data. It’s a fun feature that encourages you to take more photos with your iPhone.

4K 120 FPS Video Is Here, and It Is Glorious

Previously, if you wanted to shoot at 120 FPS, you were limited to the Slow-mo mode of the default iPhone camera app, which only allowed 120 FPS in Full HD. It was grainy, lacked detail, and was hard to edit alongside 4K video in a timeline, but now you can record 4K 120 FPS videos—in ProRes Log encoding. Yes, the file sizes are massive, but you now get tack-sharp videos with a high level of detail—in a format that is highly editable.

With the iPhone 15 Pro models, Apple included a 12MP sensor, and while it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t one of the best either—it lacked detail in low light and wasn’t optimal in terms of dynamic range. Luckily, Apple listened to user and critic feedback and included a new 48MP ultra-wide shooter with the iPhone 16 Pro models.

The new sensor performs better in low-light scenarios, stays tack sharp in mixed lighting, and gets significant upgrades in macro photography as well—considering Apple uses the same lens for macro photos and videos. Not to forget, you can now capture Apple ProRAW photos in 48MP, which brings even more detail. It is safe to say that this has been one of the most meaningful upgrades in the iPhone 16 Pro camera setup.