iPhone 16 Pro: Redefining 'Pro' With Pro Grade Video And Audio Capabilities

After years of scepticism, Apple’s latest iPhone lineup delivers features that genuinely cater to professionals, redefining what it means to be ‘Pro’.

For half a decade, Apple’s “Pro” label on its iPhones has been met with raised eyebrows. Introduced with the iPhone 11 in 2019, the designation often felt like a marketing embellishment rather than a reflection of professional-grade capabilities.

 It was akin to slapping racing stripes on a family saloon and calling it a sports car. Critics argued that while the devices were impressive, they didn’t quite merit the professional badge. But with the advent of the iPhone 15 and now the iPhone 16 Pro models, Apple appears to have turned a significant corner.

The LOG Video Revolution: A Game Changer

The transformation began with the introduction of LOG video support on the iPhone 15 Pro models. For videographers, this was nothing short of revolutionary. Think of LOG video as capturing the raw essence of a scene, much like a painter starting with a blank canvas. It records a wider dynamic range, allowing for extensive colour grading in post-production. This flexibility is invaluable for professionals seeking to craft a specific aesthetic.

Apple’s confidence in this feature was evident when it used the iPhone to shoot its “Scary Fast” event—the first time the company relied on its own device for such a purpose. While some might point out that ProRAW was added with the iPhone 12 Pro models, RAW photos had been part of Android phones for some time. However, LOG video set a new industry standard, distinguishing Apple from its competitors. 

Prioritising Frame Rates Over Resolution

With the iPhone 16 Pro models, Apple has introduced support for 4K video at 120 frames per second in Dolby Atmos, complete with live colour grading. While they could have chased the flashy “8K at 60 FPS” label—a tempting marketing lure—Apple chose to prioritise higher frame rates. It’s akin to a chef focusing on the quality of ingredients rather than the size of the plate. Professionals understand that higher frame rates provide smoother motion and greater creative possibilities, which are more significant in today’s content-driven market.

High frame rates are not only more challenging to achieve but also offer practical benefits over sheer resolution. After all, 8K displays remain a rarity, and most consumers don’t have access to such technology. By enhancing the main sensor’s capabilities, Apple solidifies its position as the leader in smartphone video.

Audio Matters: The Overlooked Frontier

Audio quality has often been the neglected sibling in smartphone development, but Apple hasn’t turned a deaf ear. Remember when Nokia’s Symbian and Lumia Windows Phones pioneered Dolby audio recording? Since then, few have given audio its due—until now.

The new iPhones come equipped with studio-quality microphones, elevating the audio experience significantly. It’s like upgrading from a basic bicycle to a high-performance sports car. Apple understands that in storytelling, sound is just as crucial as visuals. iPhones have boasted superior audio quality in video recording since the days of the iPhone 4S, and with these new microphones, they’re raising the bar even higher.

Live Audio Mixing: Your Personal Sound Engineer

Apple has taken audio a step further with live audio mixing, a feature that’s a genuine game changer. Imagine having a personal sound engineer tweaking settings in real-time as you record. With presets like “In Frame” and “Cinematic,” the iPhone intelligently focuses on the audio that matters most.

•    “In Frame” captures only the audio of subjects within the frame, ideal for interviews or vlogs.
•    “Cinematic” emphasises the audio in front, mirroring standard techniques used in film production.

This kind of automation is computationally intensive, made possible by the iPhone’s advanced chipset. It’s the sort of feature that allows creators to focus on their content rather than getting bogged down in technicalities. Typically, to obtain this type of audio from a phone, one would require an external microphone, possibly different types of microphones, and an audio engineer skilled in mixing these tracks. Apple conveniently handles all these aspects for you.

Multitrack Recording: A Studio in Your Pocket

The enhanced microphones aren’t just for video. Apple is extending their power to the Voice Memos app, enabling multitrack recording in an upcoming software update for the Pro models. Musicians can lay down scratch tracks on the fly and eventually import them into Logic, Apple’s digital audio workstation for Mac and iPad. It’s like carrying a mini recording studio in your pocket.

Apple is leveraging noise-cancelling technology to eliminate ambient room noise, ensuring crisp, clean recordings. Even the audio mix settings include a studio preset, giving creators professional-quality tools without the need for additional equipment.

Disrupting the Wireless Microphone Market

These advancements could shake up the wireless microphone industry. Many content creators have embraced external microphones like DJI models that connect via Bluetooth or Lightning/Type-C receivers. While these devices offer exceptional audio quality, they’re an additional expense and can add complexity to the setup.

For many, the iPhone’s built-in capabilities might provide a simpler, more affordable, and potentially superior solution. It’s akin to swapping a toolkit of specialised instruments for a Swiss Army knife—versatile, efficient, and always at hand.

Photographic Styles: Customising Your Visual Palette

Apple has also introduced new photographic styles that function like granular LUTs (Look-Up Tables), offering an element of colour grading in both pre-processing and post-processing. This feature isn’t limited to photos; it extends to videos as well. Users can achieve professional-looking results without relying on specialised software or spending hours in editing suites.

Traditionally, iPhones have had a neutral, warm-toned look. In contrast, Google’s Pixel smartphones lean towards cool, contrasty hues, while Xiaomi phones mimic the vintage aesthetic of Leica film cameras. With these new styles, users can customise their desired look, choosing from a wide range of options and experimenting with different combinations. It’s like having a personalised wardrobe tailored to your unique style.

Under the Hood: The A18 Pro Chipset

All these features are powered by the new A18 Pro chipset, which boasts significant improvements in video encoding and decoding—making it twice as fast as its predecessors. This enhancement is crucial for handling 4K video at 120 FPS and allows for live scrubbing of footage directly on the phone’s video editing software.

In contrast, competitors like the Pixel 9 lag behind in these areas. While other Android phones with Qualcomm or MediaTek processors have made strides, limitations on the Android platform—particularly regarding codecs—have been challenging. Vivo’s camera R&D expert, Keshav Chugh, recently noted these hurdles, leading Vivo to develop asynchronous scheduling chipsets to address the issue. However, Apple’s integrated approach gives it a distinct advantage.

Innovative Camera Control: A Touch of Genius

Apple has reimagined camera control with an innovative combination of a haptic and mechanical button featuring a touch-responsive top, reminiscent of the Mac’s trackpad. This design allows users to manipulate the entire camera stack without touching the main display.

It’s like having a DSLR’s physical controls mapped onto your smartphone, enabling instinctive adjustments without diving into on-screen menus. This represents a significant advancement in camera ergonomics and user experience, bridging the gap between traditional photography and mobile convenience.

The Ecosystem Advantage and Core Strengths

Beyond individual features, the iPhone benefits from an extensive ecosystem of accessories and professional applications ready to exploit these capabilities from day one. Unlike Android devices, where manufacturers often have to do the heavy lifting, Apple’s integrated ecosystem ensures seamless compatibility and functionality.

Moreover, iPhones maintain their iconic design without compromising the fundamental features that have made them one of the most significant consumer electronics products in history. In the case of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple claims it has the best battery life ever on an iPhone, building on already exceptional performance in recent years.

Apple has also introduced a new thermal plating to the chassis, potentially mitigating overheating issues—especially in warmer climates like India. This allows users to fully utilise these “Pro” features for extended periods without concern, ensuring that the device performs optimally regardless of the environment.

A Professional Video Camera Disguised as a Phone

Fundamentally, Apple is positioning the iPhone as a professional video camera. Its lead in smartphone video is almost unassailable, becoming a reliable companion in professional workflows worldwide. When unveiling the iPhone 16 Pro models, Apple highlighted that almost every Hollywood production—whether for television, streaming, or cinema—includes at least one sequence shot on an iPhone.

To underscore this, they showcased the music video for “Dancing In The Flames” by The Weeknd, shot entirely on the iPhone 16 Pro. For context, The Weeknd is one of the world’s most popular musicians, boasting over 75 million Instagram followers, four Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, an Emmy, and an Academy Award nomination. In 2023, Guinness World Records recognised him as the world’s most popular artist. This is his latest single, which was released just three days after the iPhone announcement. In a way, the GlowTime event became a global preview of his new single. 

If the iPhone 16 Pro can capture the dark, cyberpunk aesthetic of his latest music video—a feat requiring sophisticated technology—it’s more than capable of meeting the needs of most creators. It’s a powerful endorsement that speaks volumes about the device’s professional capabilities.

More so, given the broad reach of the iPhone, these features will catch the fancy of at least some consumers. It’s not just the Apple reality distortion field, but also the fact that Apple, in typical fashion, has simplified the user interface and massified the entry point to these features.