iPhone 11 to iPhone 16: What has changed in 5 years?

“How the hell does the iPhone differ from generation to generation?” some ask. “All the iPhones in recent years are all the same!” others exclaim.

It’s true that most of the iPhone upgrades have been incremental, but in Apple’s defense, why overhaul something that’s already good? Innovation is exciting, but it also comes with risks. Sometimes, it’s best to play it safe.

That being said, to prove that no iPhone is the same, here are the changes Apple has implemented for each line, from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 16.

iPhone 11

The iPhone 11, with a starting price of $699, shoved the iPhone XR out of the way with new cameras, improved audio, and a better display.

The 2019-launched smartphone shot 4K video at 60 frames per second, up from 1080p at 60 frames per second. Let’s dive into all the other goodies Apple packed into the iPhone 11.

Camera features

Night Mode is introduced

New slow-mo video for the selfie camera

Tap-to-hold as a shortcut for video recording (in Photo mode)

Upgraded wide camera with faster autofocus, better low-light performance

Upgraded ultra-wide camera with a wider field of view (120 degrees)

“Semantic rendering” – a process that intelligently detects subjects before readjusting lighting

“Stereoscopic depth” in Portrait Mode for better depth-of-field

“High-key mono” effect added to Portrait Mode

Updated telephoto for better light-gathering (Pro and Pro Max only)

New “Deep Fusion” computational photography feature that decreases noise and improves detail (Pro and Pro Max only)

Display

New Super Retina XDR display for improved contrast and brightness. (Pro and Pro Max only)

Audio

Spatial audio – Dynamic speakers that simulate surround-sound, thanks to a new sound virtualizer and Dolby Atmos support

iPhone 12

Despite chaos descending upon the world with the pandemic, Apple launched the new iPhone 12 in 2020, albeit later than its typical September launch.

Announced in October, the iPhone 12 line was the first to introduce the new short-lived “mini” line. The iPhone 11’s successor also brought 5G support. However, at the time, many critics shrugged at this because 5G wasn’t widely available. Let’s take a look at the series’ new features.

Camera

Updated wide camera with improved low-light performance

Night Mode now featured on all cameras (instead of just the wide shooter)

New “Night mode time-lapse” feature

Deep Fusion now on all four cameras, including wide, ultrawide, selfie, and telephoto shooters

Longer telephoto lens (Pro Max only)

Updated wide lens with improved optical image stabilization, also known as “Sensor Shift,” and better low-light performance (Pro Max only)

Apple ProRAW, an option to access minimally processed photos (Pro and Pro Max only)

HDR video recording, allowing you to capture more vivid videos (Pro and Pro Max only)

New LiDAR scanner, unlocking new depth perception capabilities and AR features (Pro and Pro Max only)

Display

Higher-res Super Retina XDR display

Increased display durability with Ceramic Shield

Larger display (Pro and Pro Max only)

Connectivity

MagSafe charging, a new magnetic way of juicing up your iPhone

5G support

iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 reportedly introduced 20% smaller notch, but in my personal opinion, I didn’t like the change.

Sure, it was less wide, but it dipped even further into the display. On the plus side, this family of phones debuted a bigger battery, which means runtime on a single charge should have improved over the iPhone 12. But what else did the iPhone 13 bring to the table? Let’s take a look.

Camera

Cinematic Mode, a rack focus feature that changes the depth effect of your videos with bokeh

Updated wide camera with brighter results in photos, videos

“Sensor Shift” now available for entry-level phones (mini and standard iPhone)

Better Night Mode

Telephoto now offers up to 3x optical zoom (Pro and Pro Max only)

New autofocus, better low-light performance in ultrawide camera (Pro and Pro Max only)

Better light-gathering for wide camera (Pro and Pro Max only)

Photographic Styles (Pro and Pro Max only)

ProRes video, an Apple video codec that preserves detail in HDR imagery

Display

Brighter display

ProMotion, a variable refresh-rate feature from 10Hz to 120Hz (Pro and Pro Max only)

iPhone 14

So long, mini! Apple replaced the mini, which entered the iPhone family alongside the 12 line, with the new iPhone 14 Plus. Another feature Apple killed off is the physical SIM card.

Check out the other surprises the iPhone 14 delivered in 2022.

Camera

Updated wide camera with a larger sensor, better low-light performance (standard and Plus only)

Updated ultrawide camera for improvement in low-light performance

New 48MP wide camera, up from 12MP (Pro and Pro Max only)

Selfie camera also gets low-light improvement; plus, it has autofocus for the first time

New “Photonic Engine,” an improved version of Deep Fusion

New Action Mode, allowing users to capture moments while on the move

Display

Brighter display (Pro and Pro Max only)

Always-on display (Pro and Pro Max only)

Design

iPhone 14 Plus replaces the would-be iPhone 14 mini, matching the size of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but offering fewer features

Dynamic Island – a feature that animates your interactions with your iPhone — and makes better use of the controversial notch (Pro and Pro Max only)

Connectivity

eSIM replaces the physical SIM card

Emergency SOS via satellite, allows users to seek help in poor-coverage areas

Safety and security

Crash detection, thanks to a new gyroscope and accelerometer. This notifies emergency personnel if users are in a crash.

iPhone 15

Cue Sia because one of the biggest draws of the iPhone 15 is, at the top of my lungs, titanium! Oh, and let’s not forget the USB-C port and the debut of Apple Intelligence in beta (Pro models only).

Let’s check out the other features Apple packed inside the iPhone 15.

Camera

48MP wide camera from iPhone 14 line now featured across all phones, not just Pro models

48MP wide camera with a wider sensor, lens-flare reduction, more focal length, and better low-light performance (Pro and Pro Max only)

Spatial video recording for Apple Vision Pro (Pro and Pro Max only)

New 5x optical zoom (Pro Max only)

New ProRes 4K at 60 frames per second (Pro and Pro Max only)

Design

New USB-C port

Dynamic Island featured across all phones, not just the Pro models

New “Grade 5” Titanium enclosure (Pro and Pro Max only)

Thinner bezels (Pro and Pro Max only)

New customizable Action Button (Pro and Pro Max only)

Connectivity

Roadside Assistance via satellite, a service that helps users who face sticky situations while they’re on the road

Gaming

Games like Resident Evil Village and Assassin’s Creed Mirage can run natively on iPhone 15 Pro models, thanks to the upgraded graphics

iPhone 16

The iPhone 15 introduced the Action Button, which was limited to the Pro models.

But with the launch of the iPhone 16 lineup, the Action Button is now included across all four phones. On top of that, Apple added a new Camera Control button to the iPhone 16; this new feature also spans across the entire lineup.

Apple also claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has the best battery life to date.

Camera

New Camera Control button that gives you easy access to Zoom, Photographic Styles, Exposure, Tone, and more

New Visual Intelligence (found on Camera Control button) that lets you use the camera to get information about subjects in your surroundings

New “optical quality” 2X zoom on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus

12MP ultrawide camera on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus now has autofocus, macro photography support, and better light capture

Spatial video and photo capture now across all iPhone 16 models

New Photographic Styles (e.g., Gold, Cozy, Quiet, Amber, etc.)

New 48MP ultrawide camera, up from 12MP (Pro and Pro Max only)

4K video recording at 120Hz, as well as a zippier slow-mo option (Pro and Pro Max only)

Display

Bigger displays, now 6.3 inches for Pro and 6.9 inches for Pro Max, and thinnest bezels on any Apple product (Pro and Pro Max only)

Design

Second-generation “Ceramic Shield” for even better glass display durability (50% tougher than first-generation)

Action Button now across entire lineup

Audio

More “true-to-life” audio with improved studio-quality mics (Pro and Pro Max only)

Spatial audio capture (Pro and Pro Max only)

New Audio Mix feature that reduces unwanted noise during video capture (Pro and Pro Max only)

Layering one track over another in Voice Memos (Pro and Pro Max only)

Gaming

Thanks to new A18 chip on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, and improved thermal management, Apple claims that gaming has “30% higher sustained performance”

Support for hardware accelerated ray-tracing for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, with 5x higher frame rates

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus can now run some native AAA games that were once Pro-only, including Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

Improved thermal capacity on iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max and new A18 Pro chip

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