5 iPhone 16 Pro Features Android Phones Have Had for a Long Time

The iPhone 16 Pro models bring some notable upgrades. However, most of the new features Apple is introducing have been available on Android phones for quite some time. So let's take a look at some of the iPhone 16 Pro features that are coming to Android devices for the first time.

1. Dedicated camera button

One of the standout features of the iPhone 16 series is the new Camera Control button . This capacitive touch button is located just below the power button, allowing users to quickly open the Camera app and take photos. It also supports a variety of gestures: Tap lightly to adjust the zoom level, double-tap to adjust aperture, white balance, shutter speed, etc.

Interestingly, this feature isn’t entirely new. Sony’s Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 series have had a dedicated camera shutter button on the side for years. While Sony’s shutter button is pretty limited in functionality — it can only launch the Camera app and take photos and videos — Apple’s implementation offers more features, like zoom, advanced controls, and even integration with third-party apps.

2. 48MP ultra wide angle camera

While the iPhone has been consistently praised for its camera performance over the past few years, one of the annoyances has been the lackluster quality of ultra-wide-angle shots, which are often grainy, especially in low-light conditions.

Apple has addressed this issue in the iPhone 16 Pro models by introducing a new 48MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, an upgrade from the 12MP sensor on previous models. In theory, this should result in sharper, clearer images.

However, high-megapixel ultra-wide cameras are nothing new to the world of Android smartphones. In fact, flagship phones like the OnePlus 10 Pro from 2022 already have 50MP ultra-wide lenses. These days, you can even find such sensors in mid-range devices, like the Vivo V40 Pro.

3. 4K/120FPS video recording

Speaking of cameras, one of the standout features of the iPhone 16 Pro is the new 48MP “Fusion” main camera, which, combined with the A18 Pro processor’s fast ISP, allows for 4K video recording at 120FPS. Apple claims you can now shoot 4K slow-motion video at 120FPS, even in Dolby Vision mode, and choose the frame rate after you shoot.

However, the feature also seems to be inspired by Android smartphones. While the new Google Pixel 9 Pro doesn't have this capability, several other Android flagship phones released in 2024 - including the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra - already support 4K video recording at 120FPS.

4. Wi-Fi 7 connection

Although Apple didn’t mention it during its keynote, all iPhone 16 models support the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard. This means they can send and receive data simultaneously over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands. While we haven’t tested it yet, this upgrade should theoretically result in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connections.

However, many flagship Android smartphones from 2023, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Google Pixel 8, also support Wi-Fi 7. Apple is finally catching up with capabilities that have been standard on some high-end Android devices for nearly a year.

5. Faster USB-C charging

Although Apple has ditched the Lightning connector in favor of a USB-C port on the iPhone 15 models, the charging speed remains unchanged at 20-27W. However, according to a certification from the China Quality Certification Center, shared by Ice Universe on X, the iPhone 16 models are said to support charging speeds of up to 39W, which is a notable improvement over the previous generation.

Even if this is true, the iPhone 16's charging speeds still lag behind most high-end Android smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, for example, supports 45W charging speeds, while the OnePlus 12 supports up to 80W wired charging. Even mid-range devices like the OnePlus 12R and Honor 200 Pro offer charging speeds of up to 100W and 66W, respectively.

This shows that while the iPhone 16's faster charging speeds are a welcome improvement, Apple is still playing catch-up with Android devices.

Overall, the iPhone 16 Pro doesn’t offer many groundbreaking new features. However, Apple has refined existing features and marketed them effectively. While some of the upgrades do make the iPhone 16 Pro appealing, if you already own a modern flagship Android phone, it probably already has most of the features Apple introduced in 2024.