For a long time, we’ve been willing to treat Apple like something of a unicorn. Not because the iPhone is your only option if you prefer iOS to Android, but because of how Apple has historically made its iPhone. Rather than reach for the biggest batteries and strive for the fastest charging, Apple has seemed content to rely on its excellent optimization to stretch otherwise underwhelming specs to impressive heights.
Sure, there was still a sense of battery anxiety over whether or not your phone would make it through a long day, but you were still doing more with less. Now, it feels like the iPhone 16 series has reached a point where it’s doing less with less. Apple hasn’t upgraded its wired charging in a few years, and its small batteries feel smaller than ever — not to mention the increased processor demands as Apple Intelligence rolls out.