Neewer Cage for iPhone 16 Pro review: turn your iPhone into a pro camera rig

With the release of a new range of iPhones - in this instance four new iPhone 16 models - there’s the simultaneous release of a collection of third-party iPhone cases and cages. Neewer produces an impressively wide range of iPhone-compatible accessories - from teleprompters to LED lights, so it's no surprise that they provide iPhone 16 cages too.

The latest iPhones may have the toughest smartphone glass to date (according to Apple), but without a case or cage, they can be a bit slippery to hold due to their smooth glass and metal bodies (and I still cringe when I see the hairline cracks on my un-cased iPhone 14 Pro Max). A plastic case offers a stronger hold while offering extra protection. A cage such as the Neewer Cage encases your iPhone in aluminum alloy for extra protection. It also offers a host of ways to expand your shooting abilities - especially if you’re a video maker - as we’ll explain in this review.

We tested the iPhone 16 Pro in the PA073 version of the Neewer iPhone cage, but there’s also a PA074 version for iPhone 16 Pro Max users. If you shoot with other phones, you should find the best cage for your handset in our best iPhone camera grip guide.

Neewer Cage for iPhone 16 Pro: Specifications

Neewer Cage for iPhone 16 Pro: Price

You can pick up the Neewer Cage for iPhone 16 Pro for $49.99 from Amazon. This is cheaper than the similarly specced SmallRig Brandon Li iPhone 16 Pro Cage, though you will need to spend an additional $31.99 for the essential PA045 Quick Release Side Handle.

Neewer Cage for iPhone 16 Pro: Design & Handling

Your iPhone 16 Pro is an expensive bit of kit, so it feels securely protected when you slide it into the aluminum alloy body of the Neewer Cage and swing the secure locking mechanism into place. It evokes a VIP stepping into a bullet-proof military HUMVEE, especially due to the cage’s matt black finish and curved beveled edges. Your iPhone slides into the cage firmly but smoothly thanks to surrounding rubber pads that act as shock absorbers that protect it further.

It’s unlikely that you’ll drop the cage thanks to its sturdy and easy-to-grip PA045 Quick Release Side Handle (sold separately), but if you do you’re less likely to fear that your iPhone 16 Pro will get damaged. You can attach the side handle (via its locking mechanism) to a variety of mounting slots around the edge of the cage. This PA045 Quick Release Side Handle is an essential accessory for the cage so don’t forget to add one to your order if you decide to buy the Neewer cage.

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The Neewer Cage does far more than simply protect your iPhone. Thanks to 1/4” threads and cold shoe slots you can attach third-party accessories to your iPhone and create a shooting rig that sports an LED or a shotgun mic.

The front of the cage has slots that enable you to attach a backplate with a 17mm filter thread, so you can screw on filters such as a Neewer ND (sold separately) and shoot in high-contrast locations. The cage also ships with a T-mount backplate so you can attach Moment T Series Lenses to your iPhone 16 Pro rig. The back of the cage is exposed so that you can attach MagSafe accessories (such as a battery pack) to your cage-mounted iPhone 16 Pro.

Neewer Cage for iPhone 16 Pro: Performance

To test the Neewer PA073 iPhone 16 Pro Cage I took it with me on vacation to Tunisia. I was keen to see how the Neewer cage would help me film a mini video travelogue of a camel trip that I had booked. I attached the quick-release grip to the left of the cage so I could hold the rig in my left hand and start recording video by pressing the iPhone 16 Pro’s new Camera Control button with my right hand.

There’s a small recess in the metal rim of the cage so that you can more easily access the Camera Control Button. If you don’t need to use the Camera Control button then this recessed section can be filled by a silicone insert (which I managed to lose at one stage but found again once retracing my steps). Once my camel had stood up from his kneeling position I found myself 6 feet above the ground (so I wouldn’t have been able to retrieve the iPhone if it had slipped from my grip onto the stony road surface).

Luckily the additionally purchased PA045 Quick Release Side Handle enabled me to keep a sturdy grip on the cage-mounted iPhone 16 Pro with my left hand while gripping a wooden handle on the camel’s saddle with my right hand while his movement caused me to sway. This side handle is well-designed. It features a detachable Allen key that you can use to adjust the height of the handle to suit your requirements. Nice design touch!

Since I was recording video I could quickly trigger a recording and then re-grab the camel’s saddle handle to stop myself from toppling off. I set the iPhone 16 Pro to shoot in Action Mode. This ironed-out camera wobbles from the camel’s swaying motion very effectively as you’ll see from the supporting video that I shot for this review. After getting used to the camel’s movement I gained the confidence to swap the cage-mounted iPhone from one hand to another to capture a range of angles and experiment with different Camera app settings and shooting modes. The handle gave me a reassuringly firm grip on my valuable iPhone 16 Pro at all times and I can’t imagine shooting in such challenging conditions without the support of the Neewer Cage. As a side note, the camel was extremely uncomfortable to sit on even with a padded saddle. I thought I’d dislocate my hips when first climbing onto the saddle. I also think my wife had a much more comfortable camel ride than I did. Enough said!

The Neewer Cage also shipped with a backplate with a 67mm Threaded Filter Adapter that enabled me to clip a Neewer branded ND filter (sold separately) over the iPhone 16 Pro’s three front-facing Cameras. The filter has metal handles that you can rotate it to let more or less light into the Cameras. To test the ND filter I got up at 06:00 am to film the sun rising over the ocean’s horizon. As you’ll see from my supporting video the ND filter made a huge difference and I was able to capture more of the sun’s color and shape while plunging foreground people and beach furniture into striking silhouettes. This ND filter proved invaluable as a holiday photo accessory.

The Neewer PA073 Cage also ships with a 17mm Threaded Lens backplate that enables you to screw a lens over the Main Camera of the iPhone 16 Pro. Neewer had lent me an 18mm wide-angle lens that I could screw onto this backplate. As the iPhone 16 Pro’s 0.5x Ultra Wide lens is an optical 13mm it can capture a wider view than 18mm, but the Neewer lens did a decent job of capturing a wide angle with less distortion at the edges than the iPhone’s Ultra Wide angle could, so I can see its worth. If you own any Moment T series lenses then you can attach them to the Neewer PA073 Cage courtesy of an additional supplied T Mount Lens Backplate Adapter. The Backplate adaptors attach to the cage by pushing two metal prongs on an adaptor into two slots in the cage. I found this a bit of a fiddly operation to start with but got more adept at it after a few attempts.

Oh - one small niggle. You can’t attach a wireless mic receiver to the iPhone 16 Pro’s USB-C slot as the thickness of the cage blocks the receiver’s connector. This is not a problem unique to the Neewer Cage. However as you’ll see from my video the sound recording from the iPhone 16 Pro’s four built-in mics was excellent, especially thanks to the new Camera app’s new Audio Mix tools that enable you to dial down the presence of unwanted background noise (or take-ruining wind rumble).

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Neewer Cage for iPhone 16 Pro: Verdict

The Newer Cage for iPhone 16 Pro was an essential accessory for filming my vacation travelogue as I was able to video a wide range of different angles from the top of a swaying camel and produce relatively smooth and well-composed clips. There was much less danger of dropping the cage-mounted iPhone 16 Pro, so the cage will be perfect for those planning to film action or sport. The additional cold shoe mounts and 1/4” threads enable you to add accessories such as LED lights and shotgun mics, which will help you improve you improve your video and audio production values. The supplied backplates also enable you to attach filters and lenses to enhance your photography/videography still further. The only downside is the inability to attach a wireless mic receiver, but this is less of a problem thanks to the excellent results produced by the iPhone 16 Pro’s built-in mics and the new Audio Mix tools.

Alternatives

RØDE Cage: I’ve tested a variety of cages for Digital Camera World and they all have their pros and cons. Most of them are iPhone-specific so they could become obsolete when you upgrade to a newer smartphone model. The RØDE Cage however is much larger than many other models and your smartphone attaches to it magnetically. This leaves you with lots of space around the edge of your smartphone so that you can attach devices - such as SD drives or wireless microphone receivers - to its USB-C port with ease. Read the full review...

SmallRig Brandon Li Mobile Video Kit: This cage is similar in spec to the Neewer Cage in that it includes a T-Mount Plate (for attaching Moment T lenses) and a filter adapter. It costs around three times more than the Neewer PA073 Cage, but that includes two handles for a better grip. It also ships with a very useful remote shutter trigger button that lets you shoot stills (and capture video) with one hand - which would be especially useful when you need to hold onto a moving vehicle (or camel) with your other hand during a shoot! I reviewed the almost identical iPhone 15 Pro Max version of the SmallRig Brandon Li Mobile Video Kit. Read the full review...