The gap between the “regular” iPhones and the Pro models seems smaller than ever this year, which makes an iPhone 16 Pro versus iPhone 16 comparison tougher than usual.
While the iPhone 16 Pro packs a superior build quality, a bigger display, longer battery life and the predictably better camera, the iPhone 16 stands on its own with some meaningful upgrades.
So, should you save your money and go for the iPhone 16? Or is the iPhone 16 Pro a better buy despite its higher price tag? Find out in this comparison.
iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 16: Comparing Apple’s 2024 models
True to its name, the iPhone 16 Pro packs plenty of pro features. But that does not make the iPhone 16 a slouch. With a new A18 chip and longer battery life, Apple’s cheaper iPhone gives its more expensive sibling a run for its money this year.
Irrespective of which iPhone you buy, they won’t disappoint you. But which is the better buy: iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro? Go through our detailed comparison below to find out. Note that all the points below apply to the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max as well as the two smaller versions. They only differ in their size and battery life.
Table of contents: iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 16 comparison
- Design: iPhone 16 gets all the fun colors
- Display: iPhone 16 Pro is bigger than ever
- Processor and storage: Pro gets A18Pro
- Camera: More flexibility on the Pro
- Connectivity: Almost the same
- Battery life: Both improve on their predecessors
- Price: Pay more to get more
- Conclusion: Which iPhone 16 model is right for you?
Design: iPhone 16 gets all the fun colors
Photo: Apple
- iPhone 16 Pro: 149.6mm x 71.5mm x 8.25mm; 199 grams; IP68, aerospace-grade titanium with matte glass back, 2nd gen Ceramic Shield (front), Action button, Camera Control
- iPhone 16: 147.6mm x 71.6mm x 7.80mm; 171 grams; IP68, aerospace-grade aluminum with color-infused glass back, 2nd gen Ceramic Shield (front), Action button, Camera Control
Since the iPhone 16 Pro packs a bigger 6.3-inch display, it is also taller than the iPhone 16. Despite a 0.2-inch jump in screen size, Apple’s engineering team ensured the phone’s dimensions did not increase proportionally by reducing the bezels.
The iPhone 16 Pro trumps its regular sibling with its titanium chassis. But while the iPhone 16 Pro might offer a better build quality, the iPhone 16 stands out with its color-infused glass back. Its color options — black, white, pink, teal and ultramint — look a lot more snazzy and attractive. The iPhone 16 Pro comes in a new desert titanium shade, but the other colors do not seem that impressive.
Both iPhones sport a customizable Action button and Camera Control, so you don’t need to pick one based on that.
Display: Pro is bigger than ever
Photo: Apple
- iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display, 2,622 x 1,206 pixels, 120Hz ProMotion, Haptic Touch, True Tone, always-on display, Dynamic Island, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1,000 nits typical brightness, 2,000 nits peak brightness, 1 nit minimum brightness
- iPhone 16: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, 2,556 x 1,179 pixels, 60Hz refresh rate, Haptic Touch, True Tone, Dynamic Island, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1,000 nits typical brightness, 2,000 nits peak brightness, 1 nit minimum brightness
The iPhone 16 sports a 6.1-inch OLED panel with a 2,000-nit peak brightness. The iPhone 16 Pro packs a bigger 6.3-inch panel that can hit the same number. It gets other nice additions, too, like a 120Hz refresh rate and an always-on display. Barring these advantages and a smaller bezel, there’s no other major visual difference between the screens of the two iPhones.
Processor and storage: Pro gets A18 Pro
Photo: Apple
- iPhone 16 Pro: A18 Pro, 3nm fab, 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, second-gen Ultra Wideband chip, up to 1TB storage
- iPhone 16: A18, 3nm fab, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, second-gen Ultra Wideband chip, up to 512GB storage
Every model in the iPhone 16 lineup runs on a new A18 series SoC fabricated on TSMC’s new 3nm node. The iPhone 16 uses an A18 SoC featuring a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU. Apple says it is 30% faster than the iPhone 15‘s A16 Bionic chip, while the GPU is 40% faster. Despite these performance improvements, the CPU and GPU are 30% and 35% more efficient than the A16 Bionic. The 16-core Neural Engine is up to 2x faster in AI and ML tasks.
The Pro models get an even beefier A18 Pro SoC, with a faster 6-core GPU. Coupled with a 17% higher bandwidth, the SoC can process on-device Apple Intelligence tasks more quickly. It also packs dedicated encoders and decoders for ProRes and 4K120fps video recording. The improved ISP and video encoders should help speed up editing workflows.
Apple uses a new thermal system on the two new iPhone models. This helps with heat dissipation and delivers a claimed 30% better performance in sustained loads. Unless you are heavily into taking videos, the iPhone 16’s A18 chip will easily fulfill all your needs.
As for storage, the base storage of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro remains unchanged at 128GB. (The iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at 256GB.) While you can get the Pro model with up to 1TB storage, iPhone 16 upgrades only include 256GB and 512GB configurations.
Camera: More flexibility on the Pro
Photo: Apple
- iPhone 16 Pro: 48MP f/1.78 Fusion camera with a larger sensor, second-gen sensor-shift stabilization, 12MP f/2.8 telephoto camera, 5x optical zoom; 48MP f/2.2 Ultra Wide, macro photography; LiDAR Scanner, Smart HDR 5, Adaptive True Tone flash, Cinematic mode (4K HDR@30fps), Action mode, ProRAW and ProRes support, Log video recording, spatial video recording, wind noise reduction, Audio Mix; Front: 12MP camera with f/1.9 aperture, autofocus
- iPhone 16: 48MP f/1.6 Fusion camera, sensor-shift stabilization; 12MP f/2.2 Ultra Wide; macro photography, Smart HDR 5, True Tone flash, Cinematic mode (4K HDR@30fps), Action mode, spatial video recording, wind noise reduction, Audio Mix; Front: 12MP camera with f/1.9 aperture, autofocus
As usual, the camera is an area where the iPhone 16 Pro packs notable improvements over the less-expensive model. On paper, it might seem like the iPhone 16 sports a better 48MP Fusion camera with a wider f/1.6 aperture. But that’s not the case, as the iPhone 16 Pro uses a bigger primary sensor. You can use it to shoot in ProRAW, allowing for greater editing flexibility.
The iPhone 16 Pro also packs a superior ultrawide camera with 48MP resolution versus the iPhone 16’s 12MP camera. Plus, the Pro model gets a third 12MP 5x telephoto shooter for added versatility, a focal length that the iPhone 16 cannot match with its dual-camera setup.
Actual pro camera features
To make pro users happy, the iPhone 16 Pro supports ProRes video recording at up to 4K 120fps resolution. It can also record Log videos using the industry-standard Academy Color Encoding System. Other notable features include recording 4K 120fps videos in Dolby Vision. Apple equips the iPhone 16 Pro with a “studio-quality four-mic array” for superior audio capture.
If you want your iPhone to have the best cameras and camera-related features, the iPhone 16 Pro ticks all the boxes. But if the camera is not your main priority, the regular iPhone 16 won’t disappoint you.
Connectivity: Almost the same
Photo: Apple
- iPhone 16 Pro: Emergency SOS via satellite, Roadside Assistance via satellite, Thread networking, high dynamic range gyro, Crash Detection, dual eSIM slots, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, precision dual-frequency GPS, USB-C (up to 10Gbps)
- iPhone 16: Emergency SOS via satellite, Roadside Assistance via satellite, Thread networking, high dynamic range gyro, Crash Detection, dual eSIM slots, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, USB-C (USB 2 at 480Mbps)
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro offer nearly identical connectivity and safety features. They use Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon X75 modem for faster 5G speeds. Other features include support for Emergency SOS via satellite, Apple’s Crash Detection feature for emergency alerts, and Wi-Fi 7. Unlike with the iPhone 15, Apple added Thread support to the iPhone 16. This ensures it can act as a Thread router for your nearby smart home devices.
While both phones feature USB-C, the iPhone 16 Pro’s can transfer files at up to 10Gbps speeds. The regular iPhone 16 is limited to USB 2 speeds of 480Mbps.
Battery life: Improved from their predecessors
- iPhone 16 Pro: Up to 27 hours of video playback, up to 85 hours of audio playback; 25W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging support
- iPhone 16: Up to 22 hours of video playback, up to 80 hours of audio playback; 25W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging support
All the models in Apple’s 2024 iPhone lineup provide significantly longer battery life than their predecessors. However, the Pro models trump the entry-level models with a longer runtime. Apple says the iPhone 16 Pro can provide up to 27 hours of video playback. In the same test, the iPhone 16 lasts just 22 hours. If you are a heavy user, you’ll appreciate the iPhone 16 Pro’s longer battery life.
The two iPhones also support 25W MagSafe wireless fast charging and 20W wired fast charging. With regular Qi2 wireless chargers, the phones will charge at 15W speeds. Apple apparently even bumped the new iPhones’ wired charging speeds to 45W. So, irrespective of which model you pick, the charging times should be similar.
Price: Pay more to get more
- iPhone 16 Pro: Starts at $999 for 128GB storage
- iPhone 16: Starts at $799 for 128GB storage
Despite all the improvements, the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro cost the same as their predecessors. The base storage also remains unchanged at 128GB. So, there’s a $200 price difference between the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro. The extra money gets you longer battery life, a bigger display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a better camera system, and a premium design.
Conclusion: Which iPhone 16 model is right for you?
Photo: Apple
Compared to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 lineups, the gap between the regular and Pro models is not that significant this year. That makes the iPhone 16 versus iPhone 16 Pro more difficult than ever.
Unless you care about the little extra features like an always-on display or longer battery life, opting for the regular iPhone 16 makes more sense. But if you want a phone that is the best in everything — camera, performance and battery life — pick the iPhone 16 Pro.
If you like the iPhone 16 but want an even bigger display and longer battery life, get the iPhone 16 Plus. Similarly, if you have made up your mind about getting the iPhone 16 Pro but want a bigger screen or even longer battery life, opt for the Pro Max.
Buy now
iPhone 16 Pro: Apple
iPhone 16: Apple
