iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro Buyer’s Guide: All Differences Compared
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are Apple’s newest iPhones and follow last year’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, but how different are the two latest models, and what exactly does a “Pro” device offer?
Last year, the biggest new differences between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro were the titanium frame, A17 Pro chip, and Action button. With iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, both devices share new features like the A18 chip with support for Apple Intelligence, faster charging, stronger Ceramic Shield front glass, revamped Photographic Styles, the Camera Control, and Wi-Fi 7, but Apple’s “Pro” and non-Pro iPhone models are still fairly different devices.
Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you, and serves as a way to clearly see what additional features and upgrades the iPhone 16 Pro brings to the table.
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Pro
Anodized aluminum frame with color-infused glass
Blasted titanium frame
iPhone 16: 6.1-inch display
iPhone 16 Plus: 6.7-inch display
iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3-inch display
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9-inch display
Thinner borders around the display
ProMotion with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
Always-on display
More power efficient display
Available in Black, White, Pink, Teal, and Ultramarine finishes
Available in Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, and Desert Titanium finishes
A18 chip
A18 Pro chip
“Advanced” dual-camera system
“Pro” triple camera system
48-megapixel Fusion main camera with ƒ/1.6 aperture
48-megapixel Fusion main camera with ƒ/1.78 aperture and larger sensor
12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture
48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture
Macro photography
48-megapixel macro photography
Support for new JPEG-XL format
Depth mapping for AR and portrait photography, allowing for more accurate background and subject separation, more realistic bokeh, and better AR experiences.
4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, with playback speed controls
4K Dolby Vision video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps, 100 fps (Fusion) or 120 fps (Fusion)
1080p Dolby Vision video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps
1080p Dolby Vision video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps, or 120 fps (Fusion)
ProRes video recording up to 4K at up to 120 fps with external recording
Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
Slo-mo video support for 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps (Fusion)
Studio-quality four-mic array
12-megapixel Telephoto camera with ƒ/2.8 aperture
0.5x, 1x, and 2x optical zoom
0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x optical zoom
Sensor-shift optical image stabilization
Second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization
True Tone flash
Adaptive True Tone flash
LiDAR scanner
Night mode portraits
Apple ProRAW
Shoot and instantly transfer 48-megapixel ProRAW images to Mac via USB 3
Record video directly to an external drive
ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (60 fps with external recording)
Log video recording
Academy Color Encoding System
USB 2 transfer speeds (up to 480Mb/s)
USB 3 transfer speeds (up to 10Gb/s, 20x faster)
DisplayPort support for up to 4K HDR video output
iPhone 16: Up to 22 hours of battery life
iPhone 16 Plus: Up to 27 hours of battery life
iPhone 16 Pro: Up to 27 hours of battery life
iPhone 16 Pro Max: Up to 33 hours of battery life
128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options (no 128GB on Pro Max)
iPhone 16: Starts at $799
iPhone 16 Plus: Starts at $899
iPhone 16 Pro: Starts at $999
iPhone 16 Pro Max: Starts at $1,199
The iPhone 16 Pro offers a large number of upgrades over the standard iPhone 16. With just $200 difference to obtain a display with ProMotion and always-on functionality, a telephoto camera, and longer battery life, many customers will be able to justify getting the iPhone 16 Pro over the iPhone 16. Other differences, such as a titanium frame, slightly larger display sizes, the A18 Pro chip, and a 1TB storage option are notable, but most significant are perhaps the devices’ fundamentally different rear camera setups. The iPhone 16 Pro unlocks many additional camera features, such as ProRAW and 48-megapixel macro photography, and benefits from an entire additional camera in the form of the 5x telephoto for a additional optical focal length option. Due to the scale and breadth of the iPhone 16 Pro’s improvements and features, many customers will be happy to opt for the high-end model.
The standard iPhone 16 still offers many of the iPhone 16 Pro’s most compelling capabilities, such as Apple Intelligence support, the Camera Control, USB-C, Dynamic Island, and a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, at a lower price point. With a generous roster of advanced features, most customers will be happy with the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus, especially those who want a lighter device, do not care for the “Pro” rear camera setup or features like ProMotion and the always-on display, or cannot justify the $200 to upgrade to the high-end model. The iPhone 16 is a very well designed and balanced device, especially for average customers and those coming from a much older model.
This article, “iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro Buyer’s Guide: All Differences Compared” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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