iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are Apple’s newest, high-end smartphones. But how much have they improved beyond their pro-decessors? Here’s a detailed look at iPhone 16 Pro vs 15 Pro for everything new and a buyer’s guide.

Table Of Contents
iPhone 16 Pro vs 15 Pro
Screens
Size, weight, design
Performance - A18 Pro vs A17 Pro
Battery life
Cameras
iPhone 16 Pro vs 15 Pro I/O
iPhone 16 Pro colors
Storage and pricing
What's in the box?
iPhone 16 Pro vs 15 Pro: Worth buying?

For various other iPhone face-offs check out these guides, otherwise, read on:

iPhone 16 Pro vs 15 Pro

Screens

With the iPhone 14 and 15 lineups, Apple used the same display sizes for all four of the standard and Pro devices.

That changes with the iPhone 16 lineup as the Pro models feature larger 6.3 and 6.9-inch displays compared to the 6.1 and 6.7-inch screens on the 15 Pro and Pro Max.

Screen brightness remains the same between the 16 Pro and 15 Pro models as well as the other features like ProMotion up to 120Hz, 460 ppi, Always-On display, and more.

The major change is the larger screen sizes.

Size, weight, design

The design of the iPhone 16 Pro remains almost identical to its predecessors, but Apple has included a new physical Camera Control button/sensor.

Apple is continuing to use titanium for the 16 Pro and Pro Max like the 15 Pro and Pro Max.

To accommodate the larger displays, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are slightly larger and heavier than iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

Performance – A18 Pro vs A17 Pro

A18 Pro is the next-generation chip for Apple’s high-end smartphones and while they are more powerful and capable, the difference isn’t too big at 15% faster for the CPU and up to 20% faster for the GPU.

With the only previous iPhones to support Apple Intelligence being the 15 Pro and Pro Max, both the standard and pro models of iPhone 16 support the feature(s).

Both the A18 Pro and A17 Pro are plenty powerful enough for anyone. But here are some stats from Apple:

  • A18 Pro CPU is up to 15% faster than A17 Pro
  • A18 Pro GPU is up to 20% faster than A17 Pro
  • A18 Pro CPU uses up to 20% less power than A17 Pro
  • 2x faster ray tracing than A17 Pro

Battery life

For battery life, the iPhone 16 Pro has received a notable improvement over the iPhone 15 Pro.

For how that compares to iPhone 15, 14, and 13, check out our full post on iPhone 16 battery life:

Cameras

Rear cameras

After giving the iPhone 15 Pro Max camera system more features than the iPhone 15 Pro, the 16 Pro and Pro Max have the same camera systems and capabilities.

Both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max devices have the same 48MP main rear camera, a new 48MP ultra wide lens, 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, the all-new Camera Control button/sensor, and the latest-gen Photographic Styles.

Video recording

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max step up video recording with 4K Dolby Vision/HDR video recording at up to 120 fps.

You can also record at up to 120 fps for 1080p and ProRes recordings with 16 Pro/Max. Other new features are wind noise reduction and Audio Mix.

Selfie camera

Apple’s TrueDepth front camera is mostly the same with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max but you do get the latest-gen Photographic Styles.

iPhone 16 Pro vs 15 Pro I/O

After the big switch to USB-C with the iPhone 15 lineup, iPhone 16 Pro devices don’t bring as much of a shift with I/O.

The biggest I/O update may be the new Camera Control, but there are some other upgrades like WiFi 7 support, MagSafe supporting up to 25W or wireless power, and more.

The 16 Pro and Pro Max continue to use USB 3 with up to 10Gbps transfer speeds.

iPhone 16 Pro colors

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are available in:

  • Black titanium
  • White titanium
  • Natural titanium
  • Desert titanium

Storage and pricing

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max come in:

  • 128GB – $999 (only 16 Pro available in 128GB)
  • 256GB – $1,099 / $1,199
  • 512GB – $1,299 / $1,399
  • 1TB – $1,499 / $1,599

What’s in the box?

All of the iPhone 16 devices just come with the iPhone and a USB-C cable in the box.

If you need a power adapter, go with at least a 20W so you get fast charging for your iPhone. Good options include:

  • Anker 20W Nano Pro (super compact)
  • Nomad 20W power adapter (black finish and compact)
  • Apple’s official 20W adapter

iPhone 16 Pro vs 15 Pro: Buyer’s guide

All of the new iPhones are super powerful and capable devices, but which is best for you (or whether it’s time to upgrade) will come down to how you want to use your iPhone and what features you value most.

Keep in mind both iPhone 16 and 16 Pro feature Apple Intelligence support and have the new Camera Control button/sensor.

Reasons to buy iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max

  • Most powerful and capable cameras for both photos and video
  • Titanium build with very slim bezels
  • USB-C with 10Gbps speeds, WiFi 7 support
  • Fastest chip, most powerful GPU for video and mobile gaming
  • Always-On display and ProMotion refresh rates up to 120Hz
  • Storage up to 1TB

Reasons to buy iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, or keep what you have

  • If the 6 features above aren’t deal breakers for you, save your money and grab the iPhone 16 which includes most of the other new features this year (or keep your older iPhone).
  • You could also consider grabbing or keeping an iPhone 15 Pro if you’d like Apple Intelligence support but don’t want/need the latest 16/16 Pro features.

You can pre-order iPhone 16 and 16 Pro from 9/13 from Apple, your carrier, and more.

What are you planning to do? Upgrade? Keep your current iPhone? Let us know in the comments!

 

 

Source - 9to5Mac