Compare iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro

Which one is best for you?

So, you want an iPhone 16, but you're unsure which is right for you. iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro share similarities, so we'll start there. Both models offer: Super Retina HDR displays, action buttons, camera control features, A18 chips, and 48MP Fusion cameras. They're also the first devices to include Apple Intelligence built-in, so you can get things done more effortlessly than before. Interested in learning about artificial intelligence in phones? Check out our AI phones comparison page.

Both iPhones offer the Super Retina HDR display but the iPhone 16 Pro's is slightly larger at 6.3-inches, with an always-on display and ProMotion technology. This means it has a 120Hz refresh rate, making for a smoother scrolling experience on your favourite apps. The iPhone 16 Pro is housed in titanium, whereas the iPhone 16 has an aluminium body. However, this probably isn't a deciding factor for most, and the iPhone 16 is actually lighter at 170 grams, in comparison to iPhone 16 Pro's 199 grams.

While both models share a 48MP Fusion main camera, the iPhone 16 Pro goes a step further, offering a 48MP Ultra Wide camera and a Telephoto lens - as opposed to iPhone 16's additional 12MP Ultra Wide camera. The Pro also offers night mode portraits and Apple ProRAW, which may be appealing features if you're an avid photographer. In terms of creating videos, both offer 4K Dolby Vision, Cinematic mode, as well as spatial video recording. Both models are also USB-C supported but iPhone 16 Pro offers USB 3 for 20x faster transfers - especially useful if you're transferring lots of large files from your phone to your computer.

Overall, both iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are great devices. The deciding factor may come down to budget (with iPhone 16 Pro costing more) and whether you want additional features. If you do want the best camera, the iPhone 16 Pro offers more to play with - however, the iPhone 16 camera is still excellent and will be sufficient for the general phone photographer.

Apple iPhone 16

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Apple iPhone 16 Pro

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Battery
  • Non-removable
  • Fast battery charging
  • Qi wireless charging
  • Non-removable
  • Fast battery charging
  • Qi wireless charging
Body
  • Ceramic Shield front, Colour-infused glass back and Aluminium design
  • Dual SIM
  • Splash, water and dust resistant (IP68)
  • Latest-generation Ceramic Shield front, Textured matte glass back and Titanium design
  • Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)
  • Splash, water and dust resistant (IP68)
Camera
  • 48MP + 12MP
  • 48MP + 48MP + 12MP
Camera details
  • 48MP (f/1.6, Main: 26mm) + 12MP (f/2.2, Ultra Wide: 13mm)
  • 12MP (f/1.9, TrueDepth)
  • 2x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 4x optical zoom range
  • Advanced red‑eye correction
  • Auto image stabilization
  • Burst mode
  • Camera Control
  • Deep Fusion
  • Digital zoom up to 10x
  • Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG
  • Latest-generation Photographic Styles
  • Lens correction (Ultra Wide)
  • Macro photography
  • Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
  • Night mode
  • Panorama (up to 63MP)
  • Photo geotagging
  • Photonic Engine
  • Portrait Lighting with six effects
  • Sapphire crystal lens cover
  • Smart HDR 5
  • Spatial photos
  • True Tone flash
  • Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
  • 48MP (f/1.78, Main: 24mm) + 48MP (f/2.2, Ultra Wide: 13mm) + 12MP (f/2.8, Telephoto: 120mm)
  • 12MP (f/1.9, TrueDepth)
  • 100% Focus Pixels
  • 48MP macro photography
  • 5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 10x optical zoom range
  • Adaptive True Tone flash
  • Advanced red-eye correction
  • Apple ProRAW
  • Auto image stabilization
  • Burst mode
  • Camera Control
  • Customizable default lens (Fusion)
  • Deep Fusion
  • Digital zoom up to 25x
  • Image formats captured: HEIF, JPEG, and DNG
  • Lens correction (Ultra Wide)
  • Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
  • Night mode
  • Photo geotagging
  • Photonic Engine
  • Portrait Lighting with six effects
  • Sapphire crystal lens cover
  • Smart HDR 5
  • Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
Capacity
  • 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB
  • 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB/1 TB
Colour
  • Ultramarine / Black / Pink / Teal / White
  • Desert Titanium / Black Titanium / Natural Titanium / White Titanium
Connectivity
  • 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G
  • Wi-Fi 7, 802.11 be with 2x2 MIMO
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou
  • NFC with reader mode
  • USB Type-C (up to 480Mb/s)
  • 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G
  • Wi-Fi 7, 802.11 be with 2x2 MIMO
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC
  • NFC with reader mode
  • USB Type-C (up to 10Gb/s)
Dimensions
  • 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm
  • 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25 mm
Display
  • 6.1 inch
  • 6.3 inch
Display details
  • OLED capacitive touchscreen, Super Retina XDR
  • 2556 x 1179 pixels
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Dynamic Island
  • HDR display
  • True Tone
  • Wide color (P3)
  • Haptic Touch
  • OLED capacitive touchscreen, Super Retina XDR
  • 2622 x 1206 pixels
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Dynamic Island
  • HDR display
  • True Tone
  • Wide color (P3)
  • ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
Features
  • AAC, APAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos
  • Apple Pay
  • Barometer
  • Dual ambient light sensors
  • Face ID
  • High dynamic range gyro
  • High-g accelerometer
  • MagSafe
  • Proximity sensor
  • Screen sharing
  • Spatial Audio and stereo recording
  • Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes
  • Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
  • Wind noise reduction
  • AAC, APAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos
  • Apple Pay
  • Barometer
  • Digital compass
  • Dual ambient light sensors
  • Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection
  • Face ID
  • Find My via satellite
  • HEVC, H.264 and ProRes player
  • High dynamic range gyro
  • High-g accelerometer
  • LiDAR scanner
  • MagSafe
  • Proximity sensor
  • Screen sharing
  • Spatial Audio and stereo recording
  • Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes
  • Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
  • Wind noise reduction
Memory
  • 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB
  • 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB/1 TB
Platform
  • iOS 18
  • Apple A18
  • 6‑core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores
  • 5‑core GPU
  • iOS 18
  • Apple A18 Pro
  • 6‑core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores
  • 6‑core GPU
Weight
  • 170 g
  • 199 g
Video
  • 4K Dolby Vision video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
  • 1080p Dolby Vision video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
  • 720p Dolby Vision video recording at 30 fps
  • Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
  • Audio zoom
  • Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps
  • Cinematic video stabilization (4K, 1080p, and 720p)
  • Continuous autofocus video
  • Digital zoom up to 6x
  • Macro video recording, including slo-mo and time-lapse
  • Night mode Time-lapse
  • Playback zoom
  • QuickTake video up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision
  • Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video (Fusion)
  • Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
  • Spatial video recording at 1080p at 30 fps
  • Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video
  • Time‑lapse video with stabilization
  • True Tone flash
  • Video formats recorded: HEVC and H.264
  • 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, 60 fps, or 120 fps (Fusion)
  • 3D sensor‑shift optical image stabilization and autofocus for video (Telephoto)
  • 720p Dolby Vision video recording at 30 fps
  • Academy Color Encoding System
  • Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
  • Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps
  • Continuous autofocus video
  • Digital zoom up to 25x
  • Log video recording
  • Macro video recording, including slo‑mo and time‑lapse
  • Night mode Time‑lapse
  • ProRes video recording up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording
  • QuickTake video up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision
  • Second‑generation sensor‑shift optical image stabilization for video (Fusion)
  • Slo‑mo video support for 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps (Fusion)
  • Spatial video recording at 1080p at 30 fps
  • Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video
  • Time‑lapse video with stabilization
  • Wind noise reduction
Operating system
  • iOS
  • iOS 18
  • iOS
  • iOS 18
WIFI calling
  • Available
  • Available
Box Contains
  • USB‑C Charge Cable (1m)
  • Documentation
  • USB‑C Charge Cable (1m)
  • Documentation

Frequently asked questions

Both the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro feature gorgeous Super Retina XDR OLED displays with the Dynamic Island. However, the iPhone 16 Pro gives you a slightly larger 6.3-inch screen compared to the 6.1-inch screen on the iPhone 16. The Pro model also includes ProMotion technology for super-smooth 120Hz refresh rates, making scrolling and gaming feel much more responsive.

You'll get fantastic photos with either device, as both the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro feature a powerful 48-megapixel main camera. The iPhone 16 Pro takes things further by adding a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide lens and a 12-megapixel Telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. If you love zooming in on distant subjects or shooting professional-grade video, the Pro model is the clear winner.

Both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro offer strong battery life, but the iPhone 16 Pro has a slight advantage thanks to its more efficient hardware. Both also support fast and wireless charging.

You have plenty of space for your apps and photos on both the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro, with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB options available for both. If you need maximum storage for large video files, the iPhone 16 Pro offers a massive 1TB storage variant.

You'll experience incredibly fast speeds on both devices, but they use slightly different processors. The iPhone 16 uses the powerful A18 chip with a 5-core GPU, while the iPhone 16 Pro upgrades to the A18 Pro chip with a 6-core GPU. This means the iPhone 16 Pro will give you a slight edge for intensive tasks like high-end gaming and video editing.

Yes, both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro support 5G, so there's no difference between them in this area.

The iPhone 16 features a colourful aluminium design with a colour-infused glass back, weighing in at a light 170g. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Pro boasts a premium textured matte glass back and a titanium frame, making it slightly heavier at 199g but incredibly durable. Both phones are IP68 splash, water, and dust resistant to protect against everyday accidents.

If you primarily use your phone for browsing, social media, and taking great everyday photos, the iPhone 16 is a fantastic choice that will easily meet your needs. However, if you are a heavy user who wants the absolute best camera features and a smoother screen, you should consider upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro. Both phones offer a premium Apple experience.

The iPhone 16 offers a strong balance of performance, camera quality, and price, including the A18 chip and a solid camera system. The iPhone 16 Pro adds features like a titanium design, a ProMotion display, and a more advanced triple-camera setup. Choose the iPhone 16 if you want a capable option at a lower cost. Go for the iPhone 16 Pro if you want more advanced features and higher-end hardware.

While both the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro can record 4K Dolby Vision video, the Pro model is built for serious videographers. The iPhone 16 Pro supports ProRes video recording up to 4K at 120 fps and features a LiDAR scanner for advanced depth sensing. If you are shooting cinematic content, the Pro model is the best choice.