Compare iPhone Air vs iPhone 16

Which one is best for you?

iPhone Air and iPhone 16 may look like siblings in the tech family, but they’re built for different adventures. If you’re torn between the two, this comparison will help you decide which one deserves a spot in your pocket. 

The two models share several advanced features, including a Super Retina XDR display, Camera Control, an IP68 rating for durability, Apple Intelligence, and MagSafe wireless charging. That said, their design and performance set them apart in noticeable ways. iPhone Air has a larger 6.5-inch display with ProMotion technology offering up to 120Hz refresh rate, while iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch display with up to 60Hz refresh rate, without ProMotion. iPhone Air also features a titanium frame and a Ceramic Shield 2 front with three times better scratch resistance compared to iPhone 16. Performance-wise, Air is powered by the A19 Pro chip and offers up to 27 hours of video playback, while iPhone 16 runs on the A18 chip and offers up to 22 hours. 

Air also includes ultra-stabilised video and Dual Capture, which iPhone 16 lacks. For selfies and video calls, iPhone Air boasts an 18-megapixel Centre Stage front camera, while iPhone 16 has a 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera. On the rear, Air has a single main camera, whereas iPhone 16 includes a dual-camera setup with a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera and a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera. 

In conclusion, both iPhone Air and iPhone 16 offer a premium experience, but they cater to different priorities. Air boasts larger display, stronger materials, and pro-level camera tools, while iPhone 16 offers a versatile experience with a dual-camera setup. Pick the flavour that suits your style. 

Apple iPhone Air

Buy iPhone Air

Apple iPhone 16

See all Apple phones
Battery
  • Non-removable
  • Fast battery charging
  • Qi2 wireless charging
  • Non-removable
  • Fast battery charging
  • Qi wireless charging
Body
  • Ceramic Shield 2 front, Ceramic Shield back, Titanium design
  • Dual eSIM
  • Splash, water and dust resistant (IP68)
  • Ceramic Shield front, Colour-infused glass back and Aluminium design
  • Dual SIM
  • Splash, water and dust resistant (IP68)
Camera
  • 48MP + 18MP
  • 48MP + 12MP
Camera details
  • 48MP (f/1.6, Main: 26mm)
  • 18MP (f/1.9, TrueDepth)
  • Advanced red‑eye correction
  • Auto image stabilization
  • Autofocus with Focus Pixels
  • Burst mode
  • Center Stage for photos
  • Customizable default lens (Fusion Main)
  • Deep Fusion
  • Digital zoom up to 10x
  • Dual Capture
  • Latest-generation Photographic Styles
  • Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
  • Night mode
  • Panorama (up to 63MP)
  • Photonic Engine
  • Portrait Lighting with six effects
  • Retina Flash
  • Sapphire crystal lens cover
  • Smart HDR 5
  • Tap to zoom and rotate
  • True Tone flash
  • Ultra-stabilized video
  • Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos
  • 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
Capacity
  • 256 GB/512 GB/1 TB
  • 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB
Colour
  • Sky Blue / Cloud White / Light Gold / Space Black
  • Ultramarine / Black / Pink / Teal / White
Connectivity
  • 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G
  • Wi‑Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO
  • Bluetooth 6
  • Precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC)
  • NFC with reader mode
  • USB-C connector - USB 2 (up to 480Mb/s)
  • 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)
Dimensions
  • 156.2 x 74.7 x 5.64 mm
  • 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm
Display
  • 6.5 inch
  • 6.1 inch
Display details
  • OLED display, Super Retina XDR display
  • 2736 x 1260 pixels
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Anti-reflective coating
  • Dynamic Island
  • Haptic Touch
  • HDR display
  • True Tone
  • 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
Features
  • AAC, APAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos
  • Apple Pay
  • Barometer
  • High dynamic range gyro
  • High-g accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Dual ambient light sensors
  • MagSafe
  • Accessory Identification NFC
  • Spatial Audio playback
  • User‑configurable maximum volume limit
  • Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes
  • Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
  • Share experiences like movies, TV, music, and other apps in a FaceTime call with SharePlay
  • 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
Memory
    Information not available
  • 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB
Platform
  • iOS 26
  • Apple A19 Pro
  • 6‑core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores
  • 5‑core GPU
  • iOS 18
  • Apple A18
  • 6‑core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores
  • 5‑core GPU
Weight
  • 165 g
  • 170 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 Dolby Vision at 60 fps
  • Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
  • Dual Capture up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps
  • Time‑lapse video with stabilization
  • Night mode Time-lapse
  • QuickTake video up to 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps
  • Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video
  • Digital zoom up to 6x
  • Audio zoom
  • True Tone flash
  • Cinematic video stabilization (4K, 1080p, and 720p)
  • Continuous autofocus video
  • Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video
  • Playback zoom
  • Video formats recorded: HEVC and H.264
  • Spatial Audio and stereo recording
  • Wind noise reduction
  • 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
Operating system
  • iOS
  • iOS 26
  • iOS
  • iOS 18
WIFI calling
  • Available
  • Available
Box Contains
  • USB-C Charge Cable (1 m)
  • Documentation
  • USB‑C Charge Cable (1m)
  • Documentation
eSim
  • eSIM only
    Information not available