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iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro Buyer's Guide: 45+ Upgrades Compared

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The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are Apple's latest flagship devices, offering over 45 changes and improvements compared to their predecessors. Here's everything that's changed.

iPhone-15-Pro-vs-16-Pro-Feature-Cyan-Blue.jpg

The iPhone 16 Pro is an incremental update in some respects, but there are still some important improvements to consider. Key enhancements include larger displays with thinner borders, faster and more efficient chips, and camera advancements like the new Camera Control button. The iPhone 16 Pro also boasts extended battery life, faster MagSafe charging, and improved audio recording capabilities.

This comparison guides you through each area of improvement, from design changes to technical enhancements, helping you decide if the iPhone 16 Pro is worth the upgrade.

Design and Displays

The iPhone 16 Pro builds on the iPhone 15 Pro's design by introducing several key enhancements, particularly in the display and materials. While both models feature a premium titanium frame, the iPhone 16 Pro comes with a new blasted titanium finish that offers a more refined texture. One of the most noticeable changes is the larger display size, with the iPhone 16 Pro increasing to 6.3 inches and the Pro Max to 6.9 inches, while also reducing the borders by 30%. The minimum brightness has been improved to just 1 nit, making the display better suited for low-light environments.

The iPhone 16 Pro also features a next-generation Ceramic Shield front glass that's twice as strong as the one on the iPhone 15 Pro. Apple has improved thermal management in the iPhone 16 Pro, leading to a 20% boost in heat dissipation, which helps sustain performance during demanding tasks. A new Desert Titanium color replaces the previous Blue Titanium option, and the other colors are slightly tweaked too.

iPhone 15 ProiPhone 16 Pro
Brushed titanium frameBlasted titanium frame
iPhone 15 Pro: 6.1-inch display
iPhone 15 Pro Max: 6.7-inch display		iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3-inch display
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9-inch display
30% thinner borders around the display
~2–4 nits minimum brightness1 nit minimum brightness
More power efficient display
Ceramic Shield front glassNext-generation Ceramic Shield front glass (2x stronger)
Camera Control capacitive button with sapphire crystal cover
Improved thermal design for 20% improvement in heat management and better performance
Available in Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, and Blue Titanium finishesAvailable in darker Black Titanium, brighter White Titanium, lighter Natural Titanium, and new Desert Titanium finishes
Slimmer, fully recycled packaging


The design and display changes between the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro are subtle. The most significant difference is perhaps 30% thinner bezels, which enables a slightly larger screen without making the device feel significantly bigger. For everyday users, these design and display changes may not feel like a game-changer, but some may appreciate better durability, lower brightness for nighttime use, or the new Desert Titanium finish.

Dimensions
The iPhone 16 Pro models introduces slight increases in height, width, and weight compared to the iPhone 15 Pro models. The changes in size are minimal, with the iPhone 16 Pro being 2.05% taller and 1.27% wider, while the Pro Max version sees similar small adjustments. The biggest change is in weight, where the iPhone 16 Pro is 6.42% heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro, which may be noticeable in hand, especially for users sensitive to weight.

iPhone 15 ProiPhone 16 Pro
HeightiPhone 15 Pro: 146.6 mm (5.77 inches)
iPhone 15 Pro Max: 159.9 mm (6.29 inches)
iPhone 16 Pro: 149.6 mm (5.89 inches) (+2.05%)
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 163 mm (6.42 inches) (+1.94%)
WidthiPhone 15 Pro: 70.6 mm (2.78 inches)
iPhone 15 Pro Max: 76.7 mm (3.02 inches)
iPhone 16 Pro: 71.5 mm (2.81 inches) (+1.27%)
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 77.6 mm (3.06 inches) (+1.17%)
WeightiPhone 15 Pro: 187 grams (6.60 ounces)
iPhone 15 Pro Max: 221 grams (7.81 ounces)
iPhone 16 Pro: 199 grams (7.03 ounces) (+6.42%)
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 227 grams (7.99 ounces) (+2.71%)


The dimension changes are unlikely to be significant for most users, but those who prioritize portability and lightweight design may find the added 12 grams on the iPhone 16 Pro more noticeable. That said, the slightly larger frame does accommodate a bigger display and better heat management, which could be worth the trade-off for users who value those enhancements. If you're upgrading from an older, smaller device, these changes may stand out more, but for iPhone 15 Pro users, the physical differences are minor.

Chip and Connectivity

The iPhone 16 Pro's A18 Pro chip is a moderate upgrade over the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro, thanks to its use of TSMC's N3E enhanced 3nm process. This newer process improves both performance and power efficiency, making the A18 Pro 15% faster in CPU performance and 20% faster in GPU tasks. The real leap comes with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which is now 2x faster, allowing for more realistic lighting and reflections in games and other graphic-intensive applications. Additionally, the 16-core Neural Engine in the iPhone 16 Pro benefits from 17% more memory bandwidth, improving AI tasks... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro Buyer's Guide: 45+ Upgrades Compared
 
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Last edited:
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MayaUser said:
too bad we are going again big and bigger in physical dimensions...
Click to expand...
Once you use a larger display, it's hard going back to a smaller one. I'm sure there's a limit but the Pro Max isn't it. I'd be happy with a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra sized iPhone. But I do think that larger displays works better on Android because the back button and menus are at the bottom, where they belong. In iOS, where it's a jumbled mess with the back button at the very top and occasional menus at the bottom.
 
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Let’s be Honest alright, the 15 series line up was was mediocre, disappointing, lame, BORING.
I guarantee that the next iphone will only come with 3 difference:
1) larger displays
2) a new button
3) “AI” integrated

Another Boring year ya’ll, so save the cash and skip, AGAIN.
 
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Mity said:
Once you use a larger display, it's hard going back to a smaller one. I'm sure there's a limit but the Pro Max isn't it. I'd be happy with a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra sized iPhone. But I do think that larger displays works better on Android because the back button and menus are at the bottom, where they belong. In iOS, where it's a jumbled mess with the back button at the very top and occasional menus at the bottom.
Click to expand...
so your hands gets also bigger and bigger, our pockets gets bigger and bigger..so you dont have anything against if Apple and Samsung goes with 8" displays in 4 years?! Lets get real, 6.5-6.7" its ok for a "big phone". When we draw a line since the borders now are at their limits...so you cannot go larger display without getting also larger physical dimensions
Lets travel with our phone not with mini tablets
 
Last edited:
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Are they ever going to do something new? I understand that there's risk in introducing entirely new concepts, but... a slightly better camera for edge cases? Uh... yay.

Come on, Apple. At least do a side project here. Samsung has had a whole line of flip & fold devices for years and they're great. Can't we have at least some innovation in the phone offering anymore?
 
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imtoretto said:
Let’s be Honest alright, the 15 series line up was was mediocre, disappointing, lame, BORING.
I guarantee that the next iphone will only come with 3 difference:
1) larger displays
2) a new button
3) “AI” integrated

Another Boring year ya’ll, so save the cash and skip, AGAIN.
Click to expand...
I categorically disagree with the above assessment. YMMV.
 
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Seanm87 said:
Why is that bad?
Click to expand...
Some people, myself included, would rather they keep the same size screen but the physical device smaller so it is easier to use. How big is too big for you? Would you just carry an iPad instead if it had all the same camera/cell features? We all have our preferences of when a device has become too big and would prefer something smaller.

Edit: My hope/wish/dream is that by moving to 6.3/6.9 that it makes room for a "bigger than mini" but smaller iPhone 17/Pro at say 5.8/5.9". Basically a X/Xs/11Pro size screen in a modern and slimmer form factor.
 
Last edited:
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imtoretto said:
Let’s be Honest alright, the 15 series line up was was mediocre, disappointing, lame, BORING.
I guarantee that the next iphone will only come with 3 difference:
1) larger displays
2) a new button
3) “AI” integrated

Another Boring year ya’ll, so save the cash and skip, AGAIN.
Click to expand...
the days of "exciting" updates year over year are over, people don't upgrade every year anymore, but for plenty people on older iPhones the new ones will be exciting ...
 
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imtoretto said:
Let’s be Honest alright, the 15 series line up was was mediocre, disappointing, lame, BORING.
I guarantee that the next iphone will only come with 3 difference:
1) larger displays
2) a new button
3) “AI” integrated

Another Boring year ya’ll, so save the cash and skip, AGAIN.
Click to expand...
Counterpoint. It will be a great upgrade from my XR.
 
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MayaUser said:
so your hands gets also bigger and bigger, our pockets gets bigger and bigger..so you dont have anything against if Apple and Samsung goes with 8" displays in 4 years?! Lets get real, 6.5-6.7" its ok for a "big phone". When we draw a line since the borders now are at their limits...so you cannot go larger display without getting also larger physical dimensions
Lets travel with our phone not with mini tablets
Click to expand...
Re-read carefully what I wrote above:
Mity said:
Once you use a larger display, it's hard going back to a smaller one. I'm sure there's a limit but the Pro Max isn't it. I'd be happy with a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra sized iPhone. But I do think that larger displays works better on Android because the back button and menus are at the bottom, where they belong. In iOS, where it's a jumbled mess with the back button at the very top and occasional menus at the bottom.
Click to expand...

The S24 Ultra isn't prohibitive to carry. I wouldn't mind an iPhone that size.
 
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