While I’m happy with my 12 Pro I have inherited from my wife, I would be most interested in the minimum brightness as this (and minimum volume) is often overlooked for people using their devices in the dead of night. And if the maximum is better that would be great too — it would be lovely to use a phone in bright sunlight and be able to see the screen properly.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro Buyer's Guide: 45+ Upgrades Compared
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Bigger, heavier. It's not an incremental upgrade, it's a downgrade.
For the first time in many years, I will not be upgrading to these "revolutionary" changes. I sold my Apple Watch Ultra. My 15 Pro Max is more than enough for me- I'm neck deep in the Apple Ecosystem as it is. Maybe next year.
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.
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 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Brushed titanium frame Blasted titanium frame iPhone 15 Pro: 6.1-inch display
iPhone 15 Pro Max: 6.7-inch displayiPhone 16 Pro: 6.3-inch display
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9-inch display30% thinner borders around the display ~2–4 nits minumum brightness 1 nit minimum brightness More power efficient display Ceramic Shield front glass Next-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 finishes Available 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 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Height iPhone 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%)Width iPhone 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%)Weight iPhone 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
Well...gee. I love my iPad Pro M4 11 inch, but will be sticking with the iPhone 7+. For me, a phone just needs to be a phone. Granted I like a lot of the new features but I don't need something that I can take on a space walk at the ISS.
I am having a hard time mentally, with the need to thin the chassis but thicken the camera. By the time you put a case around the phone to protect the glass case and camera, well, you now have a thick phone. I still do not like that island/notch floating about at one end. My god, how difficult is it for Apple to finally be rid of it?I guess being 69, a lot of things elude me.
Can we at least stop making the smallest iPhone (pro) ever taller?
When they added the Mini the Pro (understandably) went from 5.67" to 5.78".
When they canceled the Mini the Pro increased again to 5.81".
Now we're at 5.89".
Which basically splits the difference between the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.
I'm running out of pants with pockets big enough for the "small" iPhone. Apple needs to either add a third smaller Pro option or go back to at least the 11 Pro size for people who don't want a giant phone (which with the smaller bezels would now have a 6" screen).
When they added the Mini the Pro (understandably) went from 5.67" to 5.78".
When they canceled the Mini the Pro increased again to 5.81".
Now we're at 5.89".
Which basically splits the difference between the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.
I'm running out of pants with pockets big enough for the "small" iPhone. Apple needs to either add a third smaller Pro option or go back to at least the 11 Pro size for people who don't want a giant phone (which with the smaller bezels would now have a 6" screen).
Your prediction was more accurate than every single rumor posted on this website combined.
FWIW, the iPhone 15 Pro does feature zero shutter lag too, but possibly not for 48MP ProRAW captures.
Got the Apple comparison of iPhone 16 Pro Max up with both iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max (which I have) up on one of my M1 MacStudio's 27" Apple screens.
Despite the slimmer bezels hoopla, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is larger in every direction and heavier than the other two versions. Looking at the camera evolution, one might hazard a guess that Apple will NOT put a 48MP in next year for the last camera since they skipped a year for the second one. They had to increase the memory from 6GB to 8GB just to run the first versions of their AI.
To run future bloated versions of AI, the minimum 8GB could be woefully inadequate. So as much as I might like to get a newer iPhone 16 Pro Max, I will see what next year has to offer. I will take my "14" in for a new battery and call it a day.
If the numbers for M4 powered MacBook Pros and Ultra Mac Studio are enticing, I might jump for one or both since I have the M1 versions that are still operating just fine. The M4 Ultra could be the last go for the current MacStudio chassis.
Despite the slimmer bezels hoopla, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is larger in every direction and heavier than the other two versions. Looking at the camera evolution, one might hazard a guess that Apple will NOT put a 48MP in next year for the last camera since they skipped a year for the second one. They had to increase the memory from 6GB to 8GB just to run the first versions of their AI.
To run future bloated versions of AI, the minimum 8GB could be woefully inadequate. So as much as I might like to get a newer iPhone 16 Pro Max, I will see what next year has to offer. I will take my "14" in for a new battery and call it a day.
If the numbers for M4 powered MacBook Pros and Ultra Mac Studio are enticing, I might jump for one or both since I have the M1 versions that are still operating just fine. The M4 Ultra could be the last go for the current MacStudio chassis.
Seriously. The bulge in my pocket is crazy to the point where the outline of my phone (iPhone 14 Pro) is worn in on most of my left pockets.
Looks like I’m waiting another year for a deep purple titanium… I also hope they stop increasing in size. My hands are already too damn tired from the size and weight and I use a pop socket!
Still praying to some deity that moving the pro and pro max to 6.3" and 6.9" makes room for a future pro back at that 5.9" or so display. Yes won't quite be "mini" sized, but still would be better than what they offer now. With the battery and processor improvements they still should be able to make one with good battery life.
Insert beating a dead horse gif...
Can totally understand this . . I look at my 13PM and given the fact that I'm not interested in AI at this time I see no reason to upgrade (personally) other than for USB-C. The minor spec bumps that have happened the last few iterations just aren't compelling enough for me to warrant the expense so being that this year is the first with the hardware spec bumps to support AI it seems like a good year to skip. I'm actually hoping to see some improvement on selfie camera side in the future, beyond the OIS that was added in the 14PM lineup a couple of years ago.
I have completely ruled out the iPhone 16 series for a handful of reasons but, the most glaring of them all is the stunted speed for the 16 USB-C. I might, maybe, could have, gone with the base 16 if it had the full speed USB-C. I consider the charge/data port to be one of those items where a company does not skimp. Did Apple also reduce the 5G/bandwidth capability between the 16 versions? Point is, I expect a few things like data ports and radios to operate at full specs. Downgrading the USB-C on the basic 16 was just plain foolish. Why buy a 16 with that USB-C stunted data rate when you can stay with the 15 or 14. Bad call by Apple marketing clowns to hobble the USB-C data port on the 16. Bad call.
Do you want chrome tail fins, or a star-shaped phone, or.....? 😆
Why is bigger not better in phones?! I'm 6'4" and wear XL gloves, yet daily I must strain awkwardly to click on specific app and website options when using my IP4Pro singlehandedly. This is a regular annoyance, slows device use for many routine operations, and increases the risk of dropping the phone. I could add annoyances of how it fits into and is extracted from pockets of pants and cycling jerseys. In exchange for these downsides, I see no upside. I have TVs for watching videos, movies, and sports. Gaming, for me, is lame and of no interest. And when I scroll to read an article, I'm scrolling, so the display of an extra line of text is no true benefit. So Apple, please give me a smaller Pro!
You're not in the minority anywhere but this platform -- elsewhere you're in the majority.