iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: Buyer's Guide

[MacRumors]

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are Apple's newest iPhones and follow last year's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, but how different are the two latest models, and what exactly does a "Pro" device offer?

Last year, the biggest new differences between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro were the titanium frame, A17 Pro chip, and Action button. With iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, both devices share new features like the A18 chip with support for Apple Intelligence, faster charging, stronger Ceramic Shield front glass, revamped Photographic Styles, the Camera Control, and Wi-Fi 7, but Apple's "Pro" and non-Pro iPhone models are still fairly different devices.

Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you, and serves as a way to clearly see what additional features and upgrades the iPhone 16 Pro brings to the table.

iPhone 16	iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16: 6.1-inch display iPhone 16 Plus: 6.7-inch display	iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9-inch display
	Thinner borders around the display
	ProMotion with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
	Always-on display
	More power efficient display
Available in Black, White, Pink, Teal, and Ultramarine finishes	Available in Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, and Desert Titanium finishes
A18 chip	A18 Pro chip
"Advanced" dual-camera system	"Pro" triple camera system
48-megapixel Fusion main camera with ƒ/1.6 aperture	48-megapixel Fusion main camera with ƒ/1.78 aperture and larger sensor
12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture	48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture
Macro photography	48-megapixel macro photography
	Support for new JPEG-XL format
	Depth mapping for AR and portrait photography, allowing for more accurate background and subject separation, more realistic bokeh, and better AR experiences.
4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, with playback speed controls	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 or 60 fps	1080p Dolby Vision video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps, or 120 fps (Fusion)
	ProRes video recording up to 4K at up to 120 fps with external recording
Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps	Slo-mo video support for 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps (Fusion)
	Studio-quality four-mic array
	12-megapixel Telephoto camera with ƒ/2.8 aperture
0.5x, 1x, and 2x optical zoom	0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x optical zoom
Sensor-shift optical image stabilization	Second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization
True Tone flash	Adaptive True Tone flash
	LiDAR scanner
	Night mode portraits
	Apple ProRAW
	Shoot and instantly transfer 48-megapixel ProRAW images to Mac via USB 3
	Record video directly to an external drive
	ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (60 fps with external recording)
	Log video recording
	Academy Color Encoding System
USB 2 transfer speeds (up to 480Mb/s)	USB 3 transfer speeds (up to 10Gb/s, 20x faster)
	DisplayPort support for up to 4K HDR video output
iPhone 16: Up to 22 hours of battery life iPhone 16 Plus: Up to 27 hours of battery life	iPhone 16 Pro: Up to 27 hours of battery life iPhone 16 Pro Max: Up to 33 hours of battery life
128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options (no 128GB on Pro Max)
iPhone 16: Starts at $799 iPhone 16 Plus: Starts at $899	iPhone 16 Pro: Starts at $999 iPhone 16 Pro Max: Starts at $1,199

[td]Anodized aluminum frame with color-infused glass[/td]
[td]Blasted titanium frame[/td]

The iPhone 16 Pro offers a large number of upgrades over the standard iPhone 16. With just $200 difference to obtain a display with ProMotion and always-on functionality, a telephoto camera, and longer battery life, many customers will be able to justify getting the iPhone 16 Pro over the iPhone 16. Other differences, such as a titanium frame, slightly larger display sizes, the A18 Pro chip, and a 1TB storage option are notable, but most significant are perhaps the devices' fundamentally different rear camera setups. The iPhone 16 Pro unlocks many additional camera features, such as ProRAW and 48-megapixel macro photography, and benefits from an entire additional camera in the form of the 5x telephoto for a additional optical focal length option. Due to the scale and breadth of the iPhone 16 Pro's improvements and features, many customers will be happy to opt for the high-end model.

The standard iPhone 16 still offers many of the iPhone 16 Pro's most compelling capabilities, such as Apple Intelligence support, the Camera Control, USB-C, Dynamic Island, and a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, at a lower price point. With a generous roster of advanced features, most customers will be happy with the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus, especially those who want a lighter device, do not care for the "Pro" rear camera setup or features like ProMotion and the always-on display, or cannot justify the $200 to upgrade to the high-end model. The iPhone 16 is a very well designed and balanced device, especially for average customers and those coming from a much older model.

Article Link: iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: Buyer's Guide

 

[AppleWorld787]

I am Happy with my 14 and 15pro I think next year I will upgrade to the 17 pro

 

[Spock]

Like others have said before, a $900+ phone should have a higher refresh rate than 60 Hz. High refresh rate displays are not just a pro feature.

 

[nono_thank you]

Appreciate the side-by-side comparison.

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

just for fun, can you compare the Huawei Mate XT and the 16 pro max

 

[O.N.Y.X]

The 16 (Pro) is quite a decent upgrade if you’re coming from a 12 (Pro) or earlier. I’ll keep my 14 Pro for at least another year. Hopefully by then Apple will have its issues with the EU solved and everyone is happy.

 

[Scottsoapbox]

I wish Apple listed the sensor sizes for the cameras, as there can be significant differences between those but still be the same MP and aperture.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Kind of want to wait for next year for 48MP zoom lens. The zoom remains the weakest part. It's probably also the hardest, but these are now cameras that also make phone calls.

 

[B4rbelith]

I've been to the Apple shop and compared the different models. The 16 feels better in the hand; it's lighter and just feels nicer. However, the screen refresh lets it down slightly, and the cameras are obviously far better on the pro, so that will probably be the model I go for.

 

[coolfactor]

Wait, only the Pro has the thinner border around the display?

I got the Pro the last time that I upgraded (13 Pro), but it's already so big... I could not go bigger.

So non-Pro for me.... but maybe I'll wait for the 17.

 

[ericg301]

I've been to the Apple shop and compared the different models. The 16 feels better in the hand; it's lighter and just feels nicer. However, the screen refresh lets it down slightly, and the cameras are obviously far better on the pro, so that will probably be the model I go for.

I think I'm about to go from the 14 Pro to the regular 16. My wife and daughter got theirs over the weekend (coming from regular 13), and as you said, it just feels so much better in the hand. I could pick it up off the table without feeling gravity's pull. This Pro is such a brick and I've never felt entirely comfortable holding it or carrying it over the last 2 years. Sure, I'd give up the extra camera, but I really only take pictures of kids, dogs, and things to show associates at Home Depot...so I don't think that would be a loss there. I do use the AOD but I think tap and raise to wake are a decent replacement. And yes the downgrade to 60z is a thing but I think I would get over it in a few days. I don't have ProMotion on my ipads or Macbooks either.

Someone tell me I'm not making a mistake.

 

[coolfactor]

Like others have said before, a $900+ phone should have a higher refresh rate than 60 Hz. High refresh rate displays are not just a pro feature.

Is a higher refresh rate equivalent to a doubling of pixels? I couldn't imagine going back to a non-Retina display.

 

[kp98077]

Does this mean the two cameras would take similar photos?

 

[coffeemilktea]

At this point, I don't think the specs matter that much for me... I just want that Desert Titanium color. 😩

(this is a really helpful comparison though)

 

[BelgianChoklit]

The sole reason the 16 doesn't have a 120Hz display is to push people to the Pro model. I personally don't care much of the camera quality differences between the regular 16 and Pro models, but I do care about having a 120Hz display which my 15 Pro has. I couldn't go back to a 60Hz display. And because I like color and not having to cary a brick around, I'd like to return back to the regular iPhone in the future. I'm hoping the iPhone 18 will have 120Hz, if not, I won't upgrade.

Lots of people say you don't notice the difference between 60Hz and 120hz on an iPhone. I don't think that's true. It's very noticeable when scrolling. What I do think is true is that as long as you've never gotten used to using a smartphone with a 120Hz display, it won't bother you, because you just wouldn't have tasted 120Hz displays.

Anyway, the regular iPhones are expensive enough for this to be included, which is why I think it should be. If the iPhone 16 was selling for 700€ instead of +969, I would accept it having a 60Hz display.

 

[Corrode]

The DisplayPort section is incorrect. You've only listed the Pro as supporting it, but the non-Pro 16 supports "DisplayPort support for up to 4K HDR video output". Same with the non-Pro 15. https://www.apple.com/iphone-16/specs/

 

[imola.zhp]

I decided to skip upgrading, again, I usually upgrade very two years. Last year around upgrade time my 13 Pro was damaged beyond repair and apple care replaced it with a new 13 pro. So it was hard to justify replacing a new 13 with a new 15 and again, now the phone is only a year old.

That said, my husband, that I can NEVER get to upgrade ANYTHING, and I were at a concert this past weekend. He used is 12 mini to try to take a selfie of us with a friend and the photo was terrible, so we used my 13 Pro. Then he tried to take some photos and/or videos during the event and, again, terrible, while being terrible he noticed others doing the same and at least on the displays of their phones the quality looked great. It was so loud, we couldn't talk so he texted me "I need a new phone" to which I promptly replied "Ordered."

But seriously, $830 trade in for my 13 pro through Verizon is meh... but $830 trade in on his 12 mini, did we even pay $830 for it almost 4 years ago? So we ordered a 16 Pro Saturday morning. I'm so excited for him, before the 12 mini he had, I don't even remember, an older phone with a home button. We referred to it as an iPhone 2 because it was so old and small, it wasn't a 2, but that was the joke.

 

[kp98077]

I decided to skip upgrading, again, I usually upgrade very two years. Last year around upgrade time my 13 Pro was damaged beyond repair and apple care replaced it with a new 13 pro. So it was hard to justify replacing a new 13 with a new 15 and again, now the phone is only a year old.

That said, my husband, that I can NEVER get to upgrade ANYTHING, and I were at a concert this past weekend. He used is 12 mini to try to take a selfie of us with a friend and the photo was terrible, so we used my 13 Pro. Then he tried to take some photos and/or videos during the event and, again, terrible, while being terrible he noticed others doing the same and at least on the displays of their phones the quality looked great. It was so loud, we couldn't talk so he texted me "I need a new phone" to which I promptly replied "Ordered."

But seriously, $830 trade in for my 13 pro through Verizon is meh... but $830 trade in on his 12 mini, did we even pay $830 for it almost 4 years ago? So we ordered a 16 Pro Saturday morning. I'm so excited for him, before the 12 mini he had, I don't even remember, an older phone with a home button. We referred to it as an iPhone 2 because it was so old and small, it wasn't a 2, but that was the joke.

830 trade in on verizon? is that a promotion? thats amazing

 

[imola.zhp]

830 trade in on verizon? is that a promotion? thats amazing

$1000 if you have the more expensive plan, but for our plan, $830. They pay it out over 36 months so if you like to upgrade often, this might not be the best choice for you. The 12 mini we are trading in is almost 4 years old and he doesn't upgrade often (almost never) so we're ok with this arrangement.

New Apple iPhone 16 Pro : Colors, Price, Size, Reviews | Verizon

Order Apple iPhone 16 Pro today at Verizon. Learn about the new features, reviews, colors, prices, and more.

www.verizon.com

 

[salz4life]

$1000 if you have the more expensive plan, but for our plan, $830. They pay it out over 36 months so if you like to upgrade often, this might not be the best choice for you. The 12 mini we are trading in is almost 4 years old and he doesn't upgrade often (almost never) so we're ok with this arrangement.

New Apple iPhone 16 Pro : Colors, Price, Size, Reviews | Verizon

Order Apple iPhone 16 Pro today at Verizon. Learn about the new features, reviews, colors, prices, and more.

www.verizon.com

I'm really annoyed Verizon is forcing 36 months on us now... It's making me even more tempted to switch to T-Mobile.

 

[kp98077]

$1000 if you have the more expensive plan, but for our plan, $830. They pay it out over 36 months so if you like to upgrade often, this might not be the best choice for you. The 12 mini we are trading in is almost 4 years old and he doesn't upgrade often (almost never) so we're ok with this arrangement.

New Apple iPhone 16 Pro : Colors, Price, Size, Reviews | Verizon

Order Apple iPhone 16 Pro today at Verizon. Learn about the new features, reviews, colors, prices, and more.

www.verizon.com

yeah thinking of a phone for my son who upgrades every 3-4 years, but its saying it will give me $999 for the trade in and therefore $0/month for the phone, whats the catch? the 3 year contract? Other than that it is really free?

 

[kp98077]

I'm really annoyed Verizon is forcing 36 months on us now... It's making me even more tempted to switch to T-Mobile.

you mean being tied into a contract? but you proractically get the phone for FREE, right??!

 

[currentinterest]

I have been using the iPhone 16 Pro Max since it was released on Friday. I upgraded from an iPhone 15 Pro Max. I did not think that there would be as much difference as there is. Something about the new size, the bezels, and the camera capture button makes it a really upgraded and definitely improved experience. I’m very very happy I upgraded. I also really like the new black color.

 

[Chuckeee]

Lots of people say you don't notice the difference between 60Hz and 120hz on an iPhone. I don't think that's true. It's very noticeable when scrolling. What I do think is true is that as long as you've never gotten used to using a smartphone with a 120Hz display, it won't bother you, because you just wouldn't have tasted 120Hz displays.

You are wrong. I absolutely cannot tell the difference between 60, 90, 120, 144 or 240 Hz frames rates. I can tell the difference between 30 and 60 Hz. But any thing above 60 Hz I’m completely oblivious to. I’ve tried it and for me higher frame rate is a complete waste. And I’m not alone and before you ask, “I get my eye examine regularly by an ophthalmologist”. And while some people can see a difference at 120Hz, I have tested many of my co-workers and it is just FOMO for many ardent supporters.

Although I do like promotion and the ability to reduce the frame rate, for static displays to save power

 

[BornAgainMac]

You are wrong. I absolutely cannot tell the difference between 60, 90, 120, 144 or 240 Hz frames rates. I can tell the difference between 30 and 60 Hz. But any thing above 60 Hz I’m completely oblivious to. I’ve tried it and for me higher frame rate is a complete waste. And I’m not alone and before you ask, “I get my eye examine regularly by an ophthalmologist”. And while some people can see a difference at 120Hz, I have tested many of my co-workers and it is just FOMO for many ardent supporters.

Although I do like promotion and the ability to reduce the frame rate, for static displays to save power

Yeah, I must be blind because I can't tell either. I have watched videos demonstrating it and they are scrolling the video like a mad man and I still can't notice any problem. I have 120hz devices but my eyes are still using Apple II technology.