The newest collection of iPhones was revealed at the Apple event on Monday, including the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max. If you’re thinking of upgrading to one of the latest models but aren’t sure about the differences between the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro (apart from the price), we can help you decide which model is right for you.
Now that we’ve officially seen the iPhone 16 lineup — and all the features it includes — we know that all versions will run iOS 18 and get access to Apple intelligence when those features start rolling out in October. But if you spend a few hundred dollars extra for the iPhone 16 Pro, you’ll get some extra features — for example, better camera features and a slightly larger display.
We’ll tell you the differences between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro below. For more, here’s how the iPhone 16 Pro compares to the competition. And if you decide you’re ready to take the step, note that pre-orders for the iPhone 16 series will begin on September 13. The iPhone 16 starts at $799 and the iPhone 16 Pro at $999, with prices increasing $100 for each size and storage capacity from the 128GB baseline.
Screen size and technology
When it comes to screen size, the iPhone 16 Pro has a display that’s only slightly larger than the iPhone 16. The 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch ProMotion technology and always-on display (like last year’s iPhone 15 Pro), while the iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch display. This means the Pro model offers a faster refresh rate of up to 120Hz, which delivers smoother video than the standard iPhone 16, which tops out at 128GB.
Otherwise, the screen technology is very similar between the two models. Both have Super Retina XDR displays with the same HDR, brightness, P3 color gamut, and True Tone specs.
There’s really not much difference between the two when it comes to actual phone size. The iPhone 16 is 5.81 inches tall, 2.82 inches wide, and weighs six ounces, while the 16 Pro is 5.89 inches tall, 2.81 inches wide, and weighs a little over seven ounces.
The resolution is also slightly different — the iPhone 16 has 2,556 x 1,179 pixels, while the 16 Pro has 2,622 x 1,206 pixels.
Both phones have the latest-generation Ceramic Shield screen, which offers good protection from drops and scratches. They also both offer the Dynamic Island (first introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro), which replaces the notch found on older iPhones.
Camera and microphone differences
Like the previous model, there are two cameras on the back of the iPhone 16: a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. This combo allows you to “zoom out” for wide angle shots (0.5x) and zoom in up to 2x.
The iPhone 16 Pro has a more sophisticated triple camera array: a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera and a new 48-megapixel ultra-wide lens, plus a 12-megapixel telephoto camera. That third lens on the 16 Pro lets you zoom in up to 5x and zoom out up to 0.5x. The Pro phones have “second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization,” while the baseline iPhone 16 likely only has the first-generation version of that feature. The Pro can also shoot in the Apple ProRAW file format, and offers Night mode portrait shots not available in the baseline model.
Speaking of video, both iPhone 16 lines can shoot 4K Dolby Vision video, but the Pro model allows capture at up to 120 frames per second. This makes for better slow-motion video. True to its name, the Pro also features the Academy color encoding system, Log video recording, and ProRes video recording on the rear and front cameras. (If you have to ask what these are, you don’t need them.)
Otherwise, the camera capabilities are nearly identical between the two models. This includes two new features for 2024: Photographic Styles and a Camera Control button. Photographic Styles are a lot like old-school Instagram filters, but with one big change: you can undo or change the style after you’ve shot a given photo. Meanwhile, the new Camera Control button is also located on the bottom right of the phone on both the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models. It offers one-click access to photo and video shooting, and includes touch-sensitive manipulation to change modes, frame shots, and more.
Finally, the iPhone 16 Pro includes a “studio-quality” four-mic array that provides better audio capture during video sessions and enables the new multi-track recording option in the Memos app. (No, this feature is not available in the baseline iPhone 16 model.)
Under the hood: CPU and RAM
The iPhone 16 comes with the new A18 chip for 2024, which includes a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, as well as a 16-core Neural Engine. The iPhone 16 Pro has an equally new A18 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU and 6-core GPU, as well as a 16-core Neural Engine.