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Pre-order the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro
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The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro just took center stage to Apple Intelligence in our lives.
During the day Apple's September Eventwe got to see all the major upgrades that these smartphone giants are delivering. This includes an action button on all models, a brand new camera control button for easily accessible camera functions, an A18 chipset to power Apple’s generative AI, improved cameras and battery life, and much more.
SEE ALSO: What to expect from Apple's September 2024 event: iPhone 16, Apple Watch 10, and more
Quite a leap from the iPhone 15 And iPhone 15 Pro models, but what are the key differences that set the “regular” iPhone 16 apart from its beefier Pro sibling? That's what this comparison aims to find out.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: Price and Specs
Like last year’s iPhones, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models won’t be seeing a price increase. That’s good news for anyone looking to upgrade — and we hope to see that trend continue in future releases.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus start at $799 and $899 respectively, with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage sizes available. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are set at $999 and $1,199 respectively, with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage sizes available. As is now customary, the Pro Max model is $200 more expensive than its smaller counterpart. All iPhone 16 models are available at the Apple store.
Apple iPhone 16 series Credit: Apple
So, what makes them so special? Here's a quick recap of the iPhone 16 specs:
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A18 Bionic chip
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6.1 inch (2,556 x 1,179 resolution) OLED display
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Up to 2,000 nits peak brightness
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60Hz refresh rate
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128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB storage
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Up to 22 hours (video playback) battery
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IP68 rating
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Series Credit: Apple
And what the iPhone 16 Pro has to offer:
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A18 Pro Bionic chip
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6.3 inch (2,622 x 1,206 resolution) OLED display
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Up to 2,000 nits peak brightness
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120Hz refresh rate, Always-On display
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128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB storage
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Up to 27 hours (video playback) battery
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IP68 rating
As you might expect, the iPhone 16 Pro is an improved version of the iPhone 16, but this time with a larger screen. The 120Hz refresh rate and Always-On display always earn bonus points, but there's not a huge difference between processors this time around.
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iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: Screen Size and Display
There's always been a display difference between the base iPhones and their Pro counterparts, but the display sizes have remained the same. This time around, the iPhone 16 Pro will have an edge over the iPhone 16.
The iPhone 16 has the same 6.1-inch (2556 x 1179 resolution) OLED display as last year, but the iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch (2622 x 1206 resolution) OLED display – 0.2 inches larger than the iPhone 15 Pro.
That’s not all, as both models come with thinner bezels around the display, which offers more screen space. Both models also feature a more efficient OLED display, with brighter micro-lens technology.
You can also expect the iPhone 16 Pro to feature a 120Hz refresh rate and an Always-On display, something the iPhone 16 (again) doesn't have.
While both models offer a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, the iPhone 16 Pro offers 1,200 nits of typical SDR brightness, while the iPhone 16 sticks at 1,000 nits.
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: Design
Aside from the increase in size, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro look more alike than ever — until you flip them over to reveal the rear camera design. The Pro models have the usual additional telephoto lens, placed in a diagonal design, but the iPhone 16 returns to its iPhone 12 roots with a vertical camera layout.
Apple iPhone 16 Credit: Apple
Otherwise, these phones share similar design cues. The iPhone 16 now features an action button in place of the typical bezel/silent switch, just like last year’s Pro model. And the iPhone 16 line gets an all-new camera control button. Located just below the power button, it doubles as the shutter button. You can use it to zoom in and out of photos or videos with swipe gestures, and focus on specific subjects.
Camera control button Photo: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable
Of course, the iPhone 16 Pro delivers its titanium finish, while the iPhone 16 offers a lighter aerospace aluminum finish with a colored cover glass. The former is supposed to be more robust, but a drop test shows that it is not that sustainable.
Apple iPhone 16 Camera control button Credit: Apple
In terms of color, the iPhone 16 will come in Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, and Black. The iPhone 16 Pro, on the other hand, will come in the darker Black Titanium, a lighter White Titanium, Natural Titanium, and Desert Titanium color options.
Desert Titanium Photo: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable
The iPhone 16 shows the base iPhone models quickly catching up to the Pro models, but the iPhone 16 Pro is now slightly larger and still has the same camera layout.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: Performance
Apple decided to skip the iPhone 16 a generation to match the iPhone 16 Pro in terms of performance. Both devices feature the A18 Bionic chip.
Apple iPhone 16 Series Showcases Apple Intelligence Credit: Apple
To set itself apart, the iPhone 16 Pro gets the A18 Pro chip, which comes with a 16-core Neural Engine. This is 15% faster than on the A17 Pro chip. There’s also a 6-core GPU, for even better-looking games and graphics.
Based on TSMC’s improved 3nm process, the A18 comes with more Neural Engine cores to support Apple Intelligence, meaning it has more processing power to handle new AI features coming to both models. Every year, Apple ups the stakes with its A-series chips, so it’s clear that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro will outperform the previous-generation processors.
Additionally, the iPhone 16 Pro features Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, which offers even faster internet speeds. The iPhone 16 sticks with Wi-Fi 6E.
Regardless, despite the extra GPU cores, the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro should offer the blazing-fast performance we’ve come to expect from annual releases, with the former getting an even bigger upgrade over last year.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: Battery life
It’s an upgrade on all fronts in the battery department, with both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro featuring larger battery capacities and charging speeds. While the Pro model offers a bit more space, it’s not by much.
The iPhone 16 is said to offer up to 22 hours of battery life, while the iPhone 16 Pro can last up to 27 hours. In general, both can last a full day before needing a charge, but the Pro can last a little longer.
For an even bigger battery, however, you'll have to look at the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: Cameras
This is where the iPhone 16 Pro comes into its own. Let me list the specs:
And here's what the iPhone 16 has to offer:
While the iPhone 16 carries over the impressive 48MP wide camera and will feature a 12MP ultra-wide angle with autofocus for better low-light photography and offers macro photography, the iPhone 16 Pro goes a step further by bringing an improved 48MP ultra-wide angle for improved image quality. Furthermore, you can expect to be able to use Spatial Capture on the iPhone 16 as well.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Camera Lens Credit: Apple
Additionally, the iPhone 16 Pro will adopt the tetraprism telephoto that was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, increasing optical zoom from 3x to 5x and digital zoom up to 25x. As for video, you can expect 4K at 120 frames per second, making Cinematic Mode even better for slow-motion shooting with more detail and color.
All in all, you can expect to capture landscapes in greater detail when shooting ultra-wide, capture more light for more natural-looking shots, and experience less flare and ghosting thanks to the additional anti-reflective coating on the Pro model's cameras.
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: Software and AI
The biggest feature that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro have in common is that they are both powered by Apple Intelligence. It's the tech giant's own stamp of AI, and it brings new features that are exclusive to the latest lineup of iPhones.
We got a sneak peek at what Apple's AI can do WWDC 2024including prioritized notifications, which can push the most important alerts to the top of your iPhone’s feed and even provide short summaries of stacked notifications. There’s plenty more on offer, like the ability to rewrite, summarize, and review blocks of selected text, automatic audio transcriptions and AI image generation, and easy image searching by typing a description.
Plus, there’s Private Cloud Compute, which protects your personal information when you open Apple Intelligence. Essentially, your data is never stored.
All iPhone 16 models tap into the power of Apple Intelligence, including the ability to create your own emojis with Genmoji.
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: Which is Right for You?
It’s hard to say which iPhone 16 model offers more bang for your buck without actual use, but the base iPhone 16 seems like it has a lot to offer considering its price. It may lack the larger screen, A18 Pro chip, or improved ultra-wide lens that the iPhone 16 Pro boasts, but this year’s “regular” iPhone is more Pro than ever.
With the same action and camera control buttons, A18-type chip, longer battery life and Apple Intelligence perks, the iPhone 16 doesn't seem to miss out on much of what the iPhone 16 Pro has to offer.
It's still early days, so in the meantime, check out everything else that's been announced on the Apple September Eventincluding a new Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4 and more.
Mashable is currently in Cupertino for Apple's “Glowtime” event on September 9. Check out our live blog to keep track of everything iPhone 16 before, during and after the event.
