iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: What are the differences?

Apple’s iPhone Pro models are some of the most popular smartphones available. The classic three-camera array can be spotted everywhere you go, and that’s no surprise as those devices remain the best blend of technology and features on an iPhone. But, with the iPhone 16 Pro now available, should you upgrade from your iPhone 15 Pro? Or, if you have found an iPhone 15 Pro on sale, is it still worth buying now the 16 Pro is here? Find out which iPhone is the best option in terms of specs and budget in our comparison review of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro. 

iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: Design and Build

At first glance, there’s not much to tell the two devices apart, but when you pick them up it becomes apparent that a redesign has taken place. The iPhone 16 Pro is fractionally bigger than it’s predecessor so that it can accommodate the 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone 15 Pro only has to encase a 6.1-inch panel. 

Here’s the comparative dimensions:

• iPhone 15 Pro – 146.6 mm (5.77 inches) x 70.6 mm (2.78 inches) x 8.25 mm (0.32 inches); 187 grams (6.60 ounces); 6.1-inch display
• iPhone 16 Pro – 149.6 mm (5.89 inches) x 71.5 mm (2.81 inches) x 8.25 mm(0.32 inches); 199 grams (7.03 ounces); 6.3-inch display

As you can see, the newer model is taller, wider and heavier than the previous generation, making it a bit more of a handful. There are, of course, the even larger Pro Max models, which feature the same specs as their relative counterparts, but boast larger screens – 6.7-inch on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and a whopping 6.9-inch on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, making the latter the largest display on an iPhone so far. 

Here are those dimensions:

• iPhone 15 Pro Max – 159.9 mm (6.29 inches) x 76.7 mm (3.02 inches) x 8.25 mm (0.32 inches); 221 grams (7.81 ounces) 6.7-inch display
• iPhone 16 Pro Max – 149.6 mm (5.89 inches) x 71.5 mm (2.81 inches) x 8.25 mm(0.32 inches); 199 grams (7.03 ounces); 6.9-inch display

All these iPhones feature a Titanium chassis and textured matte glass backs. The iPhone 15 Pro comes in Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium, while the iPhone 16 Pro is available in Desert Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium.

iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: Features

The newer model also comes with Apple’s new Camera Control button, which acts as a shortcut to various settings within the camera app, as well as a quick launch and shooting control. Reviews so far have been quite skeptical on its positioning because it is awkward to reach in landscape mode unless you have long fingers. It may be better suited to the new Visual Intelligence feature coming in iOS 18.2 (essentially Apple’s version of Google Lens), which is intended to be used in portrait mode. More on the cameras below.

Both generations of iPhone Pro/Max come with the Action button, which can be used for various shortcuts, volume controls and the Side/Power button. USB-C is now standard on iPhones, and has been since it was introduced with the iPhone 15 range, so there’s parity here too. You’ll also be glad to know that the waterproof rating is IP68 across the board, as is support for MagSafe, although the iPhone 16 Pro also supports fast-charging with MagSafe, which the iPhone 15 Pro doesn’t.

In our battery tests, the iPhone 16 Pro did perform significantly better than the 15 Pro, lasting a whopping 54% longer in our benchmark tests. The iPhone 16 Pro Max also improves over its predecessor, running 43% longer in the benchmarks over the iPhone 15 Pro Max. While this won’t directly translate into these gains in day-to-day activity, you can be sure that you’ll find the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will outlast their older stablemates. 

iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: Display

There’s not much to differentiate between the displays, aside from the new sizing. Both come with Super Retina XDR panels that feature the Dynamic Island, ProMotion, Always-On, HDR, True Tone, Wide Color (P3), and 1,000 nits max brightness (typical), 1,600 nits max brightness (HDR) and 2,000 nits max brightness (outdoor). The only feature that’s new on the iPhone 16 Pro (and the Pro Max) is a 1 nit minimum brightness that could save power in darker settings.  

The displays on iPhones are always great, and there’s little to separate the ones on both generations. Naturally, the larger 6.3-inch panel on the iPhone 16 Pro will have a different resolution – 2622 x 1206 as opposed to 2556 x 1179 on the 6.1-inch panel for the iPhone 15 Pro – but as they have the same 460ppi they’re as sharp as each other. 

Similarly, the larger 6.9-inch panel on the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers a resolution of 2868×1320, as opposed to 2796×1290 on the 6.7-inch panel for the iPhone 15 Pro Max – but with the same 460ppi they are equally sharp. 

If you want a bigger display, you may be drawn to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is a bit bigger than it’s predecessor, and bigger than the screen on the iPhone 16 Plus. It’s the biggest display ever seen on an iPhone. If the Pro Max models are too cumbersome, the iPhone 16 Pro is the one to choose. Prefer a more compact handset? It’s the iPhone 15 Pro. 

iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro: Tech Specs

Here’s a breakdown of the comparative technical specifications of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro. For reference, the Pro Max models have the same specs as their smaller siblings, aside from the dimensions, screen sizes and battery – all of which are slightly bigger. 

iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: Performance

As these are the Pro iPhones, there’s always going to be plenty of power available. The iPhone 15 Pro featured Apple’s A17 Pro chip, which is equipped with a 6-core CPU (2 performance, 4 efficiency), 6-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine and is compatible with the Apple Intelligence features.

The new A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro offers the same arrangement of CPU, GPU and Neural Engine cores. But, under the hood, Apple does claim some decent improvements in the newer silicon. It says that there is a 17% increase in total system memory bandwidth which should aid in the running of Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools and Image Playground. It also allows for the GPU to be 20% faster, while the CPU has been redesigned to be 15% faster while using 20% less power. 

So, if you use your iPhone for demanding tasks like gaming, video production and so forth, then these improvements could be worth the extra money it takes to pick up an iPhone 16 Pro. 

Apple is putting a lot of emphasis on the Apple Intelligence features. It should be noted that those same features are available on the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, Pro and Max, and the iPhone 15 Pro and Max. So Apple Intelligence is not a reason to pick the iPhone 16 Pro over the iPhone 15 Pro.

iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: Cameras

Again, it’s pretty much as you were in terms of cameras. And this year there is no difference between the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max when it comes to cameras. As these are Pro devices, you get the three camera array on the rear. Apple has spruced up the iPhone 16 Pro optics though, with the main 48Mp f/1.78 sensor now called a ‘Fusion’ camera, rather than just a camera as it was on the iPhone 15 Pro. This seems to boil down to it being able to act as a 48Mp shooter as well as a 2x zoom, although there could be more complicated features hidden under the surface.

One definite improvement is that the 12Mp f/2.2 Ultra Wide of the iPhone 15 Pro has been replaced with a 48Mp f/2.2 sensor in the iPhone 16 Pro, so you can get better images when shooting wide. The 12Mp f/2.8 Telephoto camera remains the same. 

So, you get some upgraded hardware, bringing with it higher quality Macro photography, as well as the ability to shoot Spatial photos that will work with Apple’s Vision Pro headsets. Bit niche then. 

Video definitely seems to be where the Fusion camera comes into play, boosting 4K Dolby Vision recording up to 120fps, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro can only reach 60fps (and that’s just standard 4K). Slo-mo now tops out at 4K Dolby Vision 120fps, which is a step up from the 1080p/240fps of the older model. 

There’s also a stereo-quality four-mic array in the 16 Pro, with support for wind noise reduction and the new Audio Mix that lets you highlight certain parts of the soundtrack to videos. 

The front facing camera remains the same 12Mp  f/1.9 TrueDepth module as before, although the video now includes 4K Dolby Vision, which would suggest that the A18 Pro chip is making that possible. 

iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: Price

The iPhone 16 Pro is available from Apple and other tech retailers in the following configurations and prices:

• iPhone 16 Pro (128GB) – $999/£999
• iPhone 16 Pro (256GB) – $1,099/£1,099
• iPhone 16 Pro (512GB) – $1,299/£1,299
• iPhone 16 Pro (1TB) – $1,499/£1,499

Here’s some the best deals we’ve found available at the moment. You can find the best contract deals in our Best iPhone 16 deals (US) and Best iPhone 16 deals (UK) round-ups.

If you wanted the larger display on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, then here’s the options:

• iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) – $1,199/£1,199
• iPhone 16 Pro Max (512GB) – $1,399/£1,399
• iPhone 16 Pro Max (1TB) – $1,599/£1,599

Again, here’s the best deals on the iPhone 16 Pro Mac out there at the moment:

$1199.99

With the introduction of the iPhone 16 Pro models, Apple has now discontinued the 15 Pro models but you should still be able to find stock selling though in third-party retailers. Take a look at the best deals and contract deals in our Best iPhone 15 deals (US) and Best iPhone 15 deals (UK) round-ups.

iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: Should you buy the iPhone 16 Pro?

The iPhone 15 Pro is a great device with plenty of power, photographic capabilities, and delivers an exemplary iPhone experience. While the iPhone 16 Pro ups the stakes with improvements to processing, camera-tech and battery life, it all feels marginally rather than groundbreaking. It’s also larger, heavier and has a design that is already looking a little dull compared to some Android devices out there. If you want the best iPhone, then it’s the 16 Pro. If you want the best value for money, then we’d suggest hunting down any decent deals you can find on the iPhone 15 Pro. 

Source : Macworld