iPhone 16 VS iPhone 15 Pro: Which one should you buy?
The iPhone 16 has just been released, and I know many of you are wondering whether it’s better to go for the current year’s normal model or the previous year’s pro model. I totally get it! So, I thought we’d compare the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro, and I’m excited to show you that the right choice may not be the one you thought.
Table of Contents
The design
I’ll start with the external aspects, namely the design, and as you can see there are already a few small differences. In terms of available colors, it won’t be the same at all, since you’ll find barely 4 colors on the 15 Pro range, and you’ll have a few more colors on the iPhone 16. But keep in mind that tastes and colors are very subjective, and everything will depend on what you like. Of course, we’ll put a shell on it, but we can also put transparent shells on it to continue to see our iPhone and its finish.
On the other hand, what’s interesting to note is the different finishes, since on the back of both types of iPhone, you’ll find a matte glass back. And on the edges, you’ll find aluminum for the iPhone 16 and Titan for the iPhone 15 Pro. As it happens, aluminum on iPhones is a little less resistant, because even the slightest fall will cause white marks to appear, as the fall will remove some of the paint from the aluminum, which is less resistant than Titan.
What’s more, the non-professional models of the iPhone 16 feature some major innovations. An action button that was only available on last year’s pro range will be added. This will enable you to perform actions quickly, such as switching on the lamp. On the other hand, one of the things the iPhone 16 has that the iPhone 15 Pro doesn’t is a dedicated capture button for photos and videos.
Photos and videos
When it comes to photos and videos, the iPhone 15 Pro has more to offer than the iPhone 16. You can already see this when you turn the devices over. The iPhone 16 is simply equipped with two lenses, including a classic wide-angle lens combined with an ultra-wide-angle lens that has been upgraded this year to a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. Whereas the iPhone 15 Pro features a classic wide-angle lens and an ultra-wide-angle lens with 12 million pixels and a x3 zoom. According to our tests, both iPhones still take great photos, but the iPhone 15 Pro offers far more video options.
In fact, the most important thing to remember here is that with the 15 Pro, you’ll have a few more creative options. For example, you’ll be able to use the x3 zoom. If you like to zoom, you won’t be able to do without the iPhone 15 Pro. The 16s also have access to new photographic styles. So that’s not bad, for adding a little extra effect to your photos.
Night portraits, on the other hand, are once again reserved for the pro models, which have a lidar scanner that also enables them to make more precise use of all that’s augmented reality. Other features are also reserved for the pro model, such as the Apple Pro format. The iPhone 16, on the other hand, can film in Dolby Vision, which is not the case with the 15 Pro, up to 4K at 60 frames per second. On the other hand, the 15 Pro records in ProRes, up to 4K at 60 frames per second, and also has the Log format and other Pro options.
On the other hand, the iPhone 16 offers a feature not available on the iPhone 15 Pro. This is the ability to reduce wind noise directly in the camera settings. So if you ever want to shoot a video outside and it’s very windy, you’ll be able to attenuate the wind noise to keep your video sounding good. So there you have it, we’ve got a few extra tricks up our sleeve each time, but once again, it’s quality that counts. When it comes to photography, it all depends. Some people prefer renderings that are closer to reality, while others prefer renderings with a little more color, like those obtained with the iPhone 15 pro.
Displays
There’s not much difference here, as both are 6.1 inches. But the iPhone 16 has a little more edge than the iPhone 15 Pro. Where there is a big difference, however, is in the refresh rate. The iPhone 16 has 60 Hz, while the iPhone 15 Pro reaches 120 Hz. As with the border, you can see the difference when you place the two side by side. But then again, if you’ve never had an iPhone with a 120 Hz refresh rate, you won’t particularly notice the difference.
Basically, it will give you a little extra fluidity when you’re playing games or scrolling on your iPhone. Otherwise, in terms of screen quality, whether you’re playing games, adjusting brightness, scrolling or watching content, it’s exactly the same. What’s more, both screens feature the Dynamic Island that saw the light of day with iPhone 14. In case you didn’t know, this is what replaces the notch and lets you put ongoing activities inside. It can be music, your timer or a call. And of course, you’ll find the Face ID sensor in this Dynamic Island.
Performance
We’re going to find an Apple Bionic A17 Pro processor in the iPhone 15 Pro and an A18 in the iPhone. So, in practice, no matter which of the two iPhones you choose, you’ll get something ultra-smooth on which you can run absolutely anything without a care in the world.
For those of you who like numbers, Geekbench puts the iPhone 16 slightly ahead of the iPhone 15 Pro. So how will this translate into everyday use? If you’re editing photos or exporting videos on your iPhone, for example, you’ll save a few seconds on the iPhone 16 compared with the 15 Pro. The iPhone 16 also has Wi-Fi 7, while the 15 Pro has Wi-Fi 6E. But otherwise, for everything else- games, multitasking, the RAM, etc, you won’t notice the difference at all.
Battery
The processor also comes into play for the battery and its lifespan, and above all I know that this is one of the major criteria for most of you when you go to buy a new product, and here, whether it’s with the iPhone 16 or the iPhone 15 pro, you’ll last your days without worry.
Indeed, with the 15 Pro since the switch to iOS 18, you’ll end your days with between 10% and 15% max battery, and it’s slightly better with the iPhone 16. As for charging, both are MagSafe compatible and charge via USB-C, but the 16 has the faster MagSafe charging up to 25W. On the other hand, we still need to talk about Apple Intelligence, since at the time I’m shooting this video, Apple Intelligence isn’t available yet. It should come out with iOS 18.1, but both iPhones will be compatible with it once it’s available. Otherwise, battery life is slightly better on the 15 Pro despite the fact that its 3274 mAh capacity is below the 3561 mAh of the iPhone 16.
Pricing
At the moment, you can buy the 256 GB version of the iPhone 16 for $899 from Apple since it’s just been released, and you can get the iPhone 15 Pro for around $809 on Amazon.
Conclusion
Which iPhone should you choose? Well, that simply depends on what you want.
If you want an iPhone that’s a little better-finished and sturdier, that takes great photos, offers a little more video capability and zoom, and you want a 120Hz refresh rate, the iPhone 15 Pro could be the one for you. But if you’ve got an iPhone 12 and you’re thinking, “I don’t need a zoom, I don’t care about 120Hz,” then you could very well opt for an iPhone 16. So frankly, it can be a very good deal to go for an iPhone 16.
Then there’s the iPhone’s lifespan to consider. Because, even if these two iPhones last a very long time, you can be sure that you’re going to use them to perfection over the next 2 to 3 years. On the other hand, if you really want your iPhone to last as long as possible, well, you might want to go for an iPhone 16, as its chip is newer, and will benefit from updates for much longer than the iPhone 15 Pro. So, once again, it’s not going to come down to much, it may come down to one or two years, but these are factors to take into account when buying an iPhone. And the same goes for resale! If you ever want to keep your iPhone for 2 or 3 years and then resell it, well, take that into account too.
