Every year, Apple releases a smaller flagship smartphone. This time around it’s the iPhone 16 Pro, and we’re here to compare it to its predecessor. We’ll be comparing the Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro. These two smartphones are very similar in a number of ways, but the new model does bring some improvements to the table. Well, mainly in the camera department.
As we usually do, we’ll first list the specifications of both smartphones. Following that, we’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. We’ll try to give you as much information so that you can make an informed decision about whether upgrading is a good idea, or whether getting the older model is a good idea, depending on what your situation is. Let’s get to it.
Specs
Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro, respectively
– Screen size:
6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED ( flat, 120Hz, HDR, 2,000 nits max brightness)
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion (120Hz, HDR10, 2,000 nits)
– Display resolution:
2622 x 1206
2796 x 1290
– SoC:
Apple A18 Pro (3nm)
Apple A17 Pro
– RAM:
8GB
– Storage:
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
– Rear cameras:
48MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.28-inch sensor, 1.22um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS), 48MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF), 12MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 1/3.06-inch sensor, 1.12um pixel size, 3D sensor-shift OIS, 5x optical zoom)
48MP (f/1.78 aperture, second-gen sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, macro photography), 12MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 3x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
12MP (f/1.9 aperture, PDAF, 1/3.6-inch sensor size, OIS)
12MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth
– Battery:
3,582mAh
3,274mAh
– Charging:
38W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, 5W reverse wired
20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included)
– Dimensions:
149.6 x 71.5 x 8.3 mm
146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25mm
– Weight:
199 grams
187 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Face ID (3D facial scanning)
– OS:
iOS 18
iOS 17 (upgradable)
– Price:
$999+
$999+ (could be considerably) lower now)
– Buy:
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro (Apple)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Design
When it comes to design, these two smartphones are very similar… in terms of looks. When you manage to get both of these phones in your hand, you’ll see some differences. The iPhone 16 Pro is a bit larger, as it has a 6.3-inch display compared to a 6.1-inch display. On top of that, it has slightly thinner bezels, and it’s slightly heavier too. It weighs 199 grams compared to 187 grams of the iPhone 15 Pro. It is also slightly taller and wider, while the two phones have the same exact thickness.
Both of these phones are made out of titanium and glass, but there’s more aluminum included in the build of the iPhone 16 Pro for heat dissipation purposes. The shape of the two phones is exactly the same, and both have a pill-shaped cutout on the front. Apple calls is ‘Dynamic Island’. The iPhone 16 Pro also has one extra button on the right. In addition to a power/lock key, it also has a Camera Control button. On the left, the situation is the same, both phones include volume rocker buttons and an Action Button.
The frame is flat on all sides, on both smartphones. It does curve a bit towards the edges, though. The front and back sides are also flat, in case you were wondering. On the back, you’ll notice very similar-looking camera islands in the top-left corner. Both include three cameras and have the same layout, basically. The cameras themselves are not the same, though. Well, the main one is, but the other two are not. More on that later.
Both of these phones are quite slippery, which is completely normal considering their build materials. Both of them also come with an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Display
The iPhone 16 Pro features a 6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That panel is flat, and it has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. HDR10 content is supported, as is Dolby Vision. The screen brightness goes up to 2,000 nits, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 90%, while the Ceramic Shield glass protects this display.
The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, has a 6.1-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel. Its resolution is 2556 x 1179. That display is also flat, and it has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. HDR10 and Dolby Vision are supported too, and the max screen brightness is the same, 2,000 nits. The display aspect ratio is 19.5:9, while the screen-to-body ratio is around 88%. The Ceramic Shield glass protects this display too, but an older version of it.
These two displays are basically the same in every way except the size. They are both vivid, have deep blacks, and have good viewing angles. They’re also very responsive to the touch and have good protection. Both panels also do get bright enough no matter where you use them. They do not offer high-frequency PWM dimming, though, in case that’s something you care about. The vast majority of people will be perfectly happy with these two displays, though.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Performance
The Apple A18 Pro fuels the iPhone 16 Pro. That is Apple’s brand new processor, a 3nm chip. Apple also included 8GB of RAM inside of this phone, along with NVMe storage. The iPhone 15 Pro, on the flip side, is fueled by the Apple A17 Pro chip, a 3nm processor as well. That chip is backed by 8GB of RAM too, and NVMe storage. The new chip is more powerful, but the difference is not monumental.
The point is, both of these phones are very powerful. In terms of day-to-day performance, they’re basically on par. You’ll be hard-pressed to see the difference in performance. They can both open apps really fast, they’re great at jumping between apps, browsing, messaging, image processing, video processing, and basically everything else you can think of. Yes, that goes for gaming too.
Both of these smartphones can run basically any game you’ll find in the App Store without a problem. They can run them equally well, so at this point in time, the advantage of the iPhone 16 Pro is not that easy to see. That phone does have better cooling, though, so that could make a difference moving forward. Neither device got too hot while gaming, though, so that’s definitely worth saying. The iPhone 16 Pro did stay a bit cooler at all times, however.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Battery
There is a 3,582mAh battery included inside of the iPhone 16 Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, has a 3,274mAh battery. Apple did increase the size of the display on the new model, so seeming some extra battery capacity is great. The difference in battery life is noticeable, though, that’s for sure. We were able to get some great battery life levels from the iPhone 16 Pro.
That phone actually managed to offer a truly great battery life, close to what the iPhone 15 Pro Max delivers. Not exactly on that level, but not far from it. Crossing 7 hours of screen-on-time, and going beyond it, was not a problem whatsoever. The iPhone 15 Pro can get up there, at times, but the difference in longevity of the battery is visible. Apple did improve the new model in that aspect, that’s for sure. Your mileage may vary, though, of course.
Another aspect that has improved this year is charging. The iPhone 16 Pro does offer faster wired and wireless charging. It supports 38W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, supports 20W wired, 15W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charging.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Cameras
Both of these devices come with three cameras on the back. The new model does deliver better telephoto and ultrawide camera hardware, however. The main camera on both smartphones is a 48-megapixel unit with an f/1.8 aperture, 24mm lens, and a 1/1.28-inch sensor. That camera also has a 1.22um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF supports, and sensor-shift OIS. The story with the other two cameras is different, however.
The iPhone 16 Pro has a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit, and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (1/3.06-inch sensor, 3D sensor-shift OIS, 5x optical zoom). The iPhone 15 Pro includes a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (120-degree FoV), and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera (1/3.5-inch sensor, OIS, 3x optical zoom). The iPhone 16 Pro basically has the same periscope camera the ‘Pro Max’ offers.
The images from the main camera are very similar. That’s not that surprising considering that we’re looking at the same hardware here. They offer a lot of details and lean towards warmer color tones. Both cameras also love to pull out light from dark areas during the day, which makes the images a bit less contrasty than what some competitors offer. The ultrawide camera shots are more detailed on the new model, if you pixel-peep, while the iPhone 16 Pro’s periscope telephoto camera can provide better high-zoom shots, that’s for sure. At 3x, however, the iPhone 15 Pro is still better.
Audio
Both of these phones do include stereo speakers. Speakers on both phones are loud enough, though the iPhone 15 Pro has a slight loudness advantage. You may not even be able to hear it, though. The sound output is good in terms of quality, on both phones.
What you will not find on either phone is an audio jack. You can, however, hook up your wired headphones via the Type-C port on the bottom of both phones. They’re also equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless audio.
