iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: What Should I Buy?

Apple wrapped up its annual September special event on Monday, unveiling the all-new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. Physically, the new top-of-the-line iPhone 16 Pro looks almost identical to last year’s iPhone 15 Pro — but is that all there is to it? And, which one should you buy? Here are some of the key differences when it comes to specs, features, and more. Check them out below…

Colours

iPhone 16 Pro:

• Desert Titanium
• Natural Titanium
• White Titanium
• Black Titanium

iPhone 15 Pro:

• Natural Titanium
• Blue Titanium
• White Titanium
• Black Titanium

Design & Build Quality

If the names of the colours weren’t enough of a giveaway, both devices sport a titanium build. The chassis is comprised of aerospace-grade titanium and a textured matte glass back.

Both phones also have:

• Ceramic Shield front (claimed to be tougher than any smartphone glass). Per Apple, the iPhone 16 Pro boasts a “latest-generation” Ceramic Shield front.
• Water resistance to a depth of 6 metres for up to 30 minutes, with an IP68 rating.

While last year’s iPhone 15 Pro did away with the Ring/Silent switch on the left side for the new Action button, the iPhone 16 Pro takes things a step further, adding a new touch-sensitive, capacitive Camera Control button on the right side. The Camera Control button can be used to launch the Camera app, capture photos and videos, zoom in or out, adjust the strength of the bokeh effect in Portrait mode, and more.

Processor

iPhone 16 Pro:

• A18 Pro chip
• 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU
• 16-core Neural Engine

iPhone 15 Pro:

• A17 Pro chip
• 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU
• 16-core Neural Engine

Camera

iPhone 16 Pro:

• 48MP Fusion (with anti-reflective coating) camera, 48MP Ultra Wide lens, and 12MP Telephoto sensor
• 48MP macro photography
• Dolby Vision video recording at up to 4K/120fps.
• Spatial photos and videos
• Latest-generation Photographic Styles
• Spatial Audio recording
• Studio-quality four-mic array, allowing for wind noise reduction

iPhone 15 Pro:

• 48MP Main camera, 12MP Ultra Wide lens, and 12MP Telephoto sensor
• Macro photography
• Video recording at up to 4K/60fps (no support for Dolby Vision recording)
• Photographic Style

While the iPhone 16 Pro brings a slew of camera system improvements, both phones are capable of capturing super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) and next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control. Both devices also feature second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video, along with identical front cameras (with the exception of Dolby Vision recording support on the iPhone 16 Pro).

Display

iPhone 16 Pro:

• 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display
• 2622-by-1206-pixel resolution at a pixel density of 460 ppi
• 1 nit minimum brightness

iPhone 15 Pro:

• 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display
• 2556-by-1179-pixel resolution at a pixel density of 460 ppi

Both phones have:

• OLED screens with Always-On display technology
• ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
• Dynamic Island
• Max brightness of 1000 nits (typical) with a peak brightness of 1600 nits (HDR) or 2000 nits (outdoor)

Other Features

iPhone 16 Pro:

• Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO
• Wireless fast charging (up to 50% in 30 minutes) with a 30W adapter or higher paired with a MagSafe Charger

iPhone 15 Pro:

• Wi-Fi 6E
• No wireless fast charging support

Both phones share:

• Emergency SOS via satellite
• Crash Detection
• Messages via Satellite
• USB-C with support for USB 3
• Superfast 5G cellular
• Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip
• Thread networking technology
• Support for Apple Intelligence — Apple’s suite of upcoming AI features that the company says “helps you write, express yourself and get things done effortlessly”

Physical Dimensions

iPhone 16 Pro:

• Height: 149.6 mm
• Width: 71.5 mm
• Depth: 8.25 mm
• Weight: 199 grams

iPhone 15 Pro:

• Height: 146.6 mm
• Width: 70.6 mm
• Depth: 8.25 mm
• Weight: 187 grams

Compatibility

Both phones are compatible with MagSafe cases, wallets, wireless chargers, etc.

Battery

iPhone 16 Pro: 3,577 mAh, rated for up to 27 hours of video playback by Apple

iPhone 15 Pro: 3,274 mAh, rated for up to 23 hours of video playback by Apple

Price

• iPhone 16 Pro: Starting at $1,449
• iPhone 15 Pro: You can’t purchase the iPhone 15 Pro from Apple anymore since the company discontinued it earlier today, ahead of the iPhone 16 Pro’s launch. However, you can still find it elsewhere (including from Apple-authorized resellers) for cheaper than the upcoming model.

In summary, the iPhone 16 Pro offers a newer processor, contemporary colour options, a slightly larger screen, enhanced camera features, and a bigger battery.

Depending on personal preferences and needs, these differences might justify an upgrade for some users. That said, if you’re considering an upgrade from the iPhone 15 Pro, you’re unlikely to notice a big difference (although your wallet probably will). Last year’s Pro models are also going to get all the Apple Intelligence features as they roll out, so wanting a taste of that Apple AI pie isn’t enough of a reason to upgrade either.

If you want the latest and greatest from Apple or are thinking of upgrading from an older Pro model, though, the iPhone 16 Pro may be the way to go. You can pre-order the iPhone 16 Pro starting this Friday, with the phone set to launch next week on September 20, 2024. You can even configure your order before pre-orders officially kick off on Friday.