The iPhone 16 Pro boasts a slew of enhancements for 2024, from camera upgrades to design changes. Even so, the iPhone 15 Pro still offers a lot at that price, and could still be a good choice if you are wondering which Pro model to get.
New Design and Display
The iPhone 16 Pro’s height and width are slightly taller and wider than its predecessors, which offers it a more robust design. The 16 Pro is significantly larger than the 146.6 x 70.6 mm, 187g iPhone 15 Pro at 149.6 x 71.5 mm at 199g. There are just a few more millimeters and grams, which are slight, but they underscore the line’s move away from compact pocketability.
The two models use a durable titanium frame, replacing aluminum in recent years, and Apple’s new Ceramic Shield on the 16 Pro for extra protection. They both have IP68-rated water resistance; operating at a depth of up to 6 meters for 30 minutes, these exceed the industry’s standard requirement. The 16 Pro has two color options for the iPhone, instead of just one, and one of them is a ‘Desert’ Titanium instead of the popular Blue Titanium that you have on the 15 Pro.
The 6.3-inch display of the 16 Pro is almost identical (an over 1-inch increase) but of course, in terms of size to the 6.1-inch display on the 15 Pro. The differences are not subtle, slimmed bezels make it more immersive, but the differences are not substantial. It also has LTPO Super Retina XDR OLEDs with 120Hz refresh rates (1,800 nits auto brightness, 2,000 nits with ProMotion).
Battery and Charging Updates
The iPhone 16 Pro packs a battery of 3,582mAh, a couple of percentage increase over the 3,274mAh seen on 15 Pro. This bump gives a modest improvement in web browsing and call times, but video and gaming times remain unchanged. Differences, however, fade here: both can reach 50 percent in 30 minutes with a 20W charger, and neither one is particularly quick in charging (as she ll follow Apple’s steady pace.
Qi2 chargers still limit the iPhone 16 Pro to 15W, while MagSafe chargers boost the iPhone 16 Pro up to 25W — 25W to the iPhone 16 Pro, 15W for the iPhone 15 Pro.
Performance and Benchmarking
The iPhone 16 Pro features a six-core CPU and GPU at higher clock speeds compared to the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro with the A18 Pro chip. They both offer 8GB of RAM and 128GB to 1TB of storage space, enough to handle app, media, and high-performance tasks.
The 16 Pro ships with about 15 percent more CPU and about 20 percent more GPU than the 15 Pro, which should make it the benchmark test winner. But the 15 Pro is more than enough, especially for years ahead, providing a solid performance for people who are seeking longevity.
Enhanced Camera Features
Probably one of the most surprising changes is the camera capabilities of the iPhone 16 Pro. The 16 Pro has a 5x telephoto instead of the 3x of the 15 Pro and a new 48MP Quad Bayer ultrawide sensor for better detail on shots that use the ultrawide camera.
New features include a Camera Control key for easy adjustment of settings and advanced video such as 4K120 and spatial audio with quad recorder mics. These refinements give the cameras a professional look but the main cameras produce comparable sharp results on either model.
If you prefer 3x zoom, the 15 Pro is still a great option for those who prefer the 16 Pro’s 5x advantage in the video, but is more obvious in still images. Also, the main camera and ultrawide shots are almost identical, as are the front-facing selfies. Both models again match up very similarly in low light, and the 16 Pro retains ever so slightly ahead at higher zooms in stills and video.
Audio and Speaker Quality
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro both use a hybrid stereo system that features an earpiece that also serves as a speaker and audio quality remains consistent. For speaker performance, devices get a ‘Good’ rating — delivering good, robust, clear sound.
End Note
In short, the iPhone 16 Pro takes everything great about a Proline and makes it better for tech enthusiasts. Notable upgrades are the Camera Control key and the performance of the A18 chip, although subtle improvements in battery capacity will be welcome.
Eventually, the 15 Pro has smaller dimensions (and less weight) that should be more appealing to those who care about portability. Though the 15 Pro is cheaper, the camera remains versatile, and in particular, good for 5:1 zoom still photography so long as it would not be used for actual 3x needs.
Ultimately, the incremental upgrades bestowed upon you by the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro differ enough as to whether you choose one over the other depends on just how much of an upgrade you are looking for. The 16 Pro is the epitome of a cutting-edge Apple offering, but the 15 Pro is a compelling alternative that delivers flagship features, a proven performance, and design.
