Original release date: September 20, 2024 | Storage capacity: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB | Screen size: 6.3 inches | Features: A18 Pro chip, ProMotion 120Hz always-on display, USB-C port (USB 3), titanium frame, camera control button, action button, 25W MagSafe charging | Cameras: 48MP wide, 48MP ultra-wide, 12MP 5x telephoto, 12MP front | Color options: Natural Titanium, Desert, White, Black | Dimensions: 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.32 inches | Weight: 7.03 ounces
Read our full Testing the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
The iPhone 16 Pro is the iPhone we recommend to most people. Yes, its $999 starting price may be steep, but a smartphone is a long-term investment. If the question is “which iPhone is most likely to satisfy you over the next three to five years,” we think the advantages of the iPhone 16 Pro over the standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are still significant enough to be worth the extra $100-200. – even if the gap is not as big as it has been in years past.
On the one hand, the blown titanium frame of the iPhone 16 Pro seems of better quality than the aluminum one of the basic iPhone 16. It’s a bit heavier than the standard 16 and last year’s iPhone 15 Pro, but it’s far from being an anchor and its gently curved edges are nice to hold. It runs on the slightly faster A18 Pro chip, which doesn’t make a huge difference to everyday tasks but is still more future-proof, especially if you’re interested in gaming or content creation. And while every iPhone 16 has a USB-C charging port, the Pro models support faster data transfer speeds (provided you have the right cable).
The most important upgrade is the display. While the OLED panels on the iPhone 16 Pro and standard iPhone 16 are equally sharp and bright, the former’s is more spacious at 6.3 inches (up from 6.1 inches), although the phone itself is only 0.08 inch taller and 0.02 inch thicker. This is mainly due to the Pro’s thinner bezels, which give you more room to stream videos and read web pages in a device that isn’t much bulkier to hold.
On top of that, the Pro’s screen has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, which can make web page scrolling, gaming, and video streaming noticeably smoother. Some will tell you that ordinary people don’t need it, and it’s true that not everything works at 120 Hz. But using a smartphone is nothing if not interacting with a small screen, and once Once you’ve seen a faster refresh rate in action, it’s hard to give up.
It’s a frustrating situation: You can get a budget Android phone with a 120Hz screen for around $300, but Apple continues to use “ProMotion” as a way to sell devices that already cost hundreds of dollars. Still, our job is to tell you what’s best – and the Pro’s display is simply more current. It’s also always-on, unlike the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus screens, allowing you to view your notifications at a glance without having to physically touch the device.
Another advancement is the camera system. The iPhone 16 Pro has a trio of rear cameras: a 48-megapixel main camera, a 48 MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 12 MP telephoto lens. The latter is the most important, because the standard iPhone 16 has absolutely no dedicated telephoto lens. Beyond that, the Pro’s main camera has a larger sensor, so it’s a bit better in dimly lit environments and supports portrait mode at night. You can take sharper macro photos for close-ups, and there are other nice features like the ability to shoot in ProRAW or record 4K Dolby Vision and ProRes video at up to 120 frames per second. If none of this jargon means anything to you, know that the regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are still excellent compact cameras. These devices can now also take macro photos; they have the same enhanced Photo Styles feature that can help touch up photos you might find overprocessed; and they share the new camera control button for quickly (if sometimes clumsily) accessing the camera app, adjusting settings, and taking photos. That said, the 16 Pro is better, especially if you take your photos with a little more intention.
The Pro should Also get better battery life, although it’s certainly not the most durable smartphone we’ve tested. Apple rates it for up to 27 hours of video playback, compared to 22 hours with the standard iPhone 16, but both devices will likely need a recharge before you go to bed. The base model’s battery is also easier to replace, which is annoying for Pro owners given the higher price.
Apple sells each iPhone 16 very clearly on how they will work with its new “Apple Intelligence” AI features, but you shouldn’t base your purchasing decisions on those just yet. As of this writing, tips include a slightly more robust Siri, email and notification summaries, writing help and tools, a cleanup feature that can remove unwanted objects from photos ( a bit like that of Google). Magic Eraser) and a custom emoji maker “”, among others. Further updates will arrive over time.
Some of these AI features may be useful at certain times; other times… not so much. Little about them will really change the way you use a smartphone today, and the question of whether someone needs help writing a paragraph-long email or reading a brief article is up for debate (to put it charitably). For now, it might be best to view Apple Intelligence as a fascinating first step toward a future that may or may not come to fruition down the road.
While we think the iPhone 16 Pro is a great flagship, our next pick should be better suited to those who don’t mind a bigger device and want a phone that can truly last all day.
