iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: Which should you buy?

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

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The iPhone 16 was introduced at an Apple event last week, with a total of four new phones: the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

As with previous models, the non-Pro versions are entry-level options (costing £799 and up) but nonetheless come with many of the core Apple technologies. The Pro models, meanwhile, are even more of a splurge (£999 and up), offering a more premium design as well as some more cutting-edge and professional-focused features.

The differences between the latest iPhone and its Pro counterpart are fewer than they have ever been before, which also makes it simpler than ever to list them in brief. The main differences are in the cameras, display technology size and colours. As well, of course, as the price.

The phones share an awful lot, however. Both the standard and Pro models feature Apple Intelligence, for instance, as well as the camera control function – the headline new change to the iPhone 16 line-up. In fact, this year’s devices are more similar to each other than the 16 Pro is to the 15 Pro.

Keep scrolling to find out what our tech editor discovered when comparing the different models.

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The camera technology is perhaps the biggest distinguishing feature of the new phones. This year’s Pro models still have three lenses, compared with the two on the base iPhone, and they use them to offer a variety of different technologies.

Both phones have an ultra-wide camera and a 48MP main one but the Pro models’ ultra-wide camera has 48MP, compared with 12MP on the base model. This allows for more detailed wider images on the Pro, as well as better macro photos. The Pro models also have a telephoto lens that allows for five times optical zoom – which can come as a great help when trying to capture concerts or other events at a distance, for instance.

The Pro cameras are complemented with better processing technologies and other features that allow for professional-level video and photographs on higher-end phones. They can record in 4K at up to 120 frames per second, for instance, and there are more options for how to use the imagery the phones take.

While the Pro phone does offer higher quality images, it is those professional options that are the more precise distinction, as well as the telephoto lens. You will still, of course, get the kind of crisp, quick pictures you’d expect from an iPhone with the base model 16 – you’ll just get even better ones, and more options, with the Pro version.

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Aside from the cameras, the biggest difference between the two ends of this year’s line-up is the displays – and those differences can be substantial for some people.

The displays themselves are different sizes this year, as the Pro phones have received a boost. The iPhone 16 Pro is 6.3in, compared with the iPhone 16’s 6.1in display. Meanwhile, at 6.9in, the Pro Max’s screen is 0.2in bigger than the iPhone 16 Plus. It is not a difference you are likely to notice in practice, though, as the iPhone 16 Plus has smaller borders around its display.

What’s actually on that display is different, too. The most obvious difference is the iPhone 16 Pro has an always-on display – this has been a feature of Pro versions since the iPhone 14 Pro launched two years ago. Probably the biggest difference, however, is the ProMotion display, which allows the screen to refresh 120 times each second. This means scrolling and other quick motion actions look smooth, and make for a better experience as you move around the iPhone.

In truth, both of these are the kind of things you are likely to notice if you have used a Pro phone for a while but they are not the sort of thing you are going to miss if you haven’t. We’ve found that using it habitually spoils you, so, perhaps avoid looking at the buttery smooth graphics of any Pro iPhone if you are going to opt for the standard version.

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As ever, this year’s phones have been given a bright and colourful look when it comes to the base models and a classic look for the Pro versions. The distinction is even more clear this year, as Apple has moved away from the subtle pastels of recent years’ standard models, opting instead for strong, sharp colours.

On the Pro phones, you have the option of black, white and natural titanium as well as the new desert titanium. They are all muted and elegant, as you’d expect, with a luxurious shiny finish.

The non-Pro phones have the option of ultramarine, teal, pink, white and black. They are all punchy colours – especially the ultramarine and the pink.

Beyond the three headline changes mentioned above, there are other minor differences between the phones. For example, while the phones share a chip generation – the A18 – the one in the Pro models gets a Pro in its name, too. That seems to refer to the fact the more expensive phones have more GPU cores, which should allow for slightly better graphics in games and other situations. The chips and most other changes are largely similar, however.

Compared with deciding between the basic and Pro models, the choice between the different sizes is a little simpler. In previous years, the larger phones have used that extra space for extra features, such as the five-times zoom that last year was only found in the 15 Pro Max and not the smaller version. This year, it does exactly what you’d expect. That size question is not purely about display. The phones also use that extra size to pack in more battery. Apple says the iPhone 16 will get 22 hours of video playback, while the Plus version of the same phone will get 27 hours.

It’s no knock on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max to say the decision of whether or not to opt for the non-Pro version is harder than it has been in any other year. It’s not hard because the pro models are less good than previous years, it’s hard because the base models are better than they have ever been before, somewhat closing the gap between them and their Pro counterparts.

What’s more, the Pro models really do live up to their name. For the most part, the additional features are going to be useful to people who make their living with their device but also who might want extra storage or just that buttery smooth display.

Check out our full reviews of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro