After the presentation of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, the question of which one to buy has once again come to the fore. In Xataka we will compare all the models comprehensively and give you a logical answer, but we will dare to develop a hypothesis based on the technical table.
Another year, iPhone 16 again purchasing for the most widespread audience. In fact, some of our colleagues at Xataka have already decided on this model, where the profiles are much more concentrated than usual. Let’s see why.
Technical page of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro family
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apple iphone 16 pro
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APPLE IPHONE 16 PRO max
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Apple iPhone 16
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apple iphone 16 plus
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dimensions and weight
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149.6mm x 71.5mm x 8.3mm
199g
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159.9 cm x 76.7 mm x 83 mm
227g
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147.6×71.6×7.8mm
170g
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160.9×77.8×7.8mm
199g
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screen
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Super Retina XDR 6.3 inch
ProMotion 120Hz
2,868 x 1,320 pixels
460dpi
2,000 nits
Contrast 2,000,000:1
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Super Retina XDR 6.9 inch
ProMotion 120Hz
2,622×1,206 pixels
460dpi
2,000 nits
Contrast 2,000,000:1
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Super Retina XDR 6.1 inch
2,556 x 1,179 pixels
460dpi
2,000 nits
Contrast 2,000,000:1
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Super Retina XDR 6.1 inch
2,796 x 1,290 pixels
460dpi
2,000 nits
Contrast 2,000,000:1
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processor
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Apple A18 Pro
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Apple A18 Pro
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Apple A18
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Apple A18
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Data warehouse
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And
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And
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And
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And
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to store
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128/256/512GB/1TB
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256/512GB/1TB
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128/256/512GB
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128/256/512GB
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Rear cameras
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48 megapixels, f/1.78
48 megapixel ultra wide angle, f/2.2
12 megapixel 5x telephoto lens, f/2.8
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48 megapixels, f/1.78
48 megapixel ultra wide angle, f/2.2
12 megapixel 5x telephoto lens, f/2.8
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48 megapixels, f/1.78
12 megapixel ultra wide angle, f/2.2
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48 megapixels, f/1.78
12 megapixel ultra wide angle, f/2.2
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front camera
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12MP f/2.2
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12MP f/2.2
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12MP f/2.2
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12MP f/2.2
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battery
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And
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And
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And
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And
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operating system
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iOS 18
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iOS 18
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iOS 18
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iOS 18
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connection
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5G (sub 6 GHz)
Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA
Wireless 7
Bluetooth 5.3
Ultra wideband chip
NFC
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5G (sub 6 GHz)
Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA
Wireless 7
Bluetooth 5.3
Ultra wideband chip
NFC
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5G (sub-6GHz) LTE Gigabit with 4×4 MIMO and LAA WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.3 NFC Ultra Wideband Chip
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5G (sub-6GHz) LTE Gigabit with 4×4 MIMO and LAA WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.3 NFC Ultra Wideband Chip
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others
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IP68
Stereo sound
FaceID
action button
Camera control
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IP68
Stereo sound
FaceID
action button
Camera control
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IP68 FaceID stereo sound
action button
Camera control
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IP68 FaceID stereo sound
action button
Camera control
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price
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Prices starting from 1,219 Euros
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Prices starting from 1,469 Euros
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Prices starting from 959 Euros
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Prices starting from 1,109 Euros
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On a technical level, it is possible to summarize the differences between the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro very quickly.
- Better processor in iPhone 16 Pro and Apple A18 Pro.
- ProMotion adaptive refresh rate up to 120 Hz thanks to LTPO OLED.
- Third camera on iPhone 16 Pro with 5x telephoto lens.
- 48-megapixel ultra-wide angle on iPhone 16 Pro.
- USB-C 3 instead of USB-C 2 on the iPhone 16 Pro.
- Titanium coating on iPhone 16 Pro. Aluminum on iPhone 16.
- ProRaw on iPhone 16 Pro.
For practical purposes, betting on the Pro models is betting on a better telephoto lens, a better ultra-wide angle, ProMotion and… little else. The coating usually doesn’t play a fundamental role, especially if the quality is already high, especially on the iPhone 16 models with glass and aluminum.
The differences in processor will be negligible for even the most demanding, and although most of our tech experts prefer 60Hz (which is clearly unfair), the majority of people outside the tech space generally don’t prefer 120Hz as a priority.
The iPhone 16 Pro remains the go-to buy, the go-to model, but RAW/LOG shooting capabilities, a better telephoto lens, or extra power don’t seem to be enough to justify the jump in most cases.
Not a server, for example. In 2023 and 2024, 80% of my footage was in LOG format, I shot almost exclusively in RAW, and I took more photos with a telephoto lens than with the main camera. My 1TB iPhone has less than half of the available storage.
But I am one of the 10% who need a Professional.
Image | Apple
On Xataka | The new iPhone 16: We explain in simple terms how each model is different