Apple is once again forcing you to make a tough choice. Which smartphone should you buy: iPhone 15 Pro or 16 Pro? Should you carry on to buying a new model or economy down to buying a model of the previous year? In order not to miscalculate, we suggest you familiarize yourself with all the features of both devices, with all their differences from each other.
Design and dimensions of iPhones 15 Pro and 16 Pro
The company seldom alters anything in its smartphones. Indeed, yearly, many release an iPhone, which for the most part, is almost identical to the model released the prior year. In the case of the iPhone 16 Pro, there should be no brilliant changes to look forward to. Again, the buyer will receive a device with a titanium case. This is why the choice in favor of this material was made: the strength and, at the same time, the minuscule weight. Therefore, the device uses only 199 g of its weight and has a thickness of only 8. mm. But if you are chasing lightness, you should still take last year’s iPhone 15 Pro. The scales under it show only 187 g. It is still not clear exactly what led to the increase in weight. The dimensions of the iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro are comparable, the difference in height and width is 3 and 0.9 mm, respectively.
The new color of 2024 is Desert, a sand color. Some Apple enthusiasts believe if you buy an iPhone 16 Pro, then it is in this color of the case.
The new model will please you with a large number of controls. We are talking about the fact that an additional button appeared on one of the side ends. A year earlier, the buyer was provided with the Action Button. It can be used to perform various actions. For example, the majority prefer to use it to activate the silent mode. It also allows you to quickly turn on the flashlight or launch the camera. In short, there are many options. Now, in addition to it, the Camera Control button is provided. As you might guess, it is used to control the camera’s capabilities. For example, it is used to adjust the degree of background blur. Some people find this convenient, while others prefer to continue using the touch screen for this.
The Camera Control button is customizable and can even be used to launch third-party apps. If the sensitivity of this touch key seems insufficient or too high, go to Settings >> Accessibility >> Camera Control. Here you will find the settings related to the new button.
Otherwise, the two smartphones are not particularly different. They even have the same rear camera lens placement.
Performance: chips and speed
Apple enthusiasts will confirm that modern smartphones delight with excellent performance. Every year, Apple reports on the increase in the power of its processor. But in practice, this is almost not felt. The confrontation between iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro can be arranged, only in benchmarks. In real life, all applications open at approximately the same speed, it is almost impossible to notice the difference.
However, it should be noted that the iPhone 15 Pro is based on the Apple A17 Pro chip. Its clock speed can reach 3.78 GHz. The new product received the Apple A18 Pro. This processor is ready to operate at a frequency of up to 3.89 GHz. It also uses an updated graphics accelerator. In both cases, a 3-nanometer process technology was used to produce the chip, which indicates high energy efficiency.
The easiest way to compare the two smartphones is in the AnTuTu benchmark. Last year’s model scored about 1.64 million points. The iPhone 16 Pro’s result is about 1.94 million “parrots”. This means that, theoretically, the device has become more powerful.
The difference will be most noticeable to gamers. Especially those who decide to spend money on Resident Evil or Assassin’s Creed. These are full-fledged ports of console versions. On the iPhone 16 Pro, with the same graphics settings, they run at a slightly higher frame rate.
Camera: Improvements and new features
As mentioned above, the camera can now be controlled using a separate touch button. But that’s not so important. How exactly do the rear cameras of the new iPhone 16 Pro shoot? Have they improved? “Which one to choose for better cameras: the iPhone 15 Pro or the iPhone 16 Pro?”
The main module uses a 48-megapixel matrix, this has not changed and even the aperture ratio has remained the same. Therefore, the new iPhone model produces a very similar result. If there is a difference, it is affected by the algorithms for processing the image coming from the matrix.
The most noticeable difference is the presence of a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. A year ago, its resolution did not exceed 12-megapixel. If you wanted to get the most out of it, you had to buy the Pro Max model, which is significantly more expensive. Now, this is not necessary. This module has a wide viewing angle —simultaneously, has a wide-open aperture, thanks to which you can shoot even in the dark.
The iPhone 16 Pro also offers a 5x optical zoom. It is implemented using a 12-megapixel camera. A year earlier, the matrix resolution was the same, but the device was only capable of 3x zoom. Do not underestimate this point. The need for zooming may arise not only on a tourist trip but at any time. And the more the smartphone enlarges the picture, the better.
Any iPhone has a powerful processor built in. It allows you to record video in Dolby Vision format (the resulting picture has a very wide color range). Also, both smartphones can boast the ability to save video in 4K resolution, and the buyer should be pleased with the presence of optical stabilization.
What’s the conclusion? You can overpay for the iPhone 16 Pro. Yes, its main module has not received any special improvements. But you can’t say the same about the other two. The ultra-wide-angle now has a higher-resolution matrix. The optical zoom hides approximately the same sensor but enlarges the image almost twice as much.
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Displays
It would seem that the screen sizes of modern smartphones should have stopped increasing. They already seem huge. But Apple thinks otherwise. The company assumes that buyers will not refuse the fact that the display has become a little bigger. The difference, however, is almost imperceptible —even if you put the iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro on the table next to each other.
In both cases, a top AMOLED matrix is used. The maximum brightness of both displays is 2000 cd / sq.m. With this parameter, the picture on the screen is perfectly visible in any condition, even on a clear summer day. The only difference between the two devices is the display diagonal. A year earlier, it was 6.1 inches. Now this parameter has grown to 6.3 inches. For the pixel density to remain the same (460 ppi), the resolution was increased to 2622×1206 pixels.
These are all the changes. If you focus solely on the screen when choosing a smartphone, you can buy the iPhone 15 Pro. It will not disappoint you. The same huge number of colors, the same HDR10 support, even the refresh rate has already been increased to 120 Hz. There is no point in overpaying for a slightly larger diagonal.
Autonomy of smartphones
Whatever one may say, Apple products cannot be called ideal. For reasons known only to it, the company does not strive to develop the built-in battery in the smartphone. There was no particular progress either last year or this year.
Owners of any Android-based device will be surprised that the “Apple” device has a battery with a capacity of about 3,300 mAh. Now even folding smartphones have a larger parameter! Because of this, you have to choose between the iPhone 15 Pro or 16 Pro based on many characteristics, but certainly not on battery life. It could not have increased much in a year, since the chipset is made using the same process technology, and the screen has grown slightly in size.
The battery life from a full charge has increased. But this is only noticeable when testing with all sorts of benchmarks. As a result, it turns out that last year’s model will last for 75 hours of music playback. The new product will provide 85 hours of sound at the same volume level. As for video playback, the iPhone 15 Pro lasts up to 23 hours on a single charge, while the iPhone 16 Pro extends that to 27 hours. On average, the increase in battery life was about 17%.
In practice, all this means that any of the two smartphones must continue to be connected to the network adapter before going to bed. By the way, it is not included in the kit. It was abandoned quite a long time ago.
Last year’s device supports a maximum 27-watt charger. The built-in battery with such a network adapter is filled with energy in about 2 hours. As for the model released in 2024, expert opinions differ, and Apple itself does not give any specifics (when there is nothing to brag about, it just keeps quiet). It is assumed that the maximum charging power of the iPhone 16 Pro has been increased to 33 watts. However, this result does not speed up the process much.
Both devices have MagSafe technology. In both cases, it is precisely this support that is needed. If you find yourself in an establishment with a regular wireless charger, the process of filling it with energy will be extremely slow.
Software: iOS and new features
Let’s continue listing the few differences between the iPhone Pro 15 and 16. Once upon a time, smartphones that were released the next closest in years were identical in terms of their software. Yes, the new product came out on a new version of iOS. But last year’s device also received it right away. Now the tradition is observed, but older smartphones often receive a slightly simplified version of the operating system. Apple explains this by the fact that some of the new functions can only be handled by a new process with more power.
In the case of the iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Intelligence is of the greatest interest. This is a personal assistant created based on artificial intelligence. It should help the user to express themselves more correctly, write text, and perform various tasks. Interestingly, access to Apple Intelligence was blocked at the start of sales of the smartphone. It will be provided only with the next iOS update, as the programmers of the “Apple” manufacturer did not manage to cope in time. However, all this is relevant mainly for English-speaking users.
Apple Intelligence also works on the iPhone 15 Pro. It is in this version of the smartphone that the processor power of the regular iPhone 15 is no longer enough to implement full-fledged AI. But even on the Pro, the function may sometimes not work properly. Therefore, if you are fluent in English and your iOS has the appropriate interface, it is better to take the latest smartphone model.
The new product has an interesting implementation of sound recording. Now it works with the help of the Audio Mix function. This means that after video recording you can adjust the sound in every possible way. You can even mute or select a separate soundtrack (they are recorded from different microphones and were previously combined into a single result).
There are no other special differences in the functions of the two smartphones. Both devices can become ideal for a creative person. And both of them work as fast as possible. Even despite the fact that there is less RAM installed than in Android-based devices, this is an absolute advantage of iOS.
Cons of models
Apple has been trying to create the perfect smartphone for many years. But so far it has not succeeded. Any iPhone has some disadvantages. Some of them are obvious even before purchase. For example, the high cost. Some differences only become apparent as you use the iPhone 16 Pro. Overall, the changes compared to the 15 Pro are minimal. This can also be considered a disadvantage. After all, the difference in cost between the two devices is significant. So the consumer has to rack his brains: “Is it worth overpaying a noticeable amount for a couple of improvements?”
Both devices will cause certain difficulties for America, especially if a person does not have the opportunity to apply for a foreign card.
Let us recall that due to sanctions, some applications are removed from the AppStore, which is why one has to look for alternative options for installing them or using websites. The lack of the ability to make purchases in the app store is especially disappointing. It will also not be possible to use a smartphone at the checkout.
But all this is the problem of any iPhone. And is it possible to name any disadvantages of the 15th model specifically? Probably not. The predecessor of the 2024 smartphone was already good. If there were complaints about it, then about the duration of battery life. It has increased, but not so much that it is necessary to recommend overpaying for the new model.
The other aspects of the device did not cause any complaints. The device remains operational after diving, sounds great, produces a bright picture, feels good in the hand, and functions without slowdowns. Yes, it does not play games with ray tracing very well. But how many of them are created on iOS? And the iPhone 16 Pro has advanced only 30% in this regard. Again, this is not the result for which it is worth spending 30-40 thousand rubles more. But it is still worth thinking about.
Therefore, there’s a very small difference between the iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro. Whether it matches the difference in money asked for them is up to you to decide. The devices mainly differ in additional cameras. The main one is almost the same, but only the 2024 model will offer long-range optical zoom. And it produces better images from the ultra-wide-angle module. Both devices cope with video shooting equally well. They produce excellent sound. In terms of wireless communication, too, a rare person will notice any difference.
The two smartphones are based on different processors. But they are more like that on paper than in real life. The increase in power is noticeable only when running top games like Resident Evil.
Within the operating system and most applications, this fact is almost not felt. The same can be said about the increase in battery life. By night, the charge will run down to 25%, not 15%. Does this play any role?
In short, the iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro have some differences, but you can safely buy last year’s model. Perhaps the savings will please you much more than the improvements we have mentioned.
