Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro and the Apple iPhone 16, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 3,274 mAh | 3,561 mAh |
| Wired charging | 15W | — |
| Storage (max) | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.1 in | 6.1 in |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | — |
| Main camera | 48 MP | 48 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 187 g | 170 g |
| Released | Sep 2023 | Sep 2024 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 15 Pro is ahead on our rating. Apple iPhone 16 is ahead on battery, weight (lower is lighter).
Display
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR, True Tone, Wide color (P3), Haptic Touch |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 91.3 cm2 (~88.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches (6.12 inches diagonally) |
| Resolution | 1179 x 2556 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~461 ppi density) | 2556 x 1179 pixels (~460 ppi density) |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | — |
| Features | Dynamic Island, Always-On display, ProMotion technology | Dynamic Island, Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating |
| Brightness | — | 1000 nits (typical), 1600 nits (HDR peak), 2000 nits (outdoor peak) |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 26.6.1 (as of August 2026) | iOS 18 (upgradable to iOS 26.6.1 as of August 2026) |
| Chipset | Apple A17 Pro (3 nm) | Apple A18 |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz) | 6-core CPU (2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) | 5-core GPU |
| Neural Engine | — | 16-core Neural Engine |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR5 | 8 GB LPDDR5X |
| Internal Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB NVMe | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB NVMe |
| Card Slot | No | No |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Triple | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS; 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF | — |
| Features | TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth), Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Photographic Styles, Spatial video capture, Smart HDR 5, Portrait mode with Focus and Depth Control, Night mode, Panorama |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode (4K@24/30fps), 3D (spatial) video, stereo sound rec. | 4K Dolby Vision video up to 60 fps, Cinematic mode, Action mode |
| Modules | — | Advanced dual-camera system |
| Wide | — | 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm, sensor-shift OIS, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) |
| Ultrawide | — | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm |
| Telephoto | — | 12 MP, f/1.6, 52mm (2x optical zoom equivalent via main sensor), sensor-shift OIS, 100% Focus Pixels |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS | — |
| Features | SL 3D (depth/biometrics), HDR, Cinematic mode (4K@24/30fps) | Autofocus, Smart HDR 5, Portrait mode with Focus and Depth Control, Cinematic video stabilization |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K video recording up to 60 fps |
| Modules | — | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide) |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 3274 mAh, non-removable | Li-ion, non-removable |
| Charging | Fast charging (50% in 30 min, advertised), 15W wireless (MagSafe), 7.5W wireless (Qi), 4.5W reverse wired | MagSafe wireless charging, Qi2 wireless charging, USB-C fast-charge |
| Endurance | Video playback: Up to 23 hours; Audio playback: Up to 75 hours | — |
| Capacity | — | 3561 mAh (13.84 Wh) |
Body
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25 mm (5.77 x 2.78 x 0.32 inches) | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm (5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 187 g (6.6 oz) | 170 g (6.0 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Ceramic Shield), glass back, titanium frame | Aluminum design, color-infused glass back, Ceramic Shield front |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM (international), Dual eSIM support (USA) | — |
| Water & Dust Resistance | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) tri-band, MIMO |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (reader mode, Express Cards) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort | USB-C |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | September 12, 2023 | September 9, 2024 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, September 22 | Available |
| Released | — | September 20, 2024 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 15 Pro or Apple iPhone 16?
Apple iPhone 16 — 3,274 mAh for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro versus 3,561 mAh for the Apple iPhone 16.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 15 Pro or Apple iPhone 16?
Apple iPhone 16 — 187 g for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro versus 170 g for the Apple iPhone 16.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 15 Pro or Apple iPhone 16?
Apple iPhone 16 — Sep 2023 for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro versus Sep 2024 for the Apple iPhone 16.
Is the Apple iPhone 15 Pro or the Apple iPhone 16 rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 15 Pro 9/10 and the Apple iPhone 16 8/10.