iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are Apple’s newest, high-end smartphones. But how much have they improved over the last two years? Here’s an in-depth look at iPhone 16 Pro vs 14 Pro for everything new and a buyer’s guide.
Table of contents
For iPhone 16 vs 16 Pro or 16 vs 15, check out these guides, otherwise, read on 😁:
iPhone 16 Pro vs 14 Pro
Screens
With the iPhone 14 and 15 lineups, Apple used the same display sizes for all four of the standard and Pro devices.
That changes with the iPhone 16 lineup as the Pro models feature larger 6.3 and 6.9-inch displays compared to the 6.1 and 6.7-inch screens on the 14 Pro and Pro Max.
Screen brightness remains the same between the 16 Pro and 14 Pro models as well as the other features like ProMotion up to 120Hz, 460 ppi, Always-On display, and more.
The major change is the larger screen sizes.
iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | |
Size | 6.3 inches | 6.1 inches | 6.9 inches | 6.7 inches |
Resolution | 2622 x 1206 pixels | 2556 x 1179 pixels | 2868 x 1320 pixels | 2796 x 1290 pixels |
PPI | 460 ppi | 460 ppi | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
Super Retina XDR OLED | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Dynamic Island | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
ProMotion – adaptive refresh up to 120Hz | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Always-On display | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Typical brightness | 1000 nits max | 1000 nits max | 1000 nits max | 1000 nits max |
HDR brightness | 1600 nits max | 1600 nits max | 1600 nits max | 1600 nits max |
Outdoor brightness | 2000 nits max | 2000 nits max | 2000 nits max | 2000 nits max |
True Tone | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Haptic Touch | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Wide color (P3) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Size, weight, design
The design of the iPhone 16 Pro remains almost identical to its predecessors (outside of size), but Apple has included a new physical Camera Control button/sensor.
Apple is continuing to use titanium for the 16 Pro and Pro Max like the 15 Pro and Pro Max.
But for those coming from a 14 Pro – titanium will be an upgrade (lighter and stronger than steel).
To accommodate the larger displays, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are slightly larger than iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max but they are lighter with the titanium builds.
iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | |
Height | 5.89-inches (149.6 mm) | 5.81 inches (147.5 mm | 6.42-inches (163 mm) | 6.33 inches (160.7 mm) |
Width | 2.81-inches (71.5 mm) | 2.81 inches (71.5 mm) | 3.06-inches (77.6 mm) | 3.05 inches (77.6 mm) |
Thickness | 0.32-inches (8.25 mm) | 0.31 inch (7.85 mm) | 0.32-inches (8.25 mm) | 0.31 inch (7.85 mm) |
Weight | 7.03-ounces (199 grams) | 7.27 ounces (206 grams) | 7.99-ounces (227 grams) | 8.47 ounces (240 grams) |
Durability | IP68 (splash, dust, 6 meters of water up to 30 minutes | IP68 (splash, dust, 6 meters of water up to 30 minutes | IP68 (splash, dust, 6 meters of water up to 30 minutes | IP68 (splash, dust, 6 meters of water up to 30 minutes |
Ceramic Shield front | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Back material | Textured matte glass | Textured matte glass | Textured matte glass | Textured matte glass |
Frame/edges | Grade 5 titanium | Stainless steel | Grade 5 titanium | Stainless steel |
Performance – A18 Pro vs A16 Bionic
A18 Pro is the next-generation chip for Apple’s high-end smartphones and while they are more powerful and capable, the difference isn’t too big at 15% faster for the CPU and up to 20% faster for the GPU compared to the A17 Pro.
Below we’ll cover how the A18 Pro stacks up against the A16 Bionic.
iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max don’t get Apple Intelligence with the older A16 chips. But both the standard and pro models of iPhone 16 support Apple Intelligence.
iPhone 16 Pro/Max also has 2GB more RAM than 14 Pro/Max.
iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | |
SoC | A18 Pro | A16 Bionic | A18 Pro | A16 Bionic |
CPU | 6-core: 2 performance + 4 efficiency | 6-core: 2 performance + 4 efficiency | 6-core: 2 performance + 4 efficiency | 6-core: 2 performance + 4 efficiency |
GPU | 6-core | 5-core | 6-core | 5-core |
Neural Engine | 16-core | 16-core | 16-core | 16-core |
RAM | 8GB | 6GB | 8GB | 6GB |
Apple Intelligence support | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Both the A18 Pro and A16 Bionic are plenty powerful enough for almost anyone. But here are some stats from Apple:
- A18 Pro CPU is up to 15% faster than A17 Pro
- A18 Pro GPU is up to 20% faster than A17 Pro
- A18 Pro CPU uses up to 20% less power than A17 Pro
- 2x faster ray tracing than A17 Pro
And the A18 Pro CPU is around 30% faster than A16 Bionic in Geekbench scores for single-core performance and about 20% faster for multi-core performance.
iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | |
Single-core score CPU | ~3200 | ~2500 | ~3200 | ~2500 |
Multi-core score CPU | ~7800 | ~6400 | ~7800 | ~6400 |
Battery life
For battery life, the iPhone 16 Pro has received a nice improvement over the iPhone 14 Pro.
iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | |
Video playback | Up to 27 hours | Up to 23 hours | Up to 33 hours | Up to 29 hours |
Audio playback | Up to 85 hours | Up to 75 hours | Up to 105 hours | Up to 95 hours |
For how that compares to iPhone 15 and 13, check out our full post on iPhone 16 battery life:
Cameras
Rear cameras
Both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max devices have the same 48MP main rear camera (like the 14 Pro/Max. But there’s a new 48MP ultra wide lens, 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, the all-new Camera Control button/sensor, and the latest-gen Photographic Styles.
iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | |
Camera Control | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Main lens | 48MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture | 48MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture | 48MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture | 48MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture |
Main lens sensor | 2.44 µm quad pixel | 2.44 µm quad pixel | 2.44 µm quad pixel | 2.44 µm quad pixel |
Main lens focal length | 24 mm | 24 mm | 24 mm | 24 mm |
Ultra Wide lens | 48MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture | 48MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture |
Telephoto lens | 12MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (up to 5x zoom) | 12MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (up to 3x zoom) | 12MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (up to 5x zoom) | 12MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (up to 3x zoom) |
Stabilization | 2nd gen Sensor-shift optical image stabilization | 2nd gen Sensor-shift optical image stabilization | 2nd gen Sensor-shift optical image stabilization | 2nd gen Sensor-shift optical image stabilization |
Optical zoom | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x |
Digital zoom | Up to 25x | Up to 15x | Up to 25x | Up to 15x |
Flash | Adaptive True Tone Flash | Adaptive True Tone Flash | Adaptive True Tone Flash | Adaptive True Tone Flash |
Photonic Engine | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Deep Fusion | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Smart HDR 4 | – | ✅ | – | ✅ |
Smart HDR 5 | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Next-gen portraits with Focus and Depth Control | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Portrait Lighting with six effects | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Night mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Night mode portraits | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Latest-gen Photographic Styles | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Spatial photos | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Macro photography | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Apple ProRAW | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Video recording
iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max step up video recording with 4K Dolby Vision/HDR video recording at up to 120 fps.
You can also record at up to 120 fps for 1080p and ProRes recordings with 16 Pro/Max. Other new features are wind noise reduction and Audio Mix.
And compared to 14 Pro/Max, the 16 Pro/Max deliver spatial video recording and log recording.
iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | |
4K Dolby Vision/HDR recording | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, 60, 100, or 120 fps | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, 60, 100, or 120 fps | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps |
1080p recording | ✅ – at 25, 30, 60, or 120 fps | ✅ – at 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 25, 30, 60, or 120 fps | ✅ – at 25, 30, or 60 fps |
Cinematic mode | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps |
Action mode | ✅ – up to 2.8K at 60 fps | ✅ – up to 2.8K at 60 fps | ✅ – up to 2.8K at 60 fps | ✅ – up to 2.8K at 60 fps |
ProRes recording | ✅ – up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording | ✅ – up to 4K at 30 fps | ✅ – up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording | ✅ – up to 4K at 30 fps |
Log video recording | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Academy Color Encoding System | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Macro video recording | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Spatial video recording | ✅ – at 1080p at 30 fps | ❌ | ✅ – at 1080p at 30 fps | ❌ |
Slo-mo recording | ✅ – 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps | ✅ – 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps | ✅ – 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps | ✅ – 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps |
Time-lapse with stabilization | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Night mode Time-lapse | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
QuickTake video | ✅ – up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision | ✅ | ✅ – up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision | ✅ |
Stabilization | 2nd-gen sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video 3D sensor‑shift optical image stabilization and autofocus for video (Telephoto) | 2nd‑gen sensor‑shift optical image stabilization for video (Main) Dual optical image stabilization for video (Main and Telephoto) | 2nd-gen sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video 3D sensor‑shift optical image stabilization and autofocus for video (Telephoto) | 2nd‑gen sensor‑shift optical image stabilization for video (Main) Dual optical image stabilization for video (Main and Telephoto) |
Cinematic video stabilization | ✅ – for 4K, 1080p, and 720p | ✅ – for 4K, 1080p, and 720p | ✅ – for 4K, 1080p, and 720p | ✅ – for 4K, 1080p, and 720p |
Audio zoom | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Stereo recording | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
4 studio-quality mics | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
True tone flash | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Wind noise reduction | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Audio Mix | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Continuous autofocus video | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Playback zoom | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Selfie camera
Apple’s TrueDepth front camera is mostly the same with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max but you do get the latest-gen Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 5 for photos, and log video recording.
iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | |
TrueDepth front camera | 12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture | 12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture |
Autofocus with Focus Pixels | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Retina Flash | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Photonic Engine | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Deep Fusion | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Smart HDR 4 for photos | – | ✅ | – | ✅ |
Smart HDR 5 for photos | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Next-gen portraits with Focus and Depth Control | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Portrait Lighting with six effects | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Animoji and Memoji | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Night mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Night mode time-lapse | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Latest-gen Photographic Styles | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Lens correction | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Auto image stabilization | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
4K Dolby Vision/HDR recording | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps |
1080p Dolby Vision recording | ✅ – at 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 25, 30, or 60 fps | ✅ – at 25, 30, or 60 fps |
Cinematic mode | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps |
Apple ProRAW | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
ProRes recording | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps with external recording | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps with external recording | ✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps |
Log video recording | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Slo-mo recording | ✅ –1080p at 120 fps | ✅ –1080p at 120 fps | ✅ –1080p at 120 fps | ✅ –1080p at 120 fps |
QuickTake video | ✅ – up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision | ✅ | ✅ – up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision | ✅ |
Cinematic video stabilization | ✅ – for 4K, 1080p, 720p | ✅ – for 4K, 1080p, 720p | ✅ – for 4K, 1080p, 720p | ✅ – for 4K, 1080p, 720p |
Spatial Audio and stereo recording | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
iPhone 16 Pro vs 14 Pro I/O
Compared to the iPhone 14 Pro/Max, 16 Pro/Max feature USB-C ports instead of Lightning with up to 10 Gbps transfer speeds and new capabilities like shooting video and photos directly to external storage.
The other big I/O update is the new Camera Control, but there are some other upgrades like WiFi 7 support, MagSafe supporting up to 25W of wireless power, and more.
iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | |
USB-C | ✅ – USB 3 up to 10Gbps | ❌ | ✅ – USB 3 up to 10Gbps | ❌ |
Lightning | – | ✅ | – | ✅ |
WiFi | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
UWB | ✅ – Gen 2 | ✅ – Gen 1 | ✅ – Gen 2 | ✅ – Gen 1 |
NFC with reader mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Thread | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Cellular | GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA | GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA | GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA | GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA |
5G | Sub‑6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO | Sub‑6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO | Sub‑6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO | Sub‑6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO |
4G | Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA | Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA | Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA | Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA |
GPS | Precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC) | Precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou) | Precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC) | Precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou) |
Audio playback | Spatial audio/Dolby Atmos | Spatial audio/Dolby Atmos | Spatial audio/Dolby Atmos | Spatial audio/Dolby Atmos |
Video playback | HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG | HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG | HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG | HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG |
SIM | Dual eSIM in US | Dual eSIM in US | Dual eSIM in US | Dual eSIM in US |
MagSafe | ✅ with 25W charging | ✅ with 15W charging | ✅ with 25W charging | ✅ with 15W charging |
Qi and Qi2 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
iPhone 16 Pro colors
iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are available in:
- Black titanium
- White titanium
- Natural titanium
- Desert titanium
Storage and pricing
iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max come in:
- 128GB – $999 (only 16 Pro available in 128GB)
- 256GB – $1,099 / $1,199
- 512GB – $1,299 / $1,399
- 1TB – $1,499 / $1,599
What’s in the box?
All of the iPhone 16 devices just come with the iPhone and a USB-C cable in the box.
If you need a power adapter, go with at least a 20W so you get fast charging for your iPhone. Good options include:
- Anker 20W Nano Pro (super compact)
- Nomad 20W power adapter (black finish and compact)
- Apple’s official 20W adapter
iPhone 16 Pro vs 14 Pro: Buyer’s guide
All of the recent iPhones are very powerful and capable devices, but which is best for you (or whether it’s time to upgrade) will come down to how you want to use your iPhone and what features you value most.
Keep in mind both iPhone 16 and 16 Pro feature Apple Intelligence support and have the new Camera Control button/sensor.
Reasons to buy iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max
- Most powerful and capable cameras for both photos and video
- Titanium build with very slim bezels
- USB-C with 10Gbps speeds, WiFi 7 support
- Fastest chip, most powerful GPU for video and mobile gaming
Top comment by TampaMike
I'm doing the upgrade, but I'm also getting $830 trade-in on the new phone. Otherwise, probably not worth the upgrade.
Reasons to buy iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, or keep what you have
- If the 4 features above aren’t deal breakers for you, save your money and grab the iPhone 16 which includes most of the other new features this year (or keep your older iPhone 😁).
- You could also consider grabbing or keeping an iPhone 15 Pro if you’d like Apple Intelligence support but don’t want/need the latest 16/16 Pro features.
You can order iPhone 16 and 16 Pro from Apple, your carrier, and more.
What are you thinking? Upgrade? Keep your current iPhone? Let us know in the comments!
Thanks for reading our guide on iPhone 16 Pro vs 14 Pro!
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