iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: Should you upgrade?

The iPhone 16 lineup is finally here, and it’s very interesting. The base models now come with features that were previously only available on the Pro models. Apple has also added a new camera control feature to all models. And the 16 Pro models are now even more professional looking than before. But what should you do if you already own an iPhone 15 Pro? Should you upgrade to the 16 Pro? Let’s break it all down and take a look.

Let’s take a look.

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro are similar in design, but there are a few new hardware additions that Apple added this year. Both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro have the titanium body and flat edges that Apple has been using since the iPhone 12 lineup. Even the three-lens camera layout remains the same. The action and volume buttons have stayed the same, too.

All the action and volume buttons have stayed the same.

There’s a new hardware element in this year’s iPhone 16 Pro, however. It’s called Camera Control and it’s located on the bottom right side of the titanium frame. It’s a physical button that sits flush with the bezel and can be fully pressed. It also has a touch sensor built into it that allows you to perform swipe gestures for additional control.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: Display

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro feature the same Super Retina XDR displays, which are OLED panels. They also feature always-on and ProMotion technology with a 120Hz refresh rate. Both phones have a typical brightness of 1,000 nits, 1,600 nits for HDR content, and 2,000 nits of peak brightness for outdoor use.

Additional brightness is available on both phones.

This year, however, Apple made a few minor changes to the iPhone 16 Pro. Whereas the iPhone 15 Pro had a 6.1-inch display, the iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch display, so it’s slightly larger by reducing the bezel. Also, in low-light conditions, the iPhone 16 Pro’s brightness can be set to a minimum of 1 nits, making it more comfortable for viewing in a dark room or at night.

The iPhone 16 Pro’s brightness can be set to a minimum of 1 nits, making it more comfortable for viewing in a dark room or at night.

Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro also uses the latest generation ceramic screen, while the iPhone 15 Pro uses the previous generation. However, Apple claims that both versions are “stronger than any smartphone glass”, so we should expect good drop resistance in both cases. From experience, however, minor scratches could be a different story.

So far.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: camera

Apple has made some improvements to the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera system, making it better than its predecessor in more ways than one. The iPhone 15 Pro features a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrazoom, and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens capable of only 3x optical zoom. Due to size limitations, Apple couldn’t fit the new telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom in the iPhone 15 Pro, only in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The TrueDepth front camera has a 12 MP resolution.

The TrueDepth front camera has a 12 MP resolution.

In the iPhone 16 Pro, you’ll get a new 48MP Fusion camera (the new term for “wide” or “main”), a 48MP ultra-wide camera and a 12MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. That’s right — thanks to its slightly larger physical size, the iPhone 16 Pro gets the 5x optical zoom that was missing last year. The TrueDepth front-facing camera is still only 12MP.

The TrueDepth camera is still only 12MP.

The iPhone 16 Pro also has a few new photo and video tricks that you won’t get in the iPhone 15 Pro. These include 48MP macro shooting, 4K Dolby Vision video recording, an improved sensor of four studio-quality microphones, wind noise reduction, audio mixing, and more.

Although the iPhone 15 Pro still has a good camera system, the iPhone 16 Pro — is definitely a step up. And if you’re inclined to shoot more professional videos, there’s no question you should choose the iPhone 16 Pro.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: software and performance

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iPhone 15 Pro originally shipped with iOS 17 and can be upgraded to iOS 18. You can count on five or so years of Apple support, as the company doesn’t give specific numbers like its competitors.

And you can count on five or so years of Apple support, as the company doesn’t name specific numbers like its competitors.

The iPhone 15 Pro (and its larger sibling) meets the minimum requirements for Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18, as it’s equipped with an A17 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM. In everyday use, the iPhone 15 Pro performed well — apps and games open quickly, switching between apps is fast and smooth, and everything runs smoothly.

Indeed, the iPhone 15 Pro’s performance is very good.

But the iPhone 16 Pro should take it to the next level. It features the new A18 Pro chip, which Apple claims has 20 percent more memory bandwidth, twice the hardware acceleration of ray tracing, and 20 percent better stable performance. It’s also supposed to be more power efficient than its predecessor.

And it’s supposed to be more power efficient than its predecessor.

iPhone 16 Pro was built from the ground up to maximize the power of Apple Intelligence. And with camera controls, you’ll be able to get a Visual Intelligence feature that won’t be in the iPhone 15 Pro. Visual Intelligence — it’s like Google Lens, but using Apple Intelligence and Siri.

Visual Intelligence.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: battery life and charging

The iPhone 15 Pro has a 3,274 mAh battery, which Apple says corresponds to about 23 hours of streaming video playback. When purchased, the iPhone 15 Pro had great battery life at first, but after a year, it needs a mid-day charge to last all day.

The iPhone 15 Pro’s battery life was great at first, but after a year, it requires a mid-day charge to last all day.

Apple didn’t give specific details about the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery size, though it appears it will be slightly larger than last year’s. Apple claims 27 hours of streaming video playback on the iPhone 16 Pro, which would make sense if it managed to fit a slightly larger battery in it because of the increased size. And thanks to the Pro’s A18 chip, we should see more power efficiency.

And thanks to the A18 chip, we should see more power efficiency.

When it comes to charging, Apple didn’t improve the iPhone 16 Pro’s wired charging speed — it stayed the same (50 percent charge in 30 minutes with a 20-watt adapter). But as for wireless charging, it can now reach 25 watts with MagSafe wireless charging, up from 15 watts previously.

Wireless charging.

Verdict

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If you already own an iPhone 15 Pro, you might have a hard time recommending upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro. After all, the iPhone 15 Pro is capable of handling Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18, and it’s still a good phone a year after it was released.

But if you want access to the new Camera Control feature, which opens up Visual Intelligence capabilities, as well as an improved 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens and 5x optical zoom, then the iPhone 16 Pro might be worth upgrading.It’s not a particularly worthwhile upgrade, but if you find a good deal and think you’ll get a lot of use out of the new camera and new camera sensors, then it’s worth considering.

An upgrade isn’t really necessary, but if you find a bargain and think you’ll get a lot of use out of the new camera and new camera sensors, it’s worth considering.