Should you buy the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro?

As a tech shopper, one tactic you have to be prepared for is something known as a price ladder. Apple is infamous for it — the company offers a (relatively) cheap entry option in a product category, but the price increases in a way that makes you feel like you’d be crazy not to spend another $50, $100, or even $200 to step up to better features. For a non-iPhone example, consider the Apple Watch Series 10 — if you get a 46mm titanium model, you’re just $50 away from owning an Ultra 2.

That’s in full effect with the iPhone 16 series, since there are Plus, Pro, and Pro Max tiers. We’re going to tackle the most fundamental split, however, which is whether to look at one of the Pro models. The best iPhone features are reserved for Pro models, but you may not need them as much as you think you do.

What are the iPhone 16 Pro’s advantages?

Superior display technology

Apple Music Spatial Audio on the iPhone 16 Pro

Pro displays are bigger. Whereas the standard iPhone 16 is 6.1 inches, even the smallest Pro is 6.3 inches, and that goes up to 6.9 inches on the Pro Max — nearly as large as some tablets. If you don’t care about the Pro Max’s other perks, you can save a little money on size by choosing the 6.7-inch 16 Plus.

The Pro also remains the only iPhone with ProMotion, Apple’s branding for a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. This makes iOS feel a lot smoother and enables always-on display (AOD) features, since the Pro can scale back refresh rates to conserve power. iOS’ lockscreen widgets and StandBy modes don’t have much use without AOD. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are locked at a constant 60Hz, no matter what they’re running.

A better camera system

The 16 and 16 Plus are equipped with just two rear cameras: a 48-megapixel main (wide-angle) with optical stabilization, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide. The Pro and Pro Max share that main camera, but also sport a 48-megapixel ultra-wide and a 12-megapixel 5x telephoto with optical stabilization. Simply put, you get sharper ultra-wide and macro images, and there’s no alternative if you want an iPhone that can zoom past 2x without cropping.

Pro models also get support for ProRAW photo files and ProRes video recording. These offer maximum quality and flexibility, but shouldn’t be a factor when shopping unless you’re a professional. In fact, file sizes can be problematic. If you want to shoot in 4K ProRes at 60 or 120 frames per second, Apple forces you to connect to an external USB-C storage drive, even if you own a 1TB Pro. Incidentally, only Pros have a 1TB storage option — otherwise you’re limited to 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB.

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A (slightly) faster processor

The iPhone 16 Pro is equipped with the A18 Pro, Apple’s most advanced phone processor. The chip includes a six-core CPU, a six-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine for Apple Intelligence and other AI tasks. It’s not radically faster than the A18 in the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, though. The only difference is that the A18 uses a five-core GPU, so it won’t perform as well with graphics-heavy tasks like 3D gaming. However, the iPhone 16 isn’t a slouch in that department either.

Battery life and connectivity

The regular iPhone 16 is rated for 22 hours of video playback, while the 16 Plus gets 27. The iPhone 16 Pro starts with 27-hours of battery, which increases to 33 hours if you choose a Pro Max. Just remember that real-world performance is likely to be lower, since most people engage in a variety of activities, from playing games to updating apps.

All iPhones are now equipped with USB-C ports instead of Lightning, but for whatever reason, only the iPhone 16 Pro supports USB 3.0 data speeds. That makes transfers up to 20 times faster than the iPhone16 and 16 Plus, which are capped at the same USB 2.0 speeds as Lightning.

Tougher construction

Apple

Pro models are built around Grade 5 titanium shells. That should, in theory, make them stronger than the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, which use aluminum, but I’d still recommend using a case. The metal coating Apple uses is prone to scratching, and all iPhones have plenty of glass to break. That glass may be reinforced, but even the Ceramic Shield glass on the front can crack or scratch under difficult circumstances.

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Should you get a regular iPhone 16 or a 16 Pro?

Don’t succumb to tech lust

For most shoppers, the answer should be no, since the gap between Pro and cheaper iPhones is smaller than ever, at least in daily usage. All iPhone 16 models have USB-C, MagSafe charging, and customizable Action and Camera Control buttons. The value of bigger screens is subjective, and a 60Hz refresh rate is fine if you’re used to it. It’s just hard to go back once you’ve experienced a Pro’s 120Hz and always-on display features. Similarly, while the A18 Pro does rate faster in benchmarks — as PCMag notes — you’ll rarely notice a difference versus the A18 unless you play a lot of 3D games.

The Pro’s cameras could be more compelling for some people, since a 5x telephoto makes a world of difference in terms of what you can capture. Events and distant scenery may make a telephoto almost mandatory. You can still snap high-quality 2x photos with the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, however, and that’s usually plenty with subjects like friends and family.

So, who should buy an iPhone 16 Pro? Mostly people that need the best possible photo and video options on an iPhone, whether that’s for professional reasons or replacing a standalone camera. If you work within their zoom and sensitivity limits, the iPhone 16 Pro can capture content on par with cameras costing twice as much.

You may be eyeing the iPhone Pro Max in particular if you’re a frequent traveler, but don’t think you need one. 33 hours of battery is impressive, but the 27 hours on the Plus should be more than enough for most people, especially if you’ve got a battery pack you can use. I’d only choose a Pro Max if I had money to burn or really did need the best of everything, not just battery performance.