Apple’s iPhone Professional fashions are among the hottest smartphones obtainable. The basic three-camera array could be noticed all over the place you go, and that’s no shock as these gadgets stay the very best mix of expertise and options on an iPhone. However, with the iPhone 16 Professional now obtainable, must you improve out of your iPhone 15 Professional? Or, when you have discovered an iPhone 15 Professional on sale, is it nonetheless price shopping for now the 16 Professional is right here? Discover out which iPhone is the best choice when it comes to specs and funds in our comparability overview of the iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional.
iPhone 16 Professional vs iPhone 15 Professional: Design and Construct
At first look, there’s not a lot to inform the 2 gadgets aside, however whenever you decide them up it turns into obvious {that a} redesign has taken place. The iPhone 16 Professional is fractionally greater than it’s predecessor in order that it could actually accommodate the 6.3-inch show, whereas the iPhone 15 Professional solely has to encase a 6.1-inch panel.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Right here’s the comparative dimensions:
- iPhone 15 Professional – 146.6 mm (5.77 inches) x 70.6 mm (2.78 inches) x 8.25 mm (0.32 inches); 187 grams (6.60 ounces); 6.1-inch show
- iPhone 16 Professional – 149.6 mm (5.89 inches) x 71.5 mm (2.81 inches) x 8.25 mm(0.32 inches); 199 grams (7.03 ounces); 6.3-inch show
As you’ll be able to see, the newer mannequin is taller, wider and heavier than the earlier technology, making it a bit extra of a handful. There are, after all, the even bigger Professional Max fashions, which function the identical specs as their relative counterparts, however boast bigger screens – 6.7-inch on the iPhone 15 Professional Max and a whopping 6.9-inch on the iPhone 16 Professional Max, making the latter the most important show on an iPhone to this point.
Listed below are these dimensions:
- iPhone 15 Professional Max – 159.9 mm (6.29 inches) x 76.7 mm (3.02 inches) x 8.25 mm (0.32 inches); 221 grams (7.81 ounces) 6.7-inch show
- iPhone 16 Professional Max – 149.6 mm (5.89 inches) x 71.5 mm (2.81 inches) x 8.25 mm(0.32 inches); 199 grams (7.03 ounces); 6.9-inch show
All these iPhones function a Titanium chassis and textured matte glass backs. The iPhone 15 Professional is available in Pure Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium, whereas the iPhone 16 Professional is obtainable in Desert Titanium, Pure Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium.
Apple
iPhone 16 Professional vs iPhone 15 Professional: Options
The newer mannequin additionally comes with Apple’s new Digicam Management button, which acts as a shortcut to numerous settings inside the digicam app, in addition to a fast launch and capturing management. Critiques to this point have been fairly skeptical on its positioning as a result of it’s awkward to achieve in panorama mode until you’ve gotten lengthy fingers. It could be higher suited to the brand new Visible Intelligence function coming in iOS 18.2 (basically Apple’s model of Google Lens), which is meant for use in portrait mode. Extra on the cameras beneath.
Each generations of iPhone Professional/Max include the Motion button, which can be utilized for numerous shortcuts, quantity controls and the Facet/Energy button. USB-C is now customary on iPhones, and has been because it was launched with the iPhone 15 vary, so there’s parity right here too. You’ll even be glad to know that the waterproof score is IP68 throughout the board, as is help for MagSafe, though the iPhone 16 Professional additionally helps fast-charging with MagSafe, which the iPhone 15 Professional doesn’t.
In our battery assessments, the iPhone 16 Professional did carry out considerably higher than the 15 Professional, lasting a whopping 54% longer in our benchmark assessments. The iPhone 16 Professional Max additionally improves over its predecessor, operating 43% longer within the benchmarks over the iPhone 15 Professional Max. Whereas this gained’t immediately translate into these beneficial properties in day-to-day exercise, you’ll be able to make certain that you’ll discover the iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max will outlast their older stablemates.
iPhone 16 Professional vs iPhone 15 Professional: Show
There’s not a lot to distinguish between the shows, apart from the brand new sizing. Each include Tremendous Retina XDR panels that function the Dynamic Island, ProMotion, All the time-On, HDR, True Tone, Broad Shade (P3), and 1,000 nits max brightness (typical), 1,600 nits max brightness (HDR) and a couple of,000 nits max brightness (out of doors). The one function that’s new on the iPhone 16 Professional (and the Professional Max) is a 1 nit minimal brightness that would save energy in darker settings.
Apple
The shows on iPhones are all the time nice, and there’s little to separate those on each generations. Naturally, the bigger 6.3-inch panel on the iPhone 16 Professional may have a unique decision – 2622 x 1206 versus 2556 x 1179 on the 6.1-inch panel for the iPhone 15 Professional – however as they’ve the identical 460ppi they’re as sharp as one another.
Equally, the bigger 6.9-inch panel on the iPhone 16 Professional Max provides a decision of 2868×1320, versus 2796×1290 on the 6.7-inch panel for the iPhone 15 Professional Max – however with the identical 460ppi they’re equally sharp.
If you need an even bigger show, you might be drawn to the iPhone 16 Professional Max, which is a bit greater than it’s predecessor, and larger than the display screen on the iPhone 16 Plus. It’s the most important show ever seen on an iPhone. If the Professional Max fashions are too cumbersome, the iPhone 16 Professional is the one to decide on. Choose a extra compact handset? It’s the iPhone 15 Professional.
iPhone 15 Professional vs iPhone 16 Professional: Tech Specs
Right here’s a breakdown of the comparative technical specs of the iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional. For reference, the Professional Max fashions have the identical specs as their smaller siblings, apart from the size, display screen sizes and battery – all of that are barely greater.
iPhone 15 Professional/Max | iPhone 16 Professional/Max | |
Show | 6.1-inch/6.7-inch Tremendous Retina XDR OLED panel, 2556×1179, 460ppi; 1,600/2,000 nits peak brightness (HDR/out of doors); Dynamic Island, ProMotion 120Hz refresh fee, All the time On show | 6.3-inch/6.9-inch Tremendous Retina XDR OLED panel, 2622 x 1206 decision, 460ppi, ProMotion 120Hz refresh fee, 1,600/2,000 nits peak brightness (HDR/out of doors), 1 nits minimal brightness; Dynamic Island, All the time On show |
Processor | A17 Professional | A18 Professional |
Storage | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB |
Rear Digicam | 48MP f/1.78 Essential, 12MP f/2.2 Extremely Broad, 12MP f/2.8 Telephoto, 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x optical zoom, Sensible HDR 5 | 48MP f/1.78 Fusion, 48MP f/2.2 Extremely Broad, 12MP f/2.8 Telephoto, 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x, x5 optical zoom, Sensible HDR 5, 48MP Macro, Spatial Pictures |
Entrance Digicam | 12MP TrueDepth, f/1.9 | 12MP TrueDepth, f/1.9 |
Video Recording | 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, ProRes video recording as much as 4K at 60 fps with exterior recording, Cinematic mode, Motion Mode, Macro, Log video, Academy Shade Encoding System | 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient video recording as much as 120fps, ProRes video recording as much as 4K at 120 fps with exterior recording, Cinematic mode, Motion Mode, Macro, Log video, Academy Shade Encoding System |
Biometric Safety | Face ID | Face ID |
Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6E |
LTE | 5G | 5G |
Charging | USB-C | USB-C |
Wi-fi Charging | Sure, with MagSafe | Sure, with MagSafe, together with Quick Charging with 30W charger |
Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.3 |
Apple Pay | Sure | Sure |
Waterproofing | IP68 | IP68 |
SIM | Twin (nano and eSIM besides within the US the place there is no such thing as a help for bodily SIM playing cards) | Twin (nano and eSIM besides within the US the place there is no such thing as a help for bodily SIM playing cards) |
Dimensions | 146.6mm x 70.6mm x 8.25mm | 149.6mm x 71.5mm x 8.25mm |
Weight | 187g | 199g |
iPhone 16 Professional vs iPhone 15 Professional: Efficiency
As these are the Professional iPhones, there’s all the time going to be loads of energy obtainable. The iPhone 15 Professional featured Apple’s A17 Professional chip, which is supplied with a 6-core CPU (2 efficiency, 4 effectivity), 6-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine and is appropriate with the Apple Intelligence options.
The brand new A18 Professional within the iPhone 16 Professional provides the identical association of CPU, GPU and Neural Engine cores. However, beneath the hood, Apple does declare some first rate enhancements within the newer silicon. It says that there’s a 17% improve in complete system reminiscence bandwidth which ought to assist within the operating of Apple Intelligence options like Writing Instruments and Picture Playground. It additionally permits for the GPU to be 20% sooner, whereas the CPU has been redesigned to be 15% sooner whereas utilizing 20% much less energy.
Macworld
So, when you use your iPhone for demanding duties like gaming, video manufacturing and so forth, then these enhancements could possibly be price the additional cash it takes to choose up an iPhone 16 Professional.
Apple is placing a variety of emphasis on the Apple Intelligence options. It needs to be famous that those self same options can be found on the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, Professional and Max, and the iPhone 15 Professional and Max. So Apple Intelligence is just not a purpose to choose the iPhone 16 Professional over the iPhone 15 Professional.
iPhone 16 Professional vs iPhone 15 Professional: Cameras
Once more, it’s just about as you have been when it comes to cameras. And this 12 months there is no such thing as a distinction between the iPhone 16 Professional and the iPhone 16 Professional Max relating to cameras. As these are Professional gadgets, you get the three digicam array on the rear. Apple has spruced up the iPhone 16 Professional optics although, with the primary 48Mp f/1.78 sensor now known as a ‘Fusion’ digicam, reasonably than only a digicam because it was on the iPhone 15 Professional. This appears to boil right down to it having the ability to act as a 48Mp shooter in addition to a 2x zoom, though there could possibly be extra sophisticated options hidden beneath the floor.
One particular enchancment is that the 12Mp f/2.2 Extremely Broad of the iPhone 15 Professional has been changed with a 48Mp f/2.2 sensor within the iPhone 16 Professional, so you may get higher photographs when capturing vast. The 12Mp f/2.8 Telephoto digicam stays the identical.
Foundry
So, you get some upgraded {hardware}, bringing with it larger high quality Macro pictures, in addition to the flexibility to shoot Spatial images that can work with Apple’s Imaginative and prescient Professional headsets. Bit area of interest then.
Video undoubtedly appears to be the place the Fusion digicam comes into play, boosting 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient recording as much as 120fps, whereas the iPhone 15 Professional can solely attain 60fps (and that’s simply customary 4K). Slo-mo now tops out at 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient 120fps, which is a step up from the 1080p/240fps of the older mannequin.
There’s additionally a stereo-quality four-mic array within the 16 Professional, with help for wind noise discount and the brand new Audio Combine that allows you to spotlight sure components of the soundtrack to movies.
The entrance dealing with digicam stays the identical 12Mp f/1.9 TrueDepth module as earlier than, though the video now contains 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient, which might counsel that the A18 Professional chip is making that attainable.
iPhone 16 Professional vs iPhone 15 Professional: Value
The iPhone 16 Professional is obtainable from Apple and different tech retailers within the following configurations and costs:
- iPhone 16 Professional (128GB) – $999/£999
- iPhone 16 Professional (256GB) – $1,099/£1,099
- iPhone 16 Professional (512GB) – $1,299/£1,299
- iPhone 16 Professional (1TB) – $1,499/£1,499
Right here’s some the very best offers we’ve discovered obtainable for the time being. You will discover the very best contract offers in our Greatest iPhone 16 offers (US) and Greatest iPhone 16 offers (UK) round-ups.
Should you needed the bigger show on the iPhone 16 Professional Max, then right here’s the choices:
- iPhone 16 Professional Max (256GB) – $1,199/£1,199
- iPhone 16 Professional Max (512GB) – $1,399/£1,399
- iPhone 16 Professional Max (1TB) – $1,599/£1,599
Once more, right here’s the very best offers on the iPhone 16 Professional Mac on the market for the time being:
$1199
$1199.99
With the introduction of the iPhone 16 Professional fashions, Apple has now discontinued the 15 Professional fashions however it is best to nonetheless be capable to discover inventory promoting although in third-party retailers. Check out the very best offers and contract offers in our Greatest iPhone 15 offers (US) and Greatest iPhone 15 offers (UK) round-ups.
iPhone 16 Professional vs iPhone 15 Professional: Do you have to purchase the iPhone 16 Professional?
The iPhone 15 Professional is a superb machine with loads of energy, photographic capabilities, and delivers an exemplary iPhone expertise. Whereas the iPhone 16 Professional ups the stakes with enhancements to processing, camera-tech and battery life, all of it feels marginally reasonably than groundbreaking. It’s additionally bigger, heavier and has a design that’s already wanting a little bit boring in comparison with some Android gadgets on the market. If you need the very best iPhone, then it’s the 16 Professional. If you need the very best worth for cash, then we’d counsel searching down any first rate offers you will discover on the iPhone 15 Professional.