iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Professional: How do the 2024 iPhones evaluate?

On September 9, 2024, Apple pulled again the covers on its newest era of iPhones, ushering within the age of the iPhone 16. As with the earlier lineup, you get 4 fashions to select from: the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max. Right here, we’ll evaluate the usual iPhone 16 and its Professional counterpart to seek out out whether or not the additional cash is value spending. 

If it’s the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Professional Max you might be deciding between, these handsets share the identical options as their smaller counterpart–solely the display screen sizes are totally different–so the data under will apply to that call as effectively.

To learn how the brand new iPhone 16 compares to the earlier era learn our comparability of the iPhone 15 vs iPhone 16.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Professional: Design & Construct

Apple

Apple

Apple

Whereas the 2 units do look pretty related, there are some notable variations. The obvious being the extra colourful choices on the iPhone 16 in comparison with the extra business-like metallic finishes of the iPhone 16 Professional vary.

The iPhone 16 incorporates a color-infused glass again design that is available in Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, Black and White.

Alternatively, it’s a microblasted textured end on the Professional fashions, providing Black Titanium, White Titanium, Pure Titanium and Desert Titanium (the latter being new for 2024, with 2023’s Blue Titanium choice consigned to historical past).

The supplies are additionally a key distinction between the 2 handsets (and have all the time been a distinction). The iPhone 16 options an aerospace-grade aluminum body, whereas the Professional fashions is encased in titanium, as was the case with the earlier era. 

The opposite key distinction is the presence of three digicam lenses on the again of the iPhone 16 Professional, in comparison with two on the iPhone 16, this has all the time been a key differentiator between the professional and commonplace iPhones (whereas the iPhone SE has only one lens on the again).

Macworld

Macworld

Macworld

All of the above variations have been the case for a lot of generations, however for 2024 there’s a extra important distinction: The iPhone 16 Professional fashions now have bigger shows than their non-pro counterparts. Apple has elevated the display screen dimension on each the Professional and Professional Max. The Professional display screen is 6.3-inches, up from 6.1-inches, whereas the Professional Max display screen is 6.9-inches, up from 6.7-inches. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus keep on with the older display screen sizes of 6.1-inched and 6.7-inches.

Apple has managed to attain this new display screen dimension within the professional fashions by decreasing the bezels fairly than rising the dimensions of the handset, nonetheless, the professional fashions are nonetheless greater and heavier than the usual iPhone 16 (though the width is so minutely smaller on the Professionals that’s completely highlights the distinction between measuring in millimeters in comparison with inches).

• iPhone 16: 147.6 mm (5.81 inches) x 71.6 mm (2.82 inches) x 7.80 mm (0.31 inches); 170 grams (6.00 ounces)
• 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)

• iPhone 16 Plus: 160.9 mm (6.33 inches) x 77.8 (3.06 inches) x 7.80 mm (0.31 inches); 199 grams (7.03 ounces)
• iPhone 16 Professional Max: 163 mm (6.42 inches) x 77.6 (3.06 inches) x 8.25 mm (0.32 inches); 227 grams (7.99 ounces)

That further heft doesn’t solely come from the bigger panel, the inclusion of an additional digicam module, in addition to the totally different supplies makes a giant distinction. However 30g is rather a lot by way of a telephone, so if you happen to have been hoping for a light-weight machine, then the Professional may have already got dominated itself out of rivalry. 

The customizable Motion button that debuted on the iPhone 15 Professional units now makes an look on the iPhone 16. Along with that, Apple has launched a brand new Digital camera Management button on all 4 new telephones, which we’ll cowl within the digicam part under. 

All 4 iPhones characteristic the identical IP68 water and dustproofing scores, and all include the now commonplace USB-C charging port, though, as in 2023, the Professional mannequin upgrades to USB 3 for sooner switch speeds.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Professional: Show

As talked about already, the iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max include bigger screens than the non-pro fashions, however there are some widespread elements. They’re all Tremendous Retina XDR panels with OLED, HDR, True Tone, Vast colour, 1,000 nits max brightness (typical), 1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR), and a pair of,000 nits peak brightness (outside), plus a brand new 1 nits minimal brightness.

Solely the Professional fashions get an At all times-On show in order that the time and chosen data is all the time proven, and ProMotion (120hz) refresh charge to make scrolling buttery clean.

Resolutions are comparatively the identical, once you issue within the dimension distinction, with the 2 sporting the next specs:

• iPhone 16: 6.1-inch, 2,556 x 1,179-pixel decision at 460 ppi
• iPhone 16 Professional: 6.3-inch, 2,622 x 1,206-pixel decision at 460 ppi

• iPhone 16 Plus: 6.7-inch, 2,796 x 1,290-pixel decision at 460 ppi
• iPhone 16 Professional Max: 6.9-inch, 2,868 x 1,320-pixel decision at 460 ppi

All of the 2024 iPhones characteristic the identical up to date Ceramic Protect know-how to guard the display screen from scratches or breakages. 

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Professional: Tech specs

The variations between the professional and commonplace iPhones for 2024 are maybe much less pronounced than in earlier years. The bigger screens on the professional fashions are in all probability the most important level in favor of the professional fashions.

As you may see from the desk under, a lot of the adjustments relate to the cameras, which we’ll talk about within the subsequent part.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Professional: Cameras

It’s within the digicam division the place the obvious variations seem. The iPhone 16 has a dual-lens rear digicam system (48Mp f/1.6 Fusion and 12Mp f/2.2 Extremely vast) however Apple has added some software program trickery in order that the Fusion digicam shoots at 24Mp and 48Mp, providing you with a cropped picture that retains excessive ranges of particulars and creates basically two focal lengths. The upgraded Extremely Vast lens additionally comes with autofocus now and may shoot macro pictures. These two lenses mix to supply 0.5x, 1x and 2x optical zoom choices. 

The association of the cameras has additionally modified, with the lenses now positioned vertically fairly than diagonally. That is to permit for the taking of stereoscopic pictures wanted for the brand new Spatial Seize characteristic, which can create pictures that can be utilized with Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. 

As you may see from the above desk, the Professional digicam is superior. As is conventional, the Professional mannequin has a 3 lens array on the rear module. That is made up of a 48Mp f/1.78 Fusion, 48Mp f/2.2 Extremely Vast, and 12Mp f/2.8 Telephoto. The latter has 5x optical zoom capabilities that we first noticed on the iPhone 15 Professional Max, however which now seems on the smaller Professional mannequin within the new era. General the iPhone 16 Professional provides 0.5x, 1x, 2x and 5x optical zoom choices. 

For this era it good points a second 48MP digicam for Extremely Vast and the power to take 48MP macro photographs. Macro pictures had beforehand solely been accessible on the professional iPhones, however in 2024 it arrived on the iPhone 16 too (although not at 48MP). The aperture settings are additionally higher on the Professional. Notice that the place previously the Professional Max would have a superior digicam, that is not the case: the iPhone 16 Professional and 16 Professional Max have equivalent cameras.

There’s additionally the brand new second-generation sensor-shift optical picture stabilisation on the Professional, whereas the usual iPhone will get the (nonetheless spectacular) first-generation model. 

All of the 2024 iPhones include Deep Fusion, Good HDR 5 for photographs, Photonic Engine, Evening Mode (though solely the Professional has Evening Mode Portraits), Portrait Lighting, True Tone Flash (the place the Professional is adaptive whereas the usual iPhone 16 is just not), the most recent era of Photographic kinds, Spatial photographs, and Anti-reflective lens coating to cut back glare (the iPhone 16 is barely on the Fusion digicam). 

So, from a photographic viewpoint, the iPhone 16 has some good options and can seize implausible pictures, however the iPhone 16 Professional has extra firepower at its disposal. 

Macworld

Macworld

Macworld

Video marks the most important departure. The iPhone 16 can shoot 4K/60fps, which is greater than sufficient for most individuals. There’s additionally the Motion Mode to maintain jittery footage clean, Spatial Video, Macro, Slo-Mo at 1080p/240fps, Time-Lapse, and loads of different cool options, the vast majority of which can by no means be used, because the video can be for capturing footage of the children at birthday events or fast vacation panoramas to point out the oldsters again dwelling. And there’s nothing incorrect with that, as that is how regular folks use video recording on their telephones. So, the iPhone 16 is an ideal choice. 

Do you have to need to begin a movie profession although, then the expanded options on the iPhone 16 Professional can be of nice curiosity. ProRes goes from 4K/60fps on the iPhone 15 Professional to 4K/120fps, bringing Cinematic Slo-mo to the iPhone. You continue to get the Log video recording and the Academy colour Encoding system, so you may work on colorization, plus there’s now what Apple calls a studio-quality four-mic array for capturing audio. Not solely that, you too can remix the audio to take away or change the prominence of audio components like off-screen speaking due to the Audio Combine characteristic (which additionally works on the iPhone 16). 

If cameras are your factor, and video specifically, then the iPhone 16 Professional is the one you need. 

Digital camera Management button

One new characteristic the iPhone 16 and 16 Professional each share is the Digital camera Management button. That is just like the later iterations of the Residence button, in that it makes use of a Taptic Engine to simulate the sensation that it’s being pressed. Tapping the Digital camera Management button immediately launches the digicam, so you may shortly seize pictures. The floor can also be contact delicate so it may be used to regulate settings by sliding your finger alongside it.

All of this makes the expertise really feel far more akin to a basic digicam with all of the dials for publicity, aperture or ISO below your fingers. Apple additionally introduced that focus monitoring for pictures can be made accessible in a software program replace within the coming months. With this, you’d soft-press the button to pick the topic in focus, then have the ability to reframe the shot with the topic nonetheless tracked till you press the button once more to seize the picture. 

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Professional: Processor and efficiency

Macworld

Macworld

Macworld

Apple bestows new processors on the iPhone 16 vary, as you’d anticipate, with an A18 in the usual fashions and the A18 Professional in, effectively, you’ve guessed it. 

Each chipsets characteristic a brand new 16-core neural engine, 6-core CPU (2 efficiency and 4 effectivity cores), 6-core GPU, all constructed on a 3nm course of. Whereas these chips enhance efficiency and effectivity over their forebears, it’s unclear how they evaluate to one another, as Apple hasn’t introduced any direct comparative figures. 

We do know that the A18 Professional has further options, corresponding to devoted sections for ProMotion Show help, At all times-On show help, sooner USB 3 speeds, and ProRes video recording, however whether or not that can be helpful to most individuals is unclear. 

They’re each the quickest chips you may get on iPhones, and are objective constructed to help Apple Intelligence, which runs on all of the iPhone 16 lineup. You’ll be able to learn extra in regards to the Apple Intelligence options to see what the fuss is all about, however briefly it’s one thing of a giant deal, because the AI capabilities are baked-in to iOS 18, making it doable to enhance your writing, discover photographs simply by describing what’s occurring in them, work together with Siri is a much more productive method, plus numerous picture modifying and intelligent further video options. 

Due to the extra environment friendly silicon in each units, they rating spectacular battery life enhancements over the fashions they change. Utilizing video playback because the metric, the iPhone 16 boasts as much as 22 hours, which is 2 greater than the iPhone 15, however the iPhone 16 Professional takes the lead with a whopping 27-hour most, which is a four-hour enchancment over the iPhone 15 Professional. Spectacular certainly. 

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Professional: Value

Apple introduced that each units would open for pre-order on 13 September 2024, with the complete launch on 20 September 2024. 

Right here’s how they line up price-wise:

iPhone 16

• iPhone 16 (128GB) – $799/£799
• iPhone 16 (256GB) – $899/£899
• iPhone 16 (512GB) – $1,099/£1,099

iPhone 16 Plus

• iPhone 16 Plus (128GB) – $899/£899
• iPhone 16 Plus (256GB) – $999/£999
• iPhone 16 Plus (512GB) – $1,199/£1,199

iPhone 16 Professional

• 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

iPhone 16 Professional Max

• 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

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Professional: Is the iPhone 16 Professional higher than the iPhone 16?

2024’s iPhones make some compelling arguments for upgrading. The improved cameras, battery life, and efficiency are all sturdy causes, but it surely’s Apple Intelligence that’s the most intriguing. If Apple can ship on the promise, then this may be a turning level in the direction of how iPhones will look and behave for the following decade. 

Between the 2 units themselves, there are variations, however as with the usual iPhone vs Professional debate, it actually comes all the way down to what you need to do together with your iPhone. If it’s a lightweight and compact design with nice cameras, loads of energy, and which can final you for few years, then the iPhone 16 is the apparent selection. 

Those that are joyful to spend extra and actually need to get critical with video content material ought to look in the direction of the iPhone 16 Professional. We’re not satisfied that the extra options can be a lot use to your on a regular basis consumer, however that’s why there’s a Professional within the title.