Apple iPhone 16 Pro Review: Boringly great
iPhone 16 Pro Intro
With the iPhone 16 Pro, Apple is shifting things up a bit, but... not a lot.
The 16 Pro now has a slightly larger, 6.3-inch size and it's adding a few camera improvements like a longer, 5X zoom camera, a 48MP ultrawide snapper and a new Camera Control button.
iOS 18.1 Update: Most importantly, it gets Apple Intelligence. A month after the launch, Apple pushed iOS 18.1 with the first small set of Apple Intelligence features including things like notification summaries, writing tools and the clean up tool in the Photos app. The bigger chunk of Apple Intelligence features including the ChatGPT integration and Visual Intelligence will arrive in December with the iOS 18.2 update. And yet others like the all-new Siri are coming with iOS 18.3, which is expected in March of 2025.
The list of new features also includes a new chipset and battery life is also slightly better.
But also, the iPhone 16 Pro looks a lot like the iPhone 15 Pro from last year, down to the colors. And one can argue that even those camera improvements are too small for many people to noitce and even less people seem to care about faster processors.
Whichever way you look at it, though, the iPhone 16 Pro does not seem like a major change. It's yet another evolution to the world's most popular phone. It's still a great phone. A boringly great phone.
Disclaimer: Above, you can see our new review rating system. Based on objective scoring across twelve different categories, it breaks down all the important aspect of the smartphone experience in easy to digest numbers.
However, the final score might seem a bit lower than you are used to seeing. The reason for that is the way our score is designed with more headway, so keep that in mind and remember to look at the scores in the context of other phones, rather than in isolation. For example, the iPhone 16 Pro scored 7.7, which does not seem too high, but it is above the average for its class. Learn more about the PhoneArena Review Rating here.
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iPhone 16 Pro Specs
First, let's take a look at the iPhone 16 Pro specs and what has changed from the last two generations:
| iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 15 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Size and Weight 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25mm 199 g | Size and Weight 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25mm 187 g | Size and Weight 147.5 x 71.5 x 7.9mm 206 g |
| Screen 6.3-inch OLED 120Hz | Screen 6.1-inch OLED 120Hz | Screen 6.1-inch OLED 120Hz |
| Processor Apple A18 Pro New 3nm tech | Processor Apple A17 Pro 3nm | Processor Apple A16 Bionic 4nm |
| Configurations 8/128GB for $1,000 8/256GB for $1,100 8/512GB for $1,300 8/1TB for $1,500 | Configurations 8/128GB 8/256GB 8/512GB 8/1TB | Configurations 6/128GB 6/256GB 6/512GB 6/1TB |
| Cameras 48MP main 48MP ultra-wide 12MP 5X zoom 12MP front | Cameras 48MP main 12MP ultra-wide 12MP 3X zoom 12MP front | Cameras 48MP main 12MP ultra-wide 12MP 3X zoom 12MP front |
| Battery 3,582 mAh +9% vs 15 Pro 27 hours of video playback | Battery 3,274 mAh 23 hours of video playback | Battery 3,200 mAh 23 hours of video playback |
| Charging 20W wired 25W MagSafe | Charging 20W wired 15W MagSafe | Charging 20W wired 15W MagSafe |
iPhone 16 Pro Design and Display
New Camera Control and slightly larger body
Bigger size, similar looks (Image by PhoneArena)
The iPhone 16 Pro sticks with the familiar iPhone design language of the past few years with flat sides and a camera island in the upper left corner.
You get a larger 6.3-inch screen, but don't expect this to be a major change and we actually barely noticed it when switching from the 15 Pro.
However, for the record we have to say that this is the first Pro model with a larger screen since... the iPhone 12 Pro. That phone started the 6.1-inch screen trend for a few generations (12 Pro to 15 Pro), and even before that Apple used a 5.8-inch display on the iPhone X to iPhone 11 Pro.
This slight change on the 16 Pro, however, is one in the right direction. People are more dependent on their phones and more screen space translates to an improved user experience. Simple as that.
Does this mean that the iPhone 16 Pro is bigger than earlier Pro models? Again, barley. The 16 Pro is in fact just as wide as the iPhone 14 Pro from two years ago, and only slightly taller. All of this is possible thanks to slimmer borders around the screen. They look really cool, but you need to use your phone without a case to fully notice them, otherwise the effect is not so noticeable.
In terms of materials, we have the same titanium frame as last year with an improved Ceramic Shield on the front. Apple claims the 16 Pro is 2X more durable against drops, but keep in mind that this does not refer to scratches and we got some in just a few days of use (just like on previous iPhones).
For all the rest, you still have IP68 water and dust protection rating, as well as a USB-C port for charging (with USB 3 speeds).
New is the Camera Control button, placed below the power key. We have mixed feelings about it. As a shutter button to quickly start the camera, it's a nice little convenience. But not really more than that.
It also kind of acts like a miniature trackpad and you can swipe and tap on it to zoom in and out or change other settings. We were very curious about this, but after using these functions for a while, we are left with a feeling that Apple kind of over-engineered this. It just seems way easier to zoom in and out on the larger screen of the phone rather than fiddling with this tiny Camera Control button. The default settings also activate it way too easily, so we recommend going into Settings > Accessibility > Camera Control, and disable the "Show Adjustments" feature. This way, you disable the trackpad-like functionality and also the frustration of accidentally zooming in just because your finger got in the way.
The four new iPhone 16 Pro colors
In terms of colors, Apple refuses to give Pro users any happy colors, and we are stuck with the "professional" colors (look for the regular iPhone 16 if you want fun colors):
- Desert Titanium (gold-ish color)
- Natural Titanium (gray)
- White Titanium
- Black Titanium
Learn more about all the iPhone 16 colors here.
The 16 Pro is also coming in a slimmer box this year, made entirely of recycled materials. This is cool, but what is not cool is that there are still no accessories in the box, so you have to buy everything (charger, screen protector, case) separately.
Much slimmer borders around the screen (Image by PhoneArena)
And what about that new 6.3-inch screen? We mentioned the size bump (6.3" vs 6.1" before), and the slimmer borders around the screen, but there is one more upgrade.
The minimum brightness can now drop to just 1 nit, which is much easier on the eyes if you use your phone in bed at night. This sounds like a small feature, but we have been begging Apple to do this for years, so we're glad it's finally here. And yes, Samsung Galaxy phones have had this one for a while, so Apple is catching up here.
Unfortunately, we don't get the cool anti-reflective coating that really impressed us in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, so the iPhone 16 Pro is still reflective which can be a problem outdoors.
There are also no changes to the Dynamic Island, which still hosts the familiar Face ID system.
iPhone 16 Pro Camera
A new ultrawide camera and longer, 5X zoom
The 16 Pro swaps the 3X zoom camera for longer, 5X zoom (Image by PhoneArena)
The iPhone 16 Pro camera system is getting some noticeable improvements, but one new software feature might actually be the show-stopper this year.
First, you still have three cameras on the back, and second, the 16 Pro still has all the cool ProRAW and ProRES features (you don't get these on the regular 16 model).
The main camera is mostly the same 48MP one as on the 15 Pro. Same 24mm lens, same quick presets for 28mm and 35mm crops, same 2X sensor crop feature. And also same 24MP photos by default (you can opt for 12MP if you want even smaller file sizes, or 48MP for more detail at the expense of size).
On our PhoneArena Camera Score, the iPhone 16 Pro scores nearly identical to the previous generation in both detail and colors. There are some differences, but they are negligible. It mostly scores better for longer range zoom, where that 5X camera helps, but loses in that shorter zoom range where the older 3X lens was useful.
iPhone 16 Pro Camera Samples
Looking at the images, you see the familiar "iPhone look" to images.
What does that mean? Well, you get a bit more vibrant colors and a bit of oversharpening, which differentiate these photos from what images from a real camera look like.
New Ultra-wide camera
New are the ultra-wide and zoom cameras. The ultra-wide gets a bigger, 48MP sensor. This allows for pixel binning, aka combining four pixels into one for better light senstivity and ultimately, better low-light photos.
It can definitely capture more light and that is especially noticeable for night shots. In the above crop from an image, you can see how there is less noise on the 16 Pro and more resolved detail. That, however, is only noticeable at night, and during the day the level of detail is identical.
The default photo with the ultra-wide camera is still a 12MP file (you do get higher detail if you opt for a 48MP photo, but that will have a bigger size). There is no in-between 24MP option for the ultra-wide camera.
New 5X zoom camera
The telephoto camera gets a bump from 3X zoom to the 5X zoom tetraprism lens from the Pro Max. This gives you more reach, but you lose on a very useful 72mm lens for portraits. Trade-offs!
In the above image, you see a crop at 10X zoom and at that level, the amount of detail is definitely better with the new Tetraprism camera compared to the same photo captured on the 14 Pro Max, which only has a 3X zoom camera.
However, Apple has a new software feature that is bigger news than you might think. It's the new generation Photographic Styles.
Photographic Styles are like filters on steroids and also, built deep into the system.
New Photographic Styles
With this new generation, they are way more powerful and useful. Previously, you had to select a style and you could not change the style of the image after you capture it. Now, you can do that, which opens lots more possibilities.
The styles themselves are divided into two groups: "Undertones" which change the tint of your photo to Amber, Gold, Rose Gold, Neutral, or Cool Rose, or "Mood" styles which are like little recipes with preset shadows and saturation values.
These might be a bit overwhelming, so let us explain. You control the Styles by moving a dot on an X,Y axis, which is a dotted square. Moving up lights up the shadows and moving down brings deeper shadows (that's what you want to do!). Moving left gives you less saturated colors and moving right gives you more saturated colors. You also have a "palette" slider in the bottom, where you arrange the color range.
So why should you care about these new Photographic Styles? One reason: shadows. iPhone photos in the past few years default to a particular style with bright shadows and a specific... "flat" look. There is just not enough contrast in these images. The default style on the iPhone 16 Pro is even further into that territory.
But now you have a solution: the tone control (moving down on the Photographic Style square). It brings shadows down and you get a beautiful, contrasty picture. If that's all you wanted, that means you can have a great-looking picture right out the gate and never worry about shooting RAW or editing your images later on. Cool!
Video Quality
On the video side, we have one new feature: 4K120 slow motion. This is much crisper than the current 1080p120, and really cool to play around with. Come to think about this, even many professional cameras don't support slow motion beyond 1080p.
We also love the new Audio Mix video editing feature. You have three presets in addition to the standard one: In-frame, Studio and Cinematic, which help you isolate your voice and kill distracting noises. The Studio one is particularly great for... well, studio indoor recordings as it removes all the echo. If you want to start posting talking head videos, with this feature you can kind of do it without having to purchase a separate mic and still get decent (*not great) audio.
For all else, though, we did not notice much of a difference in quality. Apple mentions a new "lens reflection coating", and we were hoping that might resolve the issue with tiny light reflections in low-light iPhone videos, but unfortunately it does not make much of a difference at all.
Last but not least, the photo editing experience will change with lots of new AI features. iOS 18.1 will bring us the new "Clean up" tool in Photos, which allows you to easily remove an object, much like Google's Magic Eraser feature. Apple has added a few nice animations to this and while the results are not always perfect, it's a really cool tool to have.
iPhone 16 Pro Performance & Benchmarks
A new chip with a focus on AI
A18 Pro is not just about power, but also efficiency (Image by PhoneArena)
The iPhone 16 Pro performance is also getting a boost with a new Apple A18 Pro chipset, built on second-gen 3nm technology by leading manufacturer TSMC.
And this is good news because the 15 Pro was built on the first generation of that tech, and did not quite reap the full benefits, so we hope for some meaningful gains in performance this year.
Overall, this chip delivers around 20% faster speeds and a better efficiency.
However, the big story is about AI and how this phone is built around it. With an upgraded Neural Engine, AI tasks will be faster on the 16 Pro, but in terms of RAM we expect it to have the same 8GB RAM as the 15 Pro.
Unfortunately, therer are no changes to the storage situation, so that means a base iPhone 16 Pro model still comes with 128GB on-board memory. We would have loved Apple to bump this to 256GB, instead of asking users to pay a $100 premium for that storage upgrade.
But hey, at least prices remain the same.
iPhone 16 Pro Software
Previously, word on the street was that saying the magic word AI three times summoned a Google Pixel phone in front of you, but now that seems to be an iPhone.
The iPhone 16 Pro is all about Apple Intelligence features, and this is important as the iPhone 14 Pro and older models don't support AI. Apple, of course, wants those owners of older models to upgrade and that is the big reason why.
Interestingly, the iPhone 16 series launched with iOS 18, which did not actually have any of the new Apple Intelligence features. But on October 28th, a month and a half after the launch, with the iOS 18.1 update, the first Apple Intelligence features are now here and they include notification summaries, writing tools, and the Clean Up feature in Photos.
However, the AI features that really make a difference are coming even later. The ChatGPT integration with Siri and the Visual Intelligence features, as well as Image Playground, Genmoji and Image Wand are part of the iOS 18.2 update, which is set to arrive in December.
The third stage of Apple Intelligence features including the completely revamped, much smarter Siri are coming with iOS 18.3 in March or April of 2025.
iPhone 16 Pro Battery
Bigger battery, faster charging
The bigger size of the 16 Pro has one big benefit – you can stick a bigger battery inside.
Just how big? The iPhone 16 Pro battery has a 3582 mAh capacity, a nearly 10% increase over the 3,274 mAh battery capacity on the 15 Pro.
Apple rates the 16 Pro for 27 hours of video playback, up from 23 hours on the 15 Pro model, and audio playback is rated for 85 hours, up from 75 hours previously.
Despite some reports, wired charging is not faster on the 16 Pro, but MagSafe wireless charging is (Image by PhoneArena)
We had to verify those numbers ourselves, so we put the iPhone 16 Pro to our extensive PhoneArena Battery Score testing protocol.
Here are the battery life numbers we got.
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
We got slightly higher scores all around, so the iPhone 16 Pro ends up with a battery life estimate of 6 hours and a half, while previous Pro models hovered around the 6 hour mark. Not as big an improvement as on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but still notable.
Charging is also faster, but only in one certain way.
We were all hoping for faster wired charging, but that actually remains the same at 20W speeds.
However, MagSafe is now much faster than before at 25W, up from 15W before. And while previously on the iPhone 15 Pro you got a 37% top-up in 30 minutes, you now get 50% battery charge in 30 minutes.
Summary
iPhone 16 Pro is about three things – longer battery life, 5X zoom camera and the upcoming Apple Intelligence (Image by PhoneArena)
With the slight tweaks to screen size and battery life, the iPhone 16 Pro is a better phone than previous Pros. But very slightly so.
The changes in camera quality are also there, but they are subtle, and it's the Photographic Style feature that might prove the most important one for the way your pictures look rather than any new camera.
The faster processor only seems to matter for the most demanding gaming tasks and fast capture of ProRAW files, but we doubt you would notice the speed-up in daily use.
And the Camera Control button might be one of the more over-hyped features around, especially when it comes to its trackpad-like features.
And most importantly, the iPhone 16 Pro is just not a complete phone yet without all the full set of Apple Intelligence features coming later in 2024, and some even in 2025. Let's also not forget that the iPhone 15 Pro is getting those features.
So should you upgrade? The iPhone 16 Pro feels a bit like an "S" year, so you probably don't need to upgrade, especially if you have an iPhone 15 Pro.
And what does the future hold for the iPhone Pro? Rumors say we will get a big iPhone 17 Pro redesign in 2025, so if you want an iPhone that actually looks different, you might as well wait up for that.
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