Every iPhone 16 model compared: Which new iPhone should you buy?

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Apple unveiled its newest handsets earlier this week, together with the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Whereas the lineup embodies Apple’s push for bigger shows, improved efficiency, and important digital camera upgrades, all fashions have key variations that you must think about going into this 12 months’s shopping for cycle.

Additionally: The best iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro cases of 2024: Expert tested

Your complete lineup options help for Apple Intelligence, Apple’s synthetic intelligence (AI) instruments that shall be launched for some iPhone fashions with iOS 18 over the subsequent few months. Except for the iPhone 16, the one iPhones suitable with Apple Intelligence are the iPhone 15 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional Max. 

Nonetheless, different options make the iPhone 16 lineup a good selection for an improve. This is how one can select the very best one for you:

Options iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Professional iPhone 16 Professional Max
 
$799 $899 $999 $1,199
Show 6.1-in Tremendous Retina XDR OLED 6.7-in Tremendous Retina XDR OLED 6.3-in Tremendous Retina XDR OLED 6.9-in Tremendous Retina XDR OLED
Finishes Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine Black Titanium, White Titanium, Pure Titanium, Desert Titanium Black Titanium, White Titanium, Pure Titanium, Desert Titanium
Processor A18 A18 Apple A18 Professional Apple A18 Professional
RAM 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB
Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Decision 2446 x 1179 pixel 2796×2290 pixel 2622 x 1290 pixel 2868 x 1320 pixel
Digicam 48 MP Fusion | 12MP UW 48 MP Fusion | 12MP UW 48MP Vast | 12MP Tele 5x | 48MP UW | 12MP Selfie 48MP Vast | 12MP Tele 5x | 48MP UW | 12MP Selfie

You can purchase the iPhone 16 Professional if…

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

1. You desire a photographer’s digital camera in your pocket

The iPhone 16 Pro fashions characteristic the very best digital camera techniques of any iPhone, however you do not have to splurge for the Professional Max to take pleasure in them. The iPhone 16 Professional has a 48-MP ultra-wide digital camera, up from 12 MP on the iPhone 15 and 14 Professional fashions. The brand new lineup brings the iPhone 16’s UW digital camera in step with the primary sensor, which is predicted to scale back noise and enhance picture high quality considerably

Additionally: Apple just gave me a compelling reason to buy the smaller iPhone 16 Pro over the Max this year

Except for a brand new digital camera structure, the iPhone 16 Professional has extra picture seize options that make it interesting for images lovers, together with a 5X optical zoom, new and improved digital camera sensors, 4K video help at 120fps (together with slo-mo) and spatial video recording. You possibly can take pleasure in your footage within the bigger 6.3-inch show, up from the 6.1-inch display within the older Professional fashions, and select a mannequin with as much as 2TB of storage. 

2. You need Wi-Fi 7 help

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus each help Wi-Fi 6E, however the 16 Professional and 16 Professional Max additionally help Wi-Fi 7. Wi-Fi 7 interprets into sooner speeds, decrease latency, and extra environment friendly spectrum use, which is helpful for high-demand duties like on-line gaming, video conferencing, streaming 8K video, digital actuality (VR), and downloading giant information.

3. Quick charging is essential to you

The iPhone 16 Professional helps as much as 40W wired charging and 20W MagSafe wi-fi charging. Whereas the iPhone 16 Professional’s battery is simply about 2.5% bigger than the iPhone 15 Professional, the charging speeds are a particular improve from the iPhone 15’s 15W charging with MagSafe and 27W with wired chargers.

You can purchase the iPhone 16 Professional Max if…

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

1. You need the biggest iPhone show ever

The iPhone 16 Pro Max has an enormous show, rising to six.9 inches with the replace. It options thinner bezels than earlier fashions to maximise actual property show and a barely taller body for more room. 

2. A protracted battery life is essential to you

The iPhone 16 Professional Max additionally has a bigger 4,676 mAh battery, about 5.7% bigger than the iPhone 15 Professional Max. If 5.7% doesn’t sound like an enormous distinction, consider how typically your cellphone dies and the way badly you would like you would have a couple of further battery share factors. 

Additionally: 7 Apple products you shouldn’t buy right now

The 4,676 mAh battery on the iPhone 16 Professional Max continues to be smaller than I hoped, particularly contemplating that the direct competitor, the Samsung Galaxy Extremely, has a 5,000 mAh battery. We’ll see what we will anticipate from the iPhone 17 Professional Max.

You can purchase the iPhone 16 if…

Apple iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Camera Control button

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

1. You need Apple Intelligence options for much less

Fortunately, you will not have to purchase the biggest, most costly iPhone to entry the Apple Intelligence options, as all 4 iPhone 16 fashions will help Apple’s new AI instruments. Apple Intelligence requires an A17 chip or newer and at the very least 8GB of RAM. The iPhone 16 options the A18 Professional chip to help AI processes and extra superior machine studying duties. 

Additionally: iPhone 16 hands-on: So packed with features, I almost forgot about its Pro model

Apple Intelligence requires appreciable processing energy, largely depending on RAM capability. Increased RAM capability permits pure language processing (NLP) and AI-powered picture modifying. The A18 chip is constructed with second-generation 3nm know-how, a six-core CPU with two efficiency cores and 4 effectivity cores, and is 30% sooner than the iPhone 15’s CPU whereas utilizing 35% much less energy than the A16 Bionic chip. 

The iPhone 16 additionally has an upgraded neural engine for extra environment friendly AI process processing. The neural engine powers AI duties like voice instructions, picture recognition, and predictive textual content.

2. The Digicam Management characteristic speaks to you

All the brand new iPhone 16 fashions will characteristic a seize button that works as a shortcut for the digital camera operate. The touch-sensitive seize button will let customers management the main focus, zoom, and digital camera set off with totally different gestures. This devoted seize button is new to the iPhone expertise and is on the market on the bottom mannequin, which is noteworthy.

Additionally: Four reasons I’m not upgrading to an iPhone 16 Pro from my iPhone 14

The iPhone 16 will even get the Motion button, launched with the iPhone 15 Professional and 15 Professional Max, as an alternative of the mute swap.

You can purchase the iPhone 16 Plus if…

Apple iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Camera Control button

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

1. You desire a big-screen iPhone for much less

The iPhone 16 Plus includes a 6.7-inch display, which continues to be giant, simply the identical dimension because the iPhone 15 Plus, however barely smaller than the iPhone 16 Professional Max display. It additionally helps Apple Intelligence and options the A17 chip and a few RAM enhancements.

Additionally: Buying an Apple Watch Series 10? Consider these 3 features before upgrading

2. You desire a long-lasting iPhone that does not price $1,199

The iPhone 16 Plus options midrange pricing at $899, sitting squarely between the bottom and Professional variations. For a lower cost, you may get the improved efficiency featured within the iPhone 15 Professional fashions final 12 months and the identical seize button obtainable within the iPhone 16 Professional fashions.

Options to contemplate

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