iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: Do you need to upgrade?

Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup is finally here, and it’s definitely an interesting one. Not only did the base models like the iPhone 16 get features that were exclusive to the Pro models from last year, but now Apple has added the all-new Camera Control across the entire lineup while also making the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone Pro Max models more, well, pro than ever before.

But what if you already have an iPhone 15 Pro? Should you upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro? Let’s break it all down.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: specs

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: design

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro look very similar in terms of design, but there are some new hardware additions that Apple added this year. Both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro feature titanium and the flat edges that Apple has been using since the iPhone 12 line. Even the triple-lens camera layout remains the same. The Action and volume buttons are still there, too.

However, the iPhone 16 Pro adds a new hardware element this year. It’s called Camera Control, and it’s located on the bottom right side of the titanium frame. This is a physical button that sits flush with the frame, and it can be fully pressed. It also has an integrated touch sensor that allows for slide gestures for additional control.

Aside from the Camera Control, the overall look of both devices is very similar. The iPhone 15 Pro had four colors: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Natural Titanium. The iPhone 16 Pro has the same colors, except Desert Titanium replaces the blue option.

However, there are also slight differences with the recycled colors, as the White and Natural Titanium are brighter, and the Black Titanium appears darker with the iPhone 16 Pro. Otherwise, these are two very similar looking and feeling smartphones.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: display

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro have the same Super Retina XDR display, which is an OLED panel. They also have always-on capabilities and ProMotion technology with a 120Hz refresh rate. Both phones have 1,000 nits typical brightness, 1,600 nits for HDR content, and 2,000 nits peak brightness for outdoor use.

However, Apple made some minor tweaks this year with the iPhone 16 Pro. While the iPhone 15 Pro had a 6.1-inch display, the iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch display, so it’s a bit larger due to reduced bezels. The iPhone 16 Pro can also be set to a minimum brightness of 1 nit in low-light environments, making it more comfortable to look at in a dark room or at night.

Apple also uses the latest generation Ceramic Shield for the iPhone 16 Pro, while the iPhone 15 Pro has the previous generation. However, Apple claims both versions are “tougher than any smartphone glass,” so you should expect good drop resistance across both. However, from personal experience, small scratches may be a different story.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: cameras

Apple made some nice improvements to the camera system on the iPhone 16 Pro, making it better than its predecessor in more ways than one.

The iPhone 15 Pro has a 48-megapixel primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP telephoto lens that can only achieve a 3x optical zoom. Because of size constraints, Apple could not fit its newer telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom into the iPhone 15 Pro, only the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The TrueDepth front camera is 12MP.

With the iPhone 16 Pro, you get a new 48MP Fusion camera (a new term for “wide” or “main”), a 48MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom. That’s right — thanks to the slightly larger physical size of the iPhone 16 Pro, it now gets the 5x optical zoom that was missing last year. The TrueDepth front camera is still just 12MP though.

The iPhone 16 Pro also has some new photography and video tricks that you won’t get on the iPhone 15 Pro. That includes 48MP macro photography, 4K Dolby Vision video recording, improved studio-quality four-mic array, wind noise reduction, audio mix, and more.

Though the iPhone 15 Pro still has a good camera system, the iPhone 16 Pro is definitely a step up. And if you tend to take more professional videos, then it’s a no-brainer to go with the iPhone 16 Pro.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: software and performance

The iPhone 15 Pro originally shipped with iOS 17 and is upgradable to iOS 18. You can expect around five or so more years of support from Apple, as the company doesn’t give specific numbers like its competitors.

The iPhone 15 Pro (and its larger sibling) meets the minimum requirement for Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18 since it has the A17 Pro chip and 8GB RAM. In daily use, the iPhone 15 Pro has held up pretty great — apps and games open up quickly, switching between apps is fast and seamless, and everything basically runs without a hitch.

But the iPhone 16 Pro takes things to another level. It has the new A18 Pro chip, which Apple claims has a 20% increase in memory bandwidth, 2x boost at hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and 20% improvement in sustained performance. It should also be more power efficient than its predecessor, though this didn’t bear out in our battery tests.

The iPhone 16 Pro was built from the ground up to get the most out of Apple Intelligence. And with the Camera Control, you’ll be able to get Visual Intelligence, which won’t be coming to the iPhone 15 Pro. Visual Intelligence is like Google Lens, but utilizes Apple Intelligence and Siri. The iPhone 15 Pro is no slouch, but we’ll have to wait until Apple Intelligence launches to judge how well the iPhone 16 Pro handles it.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: battery life and charging

The iPhone 15 Pro has a 3,274mAh battery, which equates to about 23 hours of streamed video playback, according to Apple. In our personal use with an iPhone 15 Pro for the past year, the battery life started out strong in the beginning, but nowadays it does need a charge in the middle of the day to get through the entire day.

The iPhone 16 Pro battery appears slightly bigger than the one from last year. However, it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. Apple claims about 27 hours of streamed video playback with the iPhone 16 Pro, but the battery regularly dropped under 20% within 12 hours during testing. If you’re looking for significantly longer battery life, you won’t find it here.

As far as charging goes, Apple did not make any improvements on the iPhone 16 Pro in regards to the wired charging speed, as it remains the same as before (50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter). But for wireless charging, it can now get up to 25W wireless MagSafe charging, up from 15W previously.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: verdict

If you already have an iPhone 15 Pro, then it may be hard to recommend upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro. After all, the iPhone 15 Pro is capable of running Apple Intelligence features with iOS 18, and it’s still a very good phone a year after its release.

However, if you want access to the new Camera Control, which unlocks Visual Intelligence, as well as the improved 48MP ultrawide lens and 5x optical zoom capabilities, then the iPhone 16 Pro may be worth upgrading to. Also, if you can take advantage of a trade-in deal that can get you up to $1,000 off the iPhone 16 Pro, it may be worth pulling the trigger for that alone. It’s not an absolutely necessary upgrade, but if you find a good deal and think you’d get a lot out of the Camera Control and new camera sensors, it’s worth considering.