iPhone 16 Compared To 16 Pro Cameras

Comparison of iPhone 16 and 16 Pro cameras

The iPhone 16 and 16 Pro are equipped with Apple’s most cutting-edge camera technology. While the iPhone 16 Pro inherently offers more extensive features and capabilities, the iPhone 16 has incorporated many professional features, making the models increasingly comparable. Continue reading to dive deeper into the differences between the cameras of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, along with guidance on which model to choose.

Table of Contents

If you want comprehensive comparisons of various iPhone models, feel free to explore our detailed guides. Otherwise, let’s delve into the specifics of the camera functionalities 😁:

Camera Comparison: iPhone 16 vs. 16 Pro

Rear Camera Systems

Both the iPhone 16 models are equipped with a 48MP primary rear camera, the innovative Camera Control button, and the latest Photographic Styles among other enhancements.

However, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max maintain their distinction by featuring superior camera systems.

Following the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which saw incremental camera enhancements over the basic iPhone 15 Pro, the 16 Pro and Pro Max have synchronized their camera functions and capabilities.

For standard photography, the 16 Pro/Max boast an impressive 48MP ultra-wide lens compared to the 12MP ultra-wide lens found on the 16/Plus models, along with a telephoto lens that can achieve 5x optical zoom exclusive to the pro versions.

Exclusive to the Pro models are advanced features such as Night mode portraits and ProRAW support.

	iPhone 16	iPhone 16 Plus	iPhone 16 Pro	iPhone 16 Pro Max
Camera Control	✅	✅	✅	✅
Main Lens	48MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture	48MP, ƒ/1.6 aperture	48MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture	48MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture
Main Lens Sensor	2 µm quad pixel	2 µm quad pixel	2.44 µm quad pixel	2.44 µm quad pixel
Main Lens Focal Length	26 mm	26 mm	24 mm	24 mm
Ultra Wide Lens	12MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture	12MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture	48MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture	48MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture
Telephoto Lens	❌ (main lens provides 2x zoom)	❌ (main lens provides 2x zoom)	12MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (up to 5x zoom)	12MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (up to 5x zoom)
Stabilization	Sensor-shift optical image stabilization	Sensor-shift optical image stabilization	Sensor-shift optical image stabilization	Sensor-shift optical image stabilization
Optical Zoom	0.5x, 1x, and 2x	0.5x, 1x, and 2x	0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x	0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x
Digital Zoom	Up to 10x	Up to 10x	Up to 25x	Up to 25x
Flash	True Tone flash	True Tone flash	Adaptive True Tone Flash	Adaptive True Tone Flash
Photonic Engine	✅	✅	✅	✅
Deep Fusion	✅	✅	✅	✅
Smart HDR 5	✅	✅	✅	✅
Next-gen Portraits with Focus and Depth Control	✅	✅	✅	✅
Portrait Lighting with Six Effects	✅	✅	✅	✅
Night Mode	✅	✅	✅	✅
Night Mode Portraits	❌	❌	✅	✅
Latest-gen Photographic Styles	✅	✅	✅	✅
Spatial Photos	✅	✅	✅	✅
Macro Photography	✅	✅	✅	✅
Apple ProRAW	❌	❌	✅	✅

Video Recording Capabilities

The Pro models also have extra video features, including ProRes and log video recording, the ability to record to external storage, and four studio-quality microphones.

Here are the complete video specifications for all models:

	iPhone 16	iPhone 16 Plus	iPhone 16 Pro	iPhone 16 Pro Max
4K Dolby Vision/HDR Recording	✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30, 60, 100, or 120 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30, 60, 100, or 120 fps
1080p Recording	✅ – at 25, 30, or 60 fps	✅ – at 25, 30, or 60 fps	✅ – at 25, 30, or 60, or 120 fps	✅ – at 25, 30, or 60, or 120 fps
Cinematic Mode	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps
Action Mode	✅ – up to 2.8K at 60 fps	✅ – up to 2.8K at 60 fps	✅ – up to 2.8K at 60 fps	✅ – up to 2.8K at 60 fps
ProRes Recording	❌	❌	✅ – up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording	✅ – up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording
Log Video Recording	❌	❌	✅	✅
Macro Video Recording	✅	✅	✅	✅
Spatial Video Recording	✅ – at 1080p at 30 fps	✅ – at 1080p at 30 fps	✅ – at 1080p at 30 fps	✅ – at 1080p at 30 fps
Slo-mo Recording	✅ – 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps	✅ – 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps	✅ – 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps	✅ – 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps
Time-lapse with Stabilization	✅	✅	✅	✅
Night mode Time-lapse	✅	✅	✅	✅

Front Camera Features

The TrueDepth front camera integrated into iPhone 16 Pro models includes significant enhancements over the regular 16 and Plus models.

These upgrades comprise features like ProRAW, ProRes, log recording capabilities, and support for external storage.

	iPhone 16	iPhone 16 Plus	iPhone 16 Pro	iPhone 16 Pro Max
TrueDepth Front Camera	12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture	12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture	12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture	12MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture
Autofocus with Focus Pixels	✅	✅	✅	✅
Retina Flash	✅	✅	✅	✅
Photonic Engine	✅	✅	✅	✅
Deep Fusion	✅	✅	✅	✅
Smart HDR 5 for Photos	✅	✅	✅	✅
Next-gen Portraits with Focus and Depth Control	✅	✅	✅	✅
Portrait Lighting with Six Effects	✅	✅	✅	✅
Animoji and Memoji	✅	✅	✅	✅
Night Mode	✅	✅	✅	✅
Night Mode Time-lapse	✅	✅	✅	✅
4K Dolby Vision/HDR Recording	✅ – at 24, 25, 30 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30 fps
1080p Dolby Vision Recording	✅ – at 25, 30 fps	✅ – at 25, 30 fps	✅ – at 25, 30 fps	✅ – at 25, 30 fps
Slo-mo Recording	✅ – 1080p at 120 fps	✅ – 1080p at 120 fps	✅ – 1080p at 120 fps	✅ – 1080p at 120 fps

iPhone 16 vs. 16 Pro: Input/Output Features

With the transition to USB-C in iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 series introduces fewer I/O changes.

The most notable upgrade might be the new Camera Control, but it also brings along enhancements like WiFi 7 compatibility, MagSafe that allows up to 25W charging, and more.

The iPhone 16 supports USB 2 speeds, while the Pro models leverage the more advanced USB 3 technology, allowing them to shoot to external storage seamlessly.

	iPhone 16	iPhone 16 Plus	iPhone 16 Pro	iPhone 16 Pro Max
USB-C	✅ – USB 2 up to 480Mbps	✅ – USB 2 up to 480Mbps	✅ – USB 3 up to 10Gbps	✅ – USB 3 up to 10Gbps
WiFi	7	7	7	7
Bluetooth	5.3	5.3	5.3	5.3
UWB Gen 2	✅	✅	✅	✅
NFC with Reader Mode	✅	✅	✅	✅
Cellular	GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA	GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA	GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA	GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA
5G	Sub-6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO	Sub-6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO	Sub‑6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO	Sub‑6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO
Audio Playback	Spatial audio/Dolby Atmos	Spatial audio/Dolby Atmos	Spatial audio/Dolby Atmos	Spatial audio/Dolby Atmos
Video Playback	HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG	HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG	HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG	HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG
MagSafe	✅ with 25W charging	✅ with 25W charging	✅ with 25W charging	✅ with 25W charging

Final Thoughts: Which Should You Buy?

If you’re weighing the decision to upgrade, here’s a concise summary comparing the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro.

It’s essential to recognize that both models feature the innovative Camera Control button and sensor alongside support for Apple Intelligence technology.

Reasons to Choose iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max: