Intro
But even now we know what to expect. The 16 Pro will come with a slightly larger screen, a slightly bigger battery, a faster processor that will support AI, and you might even get faster charging speeds. Apple is also revamping the ultrawide and zoom cameras with a new, 5X zoom camera. This shapes like a big year for the otherwise compact Pro model.
iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro differences:
| iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 13 Pro |
|---|---|
| Larger, 6.3-inch screen size | 6.1-inch screen |
| 1.2mm screen bezel size | 2.4mm bezel size |
| Slightly heavier at 194 grams | 206 grams weight |
| Faster A18 Pro chipset | Apple A15 Bionic |
| New modem for improved connectivity | Older modem |
| New 5X telephoto camera | 3X telephoto camera |
| New 48MP ultra-wide camera | 12MP ultra-wide camera |
| New physical Capture Button | No physical Capture button |
| Larger battery size | 3,095 mAh battery |
| Possibly faster charging | 25W wired charge |
Table of Contents:
Design and Size
Slightly bigger size and a cool new Capture Button
While the overall styling of the iPhone 16 Pro and 13 Pro are similar, with flat sides and a camera system that looks familiar, there are some important changes.
First is the slightly bigger size with the larger 6.3-inch screen (vs 6.1″ display on the 13 Pro). The borders around that screen will be slimmer on the 16 Pro for a more modern look.
Despite its slightly larger dimensions, the 16 Pro will weigh less thanks to the titanium material used for the frame instead of the heavier stainless steel on the 13 Pro.
Here are the expected sizes of the new model vs the old one:
| iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 13 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 149.6 mm | 146.7 mm |
| Width | 71.4 mm | 71.5 mm |
| Thickness | 8.25 mm | 7.7 mm |
| Weight | 194 g | 204 g |
| Bezel size | 1.2 mm | 2.4 mm |
Brand new will be the Capture button, located just below the power button on the right side of the phone. This new key is capacitive, so it won’t trigger in your pocket accidentally. As the name suggests, it will dedicated to camera functions only, but it will not be limited just to the native camera app.
In function, it will be similar to a shutter button on a traditional camera, but with expanded functionality.
But then you will also be able to swipe on it and it will act like a mini-trackpad, zooming in and out, cycling through filters or other custom functions.
Another new feature for iPhone 13 Pro owners is a USB-C port, a welcome change from the proprietary Lightning port, as well as the Dynamic Island with Face ID instead of the notch. IP68 water and dust protection are the same on both phones.
Display Differences
Apple is moving to a larger, 6.3-inch screen on the 16 Pro, a slight yet noticeable shift from the 6.1-inch display on the 13 Pro.
This might sacrifice the compactness, but it seems like the right choice for the average user who requires a bit more screen space.
Borders around the screen have also slimmed by a half for a more modern look on the 16 Pro.
Another welcome change is a boost in brightness, going up from 1,000 nits typical brightness on the 13 Pro, to 1,200 nits on the 16 Pro.
Both phones have 120Hz ProMotion screen.
Despite the change from a notch to Dynamic Island for Face ID on the front, the face recognition has not changed in speed or functionality.
Performance and Software
Faster chip with AI skills
For years, we’ve been talking about processor speed and benchmarks, and while that is improving this year too, the big story this time is about AI.
With the anticipated new A18 Pro chip, Apple will have to show and convince the world that its chips are on par or better than the competition specifically for AI tasks.
It’s also no surprise that the 16 Pro gets 8GB of RAM on board, the minimum requirement for AI, while the 13 Pro does not support AI features with its limited 6GB of RAM.
However, don’t expect all the unveiled Apple Intelligence features to arrive at once with the iPhone 16 Pro.
Other smaller changes include a new modem, the Snapdragon X75, which promises better connection and signal reception.
The iPhone 16 Pro is also in line to get Wi-Fi 7 support vs Wi-Fi 6 on the iPhone 13 Pro. This should give you up to 2.4X faster speeds and improved latency in perfect conditions.
Camera
5X zoom and a brand new ultrawide camera
With three cameras on the back, the iPhone 16 Pro and 13 Pro share some similiarities, but really a lot has changed in these three years.
The main camera gets an upgrade from 12MP to 48MP that gives you far better detail and low light performance, as well as lossless 2X zoom quality with sensor crop.
The ultra-wide camera also gets a bump from 12MP to 48MP with similar benefits to detail and night time photos.
And finally, the 3X zoom camera is replaced by a 5X zoom tetraprism lens with more reach, great to film your kids at a concert or really anything far away (you do lose out on 3X portraits, though).
As for video, you get a more capable 4K Cinematic video on the 16 Pro (really, this has been available on the 14 Pro and 15 Pro as well). The brand new feature, however, is the 3K120 slow motion, a huge change from the less detailed 1080p slow motion we have now. We are stoked about this rumored change, as even some high-end professional cameras don’t support 120fps beyond 1080p. This will unlock a ton of creative opportunities.
Battery Life and Charging
Expect better battery life and faster charging
Having a slightly bigger iPhone is an opportunity for a bigger battery, and Apple seems to do just that.
The iPhone 16 Pro is rumored to have a 3,577mAh battery, nearly 16% larger than the previous model (which had a 3,095mAh battery).
Apple rates the iPhone 13 Pro for 22 hours of video playback, so we will be looking for an estimate for the 16 Pro at the event next week.
Of course, we will also be running our extensive in-house battery tests that should give you a much more detailed idea of the actual battery improvements.
Even more excitingly, we might finally get faster charging on the iPhone 16 Pro. We say “finally” because virtually all other flagship phones have made the jump to at least 45W charging speed, while Apple only supports around 25W. Well, rumors say the 16 Pro could reach 40W charging speeds via a wire.
You will also possibly have faster MagSafe, going to 20W speeds (up from 15W on the 13 Pro).
Specs Comparison
| Specs | iPhone 16 Pro | iPhone 13 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25mm | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm |
| Weight | 194 g | 204 g |
| Screen | 6.3-inch OLED 120Hz |
6.1-inch OLED 120Hz |
| Processor | Apple A18 Pro New 3nm tech |
Apple A15 Bionic 5nm |
| RAM, Storage *Price expectations |
Similar configs Prices unknown yet |
6/128GB 6/256GB 6/512GB 6/1TB |
| Cameras | 48MP main 48MP ultra-wide 12MP 5X zoom 12MP front |
12MP main, f/1.5 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 12MP 3X zoom, f/2.8 12MP front |
| Battery Size | 3,355 mAh +2.5% |
3,095 mAh |
| Charging Speeds | 40W wired 20W MagSafe *possible |
25W wired 15W MagSafe |
Summary
So, what do we have with the iPhone 16 Pro?
Three years surely brings a lot of change and we think this is the perfect moment for iPhone 13 Pro owners to make the switch to the 16 Pro.
Expectations are for cool new AI features, a revamped camera system, longer battery life and faster charging. These are the fundamentals that everyone cares about and everyone will appreciate.
Of course, we won’t know if all of that happens or not until the official reveal. Apple has scheduled its “Glowtime” iPhone 16 event for next Monday, September 9th, so check back here for an update with all the final details.
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