Read this before you buy

Apple has just announced the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro at a lavish event in Cupertino. We’ve been expecting these phones for some time, and there’s every chance they could be some of the most popular smartphones this year.

Apple has once again split its phone offering into two distinct lines, the iPhone 16 and the higher-end, higher-priced iPhone 16 Pro.

In traditional Apple fashion, a number of the features that headline the iPhone 16 launch were previously exclusive to the Pro line – while the Pro models this year pick up a few new skills.

Before we fully review all the phones, here’s our initial comparison of some of the biggest differences between the two ranges and four devices.

Pricing and Availability

Apple confirmed the iPhone 16 launch will match its predecessors in terms of pricing. The iPhone 16 starts at £799/$799 with 128GB of storage, and it’s up for pre-order now ahead of release on 20 September.

For the Pro, the base model starts at $999, while the Pro Max starts at $1199.

Both phones come in two sizes

The iPhone 16 is available in two sizes. One has a 6.1-inch screen, while the Plus model ups that to 6.7 inches. Both are OLED, although it seems that ProMotion – the tech that allows the screen to refresh at 120Hz – is still locked to the Pro phones.

Apple has tweaked the sizes for the Pro, the smaller model now has a 6.3-inch screen, whereas the Pro Max has the biggest ever screen on an iPhone at 6.9 inches.

All models get an A18 chip

The regular iPhone is jumping to the A18 chip, missing out on the A17 completely. However, that doesn’t mean all the phones run the same chip. The A18 Pro powers, you guessed it, the Pro phones and it’s built on the hugely efficient 3nm process.

The 6-core CPU is 15% faster than the A17 Pro, has 2x faster encoding and includes skills for enabling features you simply won’t find on the iPhone 16 – like the Always-on Display and ProMotion.

You’ll want the Pro because of its superior camera specs

In terms of the iPhone 16, both the standard and the Plus models feature two cameras. There’s a main 48MP camera, which Apple is calling a Fusion Camera and a secondary ultrawide 12MP.

It’s the Pro that really ups the camera game, though. First off, both of the Pro models now have the 5x Telephoto camera that was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max last year.

Next up, the Pro models have a 48MP main Fusion camera and a secondary 48 ultrawide. In terms of video, there’s support for 4K at 120fps in a new cinematic slo-mo mode. 4K at 120fps can also be captured in ProRes and Dolby Vision.

Apple Intelligence all round

It should hardly be a surprise, but all four new phones support Apple Intelligence – Apple’s entry into the AI space. This is important because the iPhone 15 doesn’t support the service due to its inferior SoC.

As all the iPhone 16 models run on the A18 chip – albeit in different forms – all of them support Apple Intelligence and should get all the features when it comes to iOS 18.1 later in the year.

The Action Button is here, and it’s not alone – hello Camera Control

The Action Button was one of the notable additions to the iPhone 15 Pro (and Pro Max), and many had predicted that a year later the handy shortcut key would also come to the regular iPhones. That is certainly the case, as all the iPhone 16 models have the Action Button.

This button, which sits above the traditional volume keys, can be programmed to open the camera, start a voice memo or enact a shortcut. It’s a handy key, if not completely revolutionary.

That’s not the only new button coming to these phones, though. Apple has added the Camera Control and it’s coming to all four new phones. This is a capacitive key that is designed to be a modern camera shutter button. You can slide and swipe on it to change mode, and press to open up the camera.

Design and colour differences

Apple hasn’t shifted the design too much this year, with both models looking similar to the outgoing options. There are new colours, of course, with a new purple looking like the flagship hue for the iPhone 16. There’s also black and white, plus a nice green and blue.

Apple also mentioned that the iPhone 16 is now constructed from 85% recycled content and there’s a new Ceramic Shield coating that is 50% tougher than before.

For the Pro, there are four titanium colours. The new addition this year is the Desert Titanium – which has a gold finish, although it’s certainly more tasteful than the old, slightly blingy gold hues Apple has used before.

Early Verdict

While we’ll need to properly test the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro to really judge which one is the easiest to recommend, there are notable upgrades across the board – and it’s nice that all the new features aren’t restricted to the Pro model.

It’s great that all models get the Camera Control, and it’s nice to see the Action Button across the whole range. Still, it’s the Pro that’ll stand out to those who aren’t so fussed about saving money. The Pro once again has the ‘best of the best’ when it comes to specs and features, which big updates to the camera especially notable.

The Pro series also has a better screen, with the 120Hz refresh rate tech still only found on the higher-end phone.