Comparison guide
iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 16: which should you choose?
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 compared under one framework. One recorded specification difference is Battery capacity: 3561 mAh on the iPhone 16 against 3274 mAh on the iPhone 15 Pro. Specifications and their sources are recorded alongside.
Published: 2026-06-12 · Updated: 2026-09-21
Smartphones verdict
Undocumented scoring basis · overall score and upgrade ranking withheld. The table records stored representative configurations; confirm the configuration and price on the merchant page before buying.
- iPhone 15 Pro: The first titanium-lighter Pro — the A17 Pro and USB-C set the benchmark for the generation.
- iPhone 16: The base model is packed — the A18 chip plus the Camera Control and Action buttons.
- Undocumented quality and performance advantages are not ranked
- Specification field coverage (not accuracy): 100%
Choosing between iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 starts with the real use case and the problem to solve, not with which product is newer. No independent laboratory test is implied.
Core specifications on one baseline
| Item | iPhone 15 Pro | iPhone 16 | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.1 in AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | 6.1 in AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | Same |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | 60 Hz AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | -50% |
| Peak brightness | 2000 nits AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | 2000 nits AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | Same |
| Battery capacity | 3274 mAh AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | 3561 mAh AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | +8.8% |
| Main camera | 48 MP AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | 48 MP AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | Same |
| Weight | 187 g AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | 170 g AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | -9.1% |
| Wired charging | 27 W AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | 27 W AskRS catalog index · check date not recorded | Same |
| Camera system | 48MP main f/1.78 + 12MP ultrawide + 12MP 3x tele | 48MP main f/1.6 + 12MP ultrawide | Different |
| Chipset | Apple A17 Pro | Apple A18 | Different |
| Color | Natural Titanium | Ultramarine | Different |
| Connectivity | 5G Sub-6 + mmWave, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C 3.0 | 5G Sub-6, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C 2.0 | Different |
| CPU model | A17 Pro 6-core CPU | A18 6-core CPU | Different |
| GPU model | A17 Pro 6-core GPU | A18 5-core GPU | Different |
| Memory | 8 GB | 8 GB | Same |
| Operating system | iOS 17 | iOS 18 | Different |
| Panel | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | Super Retina XDR OLED | Different |
| Region | GLOBAL | GLOBAL | Same |
| Storage | 256 GB | 128 GB | -50% |
14 of the 36 values in this table carry a source. The rest have no source on record, which is not the same as being wrong.
How to read Same, Different, No data, Unverified and Not applicable is documented on the configuration-level specification screen. If a condition you require is unknown, withhold the decision and match the exact model, sales region and configuration against the sources on that screen.
Differences recorded in the table
4 fields can be ranked on the same basis, listed by weight.
- Battery capacity · iPhone 16 3561 mAh, iPhone 15 Pro 3274 mAh (+8.8%)
- Refresh rate · iPhone 15 Pro 120 Hz, iPhone 16 60 Hz (-50%)
- Storage · iPhone 15 Pro 256 GB, iPhone 16 128 GB (-50%)
- Weight · iPhone 16 170 g, iPhone 15 Pro 187 g (-9.1%)
The decision axes and the checking order for the whole category are on the Smartphones comparison page.
The two products this comparison names
Match the listing against these models first. The recorded-field count is catalogue completeness, not product quality.
- iPhone 15 Pro · Apple · model number A2848 · released 2023 · recorded fields 18/18
- iPhone 16 · Apple · model number A3287 · released 2024 · recorded fields 18/18
Fields the two products share
6 recorded fields hold the same value for both stored representative configurations, so nothing in this list separates them.
- Screen size · 6.1 in
- Peak brightness · 2000 nits
- Main camera · 48 MP
- Wired charging · 27 W
- Memory · 8 GB
- Region · GLOBAL
Who should choose iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro leads the table on Refresh rate, Storage. The first titanium-lighter Pro — the A17 Pro and USB-C set the benchmark for the generation.
Who should choose iPhone 16
iPhone 16 leads the table on Battery capacity, Weight. The base model is packed — the A18 chip plus the Camera Control and Action buttons.
How to read price and purchase availability
No merchant link is shown: neither product has an approved listing whose name and configuration match the catalogue, and AsKrs does not guess a destination.
- iPhone 15 Pro · No verified purchase link currently available
- iPhone 16 · No verified purchase link currently available
This comparison is built from published specifications and stored representative configurations. The use context, configuration checks, switching costs, and the scope and limits for Smartphones are documented on the Smartphones comparison page.