iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro: All the differences explained
The iPhone 18 Pro brings improvements to camera quality and battery life, but also - a higher price.
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Apple just unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro, so it's time for an early look at the specs and how it compares against the iPhone 16 Pro from two years prior.
While the size is not changing, the iPhone 18 Pro now weighs a bit more. In exchange for that, it comes with a much bigger battery, a faster processor, and an innovative main camera with a variable aperture.
The 18 Pro also inherits the excellent 4X telephoto camera from the 17 Pro, as well as the improved selfie camera. It also carries over the aluminum redesign, now with even better vapor-chamber cooling.
And while all of that is nice, the iPhone 18 Pro is now costlier, starting at $1,200 for the base 256GB model.
iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro differences:
| iPhone 18 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro |
|---|---|
| Same 6.3-inch size, but with anti-reflective coating and 3,000-nit outdoor brightness from the 17 Pro | 6.3-inch display size with 2,000-nit peak brightness |
| Aluminum body | Titanium body |
| Narrower Face ID/Dynamic Island | Face ID in its usual form |
| A20 Pro, Apple’s first 2nm iPhone chip | A18 Pro chip |
| 12GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| Even larger vapor chamber | No vapor chamber, only traditional design with worse thermal performance |
| Variable aperture main lens, going from f/1.48 to f/4.0 | Fixed aperture (f/1.78) main camera |
| Photographic Styles 3 | Photographic Styles 2 |
| Improved low-light video | - |
| 18MP Center Stage square sensor with Dual Capture support | Older 12MP sensor |
| Improved battery life with 36 hours of video playback | 27 hours of video playback |
| Faster wired charging, 50% in 15 minutes | 50% in 30 minutes |
| New colorways, four of them, including Burgundy and Glaciers | Four colors Desert, Natural, White and Black Titanium |
| Higher, $1,200 starting price for 256GB model | $1,000 starting price for 128GB model |
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Design and Size
iPhone 18 Pro in Black, Silver, Glacier and Burgundy | Image by Apple
The iPhone 18 Pro largely inherits last year's design with the big camera plateau on the back of the phone and the aluminum frame. The change from titanium on the 16 Pro to aluminum means that the device is now better at dissipating heat, which is great for more intense tasks like gaming.
The size of the 18 Pro matches the 17 Pro exactly, and both of them are only slightly different from the 16 Pro. The only more notable change is the bulkier weight: 211 grams on the 18 Pro vs 198 grams on the 16 Pro.
Image by Apple
And while the two share a 6.3-inch display size, the iPhone 18 Pro features a smaller Dynamic Island, and this would make for less of a distraction when you watch full-screen videos.
Display Differences
Image by Apple
The iPhone 16 Pro and 18 Pro both feature the same 6.3-inch screen size (previously, the iPhone 15 Pro and earlier Pros used a 6.1-inch screen).
The 18 Pro also inherits the 3,000-nit peak brightness of the 17 Pro, which in turn is an upgrade over the 2,000-nit bright 16 Pro. Put simply, the newer model is a bit easier to use outdoors.
The 18 Pro also gets the same anti-reflective screen tech from the 17 Pro, as well as the new Ceramic Shield up front, which protects the glass from scratching. That is a significant upgrade, which basically means your new iPhone is well protected against scratches.
Performance and Software
Image by Apple
The iPhone 18 Pro arrives with the Apple A20 Pro chip, the company's first chip built on TSMC's 2nm node.
The 18 Pro also inherits the 12GB RAM from the 17 Pro, but in either case, that's better than the 8GB of RAM on the iPhone 16 Pro. More RAM gives Apple more headroom for on-device AI.
Image by Apple
This new A20 Pro chip is exciting because it's a jump in technology. At the same performance, TSMC estimates the new tech could deliver up to 30% better power efficiency.
Apple tells us that the CPU in the iPhone 18 Pro is the fastest of any smartphone at the time of its launch, while the GPU is an even bigger leap compared to earlier generations. Gamers will really enjoy the new 18 Pro model.
Image by Apple
Apple also ties the iPhone 18 Pro release to the new iOS 27 software, but of course, that is also coming to all iPhones released in the past few years, including the iPhone 16 Pro.
We have a deep dive into all the new iOS 27 features here, so check that out to get the full software picture.
Camera
Variable aperture
Image by Apple
The iPhone 18 Pro has the camera plateau on the back with a triple-camera system, but the big change is not just in looks.
The 18 Pro is the first iPhone to have a variable aperture (previous iPhones use fixed apertures, and the iPhone 17 Pro has an f/1.78 fixed aperture). A variable aperture allows you control over how much light hits the lens. A wider aperture gets you more light and gives you a wider bokeh. The mechanical aperture in the iPhone 18 Pro can vary between f/1.48 and f/4.0.
The iPhone 18 Pro also inherits the 4X telephoto camera from the 17 Pro, and that one has a much bigger sensor and better quality than the 5X camera used on the 16 Pro.
The selfie camera on the iPhone 18 Pro is another feature carried over from the 17 Pro — it has a square sensor that allows for a software-based, one-tap switch between horizontal and vertical snaps. It should also support Dual Capture, where you record videos simultaneously with the front and rear cameras. The 16 Pro uses the older 12MP selfie camera.
The ultra-wide is the same 48MP one as on the 16 Pro.
Apple is also bringing new Photographic Styles, version 3, with the new thing being added support for grain and texture control. This means you can nail that filmic, grainy look in your images, and I'm all for it.
Video quality in low light also improves with the wider aperture main camera, a neat change.
Apple will also now allow you to add a Cinematic effect (blurring the background) to a regular video, after you've captured it.
Apple is also bringing new Photographic Styles, version 3, with the new thing being added support for grain and texture control. This means you can nail that filmic, grainy look in your images, and I'm all for it.
Video quality in low light also improves with the wider aperture main camera, a neat change.
Apple will also now allow you to add a Cinematic effect (blurring the background) to a regular video, after you've captured it.
Battery Life and Charging
iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max leaked battery sizes | Image by Screenshot from 3G certification database
The iPhone 18 Pro is a big upgrade in battery size compared to the 16 Pro.
Remember that we have two slightly different battery sizes depending on your region. The US model of the iPhone 18 Pro with eSIM only has a slightly bigger battery, while the global version with a physical SIM card has a slightly smaller battery.
The iPhone 18 Pro has passed certification with Chinese agency 3C and the listing confirmed a 4,056mAh battery for the global model and a 4,288mAh in the eSIM version.
That is a nearly 20% bigger size than the 3582 mAh battery used on the iPhone 16 Pro.
The iPhone 18 Pro also gets faster, 60W charging, which gives you a 50% top-up in just 15 minutes. The iPhone 16 Pro only supports 25W-ish speeds for a 50% top-up in 30 minutes.
Both phones support the same MagSafe speeds for wireless charging.
Specs Comparison
And here is a look at the iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro specs:
|
|
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 Pro |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 150 x 71.9 x 8.75 mm (~13.49 mm with camera bump) | 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25 (~12.25 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 211.0 g | 199.0 g |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.3-inch | 6.3-inch |
| Type | |
| OLED, Variable 1-120Hz | OLED, Variable 1-120Hz |
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Apple A20 Pro (2 nm) | Apple A18 Pro (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB 12GB/512GB 12GB/1TB 12GB/2TB |
8GB (LPDDR5)/128GB (NVMe) 8GB/256GB 8GB/512GB 8GB/1024GB |
| OS | |
| iOS (27.x) | iOS (18.x) |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4288 mAh | 3582 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 60.0W Wireless: 25.0W | Wired: 27.0W Wireless: 25.0W |
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 48 MP (ToF 3D depth sensing, Sensor-shift OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX905 Aperture size: F1.5/F4.0 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.28" Pixel size: 1.22 μm | 48 MP (Sensor-shift OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX903 Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.28" Pixel size: 1.22 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 48 MP (Ultra-wide, Sensor-shift OIS) Sensor name: Sony IMX972 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm | 48 MP (Ultra-wide) Sensor name: Sony IMX972 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
| Third camera | |
| 48 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX973 Optical zoom: 4.0x Aperture size: F2.8 Focal Length: 100 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
12 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, Sensor-shift OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX913 Optical zoom: 5.0x Aperture size: F2.8 Focal Length: 120 mm Sensor size: 1/3.06" Pixel size: 1.12 μm |
| Front | |
| 18 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, HDR) | 12 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, HDR) |
See the full
Apple iPhone 18 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Summary
If you take away the price increase, the iPhone 18 Pro looks like a good upgrade for those who value camera improvements and want longer battery life. I am also a big fan of the new Ceramic Shield 2, which prevents scratching and allows me to carry the iPhone without a screen protector.
There is no one radical upgrade, but those smaller ones surely add up.
If you want that massive upgrade and completely different looks, rumors project a big year next year with the 20th anniversary iPhone, so you might just want to wait that out.
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