The iPhone 16 Pro features Apple's faster A18 Pro chip (delivering 20% better CPU performance), improved thermal management, and an upgraded 12MP ultra-wide camera with autofocus, while the iPhone 15 Pro offers proven reliability at a lower price point.
iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Apple's 2023 flagship with A17 Pro chip and ProMotion display
Apple's 2024 flagship with A18 Pro chip and Camera Control button
Processor. Ultra-Wide Camera. Thermal Design. Camera Control Button. Starting Price (USD). Display Technology. Battery Life (typical)
Choose iPhone 16 Pro if you want the latest performance gains, better ultra-wide photography, and improved thermal management for sustained gaming/video work. Choose iPhone 15 Pro if you prioritize cost savings of $200-300 on the used/discounted market and don't need the latest chip—it remains a capable flagship with minimal real-world performance difference for typical users.
iPhone 15 Pro: 2,000 nits | iPhone 16 Pro: 2000 nits
iPhone 15 Pro: 5x optical zoom | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 2,900 | iPhone 16 Pro: 3,358
iPhone 15 Pro: 7,200 | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 3,582 | iPhone 16 Pro: 3,582 mAh
iPhone 15 Pro: $999 | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: IP69 | iPhone 16 Pro: IP69 (6m for 30 mins)
iPhone 15 Pro: 187 g | iPhone 16 Pro: 199 g
iPhone 15 Pro: 3x optical | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: A17 Pro (2023) | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 2,850 | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: Super Retina XDR with always-on | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: $999 | iPhone 16 Pro: $1099
iPhone 15 Pro: 3,450 | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 11,200 | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 4K at 120fps | iPhone 16 Pro: 4K @ 120fps
iPhone 15 Pro: USB 3.0 (10 Gbps) | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 2000 nits | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 29 hours | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 2,900 | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: f/1.8 | iPhone 16 Pro: f/1.78
iPhone 15 Pro: 5x | iPhone 16 Pro: 5x optical
iPhone 15 Pro: 19 hours | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: $999 | iPhone 16 Pro: $999
iPhone 15 Pro: 40% lighter than steel | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: Not supported | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: Apple A17 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: Baseline (A17 Pro) | iPhone 16 Pro: Baseline (A18 Pro)
iPhone 15 Pro: 48MP f/1.78 | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 19 hours | iPhone 16 Pro: ~33 hours
iPhone 15 Pro: $999 (discontinued) | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: Titanium | iPhone 16 Pro: Grade 5 titanium
iPhone 15 Pro: iOS 17-18 (limited iOS 18 features) | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 2023 | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: Apple A17 Pro | iPhone 16 Pro: Apple A18 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro: Baseline (0%) | iPhone 16 Pro: 30% faster
iPhone 15 Pro: ƒ/2.4 | iPhone 16 Pro: ƒ/1.2
iPhone 15 Pro: 120 Hz ProMotion | iPhone 16 Pro: 120 Hz ProMotion
iPhone 15 Pro: 256GB | iPhone 16 Pro: 256GB
iPhone 15 Pro: 3x | iPhone 16 Pro: 3x (with improved processing)
iPhone 15 Pro: 6.1 | iPhone 16 Pro: 6.27 inches
iPhone 15 Pro: 120 | iPhone 16 Pro: 1-120Hz ProMotion
Processor Single-Core Score (Geekbench 6)
iPhone 15 Pro: 256 | iPhone 16 Pro: 256GB
iPhone 15 Pro: 48MP main sensor | iPhone 16 Pro: 48MP (12MP output)
iPhone 15 Pro: 3x | iPhone 16 Pro: 3x optical
iPhone 15 Pro: 2,924 | iPhone 16 Pro: 2,580
iPhone 15 Pro: 16.9 TFLOPS | iPhone 16 Pro: Baseline A18 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro: 120fps | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: USB-C 3.0 (480 Mbps) | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 3,000 nits HDR | iPhone 16 Pro: 2,000 nits
iPhone 15 Pro: A17 Pro (6-core CPU) | iPhone 16 Pro: Apple A18 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro: Limited AI capabilities | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | iPhone 16 Pro: N/A
iPhone 15 Pro: A17 Pro baseline | iPhone 16 Pro: A18 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro: 27 hours | iPhone 16 Pro: 33 hours
iPhone 15 Pro: Fixed focus only | iPhone 16 Pro: Full autofocus
iPhone 15 Pro: 12 MP | iPhone 16 Pro: 12 MP
iPhone 15 Pro: 128 GB | iPhone 16 Pro: 256 GB
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: OLED Super Retina XDR, ProMotion 120Hz, Always-On
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 27 hrs
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: Apple A18 Pro (3nm)
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 48 MP, f/1.78, OIS, sensor-shift
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 5× optical (12 MP, 120mm eq.)
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 187g
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: $999
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: Titanium frame, textured matte glass back, Ceramic Shield front
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: USB-C (USB 3), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, Thread, UWB, MagSafe
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 27W peak
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 48 MP f/1.78
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: $759 (Certified Refurb)
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: None
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: IP68 (6 m, 30 min)
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: iOS 18
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: Apple A18 Pro (3 nm)
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 48MP with f/1.8 aperture
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 4K at 120fps
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 5x maximum
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 512GB
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3 inches
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 5x optical
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 7 years
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 3,000 nits
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: ~45 minutes (45W)
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 7 years guaranteed
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: Baseline
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 12MP
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 4K 60fps
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 4K at 120fps, ProRes
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 12x dual telephoto system
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: Grade 5 Titanium
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 27 hours
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 3x optical zoom
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 12MP (120°)
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 5x + 12x (dual periscope)
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 6-core GPU
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 256GB
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 2,000 nits (HDR)
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 1/1.27" (larger)
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 12MP 5x optical
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: Standard baseline
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: ~26 hours
iPhone 15 Pro: N/A | iPhone 16 Pro: 6-7 years (typical)
How to choose between iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro. Contains 123 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro.
Should I buy iPhone 15 Pro now that iPhone 16 Pro exists?
Yes, if available at a discount of $200+. The iPhone 15 Pro remains a flagship that handles all tasks flawlessly. You'll save money without sacrificing real-world performance for typical use cases like browsing, messaging, and casual photography.
Is the iPhone 16 Pro worth upgrading from iPhone 15 Pro?
For most users, the upgrade is optional. The 20% CPU boost and Camera Control button are nice-to-haves rather than essential. However, if you take macro photos, play demanding games for extended periods, or want maximum battery life, the iPhone 16 Pro's improved cooling and ultra-wide autofocus justify the cost.
Does iPhone 16 Pro have a better camera than iPhone 15 Pro?
The upgrade is selective. Both have identical 12MP main sensors and telephoto lenses. The only difference is the ultra-wide camera now has autofocus on iPhone 16 Pro, making macro shots sharper. For standard photography, both phones produce nearly identical results.
What is the actual performance difference in gaming?
In short bursts, both phones handle all current games at 120fps. The iPhone 16 Pro's vapor chamber cooling prevents thermal throttling during 30+ minute sessions, while iPhone 15 Pro may experience minor frame rate dips. For casual gaming, the difference is imperceptible.
Does iPhone 16 Pro have significantly better battery life?
In video playback, yes: 33 hours vs 27 hours (22% longer). In mixed daily use, the difference is smaller but noticeable—expect 1-2 extra hours per day. The improved thermal design helps maintain consistent performance rather than dramatic battery gains.
How to Choose Between iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro
Processor: iPhone 15 Pro has A17 Pro chip, while iPhone 16 Pro has A18 Pro chip (20% faster CPU).
Ultra-Wide Camera: iPhone 15 Pro has 12MP fixed focus, while iPhone 16 Pro has 12MP with autofocus.
Thermal Design: iPhone 15 Pro has Standard thermal system, while iPhone 16 Pro has Enhanced vapor chamber cooling.
Camera Control Button: iPhone 15 Pro has Not present, while iPhone 16 Pro has Dedicated Camera Control button.
Starting Price (USD): iPhone 15 Pro has $999, while iPhone 16 Pro has $999.
Display Technology: iPhone 15 Pro has Super Retina XDR OLED, while iPhone 16 Pro has Super Retina XDR OLED (same).
Battery Life (typical): iPhone 15 Pro has Up to 27 hours (video), while iPhone 16 Pro has Up to 33 hours (video).