Walk into any Apple Store and you’ll see the same thing. People standing at the wooden tables, picking up the teal iPhone 16, then the Desert Titanium 16 Pro, staring at the screens like they're trying to see into the future. They want to know one thing: is the Pro actually "Pro" enough to justify the extra two hundred bucks?
Honestly, the answer has changed a lot lately.
Back in the day, the gap between the base model and the Pro was a canyon. If you bought the cheap one, you felt it. You got the old chip, the old design, and you missed out on the "cool" buttons. But with the iPhone 16 series, Apple kind of blinked. They gave the base model the Action Button. They gave it the new Camera Control button. They even skipped a whole chip generation to give it the A18, just so it could handle all that Apple Intelligence stuff.
So, is the Pro dead? Not exactly. But for the first time in years, the "regular" phone doesn't feel like a compromise. It feels like a choice.
The 60Hz Problem: Does It Actually Matter?
Let's address the elephant in the room. The iPhone 16 still has a 60Hz display. In 2026, that sounds like a joke. Most Android phones that cost as much as a fancy dinner have 120Hz screens. When you compare the iPhone 16 compared to 16 Pro, this is the first thing the "nerds" point out.
The Pro has ProMotion. It's smooth. It's buttery. It scales from 1Hz up to 120Hz. If you’re coming from a Pro model, going back to 60Hz feels like walking through mud for about twenty minutes. Your eyes eventually adjust, but you notice the stutter when you're scrolling through Twitter or swiping home.
But here is the secret: most people don't notice.
I’ve handed both phones to my mom, my barber, and my neighbor. None of them could tell the difference until I pointed it out. If you’ve never lived with a 120Hz screen, you won't miss it. But if you have? There is no going back. It's a "one-way door" feature.
Power and the A18 "Divide"
Apple did something weird this year. Usually, the base iPhone gets last year's Pro chip. Not this time. Both phones got brand-new silicon.
The standard 16 runs the A18.
The Pro runs the A18 Pro.
The difference? It’s mostly in the GPU and the "Media Engine." The Pro has a 6-core GPU, while the base has 5. In real-world benchmarks, the Pro is about 10% to 15% faster in heavy tasks. We're talking 4K video rendering or playing Resident Evil with ray tracing turned on.
For 99% of what we do—TikTok, email, checking the weather—the phones are identical. They both have 8GB of RAM. That's the magic number for Apple Intelligence. Whether you want to summarize an email or create a weird Genmoji of your cat, both phones do it at the same speed.
One detail people miss: USB-C speeds. The base 16 is stuck at USB 2 speeds (480 Mbps). The Pro has USB 3 (10 Gbps). If you never plug your phone into a computer, who cares? But if you’re a creator offloading huge video files, that USB 2 cable will make you want to pull your hair out.
The Camera Control Button is a Wash
Everyone was hyped for the Camera Control button. It’s that capacitive strip on the right side. You click it to open the camera, slide your finger to zoom, and light-press to change settings.
It's on both phones.
It’s also... kind of fiddly. It’s located a bit too high up the frame when you’re holding the phone horizontally. Most people I talk to ended up just using the screen anyway. Since both the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro have it, it’s no longer a reason to upgrade. It’s just a new way to accidentally take photos of the inside of your pocket.
Where the Pro Actually Wins (The Zoom)
This is the real reason to spend the extra money. The cameras.
The base iPhone 16 has a 48MP main and a 12MP Ultrawide. It’s a great setup. It even does Macro photography now, which used to be a Pro-only thing. But it has no dedicated zoom lens. You get "2x Optical-quality" zoom, which is really just a crop of the main sensor.
The 16 Pro has the 5x Tetraprism zoom.
✨ Don't miss: iPad Cover for iPad 5th Generation: Why Most Online Listings Are Wrong
If you go to concerts, if you have kids who play sports, or if you just like taking photos of birds, the 5x lens is a game-changer. Digital zoom on the base 16 looks like a watercolor painting once you hit 10x. On the Pro, it stays sharp.
Also, the Pro shoots 4K video at 120 fps. It’s overkill for a birthday party, but for cinematic slow-motion? It’s incredible. And let's not forget ProRAW and Apple Log. If you don't know what those are, you don't need the Pro. Seriously. If you just want a good photo for Instagram, the base 16 actually has "funner" colors and punchier processing.
Weight, Feel, and the Titanium Tax
The iPhone 16 Pro is made of Titanium. The iPhone 16 is Aluminum.
Titanium sounds cooler, but it’s heavier. The 16 Pro weighs 199 grams. The base 16 weighs 170 grams. That 29-gram difference doesn't sound like much until you're holding the phone over your face in bed and it drops on your nose.
The base 16 is also slightly smaller. 6.1 inches versus the Pro's 6.3 inches. Apple shrunk the borders (bezels) on the Pro to get that extra screen real estate without making the phone a giant brick, but it still feels "dense." The base 16 feels like a toy in comparison—and I mean that in a good way. It’s light, it’s easy to use one-handed, and the colors (that Ultramarine is stunning) are way better than the "sophisticated" but boring shades on the Pro.
Battery Life: The Great 2026 Debacle
We have to talk about iOS 26. Since the update, battery life across the board has been a bit of a rollercoaster.
On paper, the 16 Pro should last longer because the LTPO display can drop to 1Hz to save power. In reality? Real-world testing shows they are neck-and-neck. If you're scrolling Instagram all day, both will die around the same time.
If you actually care about battery, you shouldn't be looking at either of these. You should buy the 16 Plus or the 16 Pro Max. The "small" phones are 1-day phones. The "big" phones are 2-day phones. It's that simple.
Actionable Insights: Which One Should You Buy?
Stop looking at the spec sheet and look at your usage.
Buy the iPhone 16 if:
- You want a phone that is light and comfortable.
- You love vibrant colors like Pink or Teal.
- You mostly take "everyday" photos and selfies.
- You haven't used a 120Hz screen before (stay in blissful ignorance).
- You want to save $200 for a pair of AirPods Pro.
Buy the iPhone 16 Pro if:
- You need that 5x zoom for travel or events.
- You are a "screen snob" who can't stand 60Hz stutter.
- You record professional video or need to offload files via USB 3.
- You want the Always-On display (the base 16 screen just goes black).
- You prefer the "jewelry" feel of Titanium.
The biggest mistake people make with the iphone 16 compared to 16 pro is thinking the Pro is "better" for everyone. It's not. For most people, the base 16 is actually the better device because it's lighter and does 95% of the same stuff. The Pro is a niche tool for photographers and tech enthusiasts.
If you're still on the fence, go to a store and try to scroll on both. If the 16 looks "laggy" to you, your choice is made. If it looks fine, take the teal one and don't look back.
Check your current trade-in values before buying; Apple has been getting more aggressive with "Loyalty" credits for 14 and 15 series users lately. If you're coming from a 13 or older, both of these will feel like a spaceship.
Make sure you grab a 30W charger if you don't have one, as neither phone comes with a brick and both support the faster 25W MagSafe charging speeds now.