This time around, we’re comparing two products from Apple. We’ll be comparing one of Apple’s new flagships with its predecessor. To be more specific, this is a comparison between the Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro. It’s not that easy to differentiate between Apple’s products from one year to the next, and even though these two phones are similar, you can visibly see which is which rather easily, because of one detail we’ll talk about in the design section.
Yes, there are other differences between them, of course, but there are also a lot of similarities. We’ll first list the specs of both smartphones, as we usually do. Following that, we’ll compare them across a number of different categories, including design, display, performance, battery, cameras, and audio. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Specs
Apple iPhone 17 Pro
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
| Apple iPhone 17 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 150 x 71.9 x 8.8 mm | 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.3 mm |
| Weight | 206 grams | 199 grams |
| Display | 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz | 1-120Hz (adaptive) |
| Resolution | 2622 x 1206 | 2622 x 1206 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Apple A18 Pro |
| RAM | 12GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe) |
| Main camera | 48MP (1/1.28 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS, dual pixel PDAF) | 48MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.28-inch sensor size, 1.22um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS) |
| Ultra-wide camera | 48MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF) | 48MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF) |
| Telephoto camera | N/A | N/A |
| Periscope camera | 48MP (f/2.8 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, PDAF, 3D sensor-shift OIS, 4x optical zoom) | 12MP (f/2.8 aperture, 1/3.06-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, 3D sensor-shift OIS, 5x optical zoom) |
| Selfie camera(s) | 18MP (f/1.9 aperture, OIS) | 12MP (f/1.9 aperture, 1/3.6-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, PDAF, OIS) |
| Battery size | 3,988mAh (nano SIM) / 4,252mAh (eSIM only) | 3,582mAh |
| Charging | Wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included) | 38W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2 wireless (charger not included) |
| Colors | Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium |
Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Design
If you look at these two smartphones from the front, they look pretty much the same. They have flat displays with a pill-shaped cutout at the top, the so-called Dynamic Island. That cutout is identical, as is the corner curvature. The two phones also have thin, uniform bezels around the display. The power/lock button sits on the right side of both phones, along with the Camera control key. On the left, you’ll find volume rocker buttons and the Action key.
If we flip them around, however, you’ll see the difference I mentioned at the beginning. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro has a rather large camera bar, with three cameras on the inside. The Apple iPhone 16 Pro has three cameras too, with similar positioning, but no camera bar. It does have a camera island, however, on top of which the three cameras sit. The backplate is flat, however, on both smartphones.
The iPhone 17 Pro is made out of aluminum and glass, while the iPhone 16 Pro utilizes titanium and glass. The two devices do have the same display sizes, and they’re almost identical in terms of dimensions too. The difference is not worth mentioning, as it’s not even closer to 1mm. The iPhone 17 Pro is 0.5mm thicker, though, and 7 grams heavier. Both smartphones are quite slippery, and both of them are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Display
There is a 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display included on the iPhone 17 Pro. That display is flat, and it offers an adaptive refresh rate from 1-120Hz. Dolby Vision and HDR10 content is supported here, while the peak brightness is 3,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 90%, while the resolution is 2622 x 1206 pixels. The display aspect ratio is 19.5:9, while the Ceramic Shield 2 glass protects the display. This display also comes with an anti-reflective coating.
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro, on the other hand, has a 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display too. This one is also flat, and it has an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10 and Dolby Vision are supported, while the peak brightness is 2,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 90%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. We’re looking at a resolution of 2622 x 1206 here. The Ceramic Shield glass (2024 gen) is used here for protection.
Both of these displays are actually very good. They’re both vivid and have great viewing angles. They both offer good protection, and they’re both sharp, too. The iPhone 17 Pro’s display does have several advantages, however. That display does get brighter in direct sunlight, but that’s not all. Its anti-reflective coating also does make a difference. Not as much as the Gorilla Armor or Gorilla Armor 2, but still, it’s noticeable in comparison to the iPhone 16 Pro.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Performance
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro is fueled by the Apple 19 Pro processor. That is Apple’s latest and most powerful chip. It is a 3nm processor and comes with 6 GPU cores. It’s paired with 12GB of RAM and NVMe storage. The iPhone 16 Pro is fueled by the Apple A18 Pro chip, which is also a 3nm chip that comes with a 6-core GPU, but it’s inferior and a year older in comparison. That phone includes 8GB of RAM and NVMe storage. Neither smartphone supports expandable storage, by the way.
In terms of performance, both of these smartphones deliver, very much so. Their day-to-day performance is outstanding. They maintain smooth performance regardless of what you throw at that, that’s for sure. You’ll struggle to see a difference between the two phones. They’re both great in terms of day-to-day tasks. In fact, performance-wise, there’s really no need to upgrade at this point.
The same can be said for gaming, actually. Yes, the iPhone 17 Pro will remain a bit cooler with graphically-intensive games, that aluminum shell does help in the general scheme of things. It also offers better cooling than its predecessor. Still, the iPhone 16 Pro can run all the same games, and it can run them at high settings too. If you don’t care about the phone being a bit cooler during demanding games, the iPhone 16 Pro is more than good enough.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Battery
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro comes with two different battery setups, depending on the market. Its eSIM only variant, available in the US, amongst other markets, includes a larger 4,252mAh battery. The nano SIM model, on the other hand, includes a 3,998mAh battery. The iPhone 16 Pro, on the other hand, comes in a single setup, with a 3,582mAh battery. Either way the new model has a larger battery, considerably larger.
That battery improvement, in collaboration with a new chip does bring better battery life to the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone 16 Pro always offered good battery life, and it still does, but compared to the iPhone 17 Pro, it’s inferior. For some people, the iPhone 17 Pro can be a two-day smartphone in terms of battery life. Just to be clear, we’ve used the eSIM model, and the battery life is fantastic.
Despite the fact it has a larger battery, the iPhone 17 Pro does charge faster. Its charging speed does jump around during charging, but it hit the maximum of 29W at its peak. The iPhone 16 Pro flew below that level. It takes the iPhone 17 Pro around an hour and 20 minutes to fully charge, while the iPhone 16 Pro needs around 20 minutes more than that. Both of them support 25W MagSafe wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wired charging. Neither phone ships with a charger in the box, though.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Cameras
What about the cameras? Well, the iPhone 17 Pro comes with three 48-megapixel units. Its main camera is a 48-megapixel unit with a 1/1.28-inch sensor size. The 48-megapixel ultrawide camera has a 1/2.55-inch sensor size and a 120-degree FoV. The last camera on the back is a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto unit with a 1/2.55-inch sensor size and a 4x optical zoom.
What about the iPhone 16 Pro? Well, that device has the same exact main and ultrawide camera hardware as the iPhone 17 Pro. However, its periscope telephoto camera is inferior in comparison. This smartphone ships with a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (1/3.06-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom).
As you’d expect, the newer model does take better photos overall. The colors it provides are better, the images do end up looking mnore natural at the same time. The difference is not that big at all, but still, the improvements are visible despite the same camera hardware. Where you’ll see a bigger difference is when you use the periscope telephoto camrea, and that is especially true for low light environments.
Audio
Where the iPhone 16 Pro has an upper hand over the iPhone 17 Pro is in the loudspeaker section. It has more powerful speakers, they’re a bit louder, and we also preferred the sound they delivered. The difference is not that big, but still, it’s noticeable.
You can connect your headphones to the Type-C port on either phone, as an audio jack is not available. If you prefer wireless audio, the iPhone 17 Pro supports Bluetooth 6.0, while the iPhone 16 Pro comes with Bluetooth 5.3 support.
The post Phone Comparisons: Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro appeared first on Android Headlines.
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