The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. Alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, they form the eighteenth generation of the iPhone, succeeding the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and were announced on September 9, 2024, and released on September 20, 2024. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max include larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, a faster processor, upgraded wide and ultra-wide cameras, support for Wi-Fi 7, larger batteries, and the iOS 18 operating system.
Specifications
Design and display
The iPhone 16 Pro models continue the edge-to-edge display design but introduce thinner display borders, giving them the thinnest borders on any Apple product to date; iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max feature larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED displays, respectively, with iPhone 16 Pro Max offering the largest iPhone display ever.[4] Both models have always-on 19.5:9 aspect ratio displays, with 460 ppi density from a 2622 × 1206 (Pro) and 2868 × 1320 (Pro Max) resolution. Both are 120 Hz, HDR10, with 1000 nits brightness typical and 2000 nits at peak.
Both Pro models come in four new colors, Desert Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium and Black Titanium, offering a lightweight, scratch-resistant exterior.[5]
Hardware
The iPhone 16 Pro models are powered by the Apple A18 Pro chip, built using a second-generation 3-nanometer process (TSMC N3E), significantly enhancing performance, especially in AI-related tasks. This chip includes a 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine with a speed of 35 trillion-operations-per-second that accelerates machine learning capabilities, allowing for seamless integration of Apple Intelligence features. Both models offer 8 GB of memory and storage options ranging from 128 GB (256 GB for Pro Max) to 1 TB.[6][7][8]
All iPhone 16 models have an improved thermal design. The main logic board has been updated, centralizing chip placement and optimizing the surrounding architecture. The iPhone 16 Pro lineup maximizes thermal capacity with a machined chassis that uses 100 percent recycled aluminum, bonded to the titanium frame using solid state diffusion. This is combined with a graphite clad aluminum substructure. The new thermal architecture enables a 20 percent improvement in sustained gaming performance compared to the A17 Pro.[9]
Every model in the iPhone 16 lineup has support for Wi-Fi 7.[10]
Camera
The iPhone 16 Pro models introduce an upgraded camera system. They feature a 48 MP wide camera with sensor-shift optical image stabilization (OIS) and dual-pixel phase detection auto-focus (PDAF). The ultrawide camera is 48 MP with a 120-degree field of view, optimized for low-light conditions. A 5× optical zoom telephoto camera, which was previously exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, now comes standard on both models. In addition, video recording now supports 4K at 120 fps, offering the iPhone's highest resolution and frame rate combination yet and is the only iPhone to record in 4k in slow motion [11]
Camera control button
All iPhone 16 models now come with a new button called Camera Control. This button is on the right side of the device, and allows the user to open the camera app, switch between different camera controls and features, and taking photos and videos. The button can distinguish between light and hard presses. By pressing the button once, it opens the camera app. By lightly pressing it twice, it opens a small menu with different camera controls, such as zoom or tone. And if you press it hard once, it takes a photo. If you hold it for a few seconds, it starts a video. [12]
One of the iPhone 16 Pro's flagship features is its integration with Apple Intelligence, a suite of AI-driven capabilities that leverage on-device processing for privacy-focused tasks. Apple Intelligence enhances Siri's functionality, improving natural language understanding and introducing generative features such as custom emojis and Visual Intelligence, which can analyze photos and identify objects in real-time. The AI capabilities are designed to run on-device, minimizing data sharing with external servers.
Release and pricing
Pre-orders for iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max began on September 13, 2024, and they became available on September 20, 2024. The iPhone 16 Pro model starts at $999, while the Pro Max model starts at $1,199.[13]