I did an iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro camera test. It’s a close one

Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup is here. Though nan guidelines exemplary iPhone 16 has taken a batch of nan spotlight this twelvemonth pinch nan redesigned camera layout and astonishing colors, nan iPhone 16 Pro is a spot much iterative successful position of upgrades.

I personally bought an iPhone 16 Pro to upgrade from my iPhone 15 Pro. To beryllium honest, though, if nan iPhone 16 had a 1TB retention option, I would person gone that route. Since it doesn’t, I had to spell pinch nan iPhone 16 Pro, as overmuch arsenic I wanted a pink phone. But retention wasn’t nan only logic — I besides wanted nan improved telephoto camera that I missed retired connected past year.

So, was going to nan iPhone 16 Pro from nan iPhone 15 Pro worthy it? Let’s find out.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: camera specs

As you tin spot above, nan cameras betwixt the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro are akin but pinch a fewer cardinal differences.

For one, nan iPhone 16 Pro now has nan 5x optical zoom that was antecedently only connected nan iPhone 15 Pro Max exemplary past year, arsenic Apple made nan camera systems connected some models adjacent this time.

Apple besides improved nan ultrawide camera connected nan iPhone 16 Pro, going to 48MP from nan erstwhile 12MP. This should mean amended item and solution successful your ultrawide shots, and macros tin now beryllium successful afloat 48MP, too.

Though nan main camera connected some phones remains astatine 48MP, Apple rebranded nan main camera connected nan iPhone 16 Pro to a “Fusion” camera alternatively than conscionable “main” for illustration it did before. Does this really mean anything? We’ll see.

Since Apple made nary improvements to nan TrueDepth beforehand camera (still 12MP and f/1.9 aperture connected both), we’ll conscionable beryllium looking astatine nan triple-lens camera strategy successful this comparison. Ready? Let’s get started.

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: main camera

Again, nan main camera connected some nan iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro is 48MP. But it’s now called nan Fusion camera connected nan iPhone 16 Pro, alternatively than conscionable nan “main” camera for illustration connected nan iPhone 15 Pro.

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

Let’s look astatine this image of a tiny pumpkin carriage show astatine nan Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel. The astir evident quality betwixt nan 2 is nan bluish lights connected nan pumpkin carriage. With nan iPhone 15 Pro image, nan bluish ray bleeds into nan orangish of nan pumpkin, making it look much bluish than it really is. The iPhone 16 Pro handles nan ray better, arsenic nan bluish ray doesn’t bleed retired to nan orange, and there’s much contrast.

The leaves astatine nan bottommost of nan carriage and nan greenish stem connected apical are besides much vibrant successful nan iPhone 16 Pro, but nan glittery leafage is much textured pinch nan iPhone 15 Pro.

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

Here’s a tiny small Halloween character show astatine nan hotel. Honestly, location isn’t a large quality betwixt these 2 images. The iPhone 16 Pro whitethorn person captured a spot much of nan character item successful nan shadows astatine nan bottommost of nan character (the metallic specks) and person little bleeding for nan lights, but nan iPhone 15 Pro did a amended occupation of making nan colors astatine nan apical of nan character a tad much vibrant. Otherwise, they’re some beautiful equal.

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

This is simply a fancy chef’s omakase sheet I sewage for my wedding day meal astatine Hanagi Japanese Restaurant (highly recommend!) successful Anaheim. Both images are very similar, but erstwhile you look closer, nan iPhone 16 Pro is better. More of nan nigiri sushi pieces are sharper and successful focus, making it easier to spot nan texture. The colour is besides amended pinch nan iPhone 16 Pro, arsenic evident pinch nan tuna and salmon roe. But again, nan differences are minimal unless you really scrutinize them.

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

This is simply a low-light changeable featuring a serene small koi pond successful nan plot area of nan Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel. I took nan photograph astir 8 p.m., and location were only a fewer of those lamps outside. Both images look good, but nan iPhone 16 Pro is simply a spot much vivid pinch nan color, particularly nan greenery successful nan background. Overall, they’re beautiful equal.

Winner: iPhone 16 Pro (barely)

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: ultrawide camera

This year, Apple made large improvements to nan ultrawide camera, bumping it up to 48MP, which is what galore flagship Android phones person nowadays. Apple besides improved nan sensors, which intends it should beryllium capable to seizure amended ultrawide shots successful debased light. But does it really?

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

I utilized nan ultrawide camera to seizure nan afloat spooky armor and dress display. Both photos look nan aforesaid connected nan surface, speech from nan flimsy quality successful wide tone. The specifications are akin moreover erstwhile you zoom successful to analyse it closer. I was expecting much from nan iPhone 16 Pro here, but that didn’t move retired to beryllium nan case.

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

This is simply a amended lawsuit for nan improvements to nan ultrawide camera connected nan iPhone 16 Pro. I snapped this ultrawide changeable of nan koi pond astatine nan edifice astatine night, and nan iPhone 16 Pro type captured much light. The iPhone 16 Pro besides handles nan ray better, arsenic it doesn’t look blown retired for illustration nan iPhone 15 Pro image.

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

Here’s an ultrawide changeable of Monstro connected nan Storybook Canals thrust astatine Disneyland. Both iPhones handled nan segment similarly, but nan colors are a spot much vibrant successful nan iPhone 15 Pro image than nan iPhone 16 Pro. It’s evident successful nan trees, nan water, and Monstro himself. In position of detail, some are astir equal.

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

Now, let’s effort immoderate macro photos. Here’s a closeup of a flower’s pistil. The iPhone 16 Pro image is overmuch clearer and brighter pinch nan color. However, nan iPhone 15 Pro type handled nan opposition better, which I for illustration a spot more. But arsenic acold arsenic really everything is successful focus, nan iPhone 16 Pro takes nan cake.

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

Let’s effort different macro changeable of a different flower. The quality betwixt these 2 images is overmuch much apparent. Once again, nan iPhone 16 Pro type is crystal clear and successful focus, while nan iPhone 15 Pro image has a batch of distortion and blurriness. You tin moreover spot a bug connected nan bottommost petal overmuch much easy pinch nan iPhone 16 Pro.

Winner: iPhone 16 Pro

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: telephoto camera

Last year, only nan iPhone 15 Pro Max sewage nan 5x optical zoom telephoto camera, arsenic nan iPhone 15 Pro had conscionable up to 3x. But this year, Apple made nan 2 Pro models adjacent successful position of camera features, truthful does that 5x optical zoom really make that overmuch of a difference?

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

Here’s a 5x zoomed-in changeable of immoderate buildings I tin spot crossed nan thoroughfare from nan park. Since nan iPhone 15 Pro uses a integer harvest for its 5x zoom, nan nonaccomplishment of item is beautiful clear erstwhile you look intimately astatine it. For example, nan texture successful nan wall of nan beige townhomes is hardly visible, whereas you tin intelligibly spot it pinch nan iPhone 16 Pro’s 5x zoom. Other details, for illustration nan tree, besides look soft successful nan iPhone 15 Pro, while they’re clear pinch nan iPhone 16 Pro.

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

I snapped different speedy 5x zoom changeable of immoderate thenar trees successful my neighborhood. Both images look similar, but if you look a small closer, you’ll beryllium capable to spot nan sharpness of nan leaves successful nan iPhone 16 Pro version, whereas they look softer successful nan other. It looks for illustration nan iPhone 15 Pro besides made nan entity look a much vibrant blue, which you whitethorn aliases whitethorn not prefer.

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

A half-moon was still retired this morning, truthful I decided to effort to spot really good nan zoom connected some iPhones would do pinch it. Of course, nan 5x zoom doesn’t springiness you a ton of item of nan moon, but you tin astatine slightest make retired nan moon’s aboveground arsenic champion you tin connected nan iPhone 16 Pro. With nan iPhone 15 Pro, it’s overmuch much fuzzy and harder to make retired nan different aboveground shades.

• 1. iPhone 16 Pro
• 2. iPhone 15 Pro

This is an absorbing one. I decided to effort a 3x zoom image since that’s nan maximum optical zoom scope for nan iPhone 15 Pro. Since nan iPhone 16 Pro only has 2x aliases 5x optical zoom, but up to 25x integer zoom, it uses integer zoom for 3x. For nan iPhone 15 Pro, it has 3x optical zoom but not 5x. So this time, nan tables person turned — nan iPhone 16 Pro’s integer 3x zoom is not awesome compared to nan iPhone 15 Pro’s 3x optical zoom. The near broadside of nan roseate plot looks dull and lifeless connected nan iPhone 16 Pro but is vibrant and crisp connected nan iPhone 15 Pro.

Winner: iPhone 16 Pro

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro: verdict

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

If you’re still utilizing an iPhone 15 Pro, this isn’t a proposal to switch it correct now pinch an iPhone 16 Pro. While nan cameras are an betterment complete past year, it’s still a beautiful iterative upgrade, and unless you really attraction astir nan mini details, it’s astir apt not worthy it (for astir people).

However, if you really want nan 5x optical zoom that was missing past twelvemonth and you bask taking ultrawide and macro shots, past nan iPhone 16 Pro is worthy considering. But for nan main camera, which is apt to beryllium nan 1 that astir group usage nan most, there’s very small difference, and not capable to warrant nan money to upgrade.

So, what’s nan conclusion? If nan telephoto and ultrawide cameras are your apical priority, there’s a lawsuit for upgrading. But if you tin do without those upgrades, and nan main camera is your main concern, you tin safely beryllium this 1 out.