Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs. Apple iPhone 16

So, you are searching for a shiny new iPhone? The iPhone 16 is definitely a really well-rounded gadget. In fact, a Professional mannequin shall be even higher, however until you actually need the additional digital camera or the excessive refresh price, you’re most likely higher off sticking to one of many two vanilla fashions.

If there may be one factor Apple excels at (and it is undoubtedly a couple of factor), it should be consistency. Therefore, it’s hardly a secret, nor a shock, that there’s little or no distinction between the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16. The Plus is just larger, with a much bigger show and a bigger battery pack. In any other case, the {hardware} and expertise are similar.

So how significantly better is the Apple iPhone 16 Plus to deserve its worth premium? Let’s look into it.

Desk of Contents:

For starters, you possibly can evaluate the entire specs sheets or immediately proceed with our editor’s evaluation within the following textual content.

Measurement comparability

Let’s handle the elephant within the room first – measurement. The 16 Plus is considerably larger than the vanilla iPhone 16. The one dimension the 2 gadgets share is thickness, which is a pleasant contact. Aside from that, the Plus is taller and wider. Is sensible, provided that it has a 6.7-inch show diagonal, in comparison with 6.1 inches on the iPhone 16.

By at this time’s customary, we might truly name the Plus the extra “mainstream” type issue. Larger telephones have simply been the norm for a while now. The Plus feels good within the hand and may be very snug to carry, even when a bit slippery with no case.

The common iPhone 16 is positioned as a “compact” cellphone. It is rather pocketable and intensely straightforward to deal with with one hand. That being mentioned, make sure you go and take a look at each telephones in individual. We doubt that one can find the iPhone 16 Plus too massive, however you would possibly discover the vanilla iPhone 16 a bit too small. That is simply our two cents on the matter.

Show comparability

As talked about, the iPhone 16 Plus has a considerably bigger show than the iPhone 16. Not essentially massive by fashionable requirements, however undoubtedly bigger. Technically, the Plus additionally has a better show decision. Nonetheless, Apple has at all times aimed for a constant pixel density throughout fashions with out caring an excessive amount of about decision. That is the case right here since each telephones have a really crisp 460 ppi.

Apple makes use of very premium panels, even on its non-Professional gadgets. Each telephones are good and vivid, with very comparable brightness figures. OLED expertise means excellent blacks, excessive distinction, and punchy colours. Apple presents HDR10 and Dolby Imaginative and prescient assist on each iPhones and has a really versatile HDR implementation, permitting HDR video to play in a window, not simply your complete show.

The large difficulty with the shows of the non-Professional iPhones is the truth that they’re nonetheless 60Hz. Sadly, springing for a Professional mannequin is the one solution to get round that.

Battery life

Apple has used the additional inner area contained in the iPhone 16 Plus to suit a bigger battery. To cite Cupertino’s unnecessarily particular numbers, the iPhone 16 Plus has a 4674 mAh pack, whereas the common iPhone 16 will get a 3561 mAh pack.

This interprets to roughly 30% distinction in battery capability, which ends up in a really tangible distinction in battery endurance in favor of the iPhone 16 Plus. As per our proprietary testing mechanism, the 16 Plus will get three hours or so of additional Lively Use Rating.

That being mentioned, the vanilla iPhone 16 nonetheless does nice within the battery division. It manages very spectacular endurance for such a compact cellphone.

Charging pace

Apple is extremely constant on the subject of charging. Each the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus formally promote a wired charging price of round 50% energy in thirty minutes, and each telephones handle to exceed mentioned price handily, which is good to see. Whereas there are slight variations within the charging curves of each telephones, as anticipated, the pair find yourself getting a full cost in roughly the identical complete time.

You additionally get the identical charging capabilities on each telephones, together with wired PD 2.0 charging, 25W wi-fi MagSafe, 15W wi-fi Qi2 charging, and 4.5W reverse wired charging.

Speaker check

Cupertino engineers are wizards on the subject of tuning audio system, they usually’ve utilized an equal degree of care and a focus to each the iPhone 16 Plus and the iPhone 16. Each telephones have a hybrid stereo speaker system with the amplified earpiece performing because the second channel.

Each telephones are equally tuned and achieved an excellent loudness rating in our testing. Maybe the Plus is only a hair louder, most likely as a result of having a bit extra room to work with, however the distinction is insignificant. High quality-wise, each telephones are on the identical degree of excellence.

Efficiency

Apple made a two-generation chipset leap for the non-Professional iPhones this yr, going from the A16 to the A18. That is a reasonably important increase in energy and efficiency. It’s also vital to notice that, in contrast to final yr, the iPhone 16 fashions this yr all have 8GB of RAM (each the non-Professional and the Professional fashions).

Apple is making an enormous push for AI, which stands for Apple Intelligence on this specific case. Presumably, Cupertino engineers want the additional RAM to run native AI fashions higher, and the truth that this consideration has reached non-Professional iPhones makes us fairly blissful as a result of it ought to assist in the day by day use of the telephones too.

Benchmark efficiency

Naturally, for the reason that iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 use the identical Apple A18 chip, it solely is smart that they might have the identical peak burst efficiency. The benchmark scores paint precisely that image.

That being mentioned, it’s maybe value noting that presumably as a result of its larger measurement, the iPhone 16 Plus handles thermal-throttling a bit higher than the iPhone 16. It loses a bit much less of its efficiency after a protracted stress check. Nonetheless, the distinction between the 2 will not be main, and no real-world apps or video games will stress the {hardware} in such a fashion, making this form of a scientific focal point quite than a sensible one.

Digital camera comparability

The iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 have the very same digital camera setup. One more level of consistency. The primary 48MP digital camera is borrowed from the iPhone 15. It’s fairly potent nonetheless, with a 1/1.56″ measurement, 1.0µm particular person pixels and sensor-shift OIS. There’s a vivid f/1.6 lens in entrance of it.

The selfie is borrowed from the iPhone 15 as nicely. The 12MP shooter has already confirmed its salt and is provided with section detection autofocus as nicely.

The true improve is with the brand new ultrawide digital camera. It’s nonetheless a 12MP unit. Nonetheless, this yr, there’s a brighter lens with an f/2.2 aperture. Plus, most likely better of all, there may be now section detection autofocus on the ultrawide, which permits it to double as a macro digital camera for close-ups.

A number of phrases on the brand new Digital camera Management button. It is a bodily button with precise journey, nevertheless it additionally integrates a high-precision drive sensor that permits the sunshine press gesture and a capacitive sensor that enables for contact and swipe interactions. The button is current on each the iPhone 16 Plus and the iPhone 16 and allows the identical options inside the digital camera app – primarily fast controls by means of gestures. The 2-stage shutter performance is coming with a future replace.

Picture high quality

We’re taking a look at two telephones with similar digital camera {hardware}, similar chipsets and ISPs and similar processing. Therefore, the photographs are similar as nicely. You’ll be able to take a look at the samples for your self. The iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 seize glorious 12MP stills. There isn’t any query about it. The body has loads of element, and the whole lot is clear and sharp. Dynamic vary is superb, and shadows, specifically, are properly boosted and developed. Foliage and grass look very convincing.

Apple iPhone 16 Plus: ultrawide • foremost • 2x • portrait

Apple iPhone 16: ultrawide • foremost • 2x • portrait

The low-light efficiency can be similar throughout the 2 telephones. Surprising, we all know.

Apple iPhone 16 Plus: ultrawide • foremost • 2x

Apple iPhone 16: ultrawide • foremost • 2x

Autofocus is nice on each telephones’ selfie cameras. The standard is nice.

Apple iPhone 16 Plus: selfie

Apple iPhone 16: selfie

Video high quality

All in all, the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 stay as much as Apple’s status for industry-leading video seize. The primary cameras on each telephones output clear, sharp movies with a large dynamic vary and loads of particulars, even within the shadows.

Under we now have a couple of framegrabs from the movies taken by the 2 telephones at every focal size so it is simpler to check to 1 one other.

Apple iPhone 16 Plus: ultrawide • foremost • 2x • low-light

Apple iPhone 16: ultrawide • foremost • 2x • low-light

Verdict

Apple is nothing if not per its lineup. Would you like a compact cellphone with out spending an excessive amount of? Get the vanilla iPhone 16. Might you make {that a} bit larger, please? Positive, there’s the iPhone 16 Plus. The identical precise cellphone, simply larger. Easy and straight ahead.

Both method, you’re getting a wonderful premium cellphone. Positive, we might have liked to see a excessive refresh price lastly come to non-Professional iPhones and that Apple telephoto digital camera is trying simply as cool as ever, if not cooler. Nonetheless, if you happen to do not want both of these issues, you possibly can’t go improper with an iPhone 16 Plus or iPhone 16.