Ever since Apple made its first big iPhone in 2014 (happy anniversary, iPhone 6 Plus), the smaller Pro model has been sitting in its shadow. Most years saw a specs disparity with the Pro Max model getting some form of advantage – like the 5x zoom camera, which was only offered on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
This year, on the other hand, the smaller Pro shines alongside its bigger counterpart. Size aside, this is every bit a Pro iPhone as the Pro Max. They even share the same two-accessory retail box – you get a braided USB-C cable and a SIM tool.
So what’s new? The iPhone 16 Pro has a slightly bigger 6.3-inch display to the 6.1-inch of its predecessor. Like the Pro Max, this year’s Pro also has a new 48MP ultrawide angle camera, but it also ditches the subpar 3x camera for the same 5x zoom.
Complimenting the cameras on all new iPhone 16 models is the new camera control button. It’s a very innovative concept. It’s a proper button – it depresses to open up the camera app from any screen (double press from a locked phone), but then it can also recognize pressure and open a deeper layer of control, and you can swipe on it.
We love the new button for its ability to open the camera app from anywhere but we will need some time to get used to it. Our immediate impression is that it’s better suited for portrait use and with right-handed folks – it takes some getting used to in landscape mode.
The iPhone 16 Pro will face the Google Pixel 9 Pro (our review is ready!) in developed markets as the go-to choices for compact flagships.
The pair stacks up pretty evenly – both feature 6.3-inch displays, triple cameras with a 48MP ultrawide, a 48MP vs 50MP wide, and the 12MP iPhone 5x vs the Pixel’s 48MP 5x. They even weigh the same 199g.
This will be an interesting head-to-head in the future!
Google Pixel 9 Pro vs the iPhone 16 Pro
It’s kind of a busy time of the year so we ask for your patience with our reviews. Stay tuned!
