Head to head
Apple iPhone 16 ProvsApple iPhone 15
The short answer
Choose the iPhone 16 Pro for video playback time and Geekbench 6 CPU score. The iPhone 15 wins no row by a gap you’d notice. Apple publishes no date for either; its record with retired iPhones points to 2031–2035 for the iPhone 16 Pro and 2030–2034 for the iPhone 15, our estimate, not Apple’s.
- Released
- 2024-09-20endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Security updates until
- Not published by the makerendoflife.date — iPhone, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Released
- 2023-09-22endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Security updates until
- Not published by the makerendoflife.date — iPhone, retrieved 2026-08-19
2 wins for iPhone 16 Pro0 wins for iPhone 154 gaps borderline2 differences you won’t notice
Verdict: iPhone 16 Pro ahead on 2 rows, iPhone 15 on none
On the makers’ figures and the named third-party sources, the iPhone 16 Pro wins on claimed video playback (27 h against 20 h) and Geekbench 6 (CPU, multi-core) (7,788 against 5,967, both from Geekbench Browser). 4 gaps are borderline, differences most people would not notice: weight (171 g against 199 g) for the iPhone 15, display size (6.3 in against 6.1 in) for the iPhone 16 Pro, HDR peak brightness (1,600 nits against 1,200 nits) for the iPhone 16 Pro and wireless charging (25 W against 15 W) for the iPhone 16 Pro. The differences in RAM and battery capacity are below the thresholds you would notice. Both state the same peak brightness, typical brightness, storage (base) and fast charging. The other 37 rows have no threshold or no direction to judge by, so nobody wins them.
True to scale
Outlines from each maker’s published dimensions, drawn to scale. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.
Specifications
A win is marked only where the figures can be ranked and the gap is one you could notice. A row the site has no threshold for says whether the two differ, and that it is not ranking them. = marks the same figure on both, ≠ not ranked a difference with no ranking. Every figure carries its source.
Body
Display
Platform
Memory
Camera
Battery
Connectivity
Benchmarks
2 attributes neither phone has a sourced figure for
Google Mobile Services · AnTuTu benchmark. Rows appear as sources are cited — a gap in our data, not a statement about either phone.
Questions
Is the iPhone 16 Pro better than the iPhone 15?
On the figures, the iPhone 16 Pro is ahead wherever there is a gap you’d notice: claimed video playback, 27 h against 20 h (both Apple UK) and Geekbench 6 (CPU, multi-core), 7,788 against 5,967 (both Geekbench Browser). The iPhone 15 wins no row by such a gap. That is a count of rows, not an overall score.
Which has the better battery?
The iPhone 16 Pro, by a gap you’d notice: claimed video playback, 27 h against 20 h (both Apple UK). The iPhone 16 Pro is ahead on paper, but not by a gap you’d notice: battery capacity, 3,582 mAh against 3,349 mAh (both GSMArena).
Which is lighter?
The iPhone 15 is lighter, narrowly: weight, 171 g against 199 g (both Apple Support UK), a borderline gap most people would not notice.
Which has the brighter screen?
Neither: both state 2,000 nits for peak brightness (Apple Support UK). Both state 1,000 nits for typical brightness (Apple Support UK). The iPhone 16 Pro is brighter, narrowly: HDR peak brightness, 1,600 nits against 1,200 nits (both Apple UK), a borderline gap most people would not notice.
Which gets updates for longer?
Apple publishes no date for either; its record with retired iPhones points to 2031–2035 for the iPhone 16 Pro and 2030–2034 for the iPhone 15, our estimate, not Apple’s. Sources: Apple’s record from endoflife.date and Apple security releases.
Other comparisons
The pairs a buyer of either phone would also weigh. Any two phones in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.