Head to head
Apple iPhone 18 ProvsApple iPhone 16 Pro
The short answer
Choose the iPhone 18 Pro for peak brightness, more base storage, video playback time and faster charging. The iPhone 16 Pro wins no row by a gap you’d notice. Apple publishes no date for either; its record with retired iPhones points to 2033–2037 for the iPhone 18 Pro and 2031–2035 for the iPhone 16 Pro, our estimate, not Apple’s.
- Released
- 2026-09-18Apple Newsroom UK — Apple debuts iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, retrieved 2026-09-10
- Price
- £1,199Apple UK store, retrieved 2026-09-10
- Security updates until
- Not published by the makerendoflife.date — iPhone, retrieved 2026-09-10
- Released
- 2024-09-20endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Security updates until
- Not published by the makerendoflife.date — iPhone, retrieved 2026-08-19
4 wins for iPhone 18 Pro0 wins for iPhone 16 Pro2 gaps borderline1 difference you won’t notice
Verdict: iPhone 18 Pro ahead on 4 rows, iPhone 16 Pro on none
On the makers’ published figures, the iPhone 18 Pro wins on peak brightness (3,000 nits against 2,000 nits), storage (base) (256 GB against 128 GB), claimed video playback (34 h against 27 h) and fast charging (60 W against 20 W). 2 gaps are borderline, differences most people would not notice: RAM (12 GB against 8 GB, both from GSMArena) for the iPhone 18 Pro and battery capacity (4,056 mAh against 3,582 mAh, both from GSMArena) for the iPhone 18 Pro. The difference in weight is below the threshold you would notice. Both state the same display size, refresh rate, typical brightness, HDR peak brightness and wireless 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 18 Pro better than the iPhone 16 Pro?
On the figures, the iPhone 18 Pro is ahead wherever there is a gap you’d notice: peak brightness, 3,000 nits (Apple UK) against 2,000 nits (Apple Support UK), storage (base), 256 GB (Apple UK) against 128 GB (Apple Support UK), claimed video playback, 34 h against 27 h (both Apple UK) and fast charging, 60 W (Apple UK) against 20 W (Apple Support UK). The iPhone 16 Pro wins no row by such a gap. That is a count of rows, not an overall score.
Which has the better battery?
The iPhone 18 Pro, by a gap you’d notice: claimed video playback, 34 h against 27 h (both Apple UK). The iPhone 18 Pro is ahead, narrowly: battery capacity, 4,056 mAh against 3,582 mAh (both GSMArena), a borderline gap most people would not notice.
Which is lighter?
The iPhone 16 Pro is lighter on paper, but not by a gap you’d notice: weight, 199 g (Apple Support UK) against 211 g (Apple UK).
Which has the brighter screen?
The iPhone 18 Pro, by a gap you’d notice: peak brightness, 3,000 nits (Apple UK) against 2,000 nits (Apple Support UK). Both state 1,000 nits for typical brightness (Apple UK and Apple Support UK). Both state 1,600 nits for HDR peak brightness (Apple UK).
Which gets updates for longer?
Apple publishes no date for either; its record with retired iPhones points to 2033–2037 for the iPhone 18 Pro and 2031–2035 for the iPhone 16 Pro, 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.