Apple iPhone 16 vs. Apple iPhone 16 Plus

So, you are on the lookout for a shiny new iPhone? The iPhone 16 is definitely a really well-rounded system. In fact, a Professional mannequin shall be even higher, however except you actually need the additional digicam or the excessive refresh fee, 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 positively 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 equivalent.

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’ll be able to examine the entire specs sheets or immediately proceed with our editor’s evaluation within the following textual content.

Measurement comparability

Let’s deal with 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. Apart from that, the Plus is taller and wider. Is smart, on condition that it has a 6.7-inch show diagonal, in comparison with 6.1 inches on the iPhone 16.

By at present’s customary, we’d truly name the Plus the extra “mainstream” type issue. Greater 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 out a case.

The common iPhone 16 is positioned as a “compact” cellphone. It is vitally pocketable and very straightforward to deal with with one hand. That being mentioned, you should definitely go and take a look at each telephones in particular person. We doubt that you will discover 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 trendy requirements, however positively bigger. Technically, the Plus additionally has the next show decision. Nevertheless, Apple has all the time 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 vibrant, with very comparable brightness figures. OLED expertise means good blacks, excessive distinction, and punchy colours. Apple gives HDR10 and Dolby Imaginative and prescient help on each iPhones and has a really versatile HDR implementation, permitting HDR video to play in a window, not simply your entire show.

The large concern 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 approach to get round that.

Battery life

Apple has used the additional inside 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 Energetic 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 velocity

Apple is extremely constant in the case of charging. Each the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus formally promote a wired charging fee of round 50% energy in thirty minutes, and each telephones handle to exceed mentioned fee 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 whole 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 in the case 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 appearing 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 consequence 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 vital enhance in energy and efficiency. It is usually necessary to notice that, not like 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 explicit 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 completely satisfied as a result of it ought to assist in the each day use of the telephones too.

Benchmark efficiency

Naturally, because the 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 consequence 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 chronic stress check. Nonetheless, the distinction between the 2 isn’t main, and no real-world apps or video games will stress the {hardware} in such a fashion, making this type of a scientific focal point quite than a sensible one.

Digital camera comparability

The iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 have the very same digicam setup. Yet one more level of consistency. The primary 48MP digicam 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 vibrant 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 part detection autofocus as nicely.

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

Just a few phrases on the brand new Digital camera Management button. It is a bodily button with precise journey, however it additionally integrates a high-precision pressure sensor that allows the sunshine press gesture and a capacitive sensor that permits for contact and swipe interactions. The button is current on each the iPhone 16 Plus and the iPhone 16 and permits the identical options inside the digicam app – primarily fast controls by way 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 equivalent digicam {hardware}, equivalent chipsets and ISPs and equivalent processing. Therefore, the photographs are equivalent as nicely. You possibly can try the samples for your self. The iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 seize glorious 12MP stills. There isn’t a query about it. The body has loads of element, and the whole lot is clear and sharp. Dynamic vary is great, and shadows, particularly, are properly boosted and developed. Foliage and grass look very convincing.

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

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

The low-light efficiency can also be equivalent throughout the 2 telephones. Stunning, we all know.

Apple iPhone 16: ultrawide • foremost • 2x

Apple iPhone 16 Plus: ultrawide • foremost • 2x

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

Apple iPhone 16: selfie

Apple iPhone 16 Plus: selfie

Video high quality

All in all, the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 stay as much as Apple’s fame 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.

Beneath we’ve got just a few 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: ultrawide • foremost • 2x • low-light

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

Verdict

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

Both approach, you’re getting a wonderful premium cellphone. Certain, we’d have liked to see a excessive refresh fee lastly come to non-Professional iPhones and that Apple telephoto digicam is wanting simply as cool as ever, if not cooler. Nonetheless, if you happen to do not want both of these issues, you’ll be able to’t go flawed with an iPhone 16 Plus or iPhone 16.