Apple iPhone 16 Pro Long Term Review: Feels Unfinished Next To iPhone 17

Apple iPhone 16 Pro price is 1,12,900 for the base model of 128GB. At the same time, the price will be 69,999 rupees during the Flipkart BBD and Amazon Great Indian Sale after a bank offer. You can buy this phone in four colours: Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium.

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro packs the following items inside the box:

• Phone
• Type C cable
• SIM ejector tool
• Documentation

Before we talk in detail about the Apple iPhone 16 Pro, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

• Display: 6.3 inches LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED
• Chipset: Apple A18 Pro (3 nm)
• RAM & ROM: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM
• Software: iOS 18, upgradable to iOS 26
• Rear camera: 48MP 12MP, 48MP
• Selfie camera: 12MP
• Battery: 3582mAh
• Weight: 199 grams
• Dimensions: 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.3 mm

In the design segment, several reasons make opting for the Apple iPhone 17 over the Apple iPhone 16 Pro sensible. The iPhone 16 Pro features a titanium Grade 5 body with a glass back, offering better durability but also causing overheating and increased weight. From my Apple iPhone 16 Pro long-term review experience, I can say the titanium build feels premium but adds weight and heating.

Apple changed the material used for iPhone 17 from titanium to aluminium. They did this because titanium can become too hot and trap heat, which can cause the phone to work poorly.

Aluminium helps to move heat away better, keeping the phone working well. This change also lets Apple put bigger batteries in the phones without making them heavier. It lowers costs and is better for the environment, plus it offers more colour choices for the phones.

So, Apple iPhone 17 is much lighter and thinner, with 177 grams over 199 grams in Apple iPhone 16 Pro. The brand now uses the latest glass called Ceramic Shield 2 on the front of its newer models. This glass is three times more resistant to scratches compared to the original Ceramic Shield. It also has a layer that helps reduce glare, making the screen easier to see in bright light.

Also Read: Apple iPhone 17 Features: What’s New In The Series This Time?

One of the key features of any iPhone is the camera. I have not used the Apple iPhone 17 camera compared to the Apple iPhone 16 Pro. I clicked many images with this phone. There is no doubt about the image results.

You can see my images, and their depth is very accurate. Moreover, its 16 Pro model has three camera sensors, while the iPhone 17 has dual sensors, so if you are a die-hard fan of telephoto, then the 16 Pro must be your choice.

Moreover, the 16 Pro offers ProRAW and ProRes mode in videos, which is the most essential feature for cinematographers and content creators. The 16 Pro also has a larger main camera with 8% better light intake compared to the iPhone 17, though it relies on an older ISP.

You also get a dedicated 5X telephoto lens with a 125cm focusing distance, along with 4K 120fps video recording on the primary camera and four-mic audio support. On the other hand, the iPhone 17 features a simpler dual-camera setup but benefits from the latest image signal processor, which enhances computational photography, resulting in more natural tones and faster image processing.

Let’s talk about the front camera of the Apple iPhone 17, which has some exciting new features that the iPhone 16 Pro doesn’t have. In the past, Apple used a regular front camera for taking selfies.

But now, the iPhone 17 comes with a special square-shaped front camera. This cool design means you don’t have to turn your phone sideways for taking selfies in landscape mode, thanks to an innovative technology called Centre Stage.

This new front camera features a wider view, allowing it to zoom out to fit more people in group photos or switch to a landscape view while you hold your phone in portrait mode. The camera has 18 megapixels, which means it takes more precise and more detailed pictures than older models. Additionally, it can capture pictures with both the front and back cameras simultaneously, a feature Apple calls Dual Capture.

During my Apple iPhone 16 Pro long-term review, the camera stood out for its sharpness and Pro features.

Also Read: Apple iPhone 16e Long Term Review: A Nostalgic iPhone With Modern Power

Based on my Apple iPhone 16 Pro long-term review, real-life battery backup was closer to 12 hours, not Apple’s 22-hour claim. However, I have a phone with a 151-cycle count and got almost 12 hours during social media use, downloading movies, and watching YouTube. But when I play BGMI, the battery life also decreases.

On the other hand, the Apple iPhone 17 claims to offer up to 30 hours of usage, thanks to its slightly larger 3692mAh battery compared to the 3582mAh on the 16 Pro. It also supports faster charging at 40W, compared to 27W on the 16 Pro, and the more efficient chipset helps reduce power consumption during multitasking and gaming. This means you not only get a bigger battery but also quicker top-ups and better endurance for heavy usage.

Also Read: Apple iPhone 15 Long-Term Review: Still Worth Every Rupee

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro features an LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 6.3-inch screen size. It also offers a 120Hz refresh rate with HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision support. However, after some time, Apple also provides a 120Hz refresh rate on the iPhone 17 as well, making it more compatible than the 16 Pro.

As I discussed in the design section, the iPhone 17 also has a Ceramic Shield 2 and a Mohs level 5, making it more scratch-resistant than the previous year’s model. One of the major changes in the latest series is the peak brightness of 3,000 nits, compared to last year’s 16 Pro which has a peak brightness of 2,000 nits.

Performance is also key to all users. The Apple iPhone 16 Pro is equipped with the Apple A18 Pro processor (3 nm). The Apple A19 Pro, used in the iPhone 17, is significantly better than the A18 Pro. It can work up to 40% faster for an extended period.

It features a new cooling system, a more advanced graphics processor for AI tasks, a smaller chip design, a larger cache for data storage, and enhanced connection options. These upgrades help make gaming smoother, video editing easier, and improve performance for demanding AI applications compared to the A18 Pro.

Storage is also a weak point, as after spending Rs. 70,000 on the 16 Pro, you only get 128GB of storage, whereas the base models of the 17 series start with 256GB. I’m using an iPhone 15 with 128GB of storage, and I feel disappointed.

I would also mention that the iPhone 16 Pro has heating issues during extreme gaming and when using the camera for a long time, whereas it is claimed that the iPhone 17 has fewer heating problems due to an aluminium body and a new cooling system. Note, there is no Vapure Cooling system in the base model.

I conducted several Benchmark tests on the Apple iPhone 16 Pro to evaluate its accurate performance in various aspects. Its Geekbench CPU scores are 1004 in single-core and 2903 in multi-core. Moreover, its Antutu score is 589984. The 3DMark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test for stability has an overall score of 99.5%.

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro runs on iOS 18 out of the box, and Apple has promised upgrades up to iOS 26. I’m already an iOS user, the experience is smooth and consistent. The animations are fluid, and app switching is quick. I used the phone daily for calls, YouTube, social media, and even editing short clips, and I never noticed lag.

Apple’s ecosystem makes things even better. If you already own a MacBook Pro, the iPhone 16 Pro syncs everything effortlessly. I also like the new AI features baked into iOS 18. It helps with writing suggestions, photo editing, and even improving notifications.

Over the years, Apple’s biggest strength has been software updates, and that continues here. Even though the iPhone 17 is newer, the iPhone 16 Pro will still stay relevant in terms of updates and features for years.