What are the "pros and cons" of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max compared to another? Is one the right iPhone for me?

Whether one of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 16 Pro Max models is the best iPhone for your needs is a personal decision, but objective pros and cons can help you choose.

Everyi.com also provides a complete iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max comparison for those who are interested in a detailed review.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPhone 16/iPhone 16 Plus)

iPhone 16/iPhone 16 Plus Pros:

• Expensive, but less expensive than the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
• The same 8 GB of RAM, 5G support, Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence capability, and Camera Control button as the more expensive iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
• Very good battery life.
• Five attractive, bold color options -- "Ultramarine" (Blue), Teal, Pink, White, and Black.
• Quality dual lens rear cameras.
• Dual SIM/eSIM standard.
• Industry-standard USB-C port.

iPhone 16/iPhone 16 Plus Cons:

• Lower quality displays than the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
• Rear camera is not as high quality as the camera in the more expensive iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models and support for the more professional ProRAW and ProRes formats is not provided.
• Storage tops out at 512 GB, which could be a limitation for heavy video users.
• No physical Nano SIM on models sold in the United States.
• Relatively slow USB 2 (480 Mb/s) transfer speeds over USB-C.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPhone 16 Pro/iPhone 16 Pro Max)

iPhone 16 Pro & iPhone 16 Pro Max Pros:

• Beautiful, bright, high-quality, high-resolution Super Retina XDR with ProMotion OLED displays with an adaptive refresh rate and "Always-On" capability.
• 8 GB of RAM.
• Excellent battery life.
• Four subdued, attractive color options -- (Beige-Gold) "Desert" Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium.
• LiDAR capability.
• Impressive, high-quality triple lens rear camera system.
• ProRAW and ProRes support.
• New "Camera Control" button finally adds a shutter button for potentially easier photography.
• "Studio quality" four-mic array.
• Dual SIM/eSIM standard.
• The option of as much as 1 TB of storage.
• Fast USB 3 (10 Gb/s) transfer speeds over USB-C.
• Support for Apple Intelligence (AI).

iPhone 16 Pro & iPhone 16 Pro Max Cons:

• Very expensive; the most expensive iPhone models at the time they were introduced.
• Relatively heavy.
• No physical Nano SIM on models sold in the United States.

So, should I buy an iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 16 Pro Max?

Compared simply to one another, and ignoring earlier models, it can be a difficult decision between the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

There essentially are two "smaller" models -- the entry-level iPhone 16 and higher-end iPhone 16 Pro -- and two "larger" models -- the entry-level iPhone 16 Plus and higher-end iPhone 16 Pro Max. The "Pro" models in each size are at least US$200 more than the equivalent non-Pro option.

The extra money for the upgrade to the "Pro" model of either size gets you (1) a substantially higher quality -- and slightly larger -- display, (2) a much more advanced rear camera with support for more professional capabilities and file formats, (3) a bit better battery life, (4) slightly faster overall performance (and an extra GPU core), (5) faster USB 3 charging over USB-C, (6) a better mic, and (7) and LiDAR support. At additional cost, you also have (8) the option of more storage.

For most users, it likely will come down to whether or not the (1) better display and/or (2) better camera are worth the extra money. The other improvements are nice to have, but probably not enough to move the needle on a decision one way or another. For those on a bit of a budget, and who are not professional photographers or videographers, the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus likely are a better choice.

Of course, for those on a budget, any number of other used iPhone models are certainly worth considering, also.

In the US, site sponsor Other World Computing sells used and refurbished iPhone models also with free shipping. On the other hand, if you need to sell an iPhone, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac and GoRoostr will buy your older iPhone with an instant quote and prompt payment.

In Australia, site sponsor Mac City likewise has a variety of used iPhone models sold at low prices and available with a free warranty and fast shipping across Australia.

Please also see EveryiPhone.com's Ultimate iComparison feature to dynamically compare any iPhone model to any other iPod, iPhone, or iPad.