iPhone 16 Pro cameras vs. 13 Pro cameras

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are the latest Apple smartphones equipped with the most efficient cameras. But how much have they improved in three years? Here’s a detailed look at the iPhone 16 Pro and 13 Pro cameras.

For our full iPhone comparisons, check out these guides, otherwise read all the camera details 😁:

iPhone 16 Pro cameras vs. 13 Pro cameras

Rear cameras

Both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have new 48MP primary rear cameras. This is a significant improvement over the 13 Pro/Max 12MP main lens.

There’s also a new 48MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 12MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, an all-new camera control button/sensor, and the latest photography styles.

Here are all the rear camera specs on the 16 Pro and 13 Pro:

	iPhone 16 Pro	iPhone 13 Pro	iPhone 16 Pro Max	iPhone 13 Pro Max
Camera control	✅	❌	✅	❌
Main lens	48 MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture	12 MP, ƒ/1.5 aperture	48 MP, ƒ/1.78 aperture	12 MP, ƒ/1.5 aperture
Main lens sensor	2.44 µm quad pixel	Pixels 1.9 µm	2.44 µm quad pixel	Pixels 1.9 µm
The main focal length of the lens	24mm	24mm	24mm	24mm
Ultra-wide lens	48 MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture	12 MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture	48 MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture	12 MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture
Telephoto lens	12 MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (zoom up to 5x)	12 MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (zoom up to 3x)	12 MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (zoom up to 5x)	12 MP, ƒ/2.8 aperture (zoom up to 3x)
Stabilization	Second generation optical image stabilization with sensor shift	Optical image stabilization with sensor shift	Second generation optical image stabilization with sensor shift	Optical image stabilization with sensor shift
Optical zoom	0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x	0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x	0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x	0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x
Digital zoom	Up to 25x	Up to 15x	Up to 25x	Up to 15x
Flash	True Tone adaptive flash	True Tone Flash with slow sync	True Tone adaptive flash	True Tone Flash with slow sync
Photonic engine	✅	❌	✅	❌
Deep Fusion	✅	✅	✅	✅
Smart HDR4	–	✅	–	✅
Smart HDR5	✅	❌	✅	❌
Next-generation portraits with focus and depth control	✅	❌	✅	❌
Portrait lighting with six effects	✅	✅	✅	✅
Night mode	✅	✅	✅	✅
Night mode portraits	✅	✅	✅	✅
The latest generation of photography styles	✅	❌	✅	❌
Spatial photos	✅	❌	✅	❌
Macro photography	✅	✅	✅	✅
AppleProRAW	✅	✅	✅	✅

If you haven’t explored Camera Controls in detail yet, here’s everything you need to know:

Video recording

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max speed up video recording with 4K Dolby Vision/HDR video recording at up to 120 fps.

You can also record at up to 120 fps in 1080p and ProRes recordings in 16 Pro/Max mode. Other new features include wind noise reduction and audio mixing.

Compared to 13 Pro/Max, 16 Pro/Max provides spatial video recording and journaling.

	iPhone 16 Pro	iPhone 13 Pro	iPhone 16 Pro Max	iPhone 13 Pro Max
4K Dolby Vision/HDR recording	✅ – at 24, 25, 30, 60, 100 or 120 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30, 60, 100 or 120 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps
Recording in 1080p resolution	✅ – at 25, 30, 60 or 120 fps	✅ – at 25, 30 or 60 fps	✅ – at 25, 30, 60 or 120 fps	✅ – at 25, 30 or 60 fps
Cinema mode	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps	✅ – up to 1080p at 30 fps	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps	✅ – up to 1080p at 30 fps
Action mode	✅ – up to 2.8K at 60 fps	❌	✅ – up to 2.8K at 60 fps	❌
ProRes recording	✅ – up to 4K at 120 fps when recording externally	✅ – up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128 GB memory)	✅ – up to 4K at 120 fps when recording externally	✅ – up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128 GB memory)
Record video recordings	✅	❌	✅	❌
Academy color coding system	✅	❌	✅	❌
Macro video recording	✅	✅	✅	✅
Spatial video recording	✅ – in 1080p resolution at 30 fps	❌	✅ – in 1080p resolution at 30 fps	❌
Slow motion recording	✅ – 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps	✅ – 1080p up to 240 fps	✅ – 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps	✅ – 1080p up to 240 fps
Time-lapse video with stabilization	✅	✅	✅	✅
Night mode Time-lapse	✅	✅	✅	✅
QuickTake Video	✅ – up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision	✅	✅ – up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision	✅
Stabilization	Second-generation optical image stabilization with sensor shift for videos Sensor-shift 3D optical image stabilization and autofocus for movies (telephoto)	Dual optical image stabilization for videos (telephoto and wide angle) Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for movies (wide angle)	Second-generation optical image stabilization with sensor shift for videos Sensor-shift 3D optical image stabilization and autofocus for movies (telephoto)	Dual optical image stabilization for movies (telephoto and wide angle) Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for movies (wide angle)
Cinematic video stabilization	✅ – for 4K, 1080p and 720p	✅ – for 4K, 1080p and 720p	✅ – for 4K, 1080p and 720p	✅ – for 4K, 1080p and 720p
Sound zoom	✅	✅	✅	✅
Stereo recording	✅	✅	✅	✅
4 studio-quality microphones	✅	❌	✅	❌
A real tonal brilliance	✅	✅	✅	✅
Wind noise reduction	✅	❌	✅	❌
Sound mix	✅	❌	✅	❌
Continuous video with autofocus	✅	✅	✅	✅
Playback zoom	✅	✅	✅	✅

Selfie camera

The Apple TrueDepth front camera on iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max is packed with the latest photography styles, Smart HDR 5 for photos, video journaling and more.

	iPhone 16 Pro	iPhone 13 Pro	iPhone 16 Pro Max	iPhone 13 Pro Max
TrueDepth front camera	12 MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture	12 MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture	12 MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture	12 MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture
Autofocus with focus pixels	✅	✅	✅	✅
Retinal flash	✅	✅	✅	✅
Photonic engine	✅	✅	✅	✅
Deep Fusion	✅	✅	✅	✅
Smart HDR 4 for photos	–	✅	–	✅
Smart HDR 5 for photos	✅	❌	✅	❌
Next-generation portraits with focus and depth control	✅	❌	✅	❌
Portrait lighting with six effects	✅	✅	✅	✅
Animoji and Memoji	✅	✅	✅	✅
Night mode	✅	✅	✅	✅
Time-lapse night mode	✅	✅	✅	✅
The latest generation of photography styles	✅	❌	✅	❌
Lens correction	✅	✅	✅	✅
Automatic image stabilization	✅	✅	✅	✅
Capture a wide range of color photos and live photos	✅	✅	✅	✅
4K Dolby Vision/HDR recording	✅ – at 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps	✅ – at 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps
Recording in Dolby Vision 1080p format	✅ – at 25, 30 or 60 fps	✅ – at 25, 30 or 60 fps	✅ – at 25, 30 or 60 fps	✅ – at 25, 30 or 60 fps
Cinema mode	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 30 fps
AppleProRAW	✅	✅	✅	✅
ProRes recording	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps when recording externally	✅ – up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128 GB memory)	✅ – up to 4K HDR at 60 fps when recording externally	✅ – up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128 GB memory)
Record video recordings	✅	❌	✅	❌
Slow motion recording	✅ –1080p at 120 fps	✅ –1080p at 120 fps	✅ –1080p at 120 fps	✅ –1080p at 120 fps
QuickTake Video	✅ – up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision	✅	✅ – up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision	✅
Cinematic video stabilization	✅ – for 4K, 1080p, 720p	✅ – for 4K, 1080p, 720p	✅ – for 4K, 1080p, 720p	✅ – for 4K, 1080p, 720p
Surround and stereo sound recording	✅	❌	✅	❌

iPhone 16 Pro vs 13 Pro I/O

Compared to iPhone 13 Pro/Max, 16 Pro/Max has a USB-C port instead of Lightning with transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps and new features such as recording videos and photos directly to external storage.

In addition to the new camera controls, there are other improvements such as Wi-Fi 7 support, MagSafe that supports up to 25W or wireless power, and more.

	iPhone 16 Pro	iPhone 13 Pro	iPhone 16 Pro Max	iPhone 13 Pro Max
USB Type-C	✅ – USB 3 up to 10Gbps	❌	✅ – USB 3 up to 10Gbps	❌
Lightning	–	✅ – Up to 480Mbps	–	✅ – Up to 480Mbps
WiFi	7	6	7	6
Bluetooth	5.3	5.0	5.3	5.0
UWB	✅ – Gen2	✅ – Gen 1	✅ – Gen2	✅ – Gen 1
NFC with reader mode	✅	✅	✅	✅
Thread	✅	❌	✅	❌
Cellular	GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA	GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA	GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA	GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA
5G	Sub-6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO	Sub-6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO	Sub-6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO	Sub-6 GHz and mmWave with 4×4 MIMO
4G	Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA	Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA	Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA	Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA
GPS	Precise dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou and NavIC)	Precise dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou)	Precise dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou and NavIC)	Precise dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou)
Audio playback	Surround sound/Dolby Atmos	Surround Sound/Dolby Atmos	Surround Sound/Dolby Atmos	Surround Sound/Dolby Atmos
Video playback	HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG	HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG	HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG	HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG
SIM	Dual eSIM in the US	eSIM and nanoSIM	Dual eSIM in the US	eSIM and nanoSIM
MagSafe	✅ with 25W charging	✅ with 15W charging	✅ with 25W charging	✅ with 15W charging
Qi and Qi2	✅	✅	✅	✅

iPhone 16 Pro vs 13 Pro Cameras: Buyer’s Guide

If you’re curious about whether it’s worth upgrading overall, here’s a broader breakdown of the 16 Pro vs 13 Pro.

Note that both the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro come with the new Camera Control button/sensor (and support for Apple Intelligence).

Reasons to buy iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max

• The most powerful and efficient cameras for photos and videos
• Camera control
• Longer battery life
• Titanium construction with very narrow frames
• USB-C at 10 Gbps, Wi-Fi 7 support
• The fastest chip and most powerful graphics processor for video and mobile games

Reasons to buy iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 or keep what you have

• If the above features aren’t a big deal for you, save your money and buy the iPhone 16, which includes most of the other new features this year (or keep the older iPhone 😁).
• You might also consider buying or keeping the iPhone 15 Pro if you need Apple Intelligence support and the improved camera over the iPhone 13/Pro but don’t want/need the latest 16/16 Pro features.

You can order iPhone 16 and 16 Pro from Apple, your carrier and other suppliers.

What do you think? Update? Keep your current iPhone? Let us know in the comments!

Thank you for reading our iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro camera guide!