When it launched in October 2020, the iPhone 12 Pro was packed with cutting-edge hardware. Four years later, no. Apple’s 2020 flagship iPhone is still fully capable, but you should consider upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro.
Wondering if there are enough improvements to justify an upgrade? Check out this comparison to find out.
iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro: 2024 vs. 2020
Comparing the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro reveals that Apple’s latest iPhone packs only a few improvements. But if you go back and compare the iPhone 16 Pro to the iPhone 12 Pro released in 2020, the differences are immediately noticeable.
From a larger display to a faster and more efficient chip to longer battery life, the iPhone 16 Pro is better than the iPhone 12 Pro in almost every way. Check out our detailed comparison between iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro to understand all the differences.
Table of Contents: Comparison of iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro
Design: more durable
Photo: Lyle Carney/Cult of Mac
- iPhone16 Pro: 149.6mm x 71.5mm x 8.25mm; 199 grams. IP68, aerospace grade titanium, matte glass back, 2nd generation ceramic shield (front), action buttons, camera controls
- iPhone12 Pro: 146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.65mm, 189 grams, IP68, stainless steel, textured glass back, ring/silent switch
iPhone 12 Pro was released in October 2020. Four years later, the iPhone 16 Pro is slightly heavier and taller, which is to be expected since this phone has a larger 6.3-inch display. But despite this, the iPhone 16 Pro manages to be slimmer than the iPhone 12 Pro.
Apple’s latest iPhone uses a titanium chassis, which is much lighter than the stainless steel in the iPhone 12 Pro. Other improvements include a more durable front cover glass and customizable action buttons. The camera control button at the bottom right provides quick access to camera apps and controls.
The iPhone 16 Pro may look similar to the iPhone 12 Pro at first glance, but all the little changes add up.
Display: bigger and brighter
iPhone 16 Pro has a larger, brighter, and smoother display than iPhone 12 Pro. The 16 Pro reaches a peak brightness of 1,200 nits, which is 800 nits higher than the iPhone 12 Pro. Additionally, it has a 120Hz refresh rate for a smoother scrolling experience. You can also lower the minimum brightness to 1 nit.
- iPhone16 Pro: 6.3-inch, Super Retina XDR display, 2622 x 1206 pixels resolution, 120Hz ProMotion, Haptic Touch, True Tone, Always-On display, Dynamic Island, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nit typical brightness, 2000 nit peak brightness, 1 nit minimum brightness
- iPhone12 Pro: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, 2,532 x 1,170 pixels, 60Hz refresh rate, Haptic Touch, True Tone, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits typical brightness, 1,200 nits peak brightness
Another major upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro’s display is the Dynamic Island. This replaces the notch on the iPhone 13 Pro’s display. More importantly, Apple is making smart use of dynamic islands to dynamically display different information through live activity. Finally, the iPhone 16 Pro’s display is surrounded by slimmer bezels, giving it a more futuristic look.
Performance: faster and more efficient
Photo: Apple
- iPhone16 Pro: A18 Pro, 3nm (2nd generation) fab, 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, upgraded 16-core neural engine, dedicated AV1 decoder, USB-C controller, 2nd generation Ultra Wideband chip, 8GB RAM, up to 1 TB storage
- iPhone 12 Pro: A14 Bionic, 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 6 GB RAM, up to 512 GB storage
The iPhone 16 Pro’s 6-core CPU is 60% faster than the iPhone 12 Pro’s A14 Bionic, and the GPU is 50% faster. The latter supports hardware ray tracing for higher quality lighting effects. The A18 Pro’s Neural Engine is more than twice as fast, enabling Apple’s latest iPhones to process AI and ML tasks faster. These are significant performance improvements that are easily noticed in everyday use.
The iPhone 12 Pro’s A14 Bionic chip was ahead of its time. However, four years have passed and the building is starting to deteriorate. You may not feel like your old iPhone is running slow. However, once you experience the iPhone 16 Pro, there’s no going back.
Other upgrades available for the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro chip include a dedicated AV1 decoder and USB-C controller. These enable faster and more efficient video encoding/decoding and wired transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
Finally, the A18 Pro chip and 8GB RAM allow the iPhone 16 Pro to support Apple Intelligence. iPhone 12 Pro is compatible with iOS 18, but does not support Apple’s AI-powered features.
Camera: Improved in every way
- iPhone16 Pro: 48MP f/1.78 Fusion camera with large sensor, 2nd generation sensor shift stabilization, 12MP f/2.8 telephoto camera, 5x optical zoom. 48MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle, macro photography. LiDAR Scanner, Smart HDR 5, Adaptive True Tone Flash, Cinematic Mode (4K HDR@30fps), Action Mode, ProRAW and ProRes Support, Log Video Recording, Spatial Video Recording, Wind Noise Reduction, Audio Mix. Front: 12MP camera with f/1.9 aperture and autofocus
- iPhone 12 Pro: 12MP f/1.6 primary camera, sensor shift stabilization. 12MP f/2.4 ultra wide angle. 12MP f/2.0 telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom. LiDAR scanner, Smart HDR 3, True Tone flash; Front: 12MP camera with f/2.2 aperture
The iPhone 16 Pro has a slightly improved camera compared to the iPhone 15 Pro. But if you upgrade from the iPhone 12 Pro, you’ll be able to see all of Apple’s camera advances since 2020. iPhone 16 Pro has a larger, higher-resolution primary camera. This lets in more light and allows you to capture more detailed photos. The ultra-wide camera is also larger and boasts higher resolution.
The telephoto camera has a wider f/2.0 aperture while maintaining 12MP resolution. More importantly, it is equipped with a 5x optical telephoto zoom lens, allowing you to get closer to distant subjects. For comparison, the iPhone 12 Pro’s 12MP telephoto camera only supports 2x optical zoom. The iPhone 16 Pro can deliver the same results using an in-sensor crop from the primary camera.
However, these are just hardware improvements. The image processing upgrade is even bigger, with iPhone 16 Pro now supporting Smart HDR 5. Other improvements include ProRes and Log support for video recording, spatial photo and video capture capabilities, and audio mixes.
Connectivity: Lifesaving features
- iPhone16 Pro: Satellite Emergency SOS, Satellite Roadside Assistance, Threaded Networking, High Dynamic Range Gyro, Auto Collision Detection, Dual eSIM Slots, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, Precision Dual Frequency GPS, USB-C (up to 10Gbps)
- iPhone 12 Pro: Emergency SOS, Dual SIM support, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, Lightning connector (USB 2 at 480Mbps), Ultra Wideband chip
Phones do more than just connect to the Internet and make calls. Just four years after launching the iPhone 12 Pro, Apple’s iPhone now connects to satellites, acts as a router for smart home devices, and automatically contacts emergency services if it detects it’s been involved in a car accident. Now I can even do that. All of these changes can potentially save lives in emergency and life-threatening situations.
iPhone 16 Pro also delivers faster 5G download speeds, helping you connect better to networks in areas where coverage is spotty. Similarly, dual-precision GPS allows you to determine your location quickly and with high accuracy.
Finally, the USB-C port means it’s much easier to find a charger to charge your phone’s battery. Additionally, it supports significantly faster wired data transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps.
Please note that the iPhone 16 Pro does not have a physical SIM slot in the US. Therefore, if you want to upgrade, you should switch to eSIM. Unlike the iPhone 12 Pro, this phone supports dual eSIM connectivity.
Battery life: very long lasting
Photo: Lyle Carney/Cult of Mac
- iPhone16 Pro: Up to 27 hours of video playback and up to 85 hours of audio playback. 25W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging support
- iPhone12 Pro: Up to 17 hours of video playback and up to 65 hours of audio playback. 15W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging support
Compared to the iPhone 12 Pro, Apple’s latest Pro iPhone delivers an impressive 10 hours of video playback. Audio playback runtime has improved by a whopping 20 hours. These efficiency improvements allow the iPhone 16 Pro to survive a full day of heavy use.
Your iPhone 12 Pro’s battery is probably already worn out and won’t last more than half a day without refilling. Even better, iPhone 16 Pro supports faster wired and wireless charging, which significantly reduces the time it takes to fully charge the battery.
Price: No inflation here
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
- iPhone16 Pro: Starting at $999 for 128GB storage
- iPhone12 professional: Starting at $999 with 128GB storage
Despite having significant upgrades in almost every area, the iPhone 16 Pro has the same starting price as the iPhone 12 Pro. Unfortunately, the base storage also remains unchanged after four years. Considering inflationary pressures and rising component costs, it’s surprising that the iPhone 16 Pro costs the same as the iPhone 12 Pro.
The iPhone 12 Pro had a maximum storage capacity of 512GB, while the iPhone 16 Pro can have up to 1TB of storage. However, this version costs $1,499 before tax.
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro conclusion: The upgrades you need
There are few reasons not to upgrade from iPhone 12 Pro to iPhone 16 Pro. Even if you don’t mind a bigger, brighter display or better performance, the iPhone 16 Pro has other important upgrades like emergency SOS via satellite, car collision detection, improved camera performance, and longer battery life. has been applied. These improvements are easily evident in daily use.
You’ll probably find a good carrier trade-in sale. Take advantage of these to get the iPhone 16 Pro at a lower price and get more value out of your old iPhone 12 Pro.
All of the above changes also apply to iPhone 16 Pro Max, so you’ll get the same benefits if you upgrade from iPhone 12 Pro Max. If you’re on a budget, consider buying the iPhone 16 instead. Compare iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 to see the differences between the two iPhones.
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iPhone16 Pro: apple
