Apple iPhone 16 PRO iPhone 16 PRO Review

The iPhone 16 Pro has performance in the 98th percentile, making it one of the fastest phones ever. But its battery life is a deal-breaking 24.3 out of 100. Buy it only if you need maximum speed and always have a charger nearby.

The iPhone 16 Pro is a powerhouse that makes you forget it's a phone. With performance sitting in the 98th percentile, it's faster than almost everything else out there, and that 512GB of storage means you're not deleting apps to make room for photos. It's built like a tank too, landing in the 84th percentile for build quality, so it feels premium in your hand.

But there's a catch, and it's a big one. The battery life score is a dismal 24.3 out of 100. That puts it in the bottom quarter of phones we track. So you get this incredible engine, but you'll be plugging it in a lot more often than you'd expect from a flagship.

Let's talk about that 98th percentile performance. That's not a typo. The Apple A18 Pro chip, with its 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, is a monster. In real-world terms, this thing chews through apps, games, and 8K video editing without breaking a sweat. It's the kind of speed that makes other phones feel sluggish. Pair that with 8GB of RAM, and you've got a mobile workstation that rarely, if ever, stutters.

The camera system is no slouch either, hitting the 91st percentile. The triple 48MP setup, with its main, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses, captures stunning detail. It's a pro-grade system that lives up to the 'Pro' name, especially for photography where it scores a 55.3 out of 100 in our database.

At $999, you're paying for the A18 Pro chip and that camera system. The performance is undeniable, but the value proposition gets murky when you consider the battery and display aren't class-leading. You're essentially buying a sports car with a tiny gas tank. If raw compute power is your absolute top priority, the price might be justified. But if you want a more balanced flagship experience, there are competitors that offer better battery life for the same money.

Stacked against its rivals, the iPhone 16 Pro's story is about trade-offs. It demolishes the Google Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S25 FE in pure CPU performance, no contest. But both of those phones likely offer much better battery life and potentially better displays. The OnePlus 15 will give you similar speed for hundreds less, though you'll lose out on the iOS ecosystem and that specific camera color science. It's the performance king, but it's a monarch that needs constant charging.

Skip this phone if battery life is a priority. With a score of 24.3 out of 100, it's objectively poor. Also, if you want the latest bells and whistles, its feature set only ranks in the 45th percentile. And heavy users who prize a big, bright screen might be disappointed by the display's 30th percentile ranking. Look at a Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel instead.

We can only recommend the iPhone 16 Pro to a very specific user: someone who needs the absolute fastest phone money can buy and doesn't mind being tethered to an outlet. The 98th percentile performance and pro cameras are incredible, but they're hamstrung by battery life that lands in the 40th percentile overall. For most people, a phone with a more balanced profile, like the Galaxy S25 FE or even last year's iPhone, is a smarter buy.