iPhone 16 vs Xiaomi 15 Pro: A Head-to-Head Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing longevity and a seamless ecosystem, the iPhone 16 is the better choice, thanks to its exceptional 37-hour battery endurance and 1000 charge cycles. However, power users and those demanding the fastest charging speeds will find the Xiaomi 15 Pro’s 90W wired charging and potent Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset more appealing.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 16 | Xiaomi 15 Pro |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66 - A3287 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - China |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3287 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, 84, 89 SA/NSA - China |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2024, September 09 | 2024, October 29 |
| Status | Available. Released 2024, September 20 | Available. Released 2024, October 29 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Ceramic Shield), glass back, aluminum frame | - |
| Dimensions | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm (5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in) | 161.3 x 75.3 x 8.4 mm or 8.7 mm |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International)· eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 170 g (6.00 oz) | 213 g or 219 g (7.51 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass (2024 gen), Mohs level 4 | Shatterproof glass (2024 gen) |
| Resolution | 1179 x 2556 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 91.7 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) | LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, 1920Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 3200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x4.04 GHz + 4x2.20 GHz) | Octa-core (2x4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M) |
| Chipset | Apple A18 (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) | Adreno 830 |
| OS | iOS 18, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | Android 15, HyperOS 2 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lens, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama |
| Triple | - | 50 MP, f/1.4, 23mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.5, 120mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF (30cm - ∞), OIS, 5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 115˚ (ultrawide), AF |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. | 8K@24/30fps (HDR), 4K@24/30/60fps (HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR, 10-bit LOG), 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec. | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 5 |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen2, Display Port, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, tri-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, dual-band or tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 25W wireless (MagSafe), 15W wireless (China only) 15W wireless (Qi2) 4.5W reverse wired | 90W wired, PD3.0, QC3+ 50W wireless 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3561 mAh | Si/C Li-Ion 6100 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine | Black, White, Silver, Green |
| Models | A3287, A3081, A3286, A3288, iPhone17,3 | 24101PNB7C, 2410DPN6CC |
| Price | $ 494.93 / C$ 945.75 / £ 569.99 / € 678.57 / ₹ 66,900 | About 690 EUR |
| SAR | 1.08 W/kg (head) 1.17 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 1.24 W/kg (head) 1.41 W/kg (body) | - |
| EU LABEL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery | 37:00h endurance, 1000 cycles | - |
| Energy | Class B | - |
| Free fall | Class C (90 falls) | - |
| Repairability | Class C | - |
Apple iPhone 16
- Exceptional battery life (37h endurance)
- Long-term battery health (1000 cycles)
- Seamless Apple ecosystem integration
- Slower wired charging compared to Xiaomi
- Less flexible Android ecosystem
Xiaomi 15 Pro
- Blazing-fast 90W wired charging
- Powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset
- More open Android ecosystem
- Battery endurance likely lower than iPhone 16
- Potential for faster battery degradation with frequent fast charging
Display Comparison
The iPhone 16’s display achieves a measured peak brightness of 1708 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While Xiaomi doesn’t provide brightness data, their Pro models typically prioritize color accuracy and vibrancy. Both are likely to employ LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates, but the iPhone’s brightness advantage is a clear win for outdoor use. The iPhone’s tighter integration of hardware and software also allows for potentially more accurate color calibration.
Camera Comparison
Without detailed camera specifications, a direct comparison is difficult. However, Xiaomi’s Pro models typically emphasize high-resolution sensors and advanced computational photography. The iPhone 16 will likely continue Apple’s focus on natural-looking images and excellent video recording capabilities. The absence of information on sensor sizes and lens apertures makes it impossible to definitively declare a winner, but Xiaomi’s history suggests a focus on maximizing detail through high megapixel counts, while Apple prioritizes image processing and dynamic range.
Performance
Both devices utilize 3nm chipsets, but their architectures differ significantly. The iPhone 16’s Apple A18 features a hexa-core CPU (2x4.04 GHz + 4x2.20 GHz), while the Xiaomi 15 Pro boasts an octa-core Snapdragon 8 Elite (2x4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M). The Snapdragon’s Oryon cores, designed by Qualcomm, aim to challenge Apple’s CPU dominance. However, Apple’s tight control over hardware and software optimization often translates to superior real-world performance, despite potentially lower clock speeds. The Snapdragon 8 Elite’s higher core count may benefit heavily multi-threaded tasks, but the A18’s efficiency is likely to be superior.
Battery Life
The iPhone 16’s 37-hour endurance and 15:42h active use score are significant advantages. While the Xiaomi 15 Pro’s battery capacity is unknown, its 90W wired charging (PD3.0, QC3+) is substantially faster than the iPhone 16’s 50% in 30 minutes PD2.0 charging. The Xiaomi 15 Pro also offers 50W wireless charging, exceeding the iPhone 16’s 25W MagSafe and 15W Qi2 options. The iPhone 16’s 1000 charge cycle rating suggests superior long-term battery health, mitigating concerns about rapid degradation from frequent fast charging.
Buying Guide
Buy the Apple iPhone 16 if you need a phone that reliably lasts all day, integrates seamlessly with other Apple devices, and benefits from Apple’s long-term software support. Buy the Xiaomi 15 Pro if you prioritize blazing-fast charging, maximum processing power for demanding tasks like gaming and video editing, and a more open Android ecosystem.