Apple iPhone Air vs Apple iPhone 16 Plus
The Apple iPhone Air scores 7.3 in our rating, and the Apple iPhone 16 Plus scores 7.5. The Apple iPhone Air leads in display and performance, while the Apple iPhone 16 Plus is ahead in camera, battery and value for money. At launch in the US, the Apple iPhone 16 Plus cost $100 less ($899 vs $999). The Apple iPhone Air is the newer phone, announced Sep 9, 2025.
Key differences
Why choose the Apple iPhone Air
- Brighter screen 3,000 nits vs 2,000 nits
- Higher refresh rate 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- Newer model Sep 9, 2025 vs Sep 9, 2024
- More RAM 12 GB vs 8 GB
- More storage 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB vs 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB
- Lighter 165 g vs 199 g
Why choose the Apple iPhone 16 Plus
- Bigger battery 4,674 mAh vs 3,149 mAh
- Bigger screen 6.7 inches vs 6.5 inches
- Lower launch price $899 vs $999
- Faster wireless charging 25 W vs 20 W
- Higher screen resolution 1290 × 2796 px vs 1260 × 2736 px
- Stereo speakers
PhoneRanked scores
Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones
Spec
Apple iPhone AirApple iPhone 16 Plus
Overall
7.3
7.5
Display
8.5
6.7
Performance
8.8
7.9
Camera
5.9
6.6
Battery
4.4
6.9
Design
8.7
8.7
Software support
7.4
7.4
Value for money
3.9
4.4
Display
Spec
Apple iPhone AirApple iPhone 16 Plus
Size
6.5 inches
6.7 inches
Type
OLED, Super Retina XDR
OLED, Super Retina XDR
Resolution
1260 × 2736 px
1290 × 2796 px
Pixel density
460 ppi
460 ppi
Refresh rate
120 Hz
60 Hz
Adaptive refresh
✓ Yes
✕ No
Peak brightness
3,000 nits
2,000 nits
HDR
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Protection
Ceramic Shield 2
Ceramic Shield (latest generation)
Performance
Spec
Apple iPhone AirApple iPhone 16 Plus
Process
—
3 nm
Max CPU clock
—
4.04 GHz
GPU
Apple 5-core GPU
Apple 5-core GPU
RAM
12 GB
8 GB
Storage
256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB
Storage type
NVMe
—
microSD slot
✕ No
✕ No
Cameras
Spec
Apple iPhone AirApple iPhone 16 Plus
Main camera
48 MP, f/1.6
48 MP, f/1.6
Optical stabilization
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Ultrawide
—
12 MP
Rear cameras
1
2
Rear video
4K@60
4K@60
Front camera
18 MP
12 MP
Front video
4K@60
4K@60
Battery and charging
Spec
Apple iPhone AirApple iPhone 16 Plus
Capacity
3,149 mAh
4,674 mAh
Battery type
Li-Ion
Li-Ion
Wired charging
20 W
—
Wireless charging
20 W
25 W
Reverse wireless
✕ No
✕ No
Charger in box
✕ No
✕ No
Design and build
Spec
Apple iPhone AirApple iPhone 16 Plus
Dimensions
156.2 × 74.7 × 5.64 mm
160.9 × 77.8 × 7.8 mm
Thickness
5.64 mm
7.8 mm
Weight
165 g
199 g
Form factor
Bar
Bar
Frame
Titanium
Aluminum
Back
Glass
Glass
Water resistance
IP68
IP68
Fingerprint
None
None
3D face unlock
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
SIM
eSIM only
eSIM only
Colors
Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, Space Black
Teal, Ultramarine, Pink, White, Black
Connectivity and features
Spec
Apple iPhone AirApple iPhone 16 Plus
5G
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth
6.0
5.3
USB
USB-C 2.0
USB-C 2.0
NFC
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
3.5 mm jack
✕ No
✕ No
Stereo speakers
✕ No
✓ Yes
Satellite
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
IR blaster
✕ No
✕ No
Software
Spec
Apple iPhone AirApple iPhone 16 Plus
OS at launch
iOS 26
iOS 18
Security updates
5 years
5 years
Launch and price
Spec
Apple iPhone AirApple iPhone 16 Plus
Announced
Sep 9, 2025
Sep 9, 2024
Released
Sep 19, 2025
Sep 20, 2024
Status
Released
Discontinued
US launch price
$999
$899
Green marks the stronger value in a row. Specs come from official manufacturer data, cross-checked with established tech media; each phone page lists its sources. Report an error
vs
vs
vs
vs