5 phones worth buying instead of the iPhone 16 Pro

If you’re looking for a new phone for yourself or a loved one, you may want to consider iPhone 16 pro from Apple. After all, it just came out and is filled with the latest and greatest from the fruit company. This means the A18 Pro processor delivers faster performance, an improved 5x telephoto lens, a new camera control button, Apple Intelligence V iOS 18 and much more.

But what if we told you that there are better options? And some offer even better features or are better priced? Here are five alternatives to consider before purchasing the iPhone 16 Pro.

iPhone 16

You might be wondering why choose the base model over the Pro version this year. And that’s because Apple released the base iPhone 16. so good.

If one of the reasons you’re considering the iPhone 16 Pro is size, the iPhone 16 is also slightly smaller: It has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display instead of the Pro’s 6.3 inches, although it only has a 60 refresh rate Hz Truth be told, most people can’t tell the difference between 60Hz and 120Hz, and it won’t make much of a difference in how you use the phone in everyday scenarios. Colors still look vibrant and rich, text is crisp and clear, and blacks are rich and deep.

The iPhone 16 also features an action button, which debuted on models last year. iPhone 15 proreplacing the old mute/ringer switch. This customizable button allows you to assign a shortcut to camera, flashlight, translation, voice recording, or anything else through the Shortcuts app. The iPhone 16 also has the same camera control button as the iPhone 16 Pro.

Apple also changed the camera design on the iPhone 16, returning to a vertical camera layout for space photos and videos for the Apple Vision Pro. The new layout is clean and sleek, and Apple has updated the ultra-wide camera. It has a 48MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens with autofocus that allows you to take macro photos.

And let’s be honest: the iPhone 16 has the best new colors: turquoise, ultramarine and pink, which are bright, bold and fun. The iPhone 16 Pro doesn’t have the same vibrant color as the base model. Plus, the iPhone 16 starts at $799, so you can save some money if you don’t need 1TB of storage, a 120Hz refresh rate, or a telephoto lens.

Google Pixel 9 Pro

For those who don’t mind switching to Android, there’s also Google Pixel 9 Probest Android alternative to iPhone 16 Pro.

Google has updated the entire Pixel 9 lineup this year, and it looks better than ever. It’s the same size as the iPhone 16 Pro, with a 6.3-inch Super Actu OLED display, but can reach 3,000 nits of brightness (compared to the iPhone’s 2,000 nits) and has a 120Hz refresh rate.

While the Pixel 9 Pro doesn’t have a fancy action button or camera controls, it does have more impressive specs. Inside is a Tensor G4 with 16GB of RAM (compared to 8GB on the iPhone 16 Pro) and Android 14 out of the box with Google Gemini AI features. You’ll get seven years of OS updates, security updates, and Pixel Drop, and the battery will last all day.

When it comes to cameras, Google looks more impressive on paper. It features a triple-lens camera system: a 50MP primary camera, a 48MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. The selfie camera is also quite good, with a resolution of 42MP compared to the 12MP sensor on the iPhone 16 Pro.

And let’s talk about flowers. Google made the Pixel 9 Pro out of beautiful rose quartz, which is already a step above Apple’s offerings in the iPhone 16 Pro. If you want a professional pink phone, the answer is simple: go for the Pixel 9 Pro.

Google Pixel 9

As with the iPhone 16 line, Google has done a fantastic job with the base model. Google Pixel 9. So, if you’re looking to save money and don’t mind switching to Android, the Pixel 9 is also a great option.

The Pixel 9 is the same size as the iPhone 16 Pro, and while its screen isn’t as high-definition as the Pixel 9 Pro, it still has a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,700 nits.

There’s a Tensor G4 inside the Pixel 9, but it only has 12GB of RAM compared to the Pixel 9 Pro’s 16GB. However, this is more than the iPhone 16 Pro. With 12GB of RAM, Pixel 9 delivers super-fast performance and power. efficiency. It even has a 4,700mAh battery, the same size as the Pixel 9 Pro, so it’ll last you all day.

When it comes to cameras, the Pixel 9 only has a dual system compared to its Pro siblings, but it’s still impressive. It has a 50MP main camera and a 48MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The selfie camera is a 10.5 MP sensor. Because the Pixel line uses Google’s photography computing to help you get the perfect shot, it’s hard to take a bad photo with the Pixel 9, even if it doesn’t have a telephoto lens.

Google has also brought some fun colors to the Pixel 9 lineup: peony pink and wintergreen. It also starts at just $799, and you can usually find more deals on Google Pixel phones than iPhones, so you’ll potentially save even more money.

Samsung Galaxy S24

While Samsung Galaxy S25 is on the horizon Galaxy S24 It’s still a pretty good phone.

Since the Galaxy S24 has a 6.2-inch screen, it’s one of the smallest Android phones you can get in 2024. It’s also lightweight and easy to use, which is nice. But don’t be fooled: this 6.2-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate can hit 1Hz in low light conditions. And you can get up to 2600 nits of maximum brightness. While it’s important to note that Samsung phones can sometimes have overly bright displays, you can mitigate this by setting the settings to Natural for a more balanced color profile.

Inside, the Galaxy S24 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Galaxy processor, which means fast performance and high power efficiency. It only has 8GB of RAM, which is on par with the iPhone 16 Pro. However, the Snapdragon chip is very good and should handle its tasks without any problems.

The Galaxy S24’s cameras are also very reliable. The triple camera setup on the back includes a 50MP primary camera, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera. So even though it’s a base model, you still get a telephoto lens, something neither Apple nor Google do. And while previous Samsung phones have tended to go overboard with color saturation, the S24 has toned down this so photos aren’t as oversaturated as before. This is, of course, personal preference.

The Galaxy S24 also has a ton of AI capabilities, and Samsung has some fun and exclusive colors if you buy direct. And with the S25 only a few months away, you can get it very cheap by taking advantage of special offers and trade-in offers.

OnePlus 12

Like Samsung, OnePlus will soon launch OnePlus 13was recently announced in China but will not be released in the US just yet. Despite this, OnePlus 12 It’s still a great phone that’s worth a look.

If you don’t mind going bigger, the OnePlus 12 is a great price. It features a 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 4,500 nits of brightness. There’s one problem though: the screen is curved at the edges, so if you’re not used to a screen like this, it can lead to accidental touches and gestures. But other than that, this is one of the best displays you can get on a smartphone.

Inside, the OnePlus 12 has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and depending on the storage configuration, you can get between 12GB and 16GB of RAM. This is more than enough for most people’s smartphone, so it’s a great price. And thanks to the phone’s massive 5,400mAh battery, this phone will last you two days if you keep track of its usage. Speaking of battery, it charges at 80W wired power in the US (100W worldwide) and even supports wireless charging up to 50W. Even if you need to connect it, it won’t take much time.

In terms of cameras, the OnePlus 12 has Hasselblad color tuning for the best images. It has a 50MP main camera, a 64MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera. Even the selfie camera has a resolution of 32 MP. And with Hasselblad you get great photos in any situation.

OnePlus also offers some of the most unique color options on the market with distinctive patterns and textures. It starts at $800, but OnePlus has some great trade-in offers on its website so you can get it for even less. This is one of the best deals for smartphones.