iPhone 12 vs iPhone 16
43.9Performance66
32.6Display40.7
33.5Camera44.3
24.2Battery47
89.3Features89.3
2 spec wins — iPhone 129 spec wins — iPhone 16
InnoReviews verdict
iPhone 16 wins this phone face-off, 55.1 to 40.2, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+23) and performance (+22). iPhone 12 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPhone 12
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Reasons to pick the iPhone 16
- Stronger performance score: 66 vs 44
- Stronger display score: 41 vs 33
- Stronger camera score: 44 vs 34
- Stronger battery score: 47 vs 24
- 300% higher Main camera: 48 MP vs 12 MP
Display
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.1 ″ | 6.1 ″ |
| Panel type | OLED | Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Resolution | 2532x1170 | 1179x2556 |
| Pixel density | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,200 nits | 2,000 nits+67% |
| Screen-to-body | — | 86.4 % |
Performance
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic | Apple A18 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 950,000Top 51% | 1,450,000+53%Top 25% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,080Top 28% | 3,300+59%Top 5% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 4,900Top 35% | 8,100+65%Top 10% |
| RAM (max) | 4 GB | 8 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 64GB / 128GB / 256GB | 128/256/512GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | NVMe |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 48 MP+300% |
| Main aperture | f/1.6 | f/1.6 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical zoom | — | 2 x |
| Max video | 4K@60fps | 4K@60fps |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 2,815 mAh | 3,561 mAh+27% |
| Wired charging | 20 W | 25 W+25% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 25 W+67% |
| Active use endurance | — | 11 h |
Design
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 164 g+4% | 170 g |
| Thickness | 7.4 mm+5% | 7.8 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.3 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 2.0 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | iOS 14 | iOS 18 |
| OS update pledge | 6 years | 6 years |
Audio
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |