What is the difference between the iPhone 16 Plus and the iPhone Air?

They differ on 16 of the 27 specifications their makers publish, including released (2024 against 2025), screen size (6.7in against 6.5in) and chip (A18 chip against A19 Pro chip), and 13 more. Everything else on this page reads the same on both.

What do the iPhone 16 Plus and the iPhone Air have in common?

They match on 11 of the 27 published specifications, including screen type, refresh rate, graphics and main camera, and 7 more.

Can I trade in my current phone against one of these?

Yes. Tell us what you have and we will give you a price for it, and that price comes off whichever of these you buy. The figures on this page are what we are paying today.

iPhone 16 Plus vs iPhone Air

Spec by spec

Side by side

They differ on 16 of 27 specifications.

iPhone 16 Plus vs iPhone Air, specification by specification
Specification	iPhone 16 Plusfrom £539.99	iPhone Airfrom £549.99
Launch
Released	2024	2025
Display and chip
Screen size	6.7in	6.5in
Screen type	Super Retina XDR display	Super Retina XDR display
Resolution	2796x1290-pixel resolution at 460 ppi	2736x1260‑pixel resolution at 460 ppi
Refresh rate	Not published	120Hz
Chip	A18 chip	A19 Pro chip
Graphics	Not published	5-core GPU with Neural Accelerators
Camera and battery
Rear camera	Advanced dual‑camera system 48MP Fusion Main: 26mm, ƒ/1.6 aperture, sensor‑shift optical image stabilisation, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) Also enables 12MP 2x Telephoto: 52mm, ƒ/1.6 aperture, sensor‑shift optical image stabilisation, 100% Focus Pixels 12MP Ultra Wide: 13mm, ƒ/2.2 aperture and 120° field of view, 100% Focus Pixels	48MP Fusion camera system
Main camera	48MP	48MP
Main camera aperture	Not published	ƒ/1.6
Front camera	12MP	18MP
Front camera aperture	Not published	ƒ/1.9 with autofocus
Video playback	Up to 27 hours	Up to 27 hours
Fast charging	20W	20W
Size and build
Height	160.9mm	156.2mm
Width	77.8mm	74.7mm
Depth	7.8mm	5.64mm
Weight	199g	165g
Water resistance	Rated IP68 (maximum depth of 6 metres up to 30 minutes) under IEC standard 60529	Rated IP68 (maximum depth of 6 metres up to 30 minutes) under IEC standard 60529
Build	Aluminium design, Ceramic Shield front, Colour-infused glass back (Black, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine)	Titanium design, Ceramic Shield 2 front, Ceramic Shield back
Storage and software
Storage options	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Software at launch	iOS 18	iOS 26
Unlocking	Face ID	Face ID
Connectivity
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)	Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth	5.3	6
NFC	Yes, with reader mode	Yes
Safety
Safety features	Not published	Emergency SOS via satellite, Crash Detection, Roadside Assistance via satellite

iPhone 16 Plus vs iPhone Air

iPhone 16 Plus

iPhone Air

Side by side

Should you buy the iPhone 16 Plus or the iPhone Air?

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iPhone 16 Plus

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