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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 15, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16
ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16: which is the right fit? We cover performance, value, and use cases to make the call easier.
Ratings: 4.7★ vs 4.8★
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ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro
★4.7
(63)•Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:2 major OS updates and 4 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SM8650)
Graphics:Adreno 750
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Apple iPhone 16
★4.8
(219)•Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
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Comparison: ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16
ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro
★4.7(63)Best Buy
Apple iPhone 16
★4.8(219)Best Buy
| Criterion | ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro | Apple iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.7(63)Best Buy | ★4.8(219)Best Buy |
Operating System | Android | iOS |
Software Support | 2 major OS updates and 4 years of security updates | Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SM8650) | Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine) |
Graphics | Adreno 750 | Apple 5-core GPU (A18) |
RAM | 16GB LPDDR5X (Pro Edition: 24GB) | 8 GB |
Storage | 512GB UFS 4.0 (Pro Edition: 1TB) | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe) |
Display Size | 6.78" | 6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less) |
Screen Type | Samsung E6 Flexible AMOLED, LTPO, 1,600 nits (HBM) | Super Retina XDR OLED |
Resolution | 2400 x 1080 (FHD+) | 2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi) |
Refresh Rate | 1Hz–120Hz (Adaptive); 165Hz (Gaming mode) | 60 Hz |
Peak Brightness | 2,500 nits | 1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum |
Main Camera | 50MP Sony IMX890, f/1.9, 6-axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer 3.0 | 48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) |
Ultra-Wide Camera | 13MP, f/2.2, 120-degree FOV, Free-form lens | 12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support |
Telephoto Camera | 32MP, f/2.4, OIS, 3x Optical Zoom (Not periscope) | No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS |
Optical Zoom | 3x Optical | 0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range) |
Digital Zoom | Up to 30x (Hyper Clarity AI up to 10x) | Up to 10x |
Video Recording | 8K UHD @ 24fps; 4K UHD @ 30/60fps; HDR10+ | 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps |
Front Camera | 32MP RGBW, f/2.5, 90-degree FOV (Bins to 8MP) | 12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps |
Battery | 5,500mAh (Dual-cell) | 3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback |
Wired Charging | 65W HyperCharge (Adapter included) | USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher |
Wireless Charging | 15W Qi 1.3 Wireless Charging | MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W |
Connectivity | 5G (Sub-6/mmWave), Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 5.4, NFC | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode |
USB | Side: USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort 1.4); Bottom: USB-C 2.0 | USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output |
Durability | IP68 (Dust/Water Resistant); Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (Front) | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back |
Dimensions | 6.45 x 3.02 x 0.35 in (163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9 mm) | 5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm) |
Weight | 7.94 oz (225 g) | 6.00 oz (170 g) |
Biometrics | Optical under-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock | Face ID |
Extras | AniMe Vision (341 Mini-LEDs on back), AirTrigger buttons, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, Dual USB-C ports | Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite |
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ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro
Rating:★4.7(63)Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:2 major OS updates and 4 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SM8650)
Graphics:Adreno 750
RAM:16GB LPDDR5X (Pro Edition: 24GB)
Storage:512GB UFS 4.0 (Pro Edition: 1TB)
Display Size:6.78"
Screen Type:Samsung E6 Flexible AMOLED, LTPO, 1,600 nits (HBM)
Resolution:2400 x 1080 (FHD+)
Refresh Rate:1Hz–120Hz (Adaptive); 165Hz (Gaming mode)
Peak Brightness:2,500 nits
Main Camera:50MP Sony IMX890, f/1.9, 6-axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer 3.0
Ultra-Wide Camera:13MP, f/2.2, 120-degree FOV, Free-form lens
Telephoto Camera:32MP, f/2.4, OIS, 3x Optical Zoom (Not periscope)
Optical Zoom:3x Optical
Digital Zoom:Up to 30x (Hyper Clarity AI up to 10x)
Video Recording:8K UHD @ 24fps; 4K UHD @ 30/60fps; HDR10+
Front Camera:32MP RGBW, f/2.5, 90-degree FOV (Bins to 8MP)
Battery:5,500mAh (Dual-cell)
Wired Charging:65W HyperCharge (Adapter included)
Wireless Charging:15W Qi 1.3 Wireless Charging
Connectivity:5G (Sub-6/mmWave), Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 5.4, NFC
USB:Side: USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort 1.4); Bottom: USB-C 2.0
Durability:IP68 (Dust/Water Resistant); Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (Front)
Dimensions:6.45 x 3.02 x 0.35 in (163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9 mm)
Weight:7.94 oz (225 g)
Biometrics:Optical under-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
Extras:AniMe Vision (341 Mini-LEDs on back), AirTrigger buttons, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, Dual USB-C ports
✓ Pros:
- • First ROG phone with IP68 water/dust resistance and telephoto lens
- • Incredible performance with advanced thermal management features
- • Brightest-in-class 165Hz LTPO AMOLED display (2,500 nits peak)
- • Includes 65W charger, case, and braided cable in the box
- • Retains enthusiast features: 3.5mm jack, notification LEDs, and AirTriggers
✗ Cons:
- • Software support (2 OS updates) lags behind Samsung/Google flagships
- • Battery capacity reduced (5,500mAh) compared to previous generation (6,000mAh)
- • Cameras, while improved, still trail top-tier photography flagships
- • Thermal throttling can occur earlier than previous bulky models without the cooler
- • No dedicated macro mode (uses Ultrawide) unlike previous iterations
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Apple iPhone 16
Rating:★4.8(219)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
RAM:8 GB
Storage:128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe)
Display Size:6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate:60 Hz
Peak Brightness:1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum
Main Camera:48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP)
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support
Telephoto Camera:No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS
Optical Zoom:0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range)
Digital Zoom:Up to 10x
Video Recording:4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
Front Camera:12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps
Battery:3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback
Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher
Wireless Charging:MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W
Connectivity:5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode
USB:USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output
Durability:IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back
Dimensions:5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm)
Weight:6.00 oz (170 g)
Biometrics:Face ID
Extras:Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite
✓ Pros:
- • A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence
- • 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop
- • Added Macro photography support to the non-Pro lineup
- • MagSafe charging speed increased to 25W (requires 30W adapter)
- • New physical Camera Control and Action buttons added
✗ Cons:
- • Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
- • USB-C port limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds (480 Mb/s)
- • No dedicated telephoto lens (zoom beyond 2x is digital)
- • Always-On display feature is omitted
- • No physical SIM tray in US models (eSIM only)
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Which one is better?
Overall, Apple iPhone 16 delivers better satisfaction. ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro is still a quality option with specific strengths worth considering.
Who should buy each?
Expert take:
- ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro suits buyers who need First ROG phone with IP68 water/dust resistance and telephoto lens, Incredible performance with advanced thermal management features
- Apple iPhone 16 suits buyers who want A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence, 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop
Conclusion
We hope this comparison helps you buy with confidence. Both products are dependable; the right one depends on how you will use it.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro excels if you value first rog phone with ip68 water/dust resistance and telephoto lens. Apple iPhone 16 is better if you prioritize a18 chip with 8gb ram specifically optimized for apple intelligence. Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
Affiliate disclosure
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