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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 14, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerNothing Phone (2) vs Apple iPhone 16
Nothing Phone (2) vs Apple iPhone 16: which is the right fit? We cover performance, value, and use cases to make the call easier.
Ratings: 4.6★ vs 4.8★
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Nothing Phone (2)
★4.6
(397)•Amazon
Operating System:Android
Software Support:3 years of Android OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates (bimonthly)
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm)
Graphics:Adreno 730
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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: Nothing Phone (2) vs Apple iPhone 16
Nothing Phone (2)
★4.6(397)Amazon
Apple iPhone 16
★4.8(219)Best Buy
| Criterion | Nothing Phone (2) | Apple iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.6(397)Amazon | ★4.8(219)Best Buy |
Operating System | Android | iOS |
Software Support | 3 years of Android OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates (bimonthly) | Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm) | Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine) |
Graphics | Adreno 730 | Apple 5-core GPU (A18) |
RAM | 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5 | 8 GB |
Storage | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB UFS 3.1 | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe) |
Display Size | 6.7" | 6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less) |
Screen Type | LTPO OLED, 1-120Hz Adaptive, 1,600 nits (Peak Pixel Brightness) | Super Retina XDR OLED |
Resolution | 2412 x 1080 (FHD+) at 394 ppi | 2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi) |
Refresh Rate | 1Hz - 120Hz (LTPO Adaptive) | 60 Hz |
Peak Brightness | 1,600 nits (HDR Peak); 1,000 nits (Outdoor Full Screen) | 1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum |
Main Camera | 50MP Sony IMX890, f/1.88, OIS, EIS, 24mm equivalent | 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 | 50MP Samsung JN1, f/2.2, 114-degree FOV, 4cm Macro Mode | 12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support |
Telephoto Camera | No (Not supported) | No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS |
Optical Zoom | No (Not supported) | 0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range) |
Digital Zoom | Up to 10x | Up to 10x |
Video Recording | 4K @ 60fps (Main & Ultrawide); Live HDR at 4K/30fps | 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 Sony IMX615, f/2.45, 1080p @ 60fps | 12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps |
Battery | 4,700mAh | 3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback |
Wired Charging | 45W PPS (Full charge in 55 mins) | USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher |
Wireless Charging | 15W Qi Dual-coil (Full charge in 130 mins); 5W Reverse Wireless | MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W |
Connectivity | 5G (Sub-6), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.3, 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 | USB Type-C 2.0 | USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output |
Durability | IP54 (Splash, Water, and Dust Resistant); Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (Front & Back) | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back |
Dimensions | 6.38 x 3.01 x 0.34 in (162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6 mm) | 5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm) |
Weight | 7.09 oz (201.2 g) | 6.00 oz (170 g) |
Biometrics | Optical under-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock | Face ID |
Extras | Glyph Interface (33 addressable LED zones), Glyph Composer, Essential Notifications, Stereo Speakers | 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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Nothing Phone (2)
Rating:★4.6(397)Amazon
Operating System:Android
Software Support:3 years of Android OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates (bimonthly)
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm)
Graphics:Adreno 730
RAM:8GB / 12GB LPDDR5
Storage:128GB / 256GB / 512GB UFS 3.1
Display Size:6.7"
Screen Type:LTPO OLED, 1-120Hz Adaptive, 1,600 nits (Peak Pixel Brightness)
Resolution:2412 x 1080 (FHD+) at 394 ppi
Refresh Rate:1Hz - 120Hz (LTPO Adaptive)
Peak Brightness:1,600 nits (HDR Peak); 1,000 nits (Outdoor Full Screen)
Main Camera:50MP Sony IMX890, f/1.88, OIS, EIS, 24mm equivalent
Ultra-Wide Camera:50MP Samsung JN1, f/2.2, 114-degree FOV, 4cm Macro Mode
Telephoto Camera:No (Not supported)
Optical Zoom:No (Not supported)
Digital Zoom:Up to 10x
Video Recording:4K @ 60fps (Main & Ultrawide); Live HDR at 4K/30fps
Front Camera:32MP Sony IMX615, f/2.45, 1080p @ 60fps
Battery:4,700mAh
Wired Charging:45W PPS (Full charge in 55 mins)
Wireless Charging:15W Qi Dual-coil (Full charge in 130 mins); 5W Reverse Wireless
Connectivity:5G (Sub-6), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.3, NFC
USB:USB Type-C 2.0
Durability:IP54 (Splash, Water, and Dust Resistant); Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (Front & Back)
Dimensions:6.38 x 3.01 x 0.34 in (162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6 mm)
Weight:7.09 oz (201.2 g)
Biometrics:Optical under-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
Extras:Glyph Interface (33 addressable LED zones), Glyph Composer, Essential Notifications, Stereo Speakers
✓ Pros:
- • Iconic transparent design with functional Glyph Interface lighting
- • Excellent performance stability with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- • Power-efficient LTPO OLED display (1-120Hz)
- • Clean, bloatware-free software experience (Nothing OS)
- • Supports both wireless charging and reverse wireless charging
✗ Cons:
- • IP54 rating is lower than IP68 found in competitors (Pixel 7/8, Galaxy S23 FE)
- • Camera system lacks a dedicated telephoto/optical zoom lens
- • Digital zoom performance (max 10x) is weak compared to class leaders
- • Ultrawide sensor (Samsung JN1) struggles in low light compared to main sensor
- • No charger included in the box
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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?
Looking at user satisfaction (Apple iPhone 16: 4.6★ vs Nothing Phone (2): 4.8★), Apple iPhone 16 pulls ahead. The gap is small—choose based on the priorities below.
Who should buy each?
For performance and polish: Nothing Phone (2) (Iconic transparent design with functional Glyph Interface lighting, Excellent performance stability with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1)
For value or versatility: Apple iPhone 16 (A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence, 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop)
Conclusion
With the key differences outlined, the decision should be clearer. Both options deliver quality—choose the one that fits your priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Nothing Phone (2) excels if you value iconic transparent design with functional glyph interface lighting. 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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