Between the iPhone 16 and Phone (3), the iPhone 16 comes out ahead in weight, while the Phone (3) wins on wired charging and front camera. Overall, the iPhone 16 scores 57.4 and the Phone (3) scores 68.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Phone (3) is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 11.3 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the iPhone 16 if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight.
Pick the Phone (3) if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. Its strongest claims are wired charging, front camera, refresh rate, among others.
Both ship with comparable 5g support, water resistance, pixel density, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Phone (3) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - iPhone 16 wins
- ▲Weight — 26.00 g less. 170 vs 196.
Why Nothing - Phone (3) wins
- ▲Wired charging — 225.00% more. 65 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Battery capacity — 44.62% more. 5150 mAh vs 3561 mAh.
- ▲AnTuTu — 26.54% more. 2050000 vs 1620000.
- ▲Screen size — 9.84% more. 6.7 " vs 6.1 ".
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 170 glead | 196 g |
| Thickness | 7.8 mmlead | 8.4 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.1 " | 6.7 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 120 Hzlead |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nits | 4500 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 50 MPlead |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 3561 mAh | 5150 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 20 W | 65 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 5 years | 5 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 16 or Phone (3)?+
Phone (3) has 44.6% more battery — 3561 mAh vs 5150 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 16 or Phone (3)?+
iPhone 16 is 26g lighter — 170g vs 196g.
Is iPhone 16 waterproof?+
iPhone 16 has an IP68 rating.
Does Phone (3) support 5G?+
Yes, Phone (3) supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, iPhone 16 or Phone (3)?+
Phone (3) offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 16 or Phone (3)?+
Phone (3) has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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