Between the iPhone 16 and ROG Phone 9, the iPhone 16 comes out ahead in weight and pixel density, while the ROG Phone 9 wins on wired charging and refresh rate. Overall, the iPhone 16 scores 57.4 and the ROG Phone 9 scores 75.1 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The ROG Phone 9 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 17.7 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 the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight, pixel density, promised os updates.
Pick the ROG Phone 9 if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. Its strongest claims are wired charging, refresh rate, front camera, among others.
Both ship with comparable 5g support, water resistance, optical image stabilization, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the ROG Phone 9 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 — 57.00 g less. 170 vs 227.
- ▲Pixel density — 18.56% more. 460 ppi vs 388 ppi.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 5 (vs 3).
Why ASUS - ROG Phone 9 wins
- ▲Wired charging — 225.00% more. 65 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Refresh rate — 208.33% more. 185 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 16 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Battery capacity — 62.88% more. 5800 mAh vs 3561 mAh.
- ▲AnTuTu — 59.26% more. 2580000 vs 1620000.
- ▲Screen size — 11.15% more. 6.78 " vs 6.1 ".
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 170 glead | 227 g |
| Thickness | 7.8 mmlead | 8.9 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.1 " | 6.78 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppilead | 388 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 185 Hzlead |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nits | 2500 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 50 MPlead |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 3561 mAh | 5800 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 20 W | 65 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | truelead |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 5 yearslead | 3 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 16 or ROG Phone 9?+
ROG Phone 9 has 62.9% more battery — 3561 mAh vs 5800 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 16 or ROG Phone 9?+
iPhone 16 is 57g lighter — 170g vs 227g.
Is iPhone 16 waterproof?+
iPhone 16 has an IP68 rating.
Does ROG Phone 9 support 5G?+
Yes, ROG Phone 9 supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, iPhone 16 or ROG Phone 9?+
ROG Phone 9 offers 16GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 16 or ROG Phone 9?+
ROG Phone 9 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
More from the same brands
vsMars is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.