iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: How Apple’s basic devices perform

Another iPhone version, another possible upgrade.

If you have an iPhone 15, you may be wondering if it’s worth trading in for the new iPhone 16. And if you have an older or non-Apple device, you might be thinking about getting last year’s one iPhone with a discount or pay full price for this year’s model.

Starting at $799, the iPhone 16 represents the biggest upgrade Apple’s base phone has received in years. It has a larger battery, a new ultrawide camera, two new hardware buttons for shortcuts (the Action button and Camera control button) and will eventually receive Apple Intelligence.

But at $100 less, last year’s iPhone 15 still has a lot to offer, including good cameras, decent battery life, and the ability to run iOS 18 – although unfortunately it won’t have Apple Intelligence.

Here’s a comparison of the key specifications of the base model iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 to help you make your decision.

Prices and storage

The nice thing about new iPhone releases is that older models get a discount.

Luckily, Apple didn’t raise prices when it launched its iPhone 16 lineup, and you can still get the base model starting at $800. If you’d rather save some money, you can now get last year’s iPhone 15 for $700.

Specifically, with the iPhone 16, you’ll pay $800 for 128GB of storage, $900 for 256GB of storage, and $1,100 for 512GB of storage.

With the iPhone 15, you’ll now pay $700 for 128GB of storage, $800 for 256GB of storage, and $1,000 for 512GB of storage. So same storage options for $100 less. None of the phones have expandable storage.

Apple iPhone 16 vs Apple iPhone 15

	iPhone 16	iPhone 15
Display size, technology, resolution, refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556 x 1,179 pixel resolution; Refresh rate 60Hz; 2,000 nits	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556 x 1,179 pixels, 60 Hz refresh rate, 1,000 nits
Pixel density	460ppi	460ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches	5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches
Dimensions (mm)	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm	71.6 x 147.6 x 7.8mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	170g, 6oz	171g (6.02oz)
Mobile software	iOS 18	iOS 17
camera	48 megapixels (wide), 12 megapixels (ultrawide)	48 megapixels (wide), 12 megapixels (ultrawide)
Front-facing camera	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
Video recording	4K	4K
processor	A18	A16 Bionic
RAM/Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Expandable storage	None	None
battery	Up to 22 hours of video playback; Up to 18 hours of video playback (streamed). MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 to 15W	Up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed). 27W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging with up to 15W; Qi2 to 15W
Fingerprint sensor	None (face recognition)	None (face recognition)
Plug	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	Apple Intelligence; action button; camera control button; Dynamic Island; Display brightness range from 1 to 2000 nits; wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity; Protection class IP68	Dynamic Island; 5G (MMW/Sub6); MagSafe; wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity; Protection class IP68
US price starts at	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)
UK price starts at	£799 (128GB), £899 (256GB), £1,099 (512GB)	£799 (128GB), £899 (256GB), £1,099 (512GB)
The price for Australia starts at	AU$1,399 (128GB), AU$1,599 (256GB), AU$1,949 (512GB)	AU$1,499 (128GB), AU$1,699 (256GB), AU$2,049 (512GB)

Cameras: see double

The iPhone 15 has a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, while the iPhone 16 has a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera and a new 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. Despite the two phones’ similar megapixel count, the iPhone 16’s ultra-wide-angle camera can capture more light, has a larger aperture and has autofocus for macro shots – ideal for those who let the camera “eat” first.

Both phones have a 12-megapixel front camera and can record 4K videos. The main difference is that the iPhone 16 can shoot 1080p spatial video at 30 frames per second (hence the vertical camera stacking on this year’s iPhone 16 and 16 Plus).

View, size and weight

Apple has made minor optimizations to the displays. The iPhone 15 and 16 both have 6.1-inch OLED displays with a 60Hz refresh rate, although the iPhone 16 doubles the 15’s peak brightness and hits 2,000 nits. Both have a pixel density of 460ppi.

The iPhone 15 and 16 are the same size at 5.81 inches high, 2.82 inches wide and 0.31 inches thick. They weigh about the same: the iPhone 16 weighs 170g (6 ounces), while the iPhone 15 weighs 171g (6.02 ounces).

The iPhone 16 is available in black, white, pink, teal and ultramarine. The iPhone 15 is available in black, green, yellow, pink and blue.

Both phones have Dynamic Island and use Face ID or a passcode to unlock (no fingerprint scanner).

Battery, processors and software

Apple doesn’t disclose battery capacity, but says the iPhone 16 offers up to 22 hours of video playback (18 hours of streaming). The iPhone 15, on the other hand, offers up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed). Both have USB-C charging capability.

The iPhone 16 supports MagSafe wireless charging up to 25 watts with a 30 watt adapter or higher, while the iPhone 15’s MagSafe charging reaches 15 watts. They also each support Qi2 charging with up to 15 watts.

The iPhone 16 features the new A18 chip, while the iPhone 15 features the A16 Bionic chip. The iPhone 16 comes with iOS 18 out of the box, and although the iPhone 15 has last year’s iOS 17, it is ready for the new operating system.

New features on the iPhone 16

Apple Intelligence has been the company’s main focus in recent months, but you’ll need an iPhone 16, not the base model 15, if you want to take advantage of the upcoming AI features. (The iPhone 15 Pro models will also work with Apple Intelligence, but the company has since discontinued those phones.)

Apple has also added the Action button and a camera control button to the entire iPhone 16 lineup.