Compare iPhone 15 vs iPhone 16e

Which one is best for you?

When it comes to comparing iPhone 16e and iPhone 15, there are several factors to consider. These models share many features, such as Face ID and IP68 rating, but there are also some key differences between the two. 

Similarities 

  • They boast a Super Retina XDR display, ensuring vibrant colours and sharp visuals.  

  • iPhone 16e and iPhone 15 are protected by a Ceramic Shield front, tougher than any smartphone glass. 

  • Both models keep you connected with superfast 5G cellular connectivity. 

  • They put your mind at ease with emergency SOS via satellite, Crash Detection, and roadside assistance via satellite. 

 Differences 

  • The main difference between the two models is that iPhone 16e has Apple Intelligence, while iPhone 15 doesn’t. If you’re looking for the latest AI technology, iPhone 16e is a good option for you. 

  • iPhone 15 has a 48-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, while iPhone 16e has a 2 in 1 camera system with a 48-megapixel Fusion camera.  

  • You can take super-high-quality photos with both, however, if you’d like more options, iPhone 15 might be the better choice for you. 

  • iPhone 16e has the latest generation A18 chip, while iPhone 15 is equipped with the A16 Bionic chip.

  • If you’re a fan of watching videos, iPhone 16e is a great choice, as it offers up to 26 hours of video playback, while iPhone 15 offers up to 20 hours. 

  • Both have wireless charging, however, iPhone 15 has MagSafe wireless charging, while iPhone 16e has Qi wireless charging. 

To summarise, iPhone 16e and iPhone 15 are both durable devices with powerful performance. If you’re a fan of Apple Intelligence, iPhone 16e might be the better option for you. However, iPhone 15 offers the advantage of multiple cameras, perfect for those who prioritise advanced photography features.  

Apple iPhone 15

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Apple iPhone 16e

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Battery
  • Non-removable
  • Fast battery charging
  • Qi wireless charging
  • Non-removable
  • Fast battery charging
  • Qi wireless charging
Body
  • Ceramic Shield front, Colour-infused glass back and Aluminium design
  • Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)
  • Splash, water and dust resistant (IP68)
  • Ceramic Shield front, Glass back and Aluminium design
  • eSIM
  • Splash, water and dust resistant (IP68)
  • Available
Camera
  • 48MP + 12MP + 12MP
  • 48MP + 12MP
Camera details
  • 48MP (f/1.6, Main: 24mm) + 12MP (f/2.4, Ultra Wide: 13mm)
  • 12MP (f/1.9, TrueDepth)
  • Autofocus with 100% Focus Pixels
  • 2x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 4x optical zoom range; digital zoom up to 10x
  • Sapphire crystal lens cover
  • True Tone flash
  • Photonic Engine
  • Deep Fusion
  • Smart HDR 5
  • Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
  • Portrait Lighting with six effects
  • Night mode
  • Panorama (up to 63MP)
  • Photographic Styles
  • Macro photography
  • Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
  • Lens correction (Ultra Wide)
  • Advanced red-eye correction
  • Auto image stabilisation
  • Image formats captured: HEIF, JPEG
  • 48MP (f/1.6, Main: 26mm)
  • 12MP (f/1.9, TrueDepth)
  • Advanced red‑eye correction
  • Auto image stabilization
  • Burst mode
  • Deep Fusion
  • Digital zoom up to 10x
  • Hybrid Focus Pixels
  • Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG
  • Night mode
  • Panorama (up to 63MP)
  • Photo geotagging
  • Photographic Styles
  • Photonic Engine
  • Portrait Lighting with six effects
  • Portrait mode with Depth Control
  • Sapphire crystal lens cover
  • Smart HDR 5
  • True Tone flash
  • Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos
Capacity
  • 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB
  • 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB
Colour
  • Blue / Pink / Yellow / Green / Black
  • White / Black
Connectivity
  • 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G
  • Wi-Fi 6, 802.11 ax, dual-band, hotspot
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • GPS with GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou
  • NFC with reader mode
  • USB Type-C (up to 480Mb/s)
  • 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G
  • Wi‑Fi 6,802.11ax with 2x2 MIMO
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC
  • NFC with reader mode
  • USB Type-C (up to 480Mb/s)
Dimensions
  • 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm
  • 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm
Display
  • 6.1 inch
  • 6.1 inch
Display details
  • OLED capacitive touchscreen, Super Retina XDR
  • 2556 x 1179 pixels
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Dynamic Island
  • Haptic Touch
  • HDR display
  • True Tone
  • 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical)
  • 2532‑by‑1170-pixel resolution at 460 ppi
  • 6.1‑inch (diagonal) all‑screen OLED display
  • 800 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits peak brightness (HDR)
  • Display Zoom
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Haptic Touch
  • HDR display
  • Reachability
  • Super Retina XDR display
  • True Tone
  • Wide color (P3)
Features
  • Apple Pay
  • Barometer
  • Digital compass
  • Dual ambient light sensor
  • Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection
  • Face ID
  • High dynamic range gyro
  • High-g accelerometer
  • iBeacon micro-location
  • iCloud cloud service
  • MagSafe
  • Proximity sensor
  • Siri natural language commands and dictation
  • Spatial Audio
  • Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes
  • AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos
  • Apple Pay
  • Barometer
  • Dual ambient light sensors
  • Face ID
  • High dynamic range gyro
  • High-g accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Screen sharing
  • Share experiences like movies, TV, music, and other apps in a FaceTime call with SharePlay
  • Spatial Audio and stereo recording
  • Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes
  • Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
  • Wind noise reduction
Memory
  • 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB
  • 8 GB RAM/8GB RAM
Platform
  • iOS 17
  • Apple A16 Bionic
  • 6‑core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores
  • 5‑core GPU
  • iOS 18
  • Apple A18
  • New 6‑core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores
  • New 4‑core GPU
Weight
  • 171 g
  • 167 g
Video
  • 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps
  • 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps
  • 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
  • Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps
  • Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
  • HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps
  • Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
  • Time-lapse video with stabilisation
  • Night mode Time-lapse
  • QuickTake video
  • Sensor-shift optical image stabilisation for video (Main)
  • Digital zoom up to 6x
  • Audio zoom
  • True Tone flash
  • Cinematic video stabilisation (4K, 1080p and 720p)
  • Continuous autofocus video
  • Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video
  • Video formats recorded: HEVC and H.264
  • Stereo recording
  • 4K Dolby Vision video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
  • 1080p Dolby Vision video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
  • 720p Dolby Vision video recording at 30 fps
  • Audio Mix
  • Audio zoom
  • Cinematic video stabilization (4K, 1080p, and 720p)
  • Continuous autofocus video
  • Digital zoom up to 6x
  • Night mode Time-lapse
  • Optical image stabilization for video
  • Playback zoom
  • QuickTake video
  • Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
  • Spatial Audio and stereo recording
  • Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video
  • Time‑lapse video with stabilization
  • True Tone flash
  • Video formats recorded: HEVC and H.264
  • Wind noise reduction
WIFI calling
  • Available
  • Available
Box Contains
  • USB‑C Charge Cable (1m)
  • Documentation
  • USB‑C Charge Cable (1m)
  • Documentation

Frequently asked questions

Both models feature a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, so you'll get the same colour and brightness whether you're browsing or watching video.

The iPhone 15 offers a more advanced camera setup, with a triple-lens system compared to the dual-lens setup on the iPhone 16e. Both can capture high-quality photos and 4K video, but the extra lens on the iPhone 15 gives you more flexibility when shooting.

Both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16e offer strong battery life, but the iPhone 16e has a slight advantage thanks to improved efficiency. Both models also support fast and wireless charging.

Both the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 16e offer the same storage options to suit your needs. You can choose from 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB capacities on either device. Whether you just need space for essential apps or want to store thousands of photos, both phones have you covered.

The iPhone 16e takes the lead in performance thanks to its newer A18 chip and 8GB of RAM. While the iPhone 15 is still incredibly fast with its A16 Bionic chip, the iPhone 16e will handle intense gaming and heavy multitasking more smoothly. If you want the snappiest experience possible, the iPhone 16e is the way to go.

Yes, both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16e support 5G, so there's no difference between them in this area.

The Apple iPhone 15 and the Apple iPhone 16e are almost identical in size and weight, making them both incredibly comfortable to hold. The iPhone 16e is just a fraction of a millimetre thinner and 4 grams lighter, but you likely won't notice the difference in your hand. Both feature a premium aluminium design with a tough Ceramic Shield front.

Both phones can be used for content creation, but they offer different strengths. The iPhone 15 has a more versatile camera system with an additional lens, while the iPhone 16e adds features like Audio Mix and improved wind noise reduction for video. Choose the iPhone 15 if you want more flexibility when shooting. Go for the iPhone 16e if audio quality is a priority.

The iPhone 15 offers a more versatile camera system, including an additional lens, while the iPhone 16e focuses on performance with a newer chip and increased RAM. Choose the iPhone 15 if you want more flexibility when taking photos. Go for the iPhone 16e if performance and efficiency are more important to you.

The iPhone 16e introduces new audio capabilities like Audio Mix and specific wind noise reduction, which aren't found on the iPhone 15. While both the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 16e feature Voice Isolation and Spatial Audio recording, the iPhone 16e gives you a bit more control over your sound. If you record a lot of outdoor videos, the iPhone 16e has a slight advantage.