iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: How Apple's latest model compares in performance, battery life, and more

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Alongside the latest iPhone 16, Apple is still offering the iPhone 15, released in 2023, for a neat $100 discount from its launch price.

When it launched, the iPhone 15 included a long list of worthwhile upgrades, like a high-megapixel camera, Dynamic Island, super bright displays, and a USB-C port for more uniformity among Apple's other products, like iPads and MacBooks.

Apple continued to add big upgrades with the iPhone 16, which includes a brand-new powerful processor, the Action button, the new Camera Control button, and macro photography. With the official release of Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.1, the iPhone 16 now supports Apple's latest AI features, which aren't available to the iPhone 15.

Despite year-over-year upgrades, both iPhones generally offer a similar experience. For most people who currently own the iPhone 15, it's tough to argue they should upgrade to the iPhone 16. However, those with older iPhones deciding between the two should opt for the iPhone 16, as the price difference between the two models isn't substantial enough to say the iPhone 15 offers better value.

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Specs

Performance

The iPhone 15 runs on the A16 Bionic processor introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro models in 2022. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 is powered by the A18 processor released in 2024. In benchmark results, and considering the age difference, the iPhone 16's A18 processor is significantly more powerful than the iPhone 15's A16 Bionic.

In day-to-day usage, however, you realistically won't feel much of a difference between the two iPhones. Opening apps feels just as snappy on both models, and games run equally smoothly.

The performance difference between the two iPhones will become more apparent over the next few years when iOS, apps, and games become more advanced. We can expect the iPhone 15 to show signs of slowing down about a year before the iPhone 16. However, that could be in three or more years, so you'd have plenty of time with the iPhone 15 before feeling a need to upgrade.

Another benefit of the iPhone 16, at least on paper, is ray tracing support for better lighting quality in games. However, we can't say there's an apparent difference in lighting quality when we tested games on the iPhone 15 that also support ray tracing on the iPhone 16.

Display

Apple introduced a second-generation Ceramic Shield display in the iPhone 16 that it says is "50 percent tougher" than the previous-generation displays, which means the iPhone 15 may be more susceptible to damage from scratching or cracking than the newer model.

While we haven't explicitly damage-tested either phone, we've found that the iPhone 15's first-generation Ceramic Shield screen has effectively prevented serious accidental damage over time. That said, it's unlikely that even the enhanced display of the iPhone 16 is immune to damage, and we recommend equipping either phone with one of the best iPhone 16 screen protectors, which are cross-compatible with the previous model.

The only other difference between the two models' displays is minimum brightness, as the iPhone 16's display can newly go as low as 1 nit. While Apple didn't specify a minimum brightness for the iPhone 15, the difference between the two models is apparent, as the iPhone 16 gets noticeably dimmer and is more comfortable to use in the dark.

Otherwise, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 have identical displays and sizes. They're both 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED displays with the same resolution, the same (outdated) 60Hz refresh rate, and identical 2,000-nit maximum brightness.

Design

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 look very similar, but there are some notable differences. The biggest difference is the rear camera design: The iPhone 15 has diagonal cameras contained in a square "island," while the iPhone 16 has vertically aligned cameras in an oval pill-shaped island.

Both models differ in their color options, too. The iPhone 15 is available in blue, pink, yellow, green, and black, while the iPhone 16 colors include ultramarine, teal, pink, white, and black. The iPhone 15's color palette is lighter and pastel-like compared to the deeper tones on the iPhone 16 line.

Otherwise, both models have the Dynamic Island, which looks more modern and has useful functionality compared to the static "notch" on the iPhone 14. The iPhone 15 also lacks the iPhone 16's Action button and new Camera Control button, which don't alter the design as much as they do functionality, as I detail in the section below.

Note that the year-over-year hardware changes make cases for the iPhone 15 incompatible with the newer model. See our guides to the best iPhone 15 cases or best iPhone 16 cases to pick from the top options for either model.

Buttons

Indeed, the iPhone 16 inherited the Action button from the iPhone 15 Pro models, replacing the iconic Silent switch introduced with the very first iPhone in 2007, which still features on the base iPhone 15.

The Action button is a useful shortcut to functions and features, like toggling the flashlight or a Focus mode that limits distractions. Using the Shortcuts app, you can set the Action button to do much more than Apple's preset shortcut functions.

The iPhone 15 also lacks the iPhone 16 series' new Camera Control button, which registers physical presses and swipe gestures for camera controls and functions. A simple press opens the Camera app, which is infinitely faster and easier than the preexisting lockscreen shortcuts.

With a variety of presses and swipes on the Camera Control button, you can control functions like zoom, exposure, depth, and switching between Photographic Styles. We find the best use for the button is controlling zoom, as it's notably easier and more accurate than making pinching gestures on the display. As for other functions, Camera Control is mostly another way of accessing and controlling them rather than a meaningful shortcut or method to adjust those functions.

Cameras

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 take similar-quality photos and videos on their main and ultrawide cameras. Both have 48MP main cameras capable of optical-quality 2x zoom photos, and both take 24MP photos by default with more detail than the previous 12MP standard. The two models also feature similar technology, such as Deep Fusion, Photonic Engine, and Smart HDR 5.

The default point-and-shoot camera quality is stellar on both models, but the iPhone 16 introduces new customization options, like Apple's latest generation of Photographic Styles, which offer additional styles to choose from. Photographic Styles are essentially smart filters that intelligently apply adjustments for different parts of a photo. For example, we've used them to make larger adjustments to the background of an image while reducing adjustments for a face in the foreground.

Previous-generation Photographic Styles exist on the iPhone 15 and older models, but their main drawback is that you have to apply a Style before taking a photo. With the iPhone 16's "Fusion" camera, you can add and adjust a Style after taking a shot, giving you more time and control to edit a photo.

The iPhone 16's ultrawide camera has also been upgraded with autofocus, which doesn't improve ultrawide photos as much as it helps enable macro photography. This feature, originally available on iPhone Pro models, trickled down to the iPhone 16 and isn't available on the iPhone 15. It's a great and effective option for getting extreme close-up shots.

Unlike the iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 supports spatial photos and videos for viewing on the Apple Vision Pro headset or other supported AR and VR headsets. If that's appealing to you because you and others you know have a supported headset, the iPhone 16 is a no-brainer.

Battery and charging

Battery life is comparably solid on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. The two 6.1-inch phones effectively had the same result in our intensive battery test, though the iPhone 15 performed slightly better (66%) than the iPhone 16 (65%).

In a notable upgrade over the iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 supports Apple's new 25W wireless MagSafe charging, which is faster than the original 15W MagSafe charging rate. The iPhone 16's impressive wireless charging speeds now match the iPhone series' typical wired fast charging speeds.

Both models have a USB-C port (only the iPhone 14 still uses a Lightning port) and support the same wired charging and USB 2 data transfer speeds.

Apple Intelligence

Apple's latest "big thing" for iPhones is its Apple Intelligence AI features, which are only available in the iPhone 16 series and the iPhone 15 Pro models. The base iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus do not support Apple Intelligence.

In our preliminary testing, it's clear that Apple Intelligence shows promise. It's excellent at summarizing longer text, like emails and webpages, and it can help write emails, too. However, text-based Apple Intelligence features, like Writing Tools, largely depend on your manual selection of text, which can stutter the experience of getting a summary or proofreading an email.

Siri can do new tricks, like sending a photo to a contact using just your voice, but it's still largely the same old Siri that doesn't always come up with what you're looking for, as we note in our iPhone 16 review, among assessments of the AI suite's other initial features.

Indeed, Apple Intelligence needs refinements and improvements, and it's a little light on features. Apple has announced that it will add more features to future versions of iOS 18.

On its own, and in its current iteration in iOS 18.1, Apple Intelligence isn't a primary reason to consider the iPhone 16 over the iPhone 15.

Which should you buy?

The short answer? Go for the iPhone 16 if your budget supports its $799 starting price. It's the best iPhone, and even the best phone, for most people, thanks to its upgraded performance, cameras, new buttons, and compatibility with Apple Intelligence and its future improved iterations.

The iPhone 15 generally offers a very similar experience at its new $699 starting price, even without the iPhone 16's upgrades. However, if you can stretch your budget by $100, the iPhone 16's enhanced features and performance will offer better value in the long run. With carrier deals or trade-in offers from Apple and other retailers, the iPhone 16 can also become significantly more affordable.

That said, if your budget limits you to the iPhone 15, you'll be very happy with the previous-generation device, even if it lacks Apple Intelligence; we can't say Apple's AI suite is worthwhile enough to fully negate the iPhone 15's stand-alone worth and value.

Read our full iPhone 16 review and iPhone 15 review for further assessment.