iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15: All the expected differences

Updated: Sep 05, 2024, 8:28 AM

2comments

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15: All the expected differences

Intro

In mere days, on Monday, September 9th, Apple is about to unveil the long-awaited new iPhone 16 family, bringing new features and improving the world's most popular smartphone series.

While there will be four models in total, here we focus on the regular iPhone 16 model and all the new features compared to the previous iPhone 15 model.

If you are looking for more information about the other models, we have separate breakdowns of the iPhone 16 Pro vs 15 Pro changes, the iPhone 16 Pro Max and all the rest.

With this in mind, let's go back to the iPhone 16. It is expected to remain the base and most affordable model in the lineup. The starting price could remain at $800, but it is also possible that Apple hikes it just a bit.

On the list of new features you will see a tweaked design with a new pill-shaped rear camera syste, a zippier chipset with more RAM for all the AI goodness, and not one, but two new physical buttons.

Read more: iPhone 16: what pre-order deals to anticipate

So should you upgrade if you own the iPhone 15? Let's dive in and find out.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15 expected differences:

iPhone 16	iPhone 15
Same 6.1-inch form factor	6.1-inch size
New Action Button in place of Mute Switch New Capture Button for camera	Older Mute Switch only
Newer and faster chipset, likely Apple A18	Apple A16 Bionic chipset
More memory, 8GB RAM	6GB RAM
Support for AI	Does not support AI
Same storage options	128 / 256 / 512GB storage models
New vertical camera with support for Spatial Video	Diagonal camera layout
Same-ish 48MP main camera	48MP main camera
12MP ultra-wide camera with macro support	12MP ultra-wide camera
Rumored 6% battery size increase	3,349 mAh battery
20W charging, or faster (uncertain)	20W wired charging speed
15W MagSafe, or faster (uncertain)	15W MagSafe wireless charge
New color options like Purple expected	Blue, Pink, Green, Yellow, and Black

Table of Contents:

Design and Display
Performance and Software
Camera
Audio Quality
Battery and Charging
Specs
Which one should you buy?

Design and Display Quality

New pill-shaped camera on the back and a couple of new buttons

The iPhone 16 keeps the overall size and shape of the previous model, so we have a 6.1-inch form factor as before, an aluminum frame with slightly tapered edges and a matte glass finish on the back.

One improvement could be a reduced screen border, but that is not certain as Apple usually reserves such tweaks for the Pro models.

What is changing for sure, however, is the camera styling. Apple adopts a new-old vertical camera arrangement on the iPhone 16. We had that look back in the days of the iPhone X and until the iPhone 12 series, and now the iPhone 16 is going back to this pill shape. The reason for the change this time is purely practical – Spatial Video. This new 3D video format that looks stunning on the Vision Pro requires the camera lenses to be arranged in a line to work.

Another big and welcome change coming to all iPhone 16 versions, including this base iPhone 16 are buttons. You get an Action Button (which replaces the mute switch), as well as a brand new "Capture Button" for quickly launching the camera. This Capture Button will work like a shutter key on a camera, so it will focus on a slight press and take a picture once you press it all the way in.

So the Action Button will be on the left side, above the volume keys. Then the Capture Button will be on the right, below the Power Button. This is where Apple placed the mmWave antenna previously, so that will now have to move to the bottom left side, below the volume keys.

The rest is pretty much the same: if there is any change in size and weight, it will be barely noticeable. And of course, you will still have a USB-C port on the iPhone 16, and IP68 water and dust protection.

Oh, and in terms of colors, we expect six different color options, some of them familiar, but some new like a Purple version, which is rumored to be in the works.

Also read: iPhone 16 colors: all the rumored shades

For the screen, most of the specs remain the same. Expect the same 6.1-inch screen size, OLED with perfect blacks, but rumors say Apple will be using a new micro-lens technology to give it a brightness boost and to lower its power consumption.

These changes will be good to see, but the one change everyone is looking for is not happening on the iPhone 16.

We are talking about the 60Hz screen of course, or more specifically the lack of 120Hz ProMotion. The iPhone 16 will run at 60Hz, just like the iPhone 15 and many others before. And that is a bummer! 60Hz is nowhere nearly as smooth as ProMotion. Rumors say ProMotion will finally arrive with the vanilla iPhone 17 model in 2025, if that's any consolation.

Performance and Software

New iPhone, new chip

The iPhone 16 is expected to run on a new and faster chipset.

For context, the iPhone 15 runs on the A16 Bionic chip, while the iPhone 16 is expected to be the first vanilla iPhone model to use a 3nm processor. We expect this new chip to be called the Apple A18 (different than the A18 Pro chipset coming to the Pro versions).

So far, we only know that this new chipset will be all about AI optimizations. Apple missed the AI hype train last year, but it's fully invested in the technology and we expect to hear the words "AI" often in the context of the iPhone 16.

And speaking of AI, the iPhone 16 will also get 8GB of RAM, up from 6GB RAM on the iPhone 15. Most AI tasks seem to require extra RAM and that's probably the number one reason for the upgrade. What this also means, however, is that it's possible that at least some AI features will not be available on the older iPhone 15.

Remember that AI will be a staggered roll-out for Apple with big ticket items like the ChatGPT integration coming by the end of the year, while the all-new Siri is due in the fist half of 2025.

Also read: iPhone 16 AI features: Here is what to look forward to

We don't expect any changes to the storage tiers, though, so you will be able to choose between 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of native storage.

The iPhone 16 is also likely to use the same modem as the iPhone 15, the Snapdragon X70. It's a perfectly good solution, just not quite as advanced as the expected upgraded modem in the iPhone 16 Pro. That Pro model will likely get the X75 version with improved carrier aggregation, and a combined sub-6GHz and mmWave chip that takes up 25% less space on the board and uses 20% less power.

Camera

Spatial Video, baby

With a new pill-shaped camera system, the iPhone 16 will look different than before, but apart from the new styling it could be a less exciting camera upgrade than last year's iPhone 15.

All iPhone 16 versions are also getting a new physical Capture Button, which will be placed below the power key. This new Capture Button will be a capacitive one, meaning that it will only register a press when you push it with your finger, so it won't get accidentally triggered in your pocket. You will be able to customize it to work with various camera apps, including third-party ones.

And when you are in a camera app, a half press would allow you to lock exposure or focus, while a full press would capture an image or start recording a video. We are very happy with this change, as it will make it just a bit easier to not miss that important moment and capture it faster with a press of a button.

Interestingly, since this is a capacitive button, you will also be able use it as a trackpad in a way. For example, one possible feature is you could slide your finger to zoom in and out. It could also control the amount of background blur for portraits, or quickly cycle through filters. Neat!

As for the camera hardware, the iPhone 15 was the first base model iPhone to get a 48MP main camera, a huge upgrade in both detail and low light imagery compared to the 12MP snapper used in previous iPhones.

This year, with the iPhone 16, it seems that there will be no big hardware changes as Apple will stick with two cameras (so again, no dediated telephoto lens for the base models). The 48MP main camera will have the same f/1.6 aperture and ability to provide nearly lossless quality at 2X zoom via sensor crop.

As for the ultra-wide camera, it is said to keep the 12MP sensor, but use a slightly faster aperture (f/2.2 now vs f/2.4 before) that will allow more light to reach the sensor, and for the first time on a base iPhone, Apple will add support for macro photography. Only the Pro series have so far had macro support, so it's nice to see this feature coming to the base iPhone models too.

Leaks also mention a new JPEG-XL format that could be added to the current HEIF and JPEG formats, but we have no further details on that.

Of course, some software tweaks will surely be made, but so far, leaks and rumors don't have any more specifics.

With AI on board the iPhone 16, we expect to see new image editing features: smart resize and smart move of objects in the photos are just some of the tricks Apple might borrow from Samsung's and Google's AI handbook.

As for video quality, chances are Spatial Video would be another upgrade. You cannot truly appreciate these 3D videos on your phone, but you can on a AR/VR headset like the Apple Vision Pro, and having tried that, we are glad to have this option. Realistically, though, not many people own such a headset yet, so it might take a while until Spatial Video gets the appreciation it deserves.

Also read: iPhone 16 camera: All the upgrades we expect

Audio Quality and Haptics

Apple continually improves the audio quality from the iPhone loudspeakers, and we expect another gradual improvement, but nothing major.

And as for haptics, they have been excellent on iPhones ever since the Taptic Engine made its debut on the iPhone 6s! Don't expect anything new on that front.

Battery Life and Charging

Slightly bigger battery and even faster charging (possibly, maybe)

With the iPhone 16 size and form factor roughly the same as the previous iPhone 15, there will be no space for a much bigger battery.

Still, rumors say a slight upgrade is possible.

The iPhone 16 is projected to get a 3,561mAh battery, up from a 3,349mAh battery size on the iPhone 15, or an upgrade of 6%.

So far, that is the only thing we know about the battery equation. Will a 6% bigger battery results in improved real-world battery life? Probably, but chances are these battery gains won't be huge.

Interestingly, it is possible that we see a change in charging speeds, the first one in years for Apple.

Some rumors claim that new iPhones might get 40W fast wired charging (up from 20W currently), and 20W fast MagSafe wireless charging (up from 15W currently).

This is far from certain, and knowing Apple's conservative approach to fast charging, we have our doubts. It is also possible that those changes might only arrive to the Pro models, and not the regular iPhone 16. But right now, it's a rumor and a hope, and not much more.

Also read: iPhone 16 Battery and charging: Here's what to expect

Specs Comparison

And here is a bird eye's view of the expected iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15 specs:

Specs	iPhone 16	iPhone 15
Dimensions	Same or very similar to iPhone 15	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm
Weight	Same or very similar	171 g
Screen	6.1-inch OLED 60Hz	6.1-inch OLED 60Hz
Processor	Apple A18 3nm	Apple A16 Bionic 4nm
RAM, Storage *Price expectations	8/128GB for $800 8/256GB for $900 8/512GB for $1,100	6/128GB for $800 6/256GB for $900 6/512GB for $1,100
Cameras	Same at 48MP, f/1.6, 26mm 12MP, f/2.2, 13mm 12MP front	48MP, f/1.6, 26mm 12MP, f/2.2, 13mm 12MP front
Battery Size	3,561 mAh	3,349 mAh
Charging Speeds	Upgrade possible, but not certain	20W wired 15W wireless

Should you upgrade?

So... is the iPhone 16 a good upgrade?

The answer to that will have a lot to do with just how big of a difference AI makes on it. After all, this will be the first base model iPhone to support Apple Intelligence.

As for the hardware, the iPhone 16 is not a massive upgrade, but it has a few neat additions. The faster chip and more RAM will not mean much for daily use, but will enable AI. The new Action Button and Capture Button will be two very cool new conveniences. The expected support for Macro photos and Spatial Video will also be nice, but probably not exactly a reason to upgrade. And then you have the possible 6% upgrade in battery life and faster charging.

We feel most let down by the lack of 120Hz ProMotion on the iPhone 16. This will continue to be the one feature designed to nudge you towards the pricier iPhone 16 Pro.

So... let's wait and see all of that upcoming iPhone AI magic, shall we?

View Full Bio

Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.