iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15: All the differences explained!
Intro
The new 16e is here, but it's not quite the budget iPhone model we were hoping for.
Priced at $600, it is only $100 cheaper than the iPhone 15, so not as cheap as rumors painted it to be. Still, buying the iPhone 16e even at this higher-than-anticipated price might actually make a lot more sense than buying the iPhone 15.
The 16e has a number of advantages over the iPhone 15, but the biggest one is that it runs on a new and faster chipset, and it supports Apple Intelligence, which is missing on the 15.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15 all the differences:
| Phone 16e | iPhone 15 |
|---|---|
| iPhone 14-like design, flat sides, sharp edges | Flat sides, chamfered edges |
| Similar 6.1-inch OLED display | 6.1-inch OLED display |
| Same 60 Hz refresh rate | 60 Hz refresh rate |
| Face ID with notch | Face ID with Dynamic Island |
| Apple A18 chip (3 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) chip |
| 8 GB of RAM | 6 GB RAM |
| Apple Intelligence support | No Apple Intelligence support |
| Only one rear camera | Two rear cameras (main and ultrawide) |
| Bigger battery size | 3,349 mAh battery |
| Apple-made C1 modem | Qualcomm-made modem |
| Same 20W wired charging | 20W wired charging |
| No MagSafe support, only regular Qi 7.5W wireless | 15W MagSafe |
| Same USB-C port | USB-C port |
| Prices from $600 for 128 GB | Starting from $700 |
- Read more in our in-depth iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15 specs comparison
Table of Contents:
Design and Size
Similar looking
With a similar 6.1-inch size and design styling, the iPhone 16e and iPhone 15 look incredibly similar.
Sure, you can easily tell the two apart by the number of cameras on their back, as the 16e comes with just one rear camera, while on the iPhone 15 you have two.
The rounded edges on the iPhone 15 are another small difference — the 16e comes with sharp edges (a design similar to the iPhone 14).
The iPhone 16e is also a tiny bit lighter, but the difference is so minimal you probably won't even notice.
On the front, you have the good old notch on the 16e, while the 15 has the more modern Dynamic Island. Again, that's not a huge loss for the new model, as the Dynamic Island functionality is quite limited.
On the flip side, the iPhone 16e has the Action Button, same as the latest iPhone 16 series, while the iPhone 15 uses the older mute toggle. Having the programmable Action Button is definitely a win for the 16e.
Both phones come with a USB-C port, which is great to see, so you no longer need to carry a separate Lightning cable just for your iPhone.
Display Differences
The iPhone 16e has almost the same screen as the iPhone 15: the size is absolutely the same at 6.1 inches and so is the resolution, and unfortunately, so is the slow 60 Hz refresh rate.
However, the iPhone 15 has one advantage: it can get brighter reaching 1,600 nits of peak brightness compared to 1,200 nits on the iPhone 16e. That extra brightness matters most when you use your phone outdoors, so the iPhone 15 is a bit better in that regard.
All phones we review go through an extensive display lab testing procedure, so expect to see those results here soon after the launch of the iPhone 16e.
Performance and Software
Apple Intelligence boards the 16e ship
Apple was obviously caught by surprise by the meteoric rise of AI.
That is why strange things are happening — the more expensive iPhone 15 does not support Apple Intelligence, while the much cheaper iPhone 16e does.
The iPhone 16e also has a faster A18 chip (likely with 8 GB RAM), while the iPhone 15 runs on the slower A16 Bionic and only has 6 GB RAM.
This is one big argument in favor of the iPhone 16e and it is just extremely strange how the costlier iPhone 15 lacks AI. This will be a major turn-off for many users, even if currently Apple Intelligence is not all that impressive.
So what are some of those fancy new Apple Intelligence features that you will only get on the iPhone 16e?
- Much smarter AI-powered Siri
- ChatGPT Siri integration
- Genmoji
- Image Playground app
- AI Writing tools and more
Having all these features at a much lower price is a big win.
The modem is typically not a part that gets much publicity, but it should on the iPhone 16e — this is the first iPhone ever with an Apple-made modem inside.
Previously, Apple used Qualcomm modems, but with an in-house modem it can save money and improve performance. The company claims this new Apple C1 modem is the most efficient modem ever used on an iPhone.
But since this is the first such modem we simply don't know if it will be reliable enough in the long term. We suggest waiting until the first reviews are out and not rushing a purchase because this might be a potential problem.
Camera
One camera might be enough
One cost-cutting move with the iPhone 16e is that it only features one camera on the back, meaning it lacks the ultra-wide camera we see on most phones these days.
That's an unusual place to cut corners, but if we had to pick between a faster processor or an ultra-wide camera, we would go with the faster chip any day. What we are saying is that among compromises, this is not quite the worst one.
Some people will certainly be disappointed, and the iPhone 15 has an ultra-wide camera, so that's definitely better.
The iPhone 16e features what looks like the same 48-megapixel main camera as the iPhone 15, with sensor cropping and better than usual zoom quality.
You also have features like 2X portrait mode, which is nice to see.
iPhone 16e Camera Sample Photos
We will soon have comparison sample photos from these two cameras, so check back in a couple of weeks for that.
Battery Life and Charging
Best battery life on a 6.1-inch iPhone
Apple does not disclose the exact battery size of the iPhone 16e, but it claims to have "best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone", so that's great news.
But how much better exactly?
Well, here are the official numbers: Apple rates the iPhone 16e for 26 hours of video playback vs 20 hours on the iPhone 15.
| iPhone 16e | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Video Playback: 26 hours | Video Playback: 20 hours | Video Playback: 22 hours |
| Video Streaming: 21 hours | Video Streaming: 16 hours | Video Streaming: 18 hours |
| Audio Playback: 90 hours | Audio Playback: 80 hours | Audio Playback: 80 hours |
Overall, we see improvements of up to 30% in video playback, but we still don't expect the iPhone 16e to be a two-day battery phone, so you will have to recharge every night.
Speaking of charging, Apple recommends a 20W charger which will give you a 50% top-up in 30 minutes. As usual, you have to purchase the charging brick separately as it is not included in the box.
However, the big disappointment and probably the strangest thing about the iPhone 16e is that it lacks MagSafe support! We love MagSafe, as it's so useful in a car or just snapping your phone to a magnetic wireless charger at home, but you don't have it on the 16e.
The 16e supports wireless charging, but no magnets and the speeds are slower at just 7.5 watts.
Summary
Despite a few shortcomings, the iPhone 16e is shaping as an absolute iPhone 15 killer.
AI has forced a generational change at Apple, and unless you really want that ultra-wide camera, the $600 iPhone 16e is a better deal than the $700 iPhone 15.
What do you think: is the iPhone 16e better than the iPhone 15?
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