Apple iPhone 16 and Apple iPhone 15

Apple launched four smartphones earlier this month. The iPhone 16 is the most affordable of them all, the entry-level model. In this article, we will compare it with its predecessor, so compare Apple iPhone 16 Against Apple iPhone 15There aren’t many changes compared to last year’s model, but there are some differences worth mentioning, so I prefer to compare.

Some of you might be wondering if it’s worth buying last year’s model instead of a new one. We hope you find this comparison helpful. It helps you make such decisions, because buying the latest model is not always the best idea. First, we will list the features of both smartphones and then compare them in many other categories. With that being said, let’s get to the point.

Features

Apple iPhone 16 and Apple iPhone 15 respectively

– Screen size:
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED (flat, 60Hz, HDR, 2,000 nits)
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display (60Hz, HDR, 2,000 nits)
– Screen resolution:
2556×1179
2556×1179
– SoC:
Apple A18 (3nm)
Apple A16 Bionic
– Data warehouse:
8GB
6GB
– To store:
128GB/256GB/512GB (NVMe)
128GB/256GB/512GB
– Rear cameras:
48 MP (wide, f/1.6 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor, 1.0 um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS), 12 MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree field of view, 0.7 um pixel size, PDAF)
48 MP (wide, f/1.6 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor, 1.0 um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS), 12 MP (ultrawide, 120-degree field of view, 0.7 um pixel size, f/2.4 aperture)
– Front cameras:
12MP (f/1.9 aperture, PDAF, 1/3.6 inch sensor size)
– Battery:
3.561mAh
3.349mAh
– Charge:
38W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless and 4.5W reverse wired charging
20W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wired charging (charger not included)
– Dimensions:
147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm
147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm
– Weight:
170 grams
171 grams
– Connection:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Face ID (3D face scanning)
– Operating System:
iOS 18
iOS 17
– Price:
$799+
$799+
– To buy:
Apple iPhone 16 (Apple)
iPhone 15 (Apple)

Apple iPhone 16 and Apple iPhone 15: Design

These two smartphones look very similar, but it’s easy to tell them apart. How? Thanks to their rear cameras. We’ll get to that in a moment, but first let’s talk about their builds. Both phones are made of aluminum and glass. They both have the same shape. The edges are flat on all sides, but rounded towards the edges so they don’t cut into your hand when you hold them.

The front and back are flat on both smartphones. Both have flat screens and a pill-shaped cutout in their displays. This cutout is called the ‘Dynamic Island’. The bezels around the display are uniform and thicker than the ‘Pro’ models, but still quite thin. The iPhone 16 has an extra button on the right side, the so-called Camera Control button. In addition, there’s the power button there, like on the iPhone 15. On the left side, both smartphones have the volume up/down buttons and the Action Button.

Turning it over, we see the main difference in their designs. While the iPhone 16 has two cameras aligned vertically, the iPhone 15 has a diagonal setup. The main camera is the same on both, but there’s a slight change to the ultrawide unit. Both camera islands are located on the back in the top left corner. The two phones are exactly the same size, but the iPhone 16 is 1 gram lighter, so they’re basically the same in that regard. Both smartphones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance.

Apple iPhone 16 and Apple iPhone 15: Screen

The displays on these two smartphones are exactly the same. You’ll find a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display on both phones. This display also supports HDR10 content and Dolby Vision. It reaches a peak brightness of up to 2,000 nits. This panel is flat and has a resolution of 2556 x 1179 pixels. The screen aspect ratio is 19.5:9, while the screen-to-body ratio is around 86% on both phones. Ceramic Shield glass protects both displays, but the iPhone 16 has a newer version.

There’s no noticeable difference between the two panels, which isn’t surprising since they’re exactly the same. Both panels are pretty sharp and have good viewing angles. They’re also vibrant and get bright enough outdoors. However, they don’t offer high-frequency PWM dimming if you need it. They also have another limitation that might matter to you, although most casual users won’t care… both displays are limited to a 60Hz refresh rate.

That was one of the main complaints about these two panels. For the price tag Apple is charging, you would expect 120Hz displays right now. But no, Apple has limited both smartphones to 60Hz panels. Most people don’t really care or notice the difference, so… it’s no surprise that Apple is going down this path again. Both displays are very good despite this limitation.

Apple iPhone 16 and Apple iPhone 15: Performance

The Apple A18 SoC powers the iPhone 16. This is Apple’s new 3nm processor. It is coupled with 8GB of RAM and NVMe flash storage. On the other hand, the iPhone 15 is powered by the Apple A16 Bionic chip, which is a 4nm processor. This phone also comes with 6GB of RAM and NVMe flash storage. Do note that the storage is not expandable on either smartphone, which is expandable these days anyway.

Both of these processors have 5-core graphics, but the Apple A18 is the more powerful chip. Still, both of these smartphones offer great performance in day-to-day use. They can handle anything you throw at them, and it’s hard to notice the SoC difference in day-to-day use. Both can handle anything you throw at them. The iPhone 16 may load some apps a little faster, but other than that, they’re on par in terms of overall performance.

The same can be said for games. The iPhone 16 may be a bit faster, but in terms of overall gaming performance, both smartphones do a great job. That goes for even the most demanding games you can find on the App Store. The Apple A16 Bionic is still a very powerful processor, so that’s not surprising. Yes, both do get warm while gaming, but not so hot that they can’t be held, and it doesn’t affect performance.

Apple iPhone 16 and Apple iPhone 15: Battery

The iPhone 16 has a 3,561mAh battery, while its predecessor comes with a 3,349mAh battery. This increase is nice to see, despite the iPhone 16 not having a bigger screen or anything like that. From what we’ve seen so far, the iPhone 16 offers better battery life. The difference isn’t that big, but it’s definitely noticeable, which is great to hear, because the iPhone 15 had the worst battery life of all the iPhone 15 models. It wasn’t great by any means.

Getting through a day on a single charge with the iPhone 16 should be doable for the vast majority of users. Yes, you could drain this phone’s battery in a day if you wanted to, but it’s not as easy as it used to be. Not only is the battery capacity higher, the iPhone 16 is more power efficient overall, so that’s not surprising.

Apple has also improved charging speeds on the device. The iPhone 16 now supports up to 38W wired charging and up to 25W wireless (MagSafe). 15W Qi2 and 7.5W Qi wireless charging are also supported, and 4.5W reverse wired charging is also supported. The iPhone 15 is limited to 20W wired, 15W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi charging, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. Neither phone comes with a charger in the box.

Apple iPhone 16 and Apple iPhone 15: Cameras

The main camera is the same on both phones, but there’s a slight change to the ultrawide unit. Both phones feature a 48-megapixel main camera with an f/1.6 aperture and a 1/1.56-inch sensor size. A 26mm lens is also included, and the pixel size is 1.0um. Dual Pixel PDAF and sensor-shift OIS are also part of the package. The ultrawide camera, on the other hand, is a 12-megapixel unit with a 120-degree FoV and a 0.7um pixel size on both phones. The new model uses a different aperture, and the new unit also supports macro photography through this camera.

You’ll have to look hard to see the difference in camera performance between the two. Sure, you can see it if you’re shooting macro photos, but otherwise not much. Both smartphones deliver nice-looking photos that lean toward warmer color temperatures. Apple loves that yellow cast in photos. HDR performance is good, but both phones tend to put too much brightness in the darker areas, which makes photos look a little flatter than they should, even during the day. They’re not exactly contrasty.

Low-light performance is good on both phones. Both tend to overexpose these types of scenes. Ultrawide photos are a bit different, but that difference is only noticeable in low light. The iPhone 16 has the edge, but as I said, there’s almost no difference unless you’re shooting macro photos. Video performance is the same between the two devices, and the same goes for selfies.

Sound

Both of these smartphones have stereo speakers. These speakers are good, but not great. They are not among the loudest speakers on the market, but they are loud enough for most people. The sound output is also good, but nothing to brag about. The output from the speakers is quite similar, and it’s even possible that Apple used the same speakers in these two devices.

What about the audio jack? Well, there isn’t. Both devices have a Type-C port on the bottom. So if you have a dongle or Type-C headphones, you can connect your wired headphones that way. Otherwise, there’s always Bluetooth 5.3, which is available on both devices.