Desk of Contents
This iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15 comparative evaluation will enable you to perceive the variations between the 2.
The lately dropped iPhone 16 comes with a number of notable (but acquainted) updates, together with a brand new vertical digital camera format.
Introduced at Apple’s September occasion, the brand new iPhone 16 delivers a contemporary design with Motion and Digicam Management buttons, improved digital camera assist for fancier pics, greater battery capability with sooner charging speeds, and an upgraded A18 chip.
Oh, and the most important addition of Apple Intelligence, no much less.
Apple Occasion 2024: All the pieces introduced, together with iPhone 16, Apple Watch Sequence 10
Is that this all sufficient to warrant an improve over the nonetheless commendable iPhone 15, although? Presumably, however for a greater reply, let’s break down the variations between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15.
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iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Worth and specs
The iPhone 16 begins at $799 and is on the market on the Apple Retailer, whereas the iPhone 15 begins at $699.
The Apple iPhone 16 lineup consists of enjoyable new colours.
Credit score: Apple
You may anticipate the next specs within the iPhone 16:
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A18 Bionic chip
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6.1‑inch, 60Hz, 2,556 x 1,179-pixel, OLED show
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128G, 256GB, or 512GB storage
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As much as 22 hours (video playback) battery
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IP68 score
Is it value upgrading from the iPhone 15?
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
Now, listed below are the iPhone 15’s specs:
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A16 Bionic chip
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6.1‑inch, 60Hz, 2,556 x 1,179-pixel, OLED show
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128G, 256GB, or 512GB storage
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As much as 20 hours (video playback) battery
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IP68 score
Other than their chips, batteries, and reminiscence, there are too many obtrusive adjustments. However that’s doing the iPhone 16 an injustice, because the delicate enhancements supply extra processing energy and longer battery life. Furthermore, a number of extra traits are trickling down from the earlier Professional fashions to the iPhone 16 that the iPhone 15 missed out on.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Show
Like the dimensions of the iPhone 15’s 6.1-inch Tremendous Retina XDR (2,556 x 1,179 decision) OLED show? You’ll be comfortable to know the iPhone 16 is sticking with the very same dimension, together with a number of different specs that many hoped to see improved.
This consists of the 60Hz refresh charge, which is a disgrace to see since its opponents’ base flagship smartphones have now upgraded to a 120Hz show. Onscreen visible enchantment isn’t as easy, so that you’ll have to take a look at the iPhone 16 Professional fashions for a stutter-free expertise.
There’s additionally the identical 2,000 nits of peak brightness and Dynamic Island as per last-gen fashions.
iPhone 15 sports activities the long-lasting Dynamic Island, lastly.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
Nonetheless no always-on show, although, that means Apple’s StandBy characteristic continues to be pretty ineffective except you’ve got one of many Professional fashions.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Design
Apple already pulled off a minor redesign with its iPhone 15, bringing its Dynamic Island over to the “common” iPhone fashions. Nonetheless, we additionally noticed extra rounded edges and aerospace aluminum color-infused glass. This time, the iPhone 16 sticks with this motif, however brings different options from its Professional mannequin siblings and an all-new button.
iPhone 16 Dynamic Island
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
As an alternative of the same old Ring/Silent swap, Apple determined to place the Motion button instead. Going ahead, we’re more likely to see the Motion button as a staple on all iPhone fashions, which is right information in the event you take pleasure in with the ability to customise any motion with one easy press.
Mashable Gentle Velocity
Curiously, Apple launched one other useful button to fiddle with: the Digicam Management button. Positioned proper beneath the Energy button, this focuses on serving to to entry digital camera options on the iPhone 16. Not solely can it activate the shutter so you’ll be able to snap away, however it might probably additionally zoom out and in of pictures or movies with swiping gestures and lets you deal with topics. This can turn out to be useful for the snap-happy ones on the market.
iPhone 15’s pale colours
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
You might have seen the rear cameras are actually aligned vertically on the iPhone 16, moderately than diagonally as with the iPhone 15. It’s nearly as if Apple is reintroducing the design of the iPhone 12, with a number of trendy design traits as beforehand talked about.
As for colours, the iPhone 16 comes within the following: Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, and Black. A pair greater than the iPhone 15’s shade choices, which embrace Black, Blue, Inexperienced, Yellow, and Pink.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Efficiency
The iPhone lineup will get extra highly effective with every annual launch, and that’s no totally different with the iPhone 16. As an alternative of the trickle-down impact of getting final yr’s iPhone 15 Professional chipset, the iPhone 16 fashions will get their very personal A18 Bionic chip.
iPhone 16
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
It goes with out saying that it is a step up from the iPhone 15’s A16 processor, which is already one of many quickest chips in the marketplace. With the A18, there’s much more processing energy to mess around with, and this can turn out to be useful with Apple Intelligence now in play (extra of this later). With a 6-core CPU, it’s 30% sooner than the iPhone 15 and makes use of 30% much less energy. There’s additionally a 5-core GPU for 40% sooner effectivity.
To assist Apple’s AI, the iPhone 16 additionally helps extra cores in its Neural Engine, with the iPhone 15 sporting a 16-core Neural Engine. Suffice it to say, the iPhone 16 might be one more blazing-fast smartphone that tops its predecessor.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Cameras
Here is a fast have a look at the iPhone 16’s specs
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Rear digital camera: 48MP fundamental (fusion with 12MP 2x Telephoto), 12MP ultra-wide
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12MP TrueDepth entrance digital camera
Now check out the iPhone 15’s specs:
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Rear digital camera: 48MP fundamental, 12MP ultra-wide
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12MP TrueDepth entrance digital camera
The iPhone 15 fashions already acquired a worthwhile digital camera improve, which features a 48MP with ƒ/1.6 aperture.
This iPhone 16 follows this development, however this time it arrives with a 12MP ultra-wide with ƒ/2.2 aperture and autofocus for improved low-light pictures. This can put the ultra-wide lens to good use, because the iPhone 15’s ƒ/2.4 ultra-wide typically blurred footage, particularly in low-light circumstances.
That’s not all that’s modified; we will additionally anticipate macro pictures assist, giving close-up snaps extra element than the last-gen iPhone. In any other case, it is the identical succesful dual-camera system that the iPhone 15 introduced, now with some fine-tuning within the iPhone 16.
iPhone 16 digital camera management button
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
It is also value noting that the iPhone 16 has the brand new digital camera management button (take a look at our in-depth expertise with the digital camera management button, which will be discovered on the precise facet of the chassis). The iPhone 15 lacks a digital camera management button.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Battery life
We have no benchmarks for the iPhone 15, however based on Apple, it lasts as much as 20 hours on a cost by way of video playback (as much as 16 hours with video streaming).
Credit score: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Nonetheless, we do have in-house benchmarks on the iPhone 16. We did a TikTok rundown on the iPhone 16, with the show at 50% of brightness, till it ran out of juice. It lasted 16 hours and 20 minutes, which is spectacular.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Software program and AI
Arguably the largest distinction between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 is with the ability to make the most of Apple Intelligence, the tech big’s very personal security-focused generative AI (with the assistance of ChatGPT). Sadly, it’s solely reserved for the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max and later with an iOS 18 replace.
AI will put an important notifications first
Credit score: Apple
As proven off at WWDC 2024, it comes with a number of AI-enhanced options. This consists of prioritized notifications, which might put an important notifications on the prime of your iPhone’s feed and even supply temporary summaries of stacked notifications.
It would additionally have the ability to rewrite, summarize, and proof blocks of chosen textual content in a flash, which can particularly turn out to be useful when writing emails or texts. What’s extra, there’s AI picture technology and straightforward picture search by typing an outline, automated audio transcriptions, and even Genmoji, which let you create your very personal emojis. You may additionally discover Personal Cloud Compute, defending your private data any time you entry Apple Intelligence. Mainly, your knowledge isn’t saved.
Genmoji in motion
Credit score: Apple
There’s loads on supply right here, and that’s the place the iPhone 15 will battle to maintain up. Till they’ve been used within the wild for some time, although, there’s no telling if these Apple Intelligence options might be a defining cause to improve to an iPhone 16.
iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Definitely worth the improve?
With the iPhone 16, Apple not solely brings a number of Professional options to its baseline iPhone fashions, however it additionally introduces its personal model of generative AI. Minor {hardware} variations apart, which now embrace an Motion button, a brand new Digicam Management button, a much bigger battery, and vertical rear cameras, the actual cause to improve to an iPhone 16 is to make the most of every little thing Apple Intelligence brings to the desk.
Positive, it isn’t as in the event you can’t use AI options by merely visiting ChatGPT in your browser, however having it totally built-in into the iPhone 16’s software program can supply new methods to work together along with your smartphone.
Will Apple Intelligence be the subsequent massive cause to get the newest iPhone? It’s exhausting to inform, however to this point the iPhone 16 appears to impress — particularly since there’s no bump in worth.