iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Specs, screen size, price

This iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15 face-off will enable you perceive the variations between the 2.

The just lately dropped iPhone 16 comes with a number of notable (but acquainted) updates, together with a brand new vertical digital camera structure. 

Introduced at Apple’s September occasion, the brand new iPhone 16 delivers a recent design with Motion and Digicam Management buttons, improved digital camera assist for fancier pics, larger battery capability with sooner charging speeds, and an upgraded A18 chip.

Oh, and the main addition of Apple Intelligence, no much less. 

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. 

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Worth and specs

The iPhone 16 begins at $799 and is obtainable on the Apple Retailer, whereas the iPhone 15 begins at $699.

Apple iPhone 16 lineup
Credit score: Apple

You’ll be able to count on the next specs within the iPhone 16:

• A18 Bionic chip

• 6.1‑inch, 60Hz, 2,556 x 1,179-pixel, OLED show

• 128G, 256GB, or 512GB storage

• As much as 22 hours (video playback) battery

• IP68 score

iPhone 15
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Now, listed here are the iPhone 15’s specs:

• A16 Bionic chip

• 6.1‑inch, 60Hz, 2,556 x 1,179-pixel, OLED show

• 128G, 256GB, or 512GB storage

• As much as 20 hours (video playback) battery

• IP68 score

Other than their chips, batteries, and reminiscence, there are too many evident adjustments. However that’s doing the iPhone 16 an injustice, because the refined enhancements provide 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 pleased to know the iPhone 16 is sticking with the very same measurement, together with a number of different specs that many hoped to see improved.

This contains 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 attraction isn’t as clean, so that you’ll have to have 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 function remains 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 aluminium 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.

Apple iPhone 16’s Digicam Management button
Credit score: Apple

As an alternative of the same old Ring/Silent swap, Apple determined to place the Motion button as a replacement. Going ahead, we’re prone 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. 

Apparently, Apple launched one other useful button to fiddle with: the Digicam Management button. Positioned proper underneath 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 may snap away, however it will possibly additionally zoom out and in of pictures or movies with swiping gestures and means that you can give attention to topics. This may come in useful for the snap-happy ones on the market. 

iPhone 15’s pale colours
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

You might have observed the rear cameras at the moment are aligned vertically on the iPhone 16, fairly 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 coloration choices, which embody 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. 

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 available on the market. With the A18, there’s much more processing energy to mess around with, and it will come in 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 yet one more blazing-fast smartphone that tops its predecessor. 

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Battery life

We’re lastly getting a notable bump in battery life with the iPhone 16, because it brings an even bigger battery capability and sooner charging speeds in comparison with the iPhone 15. Not that it’s precisely wanted; the iPhone 15 is rated at 20 hours, so round a full day of use. 

With the iPhone 16, that quantity is about to go up. It’s geared up with an even bigger battery, and this increase ought to convey round 22 hours, which is a pleasant enchancment to see particularly in comparison with the iPhone 15. It’s additionally practically double the speeds, because the last-gen cellphone has 27W wired charging and 15W wi-fi. 

Not a significant increase, however sufficient to eke out an additional couple of hours earlier than needing to be plugged in. And sure, it’s nonetheless by way of the universally favored USB-C port. 

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15: Cameras

This is a fast have a look at the iPhone 16’s specs

• Rear digital camera: 48MP foremost (fusion with 12MP 2x Telephoto), 12MP ultra-wide

• 12MP TrueDepth entrance digital camera

Now check out the iPhone 15’s specs:

• Rear digital camera: 48MP foremost, 12MP ultra-wide

• 12MP TrueDepth entrance digital camera

The iPhone 15 fashions already obtained 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 images. This may 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 situations.

That’s not all that’s modified; we are able to additionally count on macro images 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 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 contains prioritized notifications, which might put an important notifications on the prime of your iPhone’s feed and even provide transient summaries of stacked notifications. 

It’ll additionally be capable to rewrite, summarize, and proof blocks of chosen textual content in a flash, which can particularly come in useful when writing emails or texts. What’s extra, there’s AI picture technology and straightforward picture search by typing an outline, computerized audio transcriptions, and even Genmoji, which let you create your very personal emojis. You will additionally discover Personal Cloud Compute, defending your private info any time you entry Apple Intelligence. Principally, your knowledge is rarely saved.

Genmoji in motion
Credit score: Apple

There’s so much on provide 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: Well worth the improve?

With the iPhone 16, Apple not solely brings a number of Professional options to its baseline iPhone fashions, nevertheless it additionally introduces its personal model of generative AI. Minor {hardware} variations apart, which now embody an Motion button, a brand new Digicam Management button, an even bigger battery, and vertical rear cameras, the actual cause to improve to an iPhone 16 is to make the most of all the things Apple Intelligence brings to the desk. 

Certain, 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 provide new methods to work together together with your smartphone.

Will Apple Intelligence be the following massive cause to get the most recent iPhone? It’s onerous to inform, however to date the iPhone 16 appears to be like to impress — particularly since there’s no bump in worth. 

Mashable’s at present on the bottom in Cupertino for the Sept. 9 “Glowtime” Apple occasion. Try our reside weblog to maintain monitor of all issues iPhone 16 (and extra) earlier than, throughout, and after the occasion.