Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15

Here we compared two flagship smartphones: the 6.1-inch Apple iPhone 16e (with Apple A18) that was released on February 19, 2025, against the Apple iPhone 15, which is powered by Apple A16 Bionic and came out 1 year and 5 months before. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.

Price Comparison

Model	Base Price (128 GB)
iPhone 16e	$599 (Apple)
iPhone 15	$629.99 (AT&T)

Key differences

Key Differences	Apple iPhone 16e	Apple iPhone 15
Age / Release	1 year and 5 months newer – ensures longer software support and newer hardware.	Slightly older, but still very capable.
RAM	8GB RAM – 33% more, allowing better multitasking and future-proofing.	6GB RAM – sufficient for most daily use but less headroom for heavy apps.
Performance	26% faster in single-core GeekBench 6 (3281 vs. 2599) – smoother performance in demanding apps.	Solid performance, but slightly behind in raw speed.
Display Brightness	Bright display, but lower peak brightness.	96% higher peak brightness (1627 vs. 829 nits) – easier to use under direct sunlight.
Battery Features	Standard charging only.	Reverse charging feature – can power other devices like AirPods or another iPhone.

Tests and specifications

Comparison table of technical specifications and tests

Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15 — Display & Design

Category	Apple iPhone 16e	Apple iPhone 15	Notes / Key Difference
Display Type	OLED	OLED	Same high-quality OLED panels.
Size	6.1 inches	6.1 inches	Identical screen size.
Resolution	1170 × 2532 pixels	1179 × 2556 pixels	iPhone 15 has a slightly higher resolution.
Aspect Ratio	19.5:9	19.5:9	Same aspect ratio.
Pixel Density (PPI)	457 ppi	460 ppi	Almost identical sharpness.
Refresh Rate	60 Hz	60 Hz	No ProMotion support on either model.
Adaptive Refresh Rate	No	No	Static refresh rate on both.
Max Brightness	800 nits	2000 nits	iPhone 15 is much brighter in sunlight.
Max HDR Brightness	1200 nits	1600 nits	iPhone 15 provides better HDR viewing.
HDR Support	HDR10	Dolby Vision	iPhone 15 supports Dolby Vision for richer HDR content.
Screen Protection	Ceramic Shield	–	iPhone 16e mentions Ceramic Shield, iPhone 15 not specified (but also uses it).
Screen-to-Body Ratio	87.1%	86.4%	iPhone 16e has a slightly better ratio (+1%).
Color Space (RGB)	99.9%	99.6%	Both offer excellent color accuracy.
PWM (Flicker Control)	60 Hz	306 Hz	iPhone 15 reduces eye strain with higher PWM.
Response Time	10 ms	2 ms	iPhone 15 reacts faster to touch input.
Contrast	∞ (Infinity)	∞ (Infinity)	Both OLED displays deliver true blacks.
Peak Brightness Test (Auto)	829 nits	1627 nits (+96%)	iPhone 15 is nearly twice as bright.

Design & Build

Category	Apple iPhone 16e	Apple iPhone 15	Notes / Key Difference
Height	146.7 mm (5.78″)	147.6 mm (5.81″)	Almost the same size.
Width	71.5 mm (2.81″)	71.6 mm (2.82″)	Practically identical.
Thickness	7.8 mm (0.31″)	7.8 mm (0.31″)	No difference.
Weight	167 g (5.89 oz)	171 g (6.03 oz)	iPhone 16e is slightly lighter.
Waterproofing	IP68	IP68	Equal protection.
Rear Material	Glass	Glass	Same.
Frame Material	Metal	Metal	Same.
Colors	White, Black	Black, Blue, Green, Pink, Yellow	iPhone 15 offers more variety.
Fingerprint Scanner	No	No	Neither has one.

Performance — Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15

Category	Apple iPhone 16e	Apple iPhone 15	Notes / Key Difference
Chipset (SoC)	Apple A18	Apple A16 Bionic	iPhone 16e runs on a newer generation chip.
Max CPU Clock	4040 MHz	3460 MHz	iPhone 16e has higher peak CPU speed.
CPU Cores	6 (2 + 4)	6 (2 + 4)	Same 6-core layout (2 performance + 4 efficiency).
Architecture	– 2 cores @ 4.05 GHz (Everest) – 4 cores @ 2.42 GHz (Sawtooth)	– 2 cores @ 3.46 GHz (Everest) – 4 cores @ 2.02 GHz (Sawtooth)	iPhone 16e cores are clocked higher for faster performance.
Manufacturing (TSMC)	3 nm process	4 nm process	Smaller 3nm process = better efficiency and performance for 16e.
Neural Processor (NPU)	Neural Engine	Apple Neural Engine	Both feature Apple’s AI/ML accelerator, but 16e benefits from newer architecture.
Graphics	Apple A18 GPU	Apple A16 GPU	Newer GPU on iPhone 16e for gaming and rendering.
GPU Shading Units	640	640	Same shader count, but higher efficiency in iPhone 16e.
GPU Clock Speed	1490 MHz	1398 MHz	iPhone 16e GPU runs faster.
FLOPS (Performance)	~1907 GFLOPS	~1789.4 GFLOPS	iPhone 16e has ~6.5% higher graphics compute power.

Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15 —Memory & Storage

Spec	iPhone 16e	iPhone 15	Key Difference
RAM Size	8 GB	6 GB	16e has 33% more RAM for multitasking.
Memory Type	LPDDR5X	LPDDR5	Newer, faster memory on 16e.
Memory Clock	–	3200 MHz	Clock speed only specified for 15.
Channels	4	4	Same.
Storage Size	128 GB	128 GB	Same base storage.
Storage Type	NVMe	NVMe	Both use fast NVMe.
Memory Card	No	No	Neither supports expansion.

Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15 —Battery

Spec	iPhone 16e	iPhone 15	Key Difference
Capacity	4005 mAh	3349 mAh	16e has a larger battery (+656 mAh).
Max Charge Power	25 W	20 W	Slightly faster charging on 16e.
Wireless Charging	7.5 W	7.5 W	Same.
Reverse Charging	No	Yes	Only iPhone 15 can charge other devices.
Fast Charging	57% in 30 min	58% in 30 min	Practically the same.
Full Charge Time	1h 50m	1h 50m	Equal.
Web Browsing	11:59 hr	10:47 hr	16e lasts longer.
Video Playback	15:01 hr	16:55 hr	15 lasts longer for movies.
Gaming	5:04 hr	5:36 hr	15 performs slightly better in gaming endurance.
Standby	127 hr	112 hr	16e has longer standby.
General Battery Life	26:44 hr (+5%)	25:31 hr	16e edges out overall.

Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15 —Main Camera

Spec	iPhone 16e	iPhone 15	Key Difference
Resolution	48 MP	48 MP	Same megapixels.
Lenses	1 (Standard)	2 (Standard + Ultrawide)	iPhone 15 is more versatile.
Aperture	f/1.6	f/1.6	Same.
Sensor	Sony IMX972, 1/2.55″, 0.7µm	Sony IMX, 1/1.5″, 1µm	15 has larger sensor & pixels = better low light.
Autofocus	Phase AF	Phase AF (Dual Pixel)	Dual Pixel gives iPhone 15 smoother focusing.
Stabilization	Optical	Optical	Both stabilized.
4K / 1080p Video	60 FPS	60 FPS	Same.
Slow Motion	240 FPS (1080p)	240 FPS (1080p)	Same.
HDR / Bokeh	Yes	Yes, with Pro Mode	15 has more camera features.
DxOMark Score	n/a	145 overall (Photo: 147, Video: 153)	15 is benchmark-tested.

Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15 —Selfie Camera

Spec	iPhone 16e	iPhone 15	Key Difference
Resolution	12 MP	12 MP	Same.
Aperture	f/1.9	f/1.9	Same.
Sensor	Sony IMX714 (1/3.6″)	Sony IMX714 (1/3.6″)	Same sensor.
Pixel Size	1µm	1.12µm	15 has slightly bigger pixels.
Autofocus	Phase AF	Phase AF	Same.
Stabilization	Digital	Digital	Same.
Video	4K @ 60FPS	4K @ 60FPS	Same.
TOF 3D Depth	Yes	Yes	Both.

Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15 —Connectivity

Spec	iPhone 16e	iPhone 15	Key Difference
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6 (ax)	Wi-Fi 6 (ax)	Equal, but 15 has extra “b/g” support.
Bluetooth	5.3 (LE)	5.3 (LE)	Same.
USB	Type-C (v2)	Type-C (v2)	Both.
DisplayPort	No	Yes	Only 15 supports DisplayPort output.
GPS	GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, NAVIC	GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS	16e adds NAVIC.
NFC	Yes	Yes	Same.
SIM	Nano + eSIM	eSIM only	16e offers physical SIM option.
5G Support	Yes	Yes	Both support 5G.

Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15 —Sound

Spec	iPhone 16e	iPhone 15	Key Difference
Speakers	Stereo	Stereo	Both.
Headphone Jack	No	No	Both removed.
Dolby Atmos	Yes	Yes	Same.
Loudness Test	88.4 dB	81.6 dB	16e is 8% louder.

Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15 More Info

Spec	iPhone 16e	iPhone 15	Key Difference
Category	Flagship	Flagship	Both.
Announced	Feb 2025	Sep 2023	16e is newer by ~1.5 years.
Launch Price (US)	$599	$799	16e is $200 cheaper at launch.
SAR	–	0.98 W/kg	Only available for iPhone 15.
Sensors	Barometer, Proximity, Gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light, Compass, Face ID	Same	Equal sensors.
Charger in Box	Not included	Not included	Same.

FAQs — Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15

Q1. Which phone has the better display?

• The iPhone 15 has a significantly brighter screen (up to 2000 nits vs 800 nits on 16e) and supports Dolby Vision, making it better outdoors and for HDR content.

Q2. Which phone is more powerful?

• The iPhone 16e with the A18 chip (3nm) is faster and more efficient than the iPhone 15’s A16 Bionic (4nm).

Q3. Which one has a better battery life?

• The iPhone 16e has a larger 4005 mAh battery and lasts slightly longer overall (+5%), though the iPhone 15 holds an edge in video playback and gaming endurance.

Q4. Which phone takes better photos?

• The iPhone 15 has an extra ultrawide camera, larger main sensor, and Dual Pixel autofocus, giving it more flexibility and better low-light shots. The iPhone 16e has only one rear lens.

Q5. Which is cheaper?

• The iPhone 16e launched at $599, while the iPhone 15 started at $799 — a $200 difference.

Q6. Which has louder speakers?

• The iPhone 16e (88.4 dB) is about 8% louder than the iPhone 15 (81.6 dB).

Q7. Do both support 5G and eSIM?

• Yes, both support 5G and eSIM. However, the iPhone 16e also supports a physical Nano SIM, while the iPhone 15 is eSIM-only.

Q8. Which one should I buy?

• Pick iPhone 16e if you value performance, battery life, loud sound, and a lower price.
• Pick iPhone 15 if you want the brighter display, better cameras, reverse charging, and DisplayPort connectivity.