iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15: Which one should you buy?

Apple’s iPhone 16e made its debut this week, much to the anticipation of eager fans around the globe. The new, economical cousin to the iPhone 16 comes equipped with an A18 chipset and boasts of the company’s very own take on AI.

While it does make a worthy contender for the latest flagship, how well does it fare when it’s pitted against its predecessor – the iPhone 15? If you’re in the market for your next iPhone and are wondering which one to go for, we have it all covered for you with our handy comparison below. Check out what the hype is all about:

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15: Design and features

Both the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 15 share similar display specifications. Both rock a 6.1-inch Retina XDR OLED display and are capped at a 60Hz refresh rate. The primary difference, however, lies in their varying brightness levels. The iPhone 15 offers between 1,000 to 1,600 nits peak brightness, whereas the iPhone 16e gets anywhere between 800 nits to 1,200 for HDR viewing.

At a glance, both phones may even appear similar to you. While the key differentiating factor remains their camera set up at the back, the iPhone 15 also sports slightly more rounded edges. Apple has provided the iPhone 16e with the traditional notch compared to the iPhone 15, which has a clean, notchless design and, of course, Dynamic Island benefits.

The upside on the design bit remains to be the Action Button, which the iPhone 16e gets, but the iPhone 15 doesn’t. This is great for times you want to configure shortcuts on your device and do with more convenience.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15: Performance

The iPhone 16e, like the iPhone 16, comes equipped with Apple’s newest A18 chipset. This does bring in significant changes over its preceding series. While both phones feature a 6-core CPU, the A18 in the 16e gets a 4-core GPU compared to the iPhone 15’s 5-core GPU found in its A16 chip. However, the A18 does make up for this with other features, such as ray tracing, which is a go-to for gamers looking for more realistic lighting effects in games.

ALSO READ: iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16e: What’s different?

Lastly, Apple has equipped the iPhone 16e with on-device AI capabilities with Apple Intelligence. A key advantage of the A18 chip is also its 16-core Neural Engine, which processes AI tasks more efficiently. This enables the iPhone 16e to support Apple Intelligence features that aren’t available on the iPhone 15.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15: Camera

Both devices get starkly different camera setups. For starters, the iPhone 16e comes with a 48MP Fusion single-camera setup. It comes with OIS (optical image stabilisation) support and a 12MP telephoto mode for 2x zoom.

On the flipside, the iPhone 15 gets a 48MP main sensor, but with it also gets a 12MP ultra-wide angle camera as well. If you like to capture surroundings in wide, the iPhone 15 certainly makes a better choice for you. Apart from this, both phones get identical 12MP front-facing cameras.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15: Battery life

Apple does not reveal the battery capacity for its iPhones. However, the brand claims that the iPhone 16e has the largest battery ever for any 6.1-inch iPhone. It additionally states that the phone can survive 26 hours of video playback on a single charge. Compared to this, the iPhone 15 can support up to 20 hours.

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Both iPhones support 20W wired charging. That said, the iPhone 16e doesn’t offer a MagSafe (Qi2) wireless charging option to its users. This is available on the iPhone 15.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15: Conclusion

The iPhone 16e is priced at Rs 59,900 onwards and comes in two (classic black and white) colourways. The iPhone 15, now priced at Rs 64,900 on croma.com, is available in four shades including Black, Green, Pink, Blue, and Yellow.

Looking at the overall package, the 16e certainly brings in more exciting features like the Action Button and Apple Intelligence to a more affordable price point, making it an attractive option for those wanting to experience Apple’s latest tech without breaking the bank.

However, if you value features like Dynamic Island, a dual-camera setup with ultra-wide capabilities, and wireless charging support, the iPhone 15 might be worth the extra investment.

Your choice might eventually come down to what you eventually prioritise based on your day-to-day usage. But both phones deliver a solid performance for everyday use and neither make a bad option if you’re looking for an upgrade. For more in-depth reviews and comparisons, make sure you are subscribed to Unboxed by Croma.