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iPhone 15 vs iPhone 16

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Starting at

£356.39

£799 new

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Starting at

£475.19

£799 new

See options
iPhone 15Starting at £356.39See options
iPhone 16Starting at £475.19See options
4.6/5 (12 reviews)
5.0/5 (5 reviews)

In a nutshell

Put them side by side and you'll need a hint. Same 6.1-inch screen, same 48MP main camera, same aluminium and the same weight give or take a gram. The changes are inside: the 16 gets the A18 chip and 8GB of RAM, runs Apple Intelligence where the 15 doesn't, and adds Camera Control, the Action button, faster wireless charging and Wi-Fi 7.

The iPhone 15 suits you if you want a modern iPhone with USB-C and the Dynamic Island, and AI features aren't on your wish list. The iPhone 16 suits you if you'll keep your phone four years or more, want Apple Intelligence, or like the idea of a proper camera button.

Available models

iPhone 15

Capacity

Condition grades in stock

Pristine, Excellent, Great, Good

iPhone 16

Capacity

Condition grades in stock

Pristine, Excellent, Great, Good

Durability

iPhone 15 76/100
iPhone 16 83/100

Built the same way, so the difference here is software. Both are IP68 in aluminium frames, but the 16 should get iOS updates a year longer (est.).

Water and dust:Both are rated IP68. A drop in the bath is survivable on either.

Software support:Apple doesn't publish an end date. Our estimate is release year plus seven, which puts the 15 at about 2030 and the 16 at about 2031. That extra year is the 16's quiet advantage.

Front glass:Both have Ceramic Shield on the front.

Released

2023
2024Newer

Updates until (est.)

2030
2031Supported for longer

Water resistance

IP68
IP68

Frame

Aluminium
Aluminium

Weight

171g
170gLighter

Release date

22 September 2023
20 September 2024

Front glass

Ceramic Shield
Ceramic Shield

Dimensions

147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm
147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm

Biometrics

Face ID
Face ID

Repairability

EU repairability class C
EU repairability class C

Performance

iPhone 15 69/100
iPhone 16 79/100

This is where the 16 earns its keep. It has the newer A18 chip and 8GB of RAM against the 15's 6GB.

Everyday speed:Both open apps, scroll Instagram and edit photos without breaking a sweat. You'd need a stopwatch to tell them apart doing normal stuff.

Apple Intelligence:Only the 16 runs it. The 15 misses out.

Memory:8GB of RAM on the 16 against 6GB on the 15.

Chip

A16 Bionic
A18

RAM

6GB
8GBMore memory

Storage options

128GB, 256GB, 512GB
128GB, 256GB, 512GB

AI features

No
YesHas AI features

Screen quality

iPhone 15 68/100
iPhone 16 68/100

Honestly, a draw. Same size, same resolution, same 60Hz refresh rate and the same 2000-nit outdoor peak.

Display size and clarity:Both are 6.1-inch OLEDs at 2556 x 1179, so text and photos look identical.

Smoothness:Both refresh at 60Hz. If you're coming from a high-refresh Android phone, scrolling will feel a bit slower on either.

Always-on:Neither has an always-on display. On these generations that's a Pro feature.

Screen size

6.1"
6.1"

Screen type

Super Retina XDR OLED
Super Retina XDR OLED

Refresh rate

60Hz
60Hz

Resolution

2556 x 1179
2556 x 1179

Peak brightness

2000 nits (maker figure)
2000 nits (maker figure)

Camera

iPhone 15 48/100
iPhone 16 48/100

Same 48MP main camera on both. The 16's extras are macro on the ultrawide and a dedicated button, not a different main camera.

Main camera:Both use a 48MP main sensor and both get a 2x crop from it. The main-camera specs match.

Close-ups:The 16's ultrawide has autofocus, so it can do macro shots of flowers, food and tiny print. The 15's ultrawide can't focus that close.

Camera Control:The 16 adds a camera button on the side for quick shots. Handy, but you can live without it.

Main camera

48MP
48MP

Ultrawide

12MP
12MP

Telephoto

None
None

Optical zoom

None
None

Front camera

12MP
12MP

Video recording

4K 60fps Dolby Vision
4K 60fps Dolby Vision

2x zoom

Crop from the main sensor, no telephoto lens
Crop from the main sensor, no telephoto lens

Battery

iPhone 15 58/100
iPhone 16 72/100

The 16 is rated for longer. Apple quotes 22 hours of video against 20.

Battery life:3561mAh against 3349mAh. Think a couple of rated hours, not an extra day.

Wireless charging:The 16 charges at up to 25W on Qi2 and 22.5W on MagSafe. The 15 does 15W on MagSafe and supports Qi2 without a published wattage.

Battery

3349mAh
3561mAhBigger battery

Wireless charging

MagSafe 15W, Qi2
MagSafe 22.5W, Qi2 25W

Video playback (maker)

Up to 20 hours
Up to 22 hours

Connectivity

iPhone 15 64/100
iPhone 16 74/100

Both have 5G and USB-C. The 16 adds Wi-Fi 7.

Wi-Fi:Wi-Fi 7 on the 16, Wi-Fi 6 on the 15. It only pays off if your router supports Wi-Fi 7.

Cable speeds:Both ports are USB 2 at 480Mb/s. Fine for charging, slow for moving big video files to a laptop.

5G

Yes
Yes

Port

USB-C (USB 2, 480Mb/s)
USB-C (USB 2, 480Mb/s)

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 6
Wi-Fi 7

SIM

Nano-SIM + eSIM
Nano-SIM + eSIM

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth 5.3

Our verdict

Buy the iPhone 15 if you want a modern iPhone with USB-C and the Dynamic Island and you've never once wished your phone had an AI button. Buy the iPhone 16 if you'll keep it for four-plus years and want the longer run of iOS updates (est. 2031 against 2030) and Apple Intelligence. Both launched at £799 for 128GB, so check the live prices above.

Buy the iPhone 15 if

  • The live price favours it
  • You don't care about Apple Intelligence
  • You upgrade every two years anyway
Shop from £356.39

Buy the iPhone 16 if

  • You'll keep it 4+ years
  • You want Camera Control and the Action button
  • Faster wireless charging matters to you
Shop from £475.19

FAQs

It has the newer A18 chip and 8GB of RAM against 6GB. We have no benchmark results, so we can't put a number on it. The clearest difference is Apple Intelligence, which only the 16 runs.

Apple doesn't publish an end date. Our estimate is release year plus seven, so about 2030 for the 15 and about 2031 for the 16.

Every Reboxed phone has a minimum of 80% battery health. If you want the closest thing to new, some phones offer our New Battery Upgrade, professionally installed before your phone is dispatched. If it's available, you'll see it on the product page.

Pristine, Excellent, Great and Good. Pristine has zero blemishes and at least 90% battery health. Good can show noticeable wear on the casing but works perfectly. Every grade is TechCheck certified and comes with a 12-month warranty.

Each phone on average emits 79kg of carbon. For each phone we sell we fund initiatives that replenish that device's carbon from the atmosphere.

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