The iPhone 16e is Apple’s brand new $599 “affordable” device, and it’s quite an upgrade over the previous SE generation. There’s a bigger screen, Face ID, a newer Chip, a larger battery, and many other improvements, pushing the phone to a modern era. Now, it has to compete in the big leagues. You might also find yesteryear’s baseline iPhone 15 in the market for around $450, which is the perfect alternative to iPhone 16e.
iPhone 15 is cheaper, plus it retains a MagSafe and an extra camera for ultrawide photos. If we talk about the iPhone 16e, there’s a slightly bigger battery and brand new silicon on board, which is faster in GPU and CPU-intensive tasks. Choosing between the two boils down to user preference and choice. This comparison will help you decide which handset fits your needs.
Display and Build Quality
iPhone 16e got a solid upgrade over the SE 3 with its notched XDR OLED 6.1” display and Face ID, but it’s still no match for the iPhone 15, which has a far more impressive Dynamic Island on its forehead. Even though both phones have the same Super Retina resolution and HDR10 rating, the iPhone 15’s 2000 nits brightness is immensely superior to the iPhone 16e’s 1200 nits HBM.
Ceramic Glass shield on the front, Aluminium build, IP68 rating, etc are kept the same on both iPhone new models, but the iPhone 16e is lighter and more bearable to hold for extended usage. Still, if display is your priority, the iPhone 15 is a better option for you.
Performance and Battery
iPhone 16e’s biggest advantage over the iPhone 15 is the new Apple A18 silicon, which puts the iPhone 15’s two-generation-old Apple A16 chip to shame. The newcomer even gives you more RAM than the iPhone 15 at 8GB. Sadly, the last year’s vanilla iPhone only scores a measly 6GB RAM.
iPhone 16e also takes an edge if you prefer battery endurance over everything else. In the case of the iPhone 15, you only have a 3349 mAh cell, which is quickly running out of fashion. The iPhone 16e has a bigger 4005 mAh battery, so it will last hours longer than the competitor. Even though the iPhone 15 has faster wireless charging (15W Qi2 vs 7.5W Qi1) with the MagSafe option, the iPhone 16e is the undisputed winner for performance and battery category.
Cameras and AI Features
It’s really no competition on paper when it comes to the primary rear camera. Both iPhone 16e and 15 have the same 48 MP main shooter on the back. But, the iPhone 15 sensor is of higher quality, takes in more light with its 1/1.56” aperture, and gives you dual-pixel Autofocus. iPhone 15 also has an Ultra Wide lens on the back with a 12 MP sensor.
iPhone 16e has a solo 48MP unit on the rear side with OIS and an in-display 2x lossless zoom. There’s no ultrawide unit here. Still, the iPhone 16e has software optimizations on par with the iPhone 16 family, not to forget the Spatial 3D Audio recording, which might give the newcomer an edge over the iPhone 15.
The selfie cameras are the same on both iPhones with 12MP sensors and 4K 60 FPS recording. Apple Intelligence and the dedicated AI features are only available on iPhone 16e so far. When it comes down to it, you should consider the iPhone 15 if you want a dedicated ultrawide camera. If that isn’t your priority, iPhone 16e is well suited for shutterbugs, even more so if you find Apple Intelligence useful.
Final Thoughts
As we prefaced the comparison earlier, it all comes down to preference and budget. At around $450, the iPhone 15 offers far more value than the iPhone 16e with its dual-rear cameras, Dynamic Island XDR OLED, MagSafe 15W wireless Qi2 support, and more. If you pay slightly more and spring for an iPhone 16e at $599, you get a far mature and optimized camera, bigger battery, upgraded 8 GB RAM, and the newest A18 silicon, which won’t age as fast as the iPhone 15 over several years of updates.
This piece should help you reach the decision faster if you’re at a standstill about a choice between iPhone 16e and iPhone 15. If you are someone looking to migrate from iPhone 15 to 16e, this story also highlights the pros and cons for you. If you found the article helpful, visit WhatMobile.com.pk to read more interesting reviews, stories, and news articles daily.