Is the iPhone 15 nonetheless value shopping f...

For some time now, a part of Apple’s modus operandi for making iPhones inexpensive (comparatively talking) has been to maintain at the very least one older mannequin on sale. The result’s that whereas there are 4 variations of the

iPhone 16
obtainable, together with the

iPhone 16e
, you’ll be able to nonetheless purchase the iPhone 15 and

15 Plus
, which initially shipped in 2023. They could be tempting for some patrons, provided that Apple tends to assist its telephones for a very long time, and the 16e is not actually meant to be a flagship — it is a substitute for the budget-priced iPhone SE.

Do you have to really drop money on an iPhone 15 in 2025? You’ve got in all probability already acquired an inclination, however the reply is a bit more complicated than you could be imagining. And even if you’d like one, chances are you’ll want to think twice about how, the place, and once you purchase it.

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How does the iPhone 15 stack up towards the iPhone 16 and 16e?

Efficiency

The main distinction is, in fact, processor energy. Whereas each iPhone 16 is supplied with some model of Apple’s A18 chip — the 16e having a four-core GPU, as an alternative of the common 16’s five-core unit — each the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are caught with the A16. Which means they’re incapable of working

Apple Intelligence
, together with all the pieces from notification summaries to Visible Intelligence and

ChatGPT integration
. It isn’t a giant deal in the meanwhile (I hardly ever use ChatGPT myself) however AI will inevitably turn into a much bigger and greater a part of iOS, so chances are you’ll miss out on key options as iOS 19 and its successors roll out.

In any other case, the A16 continues to be a really succesful processor. There are few video games that can tax the A16 to its limits, and most different apps needs to be silky clean. Certainly, since upgrading to an iPhone 16 Professional, I have been shocked at how hardly ever the A18 is (noticeably) higher than the A15 chip in my outdated iPhone 13. Issues set up sooner, and navigation apps are snappier, however the A18 does not make a lot distinction to apps like Cronometer or Reddit.

It needs to be famous that the iPhone 15 solely has 6GB of RAM, versus 8GB with the iPhone 16 collection, however the improve between generations is usually for the sake of Apple Intelligence. It might make a distinction in another areas — significantly high-end 3D video games like Resident Evil: Village — however Apple’s {hardware} and software program is so tightly optimized that you just in all probability will not discover more often than not.

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Digicam tech

Functionally, the iPhone 15 digital camera system is nearly equivalent to the iPhone 16 lineup. The usual 16 does have benefits like macro pictures, Visible Intelligence, and assist for spatial photographs and movies you’ll be able to expertise with a

Vision Pro
, but it surely nonetheless makes use of a 48-megapixel fundamental digital camera and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide, similar to the 15. Most photographs and movies ought to look equivalent below comparable situations, except maybe you resolve to experiment with the expanded Photographic Kinds on the 16 and 16 Plus.

The iPhone 15 really has an edge over the 16e. There is not any ultra-wide digital camera on the 16e, so should you’re a fan of capturing vistas, structure, or tight areas, the 15 is a greater choice. The 16e additionally lacks Focus Management — which lets 15 and 16 homeowners change a portrait’s focus after the actual fact — in addition to another options, like Motion (stabilization) and Cinematic (shallow depth-of-field) modes for video. There is not any wind noise discount on the 15, thoughts, or any

smart audio mixing
choices.

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Battery life, wi-fi charging, and different options

One space the place the bottom iPhone 15 is soundly trounced is battery life. You may get about 20 hours out of it primarily based on Apple’s testing, whereas the usual 16 will get 22 hours, and the 16e will get 26 hours, only one in need of my iPhone 16 Professional. In follow, nobody makes use of a cellphone the way in which Apple does, and you will be charging all of those units in a single day — however the 16e might be preferable for vacationers or different individuals who typically discover their machine working on fumes.

The 15 Plus matches the 16e, so which may be the way in which to go if you’d like each glorious battery life and a bigger 6.7-inch display with out spending on a 16 Plus. Each different cellphone on this comparability (excluding my iPhone 16 Professional, in fact) has a 6.1-inch show.

By way of wi-fi charging, the iPhone 15 sits within the center. It does have MagSafe, which mechanically places it above the torpid 7.5W Qi speeds of the 16e, but it is capped at 15W versus the iPhone 16’s 25W. You may get the very best speeds from USB charging anyway, so this can be a moot level should you’re frightened about charging in a rush. MagSafe is a giant deal for different causes too. It is typically the easiest way of mounting an iPhone, or attaching equipment like wallets and exterior batteries. You may stay with out it, naturally, but it surely’s frankly wonderful that Apple felt it might be sacrificed, given the cash it makes from the accent market.

One other factor the 16e lacks is Dynamic Island multitasking. That will really be extra important than MagSafe for some individuals, because it makes it simpler to manage media playback, swap apps, and maintain tabs on Stay Actions like timers and meals deliveries. I exploit it on daily basis. There aren’t too many different variations to level out, but it surely’s value noting that solely the common 16 helps

Wi-Fi 7
, and that the 16e does not assist the quickest type of 5G, often known as mmWave. For those who’ve acquired a sensible dwelling, neither the iPhone 15 nor the iPhone 16e have a Thread radio for suitable equipment. The iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16e have a customizable Motion button instead of a hoop/mute swap.

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Do you have to get an iPhone 15 in 2025?

Perhaps, however it is time to go discount looking

As you’ve got seen, the iPhone 15 holds up surprisingly nicely, if principally as a result of iPhone (and app) evolution has come to a crawl. You would possibly get jealous of the battery life on new fashions, and ultimately remorse the absence of Apple Intelligence, however even these issues will not matter a lot should you’re simply attempting to get to work or browse social media. It is really a better option than the 16e should you care about digital camera tech, MagSafe equipment, and Dynamic Island controls.

I would strongly advocate towards shopping for a 15 from Apple, nonetheless. Official costs begin at $699, which is not value it for a base-spec iPhone that is almost two years outdated. As of this writing, you will get a refurbished one on Amazon for $508, and the 15 Plus is just barely {dollars} extra. For those who’re keen to purchase a used however non-refurbished machine from eBay, you could find an unlocked 15 Professional for round $600.

There’s additionally a time window at play, because the

iPhone 17
is predicted to launch in September. The iPhone 16 will drop to the iPhone 15’s present value, and manufacturing of the 15 will cease fully. The excellent news on that entrance is that the iPhone 15 will proceed to be a related machine — simply relegated to the used/refurbished market, presumably at even decrease value. That could be the chance to strike if value trumps all different elements.

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