Is the iPhone 15 nonetheless price shopping for in...

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
accessible, together with the

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

15 Plus
, which initially shipped in 2023. They might be tempting for some patrons, on condition 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.

Must you really drop money on an iPhone 15 in 2025? You’ve got most likely already acquired an inclination, however the reply is a bit more advanced than you could be imagining. And even if you’d like one, it’s possible you’ll want to consider carefully about how, the place, and if you purchase it.

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How does the iPhone 15 stack up in opposition to the iPhone 16 and 16e?

Efficiency

The foremost distinction is, after all, processor energy. Whereas each iPhone 16 is provided with some model of Apple’s A18 chip — the 16e having a four-core GPU, as a substitute 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 every part from notification summaries to Visible Intelligence and

ChatGPT integration
. It isn’t an enormous deal in the meanwhile (I not often use ChatGPT myself) however AI will inevitably develop into a much bigger and greater a part of iOS, so it’s possible 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 may tax the A16 to its limits, and most different apps ought to be silky easy. Certainly, since upgrading to an iPhone 16 Professional, I have been shocked at how not often the A18 is (noticeably) higher than the A15 chip in my previous 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 ought 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 simply most likely will not discover more often than not.

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Digicam tech

Functionally, the iPhone 15 digital camera system is just about 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
, nevertheless it nonetheless makes use of a 48-megapixel principal digital camera and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide, similar to the 15. Most photographs and movies ought to look equivalent beneath comparable circumstances, until maybe you determine 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 in case you’re a fan of taking pictures 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 point of interest after the very 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 will get about 20 hours out of it based mostly 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 observe, nobody makes use of a telephone the best way Apple does, and you will be charging all of those gadgets in a single day — however the 16e may very well be preferable for vacationers or different individuals who usually discover their machine working on fumes.

The 15 Plus matches the 16e, so that could be the best way to go if you’d like each wonderful battery life and a bigger 6.7-inch display screen with out spending on a 16 Plus. Each different telephone on this comparability (excluding my iPhone 16 Professional, after all) has a 6.1-inch show.

When it comes to wi-fi charging, the iPhone 15 sits within the center. It does have MagSafe, which routinely 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 will get one of the best speeds from USB charging anyway, so this can be a moot level in case you’re nervous about charging in a rush. MagSafe is an enormous deal for different causes too. It is usually one of the best ways of mounting an iPhone, or attaching equipment like wallets and exterior batteries. You may reside with out it, naturally, nevertheless it’s frankly superb that Apple felt it may very well be sacrificed, given the cash it makes from the accent market.

One other factor the 16e lacks is Dynamic Island multitasking. Which will really be extra vital than MagSafe for some individuals, because it makes it simpler to regulate media playback, swap apps, and preserve tabs on Dwell Actions like timers and meals deliveries. I exploit it daily. There aren’t too many different variations to level out, nevertheless it’s price noting that solely the common 16 helps

Wi-Fi 7
, and that the 16e does not assist the quickest type of 5G, often called mmWave. Should you’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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Must you get an iPhone 15 in 2025?

Possibly, however it is time to go discount looking

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

I might strongly suggest in opposition to shopping for a 15 from Apple, nevertheless. Official costs begin at $699, which is not price it for a base-spec iPhone that is practically two years previous. As of this writing, you may get a refurbished one on Amazon for $508, and the 15 Plus is barely barely {dollars} extra. Should you’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 worth, and manufacturing of the 15 will cease completely. 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 price. That could be the chance to strike if worth trumps all different elements.

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