iPhone 16E vs iPhone 15: Evolution or More of the Same?

Apple launched the iPhone 16E globally yesterday, and we have to say—it’s wild to see how far the iPhone SE lineage has come. Technically, it’s still a ‘Special Edition’ iPhone, but this time, Apple seems to have actually put some extra special in it. With all these upgrades, how does it stack up against the iPhone 15, which has already been chilling in the market for a while? Especially when the 16E is priced almost ₹2K lower than the iPhone 15 base model on e-commerce sites—making this comparison even more interesting. Let’s break it down and see if the 16E is a real game-changer or just a remix of the same old tune.

iPhone 16E vs iPhone 15: Pricing and Availability

Both iPhones come in three variants with identical storage options. As usual, Apple remains tight-lipped about RAM, so we’ve also skipped that in our table. If you’re looking to grab one, you’ll find them on Apple’s official website, Amazon, and Flipkart.

iPhone 16E vs iPhone 15: Design

• The iPhone 16E has an aluminium design with Ceramic Shield front and glass back. The design is very minimal, and it is available in two colours: Black and White. This iPhone is IP68 dust and water-resistant and weighs 167 grams.
• The iPhone 15, on the other hand, features an aluminium design with Ceramic Shield front and colour-infused glass back panel. It is available in five colours: Black, Blue, Green, Yellow and Pink. It is IP68 dust and water-resistant and weighs 171 grams.

The iPhone 16E keeps things simple with a minimalist design and just one camera on the back. Its colour options are pretty basic, and while it’s four grams lighter than the iPhone 15, you probably won’t notice. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 adds more flair with a colour-infused glass back and a wider selection of shades. It also packs two rear cameras, making its camera module a step up from the 16E. Ultimately, it all comes down to what suits your style—sleek and simple or a bit more flashy.

iPhone 16E vs iPhone 15: Display

• The iPhone 16E features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with 460 ppi density, 2532 x 1170 pixel resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, 1200 nits of peak brightness, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, and wide colour (P3).
• The iPhone 15 features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with 460 ppi density, 2556 x 1179 pixel resolution, 60Hz of refresh rate, 1600 nits of peak brightness, Dynamic Island, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, and wide colour (P3).

Both the iPhone 16E and iPhone 15 come with a Super Retina XDR display of similar size, sharing features like pixel density, refresh rate, oleophobic coating, and Wide Colour (P3) support. However, the iPhone 15 shines—literally—with 400 nits more peak brightness. Another key difference is that the iPhone 15 gets the fancy Dynamic Island, while the 16E sticks with the classic notch, much like the iPhone 14. So, if you enjoy live activities and want a notch that actually does something, the iPhone 15 is the way to go.

iPhone 16E vs iPhone 15: Performance

• The iPhone 16E draws power from the A18 chipset, which is built on a new 6‑core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores. It features a new 4‑core GPU and a new 16‑core Neural Engine.
• The iPhone 15 draws power from the A16 chipset, which is built on a 6‑core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores. It features a 5‑core GPU and 16‑core Neural Engine.

The iPhone 16E comes equipped with Apple’s shiny new A18 chipset, the same one powering the iPhone 16. That means it’s running on Apple’s latest and greatest. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 sticks with a slightly older processor. While we haven’t put them through real-world tests yet, it’s safe to assume the 16E will have the upper hand in performance—newer usually means better. Of course, we’ll be putting both phones to the test soon, so stay tuned for a proper showdown.

iPhone 16E vs iPhone 15: Software

• The iPhone 16E runs on iOS 18 out of the box.
• The iPhone 15 runs on iOS 18 out of the box.

Both iPhones ship with iOS 18, so the overall software experience is pretty much the same. However, the iPhone 16E gets a fancy upgrade with built-in Apple Intelligence, making it easier to write, express yourself, and tackle tasks effortlessly. Not to mention, it comes with top-tier privacy protections, so you won’t have to worry about prying eyes. The iPhone 15, unfortunately, misses out on these AI perks—and no, future updates won’t change that since it all comes down to having a newer, more powerful chipset. So, if you’re looking for that extra dose of intelligence (at least in your phone), the iPhone 16E is the way to go.

iPhone 16E vs iPhone 15: Cameras

• The iPhone 16E features a 48MP primary OIS camera with f/1.6 aperture. It also enables 12MP 2X telephoto with f/1.6 aperture. For selfies, it comes with a 12MP front camera with f/1.9 aperture.
• The iPhone 15 boasts a 48MP main OIS camera with f/1.6 aperture, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.4 aperture and a 12MP 2X optical telephoto camera (enabled by quad-pixel sensor) with f/1.6 aperture. For selfies, it comes with a 12MP front camera with f/1.9 aperture.

The iPhone 16E sports a unique 2-in-1 camera system, seamlessly switching between the primary and telephoto lenses—but it misses out on an ultra-wide camera. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 sticks with a traditional dual-camera setup on the back. Both phones offer a similar selfie camera. We haven’t put their cameras to the test in real-world conditions yet, so we can’t declare a winner just yet—but stay tuned because we’ll be settling that debate soon.

iPhone 16E vs iPhone 15: Battery and Charging

• According to Apple, the iPhone 16E can deliver up to 26 hours of video playback and 90 hours of audio playback. As expected, the company hasn’t revealed the exact battery capacity, but it does support 20W charging.
• The iPhone 15 is rated for up to 20 hours of video playback and 80 hours of audio playback. Apple, as usual, keeps the battery details under wraps, but this model also comes with 20W charging support.

With an extra 6 hours of video playback and 10 more hours of audio playback, the iPhone 16E clearly takes the lead in battery life. However, when it comes to charging speeds, both devices are on equal footing with 20W support—so there is no real competition there.

iPhone 16E vs iPhone 15: Verdict

The iPhone 16E brings better performance on paper, a noticeably longer battery life, and a clean, no-nonsense design. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 counters with a more advanced camera setup, a slightly brighter display, and dependable battery life. But here’s the kicker—the iPhone 16E is Rs 10,000 cheaper at launch. So, if you want a newer iPhone without stretching your budget too much, the 16E makes a strong case. Just be prepared to live without a few premium extras along the way.