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Credit: Future / Max Delaney
As a proud owner of the iPhone 15 for almost two years, I had no problem with the phone since I bought it. This perfectly meets my needs – music, YouTube, messages and without purpose Social media – and integrate smoothly with other Apple devices.
With the exception of siblings and a handful of Android competitors, the iPhone 15 was at the top when I bought it. I was just paid, so I dropped $ 1,499 ($ 799 / $ 799) to buy it straight to replace my broken iPhone 12 mini.
(This is the purchase that I am engaged in the value of the best cheap phones, but I avoid …)
The iPhone 16 has noted a larger upgrade compared to its predecessor than usual, as the Apple Intelligence is added – even if it was less than smooth, and many of the promised parts of the Siri renewal are still in the air.
Still, the iPhone 15 is a great smartphone in 2025, so it caught my attention when I found it for $ 1,077 here in Australia, where I am located (which turns around $ 692 / £ 519). Similarly, it attracts deals abroad as in the US, where the T-Mobile is just $ 100.
Credit: Zachariah Kelly / Techradar
But in February, Apple cast a crooked ball to the iPhone 15 when he introduced another version of Cupertino loyalists who wanted to save on a renewal when he launched an iPhone 16E for $ 599 / $ 599 / AU 999.
Like the iPhone 5C and three iPhone SE models, this new Budget Apple phone has made small discounts to reduce the price while allowing buyers to buy a really new iPhone that can reach the latest iOS features. The iPhone 16E is even more enticing than its ancestors as it offers the power to handle the Apple Intelligence.
This creates an interesting bruise – if I needed a new phone and didn’t want to spill to the iPhone 16, which device is a better choice: iPhone 15 or iPhone 16E?
The Techradar has a full article on the iPhone 16E VS iPhone 15 based on the subject and concludes that most people are worth spending a little extra and going to an older iPhone 15.
But after spending a week with the iPhone 16e, I disagree.
Better battery, tiny
Credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff
For many smartphone shoppers, the quality of cameras is the most important, but for me, the battery life is much more important and the iPhone 16E is dominated by iPhone 15 in this category.
While Apple does not disclose the exact capacity of the battery, third -party reports indicate that the iPhone 16E has a 3 961mAh battery compared to the iPhone 15 3 349 mAh.
Not only is it larger but also longer. The iphone 16E C1 cell chip, which is exceptional for the device, processes power more efficiently, and therefore significantly improves endurance.
It was very noticeable in my time. Naturally, the capacity of my iPhone 15 battery these days is slightly reduced to 91%, but I limit it to stay overnight to stop 85%. As a result, after about three hours of listening, viewing, scrolling and sending my iPhone 15, it often sits less than 30% to 9:30.
When I write this at 3:30 p.m., and with the same battery settings and total screen time, the iPhone 16E, which I currently use, is sitting 44%.
My experience seems to be fully supported by Apple’s own statements, as the brand boasts that iPhone 16E offers 26 hours of video recovery – 15% better than iPhone 16 22 hours and 23% more than iPhone 15.
Apple Intelligence is actually quite smart
Entertainment to create images created by the Apple Playground Credit: Future/Jacob Krol
We are still looking forward to Ai Siri – and Apple may have to be allowed to exchange Siri for users to have another default voice assistant party alternatives – I am surprised by how much I liked the Apple Intelligence iPhone 16E, and the iPhone 15 features are missing.
Visual intelligence is useful, allowing you to quickly search or ask a Chatgpt about any object you take. And the cleaning feature is useful to remove photo bombers or objects from any image, such as a similar Samsung object cleaner tool, as found on the latest Galaxy devices.
And while I rarely use them, I appreciate (mostly) the constructive AI reports of reports and smarter phrases. Emphasizing the text you have written, a number of AI drive options will be opened by clicking on the Apple Intelligence logo (or “writing tools”). In any program, it can adjust or rewrite your text to sound more friendly, professional or concise.
A review of the Apple iPhone 16E
A review of the Apple iPhone 16E
Ai text editing iPhone 16e
In addition, it is especially useful when writing notes, its ability to format the text to the main points, list or table. You also have the opportunity to make a text with a Chatgpt.
However, I think my favorite Apple Intelligence thing is the ability to create your own feelings. Called “genmojis”, it allows you to turn anything, such as my face and other regular faces in my camera roll or a height cow surrounded by flowers, a sensitive or sticker.
Just as one who uses feelings quite sparingly, now I am a “genre” cooking dynamo. Although the tools and features of the iPhone 16 family AI are far from revolutionary, they are fun and usually useful. This is a small but significant advantage of the iPhone 16E over the iPhone 15.
Bring the action
Credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff
The last small feature that I think put 16e over 15 is an action button. This, like the Apple Intelligence, is an exceptional iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max and iPhone 16 series.
This convenient button replaces the muted/silent switch from the older iPhone. There is nothing revolutionary here: all he does is offer links to the most commonly used features such as Silent Mode, Focus, Camera, Visial Intelligence, Torch and any other app, such as Instagram.
Personally, I have not found myself using any of these predefined options, and instead set up an action button so that I can control my uninterrupted mode.
This is such a small difference – eventually unlocking the unit, lifting the control center and activating focus is hardly a tedious task. However, this is a slight change in the quality of life that I sincerely appreciated-to turn on me, even without directly looking at my phone.
The winner by a divided decision
Two phones are almost identical except for the camera’s array | Credit: Future / Max Delaney
The iPhone 16E VS iPhone 15 contest is by no means knitting a newer model. There are two main reasons why an older iPhone can be a better choice for some people: screen and camera.
The iPhone 16E has only one 48MP synthesis camera, and the iPhone 15 pair 48MP Main camera with 12MP ultravido lens, which is just as useful for large natural shots and trying to apply the whole family to one photo. More importantly, 16e one lens means that you can’t make stupid photos of your friends or dog with 0.5x scaling.
“15” also has a (small) show “16e” for the screen, as the latter returns to the iPhone 14 -leveled screen rather than to a dynamic island found on later devices. Personally, I don’t mind it, but for some users it can be a reason to spend a little more on the iPhone 15. The latter’s screen is brighter and (slightly) higher res – 1179 x 2556, with maximum brightness of 2,000 nites compared to 16E 1170 x 2532 and 1,200 nites.
Magsafe charging is also lacking in iPhone 16E. There were rumors that it was supposed to be a place for the C1 chip, but since then Apple denied it, according to Macworld. 16e can still be charged wirelessly, but it lacks a magnet.
I would never be very demanding Magsafe until I recently purchased a magnetic power bank – now is the iPhone 16E, which is now useless. And consumers with a magnetic car holder will probably miss this feature.
Then the iPhone 15 still has a place, and this is a great purchase if you can buy it at the same price as the iPhone 16E.
Still he is still more expensive than his new brother – and unless you Really Need telephone lenses, I think the iPhone 16E is an iPhone budget.