I was convinced that a discount on iPhone 15 was the best ‘budget’ iphone to buy in 2025, but after 2 weeks with Apple’s iPhone 16th I am a complete convert
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If the proud owner of an iPhone 15 for almost two years, I have had no problems with the handset since I bought it. It is perfect for my needs – music, YouTubeSMS and aimless Doomscrolling Social media – and integrates seamlessly with my other Apple devices.
Apart from his pro brothers and sisters and a handful of Android competitors, the iPhone 15 was at the top of the line when I bought it. I had just paid, so I laid AU $ 1,499 ($ 799 / £ 799) to buy it completely to replace my broken iPhone 12 mini.
(That is a purchase where I am coming after the experienced value of the offer of the Best cheap phonesBut I wander …)
The iPhone 16 marked a larger upgrade above its predecessor than normal thanks to the addition of Apple Intelligence – even if the launch has been less than flexible, with many parts of the promised Siri upgrade still in the air.
Nevertheless, the iPhone 15 is an excellent smartphone in 2025, that’s why he raised me when I found it for AU $ 1,077 here in Australia, where I am located (who converts to around $ 692 / £ 519). There are also seductive deals abroad in the same way – such as in the US, where it is only $ 100 when Switch to T-Mobile.
In February, however, Apple threw a Curveball on the iPhone 15 when it introduced another option for Cupertino -Loyalists who were looking for an upgrade when it launched the iPhone 16th for $ 599 / £ 599 / AU $ 999.
Just like the iPhone 5C and the three iPhone SE models, this new ‘budget’ Apple -Handset made small concessions to keep the price low, while buyers can still buy a really new iPhone that has access to the latest iOS functions. The iPhone 16th is demonstrably even more tempting than its SE -because it offers the power to process Apple Intelligence.
This creates an interesting mystery – if I needed a new phone and did not want to spend on the iPhone 16, which device is the better choice: the iPhone 15 or iPhone 16th?
TechRadar has a whole iPhone 16th vs iPhone 15 Comparison article based on this question and it concludes that for most people it is worth spending a little extra and going for the older iPhone 15.
But after having spent a week with the iPhone 16th, I disagree.
Better battery, honey
For many buyers of smartphones, camera quality is the key – but for me the battery life is much more important and the iPhone 16th dominates the iPhone 15 in this category.
Although Apple does not reveal exact battery capacity, third -party reporting shows that the iPhone 16th has a battery of 3,961 mAh compared to the 3,349 mAh of the iPhone 15.
It is not only that larger size that the 16th also lasts longer. The C1 Cellular chip of the iPhone 16th – which is exclusive to the device – processes the power more efficiently, resulting in a considerably improved endurance.
This was very noticeable in my time. Admittedly, the battery capacity of my iPhone 15 is nowadays somewhat demolished to 91%, but I limit the overnight charge to stop at 85%. As a result, after about three hours of listening, watching, scrolling and texting, my iPhone 15s are often at 9.30 am less than 30%.
It is 3:30 pm while I write this, and with the same battery settings and general screen on time, the iPhone 16th I currently use is 44%.
My experience seems to fully support Apple’s claims, whereby the brand brags that the iPhone offers 16th 26 hours of video – 15% better than the 22 hours of the iPhone 16 and an increase of 23% compared to the iPhone 15.
Apple Intelligence is actually quite smart
Were Still waiting for AI Siri – And Apple might have to be Have users exchange Siri for a different standard speech assistant party alternatives – I was surprised how much I enjoyed Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16th, a set of functions that the iPhone 15 misses.
Visual intelligence is useful, so you can quickly search for chatgpt or ask for an object that you take a picture of. And the cleaning function is useful for removing photo bom throwers or objects from a certain image, SamsungThe comparable object removal tool as found on the latest Galaxy devices.
And although I rarely used them, I appreciated the (usually) constructive AI-generated message answers and smarter phrasing suggestions. Marking your written text opens a series of AI-driven options by clicking on the Apple Intelligence logo (or ‘Writing Tools’). In every app it can read or rewrite your text to sound friendlier, more professional or concise.
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In addition, and especially useful when writing notes, the ability to draw up text in important points, a list or a table is. You also have the option to put together text with Chatgpt.
However, I think my favorite thing about Apple Intelligence is the opportunity to make my own emojis. Genee named Genmojis, it lets you run everything – just like my own face and other regularly found faces in my camararol, or a highland cow surrounded by flowers – in an emoji or sticker.
If someone who uses emojis quite sparingly, I am now a Genmoji dynamo. Although the AI tools and functions of the iPhone 16 family are far from revolutionary, they are both fun and over the generally useful. It is a small but considerable advantage for the iPhone 16th compared to the iPhone 15.
Bring the action
The last small function that I think places the 16th above 15 is the action button. Just like Apple Intelligence, it is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max and the iPhone 16 series.
This handy small button replaces the stupid/quiet switch of older iPhones. There is nothing revolutionaries here: the only thing it does is to offer shortcuts for commonly used functions such as Silent Mode, Focus, Camera, Visual Intelligence, Torch and any other app, such as Instagram.
Personally, I did not find myself with the help of those pre -set options and instead set the action button to arrange my non -tower mode.
It is such a small difference – unlocking the device, raising the control center and activating the focus is hardly a difficult task. However, it is a change in the small quality of life that I thoroughly appreciated. I can switch it on without even looking directly at my phone.
Winner by a split decision
The iPhone 16th US iPhone 15 match is by no means a knockout of the newer model. There are two important reasons that the older iPhone is the better choice for some people: display and camera.
The iPhone 16th has only a single 48MP merger camera, while the iPhone 15 connects a 48MP main camera with a 12MP ultrawide lens that is equally handy for large natural shots and tries to fit the whole family in one photo. What is even more important is that the single lens of the 16th means that you cannot take a crazy poet by photos of your friends or dog with the 0.5x zoom.
The 15 also has a (small) lead on the 16th in terms of display, because the latter returns to the patched display of the iPhone 14 instead of the dynamic island found on the following devices. Personally, I don’t mind, but for some users it could be the reason to spend a little more for the iPhone 15. The display of the latter is also clearer and (somewhat) higher res – also – 1179 x 2556 with a maximum brightness of 2,000 Nits compared to the 16th 1170 x 2532 and 1.200 Nits.
Magsafe charging is also missing in the iPhone 16th. It was rumor that this would make room for the C1 chip, but that has since been refused by Apple according to MacWorld. The 16th can still charge wirelessly, but it lacks the magnet.
I would never need Magsafe much until I recently bought a magnetic power bank – which is now almost useless with the iPhone 16th. And users with a magnetic car confirmation will probably miss this functionality very much.
The iPhone 15 still has a place and it is a great purchase if you can get it for almost the same price as the iPhone 16th.
However, in the end it is still more expensive than his new brother or sister – and unless you Real A telephoto lens needed, I think the iPhone 16th is the budget iPhone to have.
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