iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15
Short answer: the iPhone 16 is the better buy for most people because it has the much newer A18 chip, 8GB RAM, Apple Intelligence support, the Action Button, Camera Control and longer battery life. The iPhone 15 is still a good phone with a 48MP camera, Dynamic Island and USB-C, and it makes sense if you want a modern iPhone for less money and do not care about Apple Intelligence.
Updated 22 October 2026
Design and build
Both phones have a 6.1 inch screen, aluminium frame, colour-infused glass back and IP68 rating, and they weigh almost the same (about 170 g). The easiest way to tell them apart is the camera: the iPhone 16 has vertical lenses, the iPhone 15 has diagonal lenses.
The iPhone 16 replaces the old ring/silent switch with the Action Button, which you can set to open the torch, camera, a shortcut or silent mode. It also adds the Camera Control button on the right side. The iPhone 15 keeps the classic mute switch.
Display
The screens are very similar: 6.1 inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 2556 x 1179 resolution, Dynamic Island and up to 2000 nits outdoors. Both are 60Hz, so neither has the smooth 120Hz ProMotion of the Pro models. The iPhone 16 can dim down to 1 nit, which is easier on the eyes at night.
For most people the 60Hz screens are fine, but if you are switching from an Android phone with a 120Hz screen, you will notice scrolling looks less smooth on both. If smoothness matters to you, the iPhone 16 Pro (iPhone 16 Pro) or 15 Pro is the step up.
Performance and chipset
This is the biggest gap. The iPhone 16 uses the A18 chip (3 nm) with 8GB RAM. The iPhone 15 uses the A16 Bionic (4 nm) with 6GB RAM, the same chip as the iPhone 14 Pro.
For daily apps both feel smooth. The difference shows in heavy games, long-term speed and Apple Intelligence: the extra RAM and newer chip keep the iPhone 16 fresher for longer, and Apple Intelligence does not run on the iPhone 15 at all.
Cameras
Both have a 48MP main camera with 2x optical-quality crop and a 12MP ultra-wide. The iPhone 16 ultra-wide adds autofocus, so it can shoot macro close-ups, and the vertical layout lets it record spatial video for Apple Vision Pro. It also gets Audio Mix and the latest Photographic Styles.
The front camera is 12MP on both. For everyday photos the results are close; the iPhone 16 is more flexible thanks to macro and Camera Control.
Both phones can shoot 4K video at 60fps with Dolby Vision HDR, and both have Cinematic mode and Action mode. For TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube, either phone records very good, stable video.
Battery and charging
Apple rates the iPhone 16 at up to 22 hours of video playback against 20 hours for the iPhone 15. Both charge over USB-C at USB 2 data speed. MagSafe wireless charging is up to 25W on the iPhone 16 with a 30W adapter, against 15W on the iPhone 15. There is no charger in the box with either.
Specs side by side
- Chipset: A18 (3 nm) vs A16 Bionic (4 nm)
- RAM: 8GB vs 6GB
- Display: 6.1 inch 60Hz OLED vs 6.1 inch 60Hz OLED
- Rear cameras: 48MP + 12MP ultra-wide (macro) vs 48MP + 12MP ultra-wide
- Buttons: Action Button + Camera Control vs ring/silent switch
- Video playback: up to 22 hours vs up to 20 hours
- MagSafe: up to 25W vs 15W
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 7 vs Wi-Fi 6
- Apple Intelligence: Yes vs No
- Launch software: iOS 18 vs iOS 17
Software and updates
Both get the latest iOS updates. The iPhone 16 launched a year later and has a newer chip with more RAM, so it should be supported longer and will receive Apple Intelligence features that the iPhone 15 misses.
Non PTA and SIM notes in Pakistan
Our iPhones are Non Custom box pack international variants. A Non PTA iPhone is not registered with PTA's DIRBS, so a local SIM works only for a limited time unless you register the phone and pay the PTA tax. Wi-Fi and all other features work normally. See how PTA tax works (PTA Tax on Mobile Phones: How It Is Calculated and Paid).
US models of both phones are eSIM only; most other regional models have a nano-SIM plus eSIM. Orders need a 30% advance, the remaining 70% is paid to the courier, and delivery takes 48–72 hours across Pakistan.
Who should buy which
Buy the iPhone 16 if you plan to keep the phone for 4 to 5 years, want Apple Intelligence, or play heavy games.
Buy the iPhone 15 if you want a modern iPhone with USB-C, Dynamic Island and a 48MP camera at a lower cost, and you mostly use social media, calls and photos. Current prices are shown on each model page.
