Side-by-side technical data
Apple iPhone 15 vs Apple iPhone 16
Comparison between Apple iPhone 15 and Apple iPhone 16: camera, battery, fast charging, display, performance and colors, side by side. More phones from Apple.
NeoTeo's verdict
Which of the two is the better buy
The Apple iPhone 16 is the choice for higher performance and connectivity: the Apple A18 chip, 8 GB of RAM, and Wi‑Fi 7 make the difference. The iPhone 15 remains close overall but keeps one feature the 16 lacks: reverse charging.
Performance clearly favors the iPhone 16, with 2,981 versus 2,556 in Geekbench 6 single-core and 7,590 versus 6,370 in multi-core. Memory also changes from 6 GB LPDDR5 to 8 GB LPDDR5X. For connectivity, Wi‑Fi 7 and Wi‑Fi 6E expand the options beyond the iPhone 15’s Wi‑Fi 6.
The iPhone 16 has a 3,561 mAh battery versus 3,349 mAh, and reaches 37 hours per cycle versus 34 hours. It also charges at 25 W versus 20 W and wirelessly at 25 W versus 15 W. The iPhone 15 counters with reverse charging, which the 16 lacks. Both share an OLED display, 2,000-nit peak brightness, IP68, and up to 512 GB of storage.
Apple iPhone 15
The Apple iPhone 16 is better for performance seekers: its Apple A18 and 8 GB of RAM surpass the iPhone 15’s A16 Bionic and 6 GB.
Apple iPhone 16
The Apple iPhone 15 is the better buy for anyone who needs reverse charging, a feature the iPhone 16 lacks.
The verdict
Your pick: Apple iPhone 16, ahead on Performance & hardware and Connectivity. Unless Camera decides it for you.
| Category | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Design & display | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Performance & hardware | 7.3 | 8.2 |
| Camera | 7.7 | 7.3 |
| Connectivity | 8.5 | 9.1 |
| Battery & charging | 4.5 | 4.5 |
Which one is for you?
Apple iPhone 15, if you care about…
- Battery Features
- Non-Removable, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging, Reverse Charging, Rechargeable, Battery Level Indicator
- against Non-Removable, Rechargeable, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging, Battery Level Indicator
Apple iPhone 16, if you care about…
- Battery Capacity
- 3,561 mAh
- against 3,349 mAh
- RAM Capacity
- 8 GB
- against 6 GB
- Wi-Fi Standards
- Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
- against Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- RAM Type
- LPDDR5X
- against LPDDR5
Specification comparison
Performance
| Specification | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor Model | Apple A16 Bionic | Apple A18 |
| Processor Process Size | 4 nm | 3 nm Best value |
| Graphics GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| Storage Type | NVMe | NVMe |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 3.46 GHz | 4.04 GHz Best value |
| Maximum Storage Capacity | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| AnTuTu Score | 1,354,651 | 1,943,548 |
| Geekbench 6 Single-Core | 2,556 | 2,981 Best value |
| Geekbench 6 Multi-Core | 6,370 | 7,590 Best value |
| CPU Description | Hexa-core CPU with 2 cores at 3.46 GHz and 4 cores at 2.02 GHz. | Hexa-core CPU with 2 performance cores at 4.04 GHz and 4 efficiency cores at 2.20 GHz |
| Processor Type | Hexa-Core | Hexa-Core |
| 64-Bit Processor | Yes | Yes |
| RAM Capacity | 6 GB | 8 GB Best value |
| RAM Type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR5X Best value |
| AnTuTu version | v10 | v11 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme | — | 4,295 |
Design
| Specification | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Body Colors | Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink | Black, White, Pink, Cyan, Blue, Green |
| Body Thickness | 7.8 mm | 7.8 mm |
| Body Width | 71.6 mm | 71.6 mm |
| Body Height | 147.6 mm | 147.6 mm |
| Weight | 171 g | 170 g Best value |
| Usable Surface | 86.4 % | 86.8 % Best value |
| Body Materials | Glass, Aluminium Alloy | Glass, Aluminium Alloy |
| Resistance Features | IP68 | IP68 |
| Waterproof Depth | 6 m | 6 m |
| Drop Resistance Class | C | C |
| Repairability Class | C | C |
| Drop Test Count | 90 | 90 |
Battery
| Specification | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Efficiency Rating | B | B |
| Battery Capacity | 3,349 mAh | 3,561 mAh Best value |
| Battery Type | Li-Ion | Li-Ion |
| Fast Charge Power | 20 W | 25 W Best value |
| Battery Features | Non-Removable, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging, Reverse Charging, Rechargeable, Battery Level Indicator Best value | Non-Removable, Rechargeable, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging, Battery Level Indicator |
| Battery Endurance | 34 h | 37 h Best value |
| Wireless charging power | 15 W | 25 W Best value |
| Charge cycles | 1,000 | 1,000 |
Display
| Specification | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Display Aspect Ratio | 19.5:9 | 19.5:9 |
| Display Technology | OLED | OLED |
| Peak Display Brightness | 2,000 nits | 2,000 nits |
| Display Diagonal | 6.1″ | 6.1″ |
| Display Horizontal Resolution | 1,179 px | 1,179 px |
| Display Vertical Resolution | 2,556 px | 2,556 px |
| Display Pixel Density | 461 ppi Best value | 460 ppi |
| Display Refresh Rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Touch Sampling Rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Display Contrast Ratio | 2,000,000 :1 | 2,000,000 :1 |
| Display Features | Ceramic Shield, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Capacitive Touch, Multi-Touch, Always-On Display | Ceramic Shield, Mohs Level 4, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Capacitive Touch, Multi-Touch, Always-On Display |
Sensors
| Specification | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint Sensor Placement | Front | — |
Sensor
| Specification | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Features | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, Compass, Barometer, Cooling System, 3D face recognition | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity Sensor, Compass, Barometer, Light Sensor, Cooling System, 3D face recognition, LiDAR Scanner |
Software
| Specification | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | iOS 18 | iOS 18 |
| OS Family | iOS | iOS |
| OS Version | 17 | 18 Best value |
| OS Update Support | 7 years | 7 years |
| Direct OS Updates | Yes | Yes |
Connectivity
| Specification | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| SIM Configurations | Nano-SIM + eSIM, Dual eSIM, Dual Nano-SIM, Dual SIM Dual Standby | Nano-SIM + eSIM, Dual Nano-SIM, Dual SIM Dual Standby, eSIM |
| Cellular Bands | 2G GSM 850, 2G GSM 900, 2G GSM 1800, 2G GSM 1900, 3G UMTS B1, 3G UMTS B2, 3G UMTS B3, 3G UMTS B4, 3G UMTS B5, 3G UMTS B8, 3G UMTS 1700 AWS, 4G LTE B1, 4G LTE B2, 4G LTE B3, 4G LTE B4, 4G LTE B5, 4G LTE B7, 4G LTE B8, 4G LTE B12, 4G LTE B13, 4G LTE B17, 4G LTE B18, 4G LTE B19, 4G LTE B20, 4G LTE B25, 4G LTE B26, 4G LTE B28A, 4G LTE B28B, 4G LTE B30, 4G LTE B32, 4G LTE B34, 4G LTE B38, 4G LTE B39, 4G LTE B40, 4G LTE B41, 4G LTE B42, 4G LTE B46, 4G LTE B48, 4G LTE B53, 4G LTE B66, 5G NR n1, 5G NR n2, 5G NR n3, 5G NR n5, 5G NR n7, 5G NR n8, 5G NR n12, 5G NR n20, 5G NR n25, 5G NR n26, 5G NR n28a, 5G NR n28b, 5G NR n30, 5G NR n38, 5G NR n40, 5G NR n41, 5G NR n48, 5G NR n53, 5G NR n66, 5G NR n70, 5G NR n75, 5G NR n76, 5G NR n77, 5G NR n78, 5G NR n79 | 2G GSM 850, 2G GSM 900, 2G GSM 1800, 2G GSM 1900, 3G UMTS B1, 3G UMTS B2, 3G UMTS B3, 3G UMTS B4, 3G UMTS B5, 3G UMTS B8, 4G LTE B1, 4G LTE B2, 4G LTE B3, 4G LTE B4, 4G LTE B5, 4G LTE B7, 4G LTE B8, 4G LTE B12, 4G LTE B13, 4G LTE B17, 4G LTE B18, 4G LTE B19, 4G LTE B20, 4G LTE B25, 4G LTE B26, 4G LTE B28A, 4G LTE B28B, 4G LTE B30, 4G LTE B32, 4G LTE B34, 4G LTE B38, 4G LTE B39, 4G LTE B40, 4G LTE B41, 4G LTE B42, 4G LTE B48, 4G LTE B53, 4G LTE B66, 5G NR n1, 5G NR n2, 5G NR n3, 5G NR n5, 5G NR n7, 5G NR n8, 5G NR n12, 5G NR n20, 5G NR n25, 5G NR n26, 5G NR n28a, 5G NR n28b, 5G NR n30, 5G NR n38, 5G NR n40, 5G NR n41, 5G NR n48, 5G NR n53, 5G NR n66, 5G NR n70, 5G NR n75, 5G NR n76, 5G NR n77, 5G NR n78, 5G NR n79 |
| Cellular Technologies | GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, LTE, 5G | GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, LTE, 5G |
| Wi-Fi Standards | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) Best value |
| Wi-Fi Features | Dual Band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, MIMO, Wi-Fi Password Sharing | Tri-Band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Dual Band, MIMO, Wi-Fi Password Sharing Best value |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Bluetooth Profiles | A2DP, LE | A2DP, LE |
| Navigation Systems | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC Best value |
| Connectivity Features | UWB, Satellite Connectivity, NFC, USB Charging, USB Mass Storage, USB OTG, USB Host 2.0, USB Type-C, DisplayPort output, eSIM, VoLTE, VoWiFi, Tethering, Computer Sync, OTA Sync, UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) | UWB, Satellite Connectivity, NFC, USB Type-C, USB Charging, USB Mass Storage, USB Host 2.0, eSIM, VoLTE, VoWiFi, Tethering, OTA Sync, Computer Sync, DisplayPort output, USB 2.0, UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) |
| USB Version | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
| SAR American Head | 1.12 W/kg | 1.08 W/kg Best value |
| SAR American Body | 1.14 W/kg Best value | 1.17 W/kg |
| SAR (EU) head | 0.98 W/kg Best value | 1.24 W/kg |
| SAR (EU) body | 0.98 W/kg Best value | 1.41 W/kg |
| Max. download speed | 7,500 Mbps | 10,000 Mbps Best value |
| Max. upload speed | 3,500 Mbps | 3,500 Mbps |
Audio
| Specification | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone Count | 2 | 3 Best value |
| Audio Features | Stereo Speakers, DTS, DTS:X, Dolby Atmos, Noise-Cancellation Microphone, A2DP, LE | Stereo Speakers, Dolby Atmos, Noise-Cancellation Microphone, A2DP, LE |
Technical
| Specification | iPhone 15 | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Launch price | 959 € | 959 € |
| Model numbers | A3090, A2846, A3089, A3092, iPhone15,4 | A3287, A3081, A3286, A3288, iPhone17,3 |
