Apple iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 15

The iPhone 16 collection is out now. It is just pure to ask your self how a lot the brand new Apple iPhone 16 is best than the earlier iPhone 15. And most significantly – is it price upgrading?

Desk of Contents:

For starters, you’ll be able to examine the whole specs sheets or immediately proceed with our editor’s evaluation within the following textual content.

To sum issues up, the iPhone 16 arrives with a brand new chip with the promise of AI capabilities down the road, an improved display screen glass, expanded digicam capabilities, and sooner wi-fi charging. There’s additionally the added Motion key and the brand new Digital camera management. However all this matches on a specs web page – let’s examine how totally different the 2 units are in real-world use.

Dimension comparability

The iPhone 16 has an an identical footprint to the iPhone 15, which is hardly stunning. Each telephones measure 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm. The iPhone 16 is 1g lighter than the iPhone 15 at 170g.

For one, the brand new iPhone 16 ought to have improved sturdiness in accordance with Apple. It contains a new technology of Ceramic Protect entrance, which is meant to be 50% harder than the earlier one on the iPhone 15.

There are additionally two new buttons on the iPhone 16 that are lacking on the iPone 15 – the Motion key was an unique to iPhone Professionals and there may be additionally the brand new Digital camera Management right here.

Show comparability

The iPhone 16 has the identical show as on the iPhone 15 – a 6.1-inch Tremendous Retina XDR OLED with wonderful HDR capabilities and excessive decision, however a regular refresh price of 60Hz. Each panels are marketed as able to 1,000 nits of typical and as much as 2,000 nits of most brightness.

Nicely, as per our show measurements, there’s a minor distinction of fifty nits between the 2 panels. For all intents and functions, the 2 screens are equally vivid.

Battery life

The iPhone 16 has a 3,500 mAh battery. Particularly, it’s rated at precisely 3,561 mAh. The battery is barely larger than final yr’s iPhone 15. It is a small enhance, however we’ll take it.

The extra vital change, nonetheless, comes from the improved effectivity of the brand new Apple A18 chipset and doubtless some under-the-hood enhancements in iOS 18.

In consequence, the brand new iPhone 16 scored an ideal Lively Use Rating – a noticeable enchancment over the iPhone 15. The iPhone 16 affords 7 hours extra of name time, about 4 extra hours of internet searching, and 1.5 hours additional of video streaming.

Charging pace

The iPhone 16 helps quick wired charging, although Apple by no means reveals the utmost energy score. The corporate quotes a 50% cost in 30 min when utilizing a 20W USB-PD charger.

There’s additionally help for quick wi-fi charging for as much as 25W by way of the brand new MagSafe charger when plugged right into a 30W+ energy adapter. When you’ve got a appropriate Qi2 charger, then the iPhone 16 will max out at 15W. In the meantime, the iPhone 15 MagSafe wi-fi charging maxes out at 15W.

We carried out our charging checks with a 45W PD charger to present the iPhones the perfect likelihood. Each telephones took about the identical time to cost. An hour on that charger refilled 85% of their iPhones and the final 15% took virtually one other hour even with out the Optimized Battery charging possibility.

Speaker take a look at

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 characteristic an identical stereo audio system. They’re of the hybrid selection the place the earpiece is likely one of the audio system. The opposite speaker is on the backside of the telephones, subsequent to the USB-C port.

The iPhone 16 scored a Very Good mark on our loudness take a look at, whereas the iPhone 15 – a Good mark. The distinction is marginal, although, and each setups sound the identical.

Efficiency

This yr’s large improve for the iPhone 16 is the Apple A18 chipset, which is 2 generations forward of what the iPhone 15 has – the A16. It is a second-gen 3nm chip that’s each extra highly effective and extra environment friendly.

The Apple A18 has a sooner six-core processor, higher 5-core GPU with help for improved {hardware} raytracing. It additionally comes with extra RAM, now 8GB.

The A18 CPU is marketed to be 30% sooner than the iPhone 15 CPU and 60% sooner than the iPhone 12 CPU. The GPU ought to be 40% sooner than the iPhone 15 and twice as quick because the iPhone 12.

Benchmark efficiency

In our checks, the brand new Apple A18 CPU contained in the iPhone 16 does rating about 20% greater than the A16 contained in the iPhone 15. There’s additionally between 30% and 60% soar in GPU efficiency relying on the 3D take a look at.

The A18 chip has a brand new NPU, which scores about twice as excessive because the NPU contained in the iPhone 15.

The brand new iPhone chip permits all these high-end video games that had been incompatible with the iPhone 15 to run fairly effectively on the iPhone 16 and that’s in all probability probably the most notable improve, in case you are a gamer that’s.

Because of the brand new chipset, you’d additionally get entry to the Apple Intelligence characteristic as soon as they’re launched – so long as you reside in a supported area (exterior the European Union and China).

Digital camera comparability

The iPhone 16 virtually borrows its most important digicam setup from the iPhone 15. It’s fairly potent – a 48MP sensor with 1/1.56″ measurement, 1.0µm particular person pixels and sensor-shift OIS. There’s a vivid f/1.6 lens in entrance of it. The identical goes for the selfie digicam – the 12MP shooter has already confirmed its salt and is supplied with part detection autofocus as effectively.

The one improve is the brand new ultrawide digicam. It’s nonetheless a 12MP unit. Nonetheless, this yr, there’s a brighter lens with an f/2.2 aperture. Plus, in all probability better of all, it now has autofocus, which permits it to double as a macro digicam for close-ups.

After all, there may be additionally the brand new Digital camera Management. It’s an precise bodily button with actual journey when pressed. It additionally integrates a capacitive sensor that enables for contact and swipe interactions in addition to a high-precision pressure sensor that detects mild presses.

Picture high quality

There’s hardly any enchancment within the daylight picture high quality, regardless what Apple might attempt to persuade you. The iPhone 16 captures the identical images because the iPhone 15. They’re detailed, with pure colours, low noise, and nice dynamic vary. The foliage rendition just isn’t our favourite – particularly in case you shoot within the default 12MP.

The samples under have been taken on the similar areas however at totally different occasions.

iPhone 16: 0.5x • 1x • 2x • selfie

iPhone 15: 0.5x • 1x • 2x • selfie

The iPhone 16 can now additionally take macro images with its new ultrawide digicam.

iPhone 16 – macro with UW digicam

The images from the principle cameras we took in low-light situations, each in 1x and 2x modes, are largely an identical. The digicam app didn’t go for Night time Mode on the iPhone 15, however nonetheless, the standard stays comparable.

The brighter aperture on the ultrawide digicam does have an impact at night time and the ultrawide images from the iPhone 16 are brighter, with extra element and fewer noise.

iPhone 16: 0.5x • 1x • 2x

iPhone 15: 0.5x • 1x • 2x

Video high quality

New video choices have been added to the iPhone 16 – studio-grade microphones for higher audio high quality, plus capabilities for spatial video and audio recording.

Aside from that, the video high quality stays the identical throughout all cameras.

The daylight movies from all three cameras are wonderful throughout the board, together with stabilization.

Beneath we’ve a number of framegrabs from the movies taken by the 2 telephones at every focal size so it is simpler to match them.

iPhone 16: 0.5x • 1x • 2x • selfie

iPhone 15: 0.5x • 1x • 2x • selfie

The low-light movies from the ultrawide digicam at the moment are higher – they’re higher uncovered, with extra element and fewer noise.

iPhone 16: 0.5x • 1x • 2x

iPhone 16: 0.5x • 1x • 2x

Verdict

The Apple iPhone 16 begins at €949 and it is an ideal premium compact cellphone – it delivers in all areas that matter – design, display screen, battery life, audio system, efficiency, and digicam.

The iPhone 16 is the sooner cellphone of the 2 with a greater ultrawide digicam and sooner wi-fi charging. The battery life has gotten higher, too, and the sturdiness has been improved if we consider Apple. You now additionally get the Motion key and the Digital camera management.

Although it gives roughly the identical consumer expertise, the iPhone 16 is objectively the higher cellphone in comparison with the iPhone 15.

Nonetheless, the iPhone 15 is about €200 cheaper now and it carries a lot of the identical qualities. Selecting between the 2 would rely in your price range and whether or not you worth the additional options that the iPhone 16 can present.