Apple iPhone 16
The New Kid On The Block
The Apple iPhone 16 features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display and is powered by the A18 chip. It boasts a dual-camera system with a 48 MP Fusion camera and 12 MP Ultra Wide lens.
Apple iPhone 15
The Reigning Champ
The Apple iPhone 15 is a flagship smartphone featuring a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, A16 Bionic chip, and a dual-camera system with a 48MP main sensor. It introduces USB-C, Dynamic Island, and comes in five colors.
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TheAppleiPhone 16 builds on the success of its predecessor, the iPhone 15, with some notable upgrades that make it a compelling choice. While both models share a similar design, the 16 introduces a sleeker camera layout, improved durability with a second-generation Ceramic Shield, and some more cool features. It’s the kind of subtle-but-not-so-subtle flex Apple loves to pull.
Which is why I decided to take a deeper look at things, discuss all the features you get on both models and see who comes out on top. So, if you’re on the fence about upgrading, let’s break down why the iPhone 16 might just be that annoying temptation you can’t ignore.
Design And Build
At first glance, there’s not going to be much of a difference between the iPhone 16 and its predecessor, the 15. You’ll have to sort of dig deep into the whole thing to notice some changes.The new phone keeps the familiar 6.1-inch size, but jazzes things up with a sleeker camera module on the back.The rounded corners are now gone and are replaced by an elongated pill shape to accommodate the phone’s new Spatial Video features. This fresh design isn’t just for looks though. By arranging the lenses in a line, Apple’s engineered the hardware to support immersive 3D-like footage.
Apple’s also borrowed a page from last year’s Pro models with the new Action button. It stands in for the old mute switch, letting you customize a single tap to cue up whatever smartphone task you want.Between this and the new Capture Control button, a touch-sensitive pad built for enhancing photography, iPhone photographers just got a whole new level of creative control.
I’d say that durability sees a glow-up too. The iPhone 16 comes coated in second-generation Ceramic Shield, which Apple claims is 50 percent tougher than before and twice as scratch-resistant as other devices. But then again, they say that every year, so just take it with a pinch of salt. Anyway, while the changes might seem subtle up front, they add up to a phone that can better withstand daily wear and tear. I mean sure, all these changes are super welcome. Are they enough for an upgrade, though? Purely design-wise, that would be a hard no, especially if you already have a 15.
Display
Like I was saying, both models look pretty similar in terms of design and screen, but thankfully, the 16 brings some meaningful upgrades to the display that make viewing content even better. The biggest change is the 16’s screen now gets wildly bright. We’re talking2,000 nits at peak brightness,which is nuts. And with twice the peak brightness of the iPhone 15, watching HDR videos and stuff should look more vibrant and lifelike.
Resolution is slightly higher too (slightly being the keyword) on the 16.It comes with 1200 x 2600 pixels compared to the 1179 x 2556 on the 15.Now, math isn’t my strong suit, but I believe that shakes out to everything looking asmidgesharper on the new model. The types of HDR it supports, though, HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG are still the same. No improvements there.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the refresh rate. Sadly,both phones are stuck at 60Hz instead of the 120Hz you get on the iPhone 16 Pro. Honestly, that really grinds my gears because almost every budget phone out there has 120Hz, but Apple straight up refuses to give it to their base variants even after the premium pricing. Makes sense, because Apple being Apple, probably just needs reasons for people to upgrade to the Pro. Still, it’s a really annoying quirk that they have going on.
Performance
Performance is where things get slightly interesting. The new 16 comes with an A18 chip, which is a massive improvement over last year’s A17. This translates to quicker launch times, smoother multi-tasking, a decrease in lag when you’re jumping between apps, and an overall snappier user experience.
The graphics power is no slouch either on the iPhone 16. It put up average frame rates of 60 fps running the intense GFXBench Aztec Ruins graphics benchmark. While it’s only a bit higher than the iPhone 15’s 58.7 fps, those couple extra frames can make gaming and graphic-intensive apps feel more fluid and responsive, especially when you’re playing for longer durations. All this is also supported by the new and improved heat management, which lets the A18 chip sustain peak performance for longer without getting too hot.
And there’s more memory too.The iPhone 16 has a hearty 8GB of RAM, which is an upgrade from 6GB on the last model. That extra 33 percent RAM means you can expect improved multitasking capabilities.It provides enough headroom to keep more apps and browser tabs active in the background and make switching between open apps feel seamless. While the upgrade is commendable, we run into the same problem with Apple.8GB RAM at this price does seem a little mind-boggling, especially when you see what the competition is offering at a similar pricing. Then again, it’s Apple, so the way that they utilize memory consumption is much more eloquent.
Camera Systems
Moving on to the cameras, both the iPhone 16 and 15 have your usual dual-cam setup, but the 16 takes things up a notch. The main 48MP sensor and f/1.6 aperture are the same, which gives you killer detail and low light shots on both models. The difference here is due to the aperture.While the 15 has a 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide camera, the 16 bumps that up to a 12MP f/2.2 lens. That wider aperture should let in more light for better low light shots and creamy bokeh blur in the right situations.
Now, here’s where things get really interesting.The iPhone 16 can capture 3D video with its new Spatial Video feature. By recording depth information, these videos can pop out of the screen when viewed in AR/VR headsets like Apple’s new Vision Pro. Sure, the uses might be limited today, but it puts the 16 on the cutting edge for immersive content creation down the road.
Finally, the dedicated Capture Control button is a game-changer for photography fans. Instead of poking through on-screen menus, you can now quickly adjust zoom, exposure and more, which is super helpful for nailing those hard to get shots. For people who take their iPhone photography seriously, it should make a big difference in responsiveness and quality. The settings for the button might take some time getting used to, though.
Software
Apple’s rolling out a slick new set of AI powers called Apple Intelligence to make your phone way more helpful across the board. We’re talking souped-up writing tools, next-level photo editing, and a Siri that’s got her head in the game. The brains behind it all is the new wicked fast A18 processor chip, which, like I said, is giving the 16 up to 30 percent faster performance for the CPU and 40 percent faster graphics compared to last year’s model.
This custom silicon is key to running all the new AI magic smoothly.Don’t get too hyped though, this is not an overnight upgrade. Those of you who have watched the event already know that even though the 16 is now out for sale, the full Apple Intelligence suite will come later as part of the iOS 18.1 beta, which is initially only going to be for English speakers in the US, with expanded compatibility coming later.
The unfortunate news is that in order to run AI, you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro or later, or select iPads and MacBooks which have the M1 chip minimum. So this is sort of a trade-off you will be making if you decide to stick with the 15 and not upgrade to the 16.
FAQs
How does the battery life compare between iPhone 16 and iPhone 15?
The iPhone 16 offers 22 hours of video playback, which is roughly a 10 percent improvement over the iPhone 15’s 20 hours. Unfortunately, I cannot get into proper detail because Apple, in true fashion, hasn’t shared official battery capacity numbers for either model. Most of the info out there is just speculation, so we’re going to have to work off of the official percentages.
Is there any difference between the two in terms of storage options?
The iPhone 16 comes with storage options of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, same as what’s available for the iPhone 15.
Are there any improvements in audio capabilities with the iPhone 16?
Yes, the iPhone 16 introduces Spatial Audio and stereo recording features, along with wind noise reduction and an Audio Mix feature for cinematic-style audio recording, which bumps up the video production quality.
