The iPhone 16e is now Apple’s lowest-cost iPhone at $599. However, 2023’s iPhone 15 Pro is now available for very similar approximate prices from third parties. There are at least 50 differences between the two devices, so which should you choose?
The iPhone 15 Pro launched in September 2023 for $999, and was discontinued upon the launch of the iPhone 16 Pro one year later. It continues to be available from third-party retailers, as well as used or refurbished, for prices around $600 to $750 depending on the configuration.
Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you, and serves as a way to clearly see what additional features the iPhone 15 Pro brings to the table. The iPhone 15 Pro is a much more feature-rich device than the iPhone 16e, but the latter has a small number of advantages:
- Better chip: The A18 chip is made with TSMC’s latest fabrication technology and sports a higher CPU clock speed, making it more powerful and efficient than the A17 Pro.
- Audio: The iPhone 16e features wind noise reduction and audio mix for better quality audio capture.
- Thinner and lighter design: With an aluminum frame, the iPhone 16e is 0.45mm thinner and 20 grams lighter than the iPhone 15 Pro.
- Longer battery life: Thanks to the custom-designed Apple C1 model, the efficiency of the A18 chip, and a 22% bigger battery, the iPhone 16e boasts battery life that’s at least three hours longer than the iPhone 15 Pro.
As a device that’s 18 months newer with a more powerful chip, the iPhone 16e may be more likely to be supported by the latest version of iOS for longer than the iPhone 15 Pro. It is also likely to be useable for longer through battery degradation, especially if you’re comparing it to a used iPhone 15 Pro.
In every other respect, the iPhone 15 Pro is superior. Here is every difference between the two models:
| iPhone 16e | iPhone 15 Pro |
|---|---|
| Aluminum and glass design | Titanium and glass design |
| “Notch” housing TrueDepth camera array | Dynamic Island housing TrueDepth camera array |
| 800 nits max brightness (typical) | 1,000 nits max brightness (typical) |
| 1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR) | 1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR) |
| 2,000 nits peak brightness (outdoor) | |
| ProMotion with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz | |
| Always-on display | |
| Slightly smaller due to slimmer borders around the display | |
| A18 chip (made with enhanced 3nm N3E process) | A17 Pro chip (made with base 3nm N3B process) |
| 4.04 GHz CPU clock speed | 3.78 GHz CPU clock speed |
| 4-core GPU | 6-core GPU |
| LPDDR5X-7500 memory with a bandwidth of 60 GB/s | LPDDR5-6400 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s |
| Apple C1 modem | Qualcomm X70 modem |
| mmWave 5G connectivity | |
| Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity | Wi‑Fi 6E connectivity |
| Thread networking technology | |
| Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip | |
| “Advanced” 2-in-1 camera | “Pro” triple camera system |
| 48-megapixel Main camera with ƒ/1.6 aperture | 48-megapixel Main camera with ƒ/1.78 aperture and larger sensor |
| 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture | |
| 12-megapixel Telephoto camera with ƒ/2.8 aperture | |
| 1x and 2x optical zoom | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 3x optical zoom |
| Optical image stabilization | Second-generation sensor-shift image stabilization |
| True Tone flash | Adaptive True Tone flash |
| LiDAR scanner | |
| Portrait mode with Depth Control | Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control |
| Night mode portraits | |
| Macro photography | |
| Apple ProRAW | |
| Wind noise reduction | |
| Audio Mix | |
| Shoot and instantly transfer 48-megapixel ProRAW images to Mac via USB 3 | |
| Record video directly to an external drive | |
| ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (60 fps with external recording) | |
| Macro video recording, including slo‑mo and time‑lapse | |
| Log video recording | |
| Academy Color Encoding System | |
| Capture spatial photos and videos for Apple Vision Pro | |
| USB 2 transfer speeds (up to 480Mb/s) | USB 3 transfer speeds (up to 10Gb/s, 20x faster) |
| DisplayPort support for up to 4K HDR video output | |
| Compatible with MagSafe cases, wallets, wireless chargers and more | |
| Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W | Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W and MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W with 20W adapter or higher |
| 4,005mAh battery | 3,274mAh battery |
| 26-hour battery life | 23-hour battery life |
| Weighs 167g | Weighs 187g |
| 7.80mm thick (0.31 inches) | 8.25mm thick (0.32 inches) |
| 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options |
| White and Black color options | Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium color options |
| Released March 2025 | Released September 2023 |
| Starts at $599 | Started at $999 but now discontinued; available for ~$599 |
The iPhone 15 Pro offers a large number of upgrades over the iPhone 16e. With little to no price difference to obtain a display with ProMotion and always-on functionality, MagSafe, Dynamic Island, and a brighter display, many customers will easily be able to justify getting the iPhone 15 Pro over the iPhone 16e. Perhaps most noticeably, the iPhone 15 Pro unlocks a wealth of additional camera software features and boasts multiple additional pieces of camera hardware, such as the LiDAR scanner, telephoto camera, and ultra wide camera.
The iPhone 16e still offers many of the iPhone 15 Pro’s most compelling capabilities, such as Apple Intelligence support, USB-C, the Action Button, and a 48-megapixel main camera, so the average user will miss out on few meaningful features. As a result, there are some scenarios where it is worth choosing the iPhone 16e over the iPhone 15 Pro. For example, if battery life or device longevity is your top priority, it remains the superior option.
Similarly, if you have only basic needs and do not care for the “Pro” rear camera setup or features like ProMotion and the always-on display, the iPhone 16e is likely the better choice. In this instance, you will still benefit from the device’s generous roster of features. The iPhone 16e is still a very well designed and balanced device, especially for casual iPhone users and those coming from a much older model.
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