iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 16 Buyer\'s Guide: 30+ Upgrades Compared

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus launch later this month, offering 35 changes and improvements over their predecessors. Here's everything that's different.

While Apple's latest models bring a variety of enhancements, the most significant change is support for Apple Intelligence, a new AI system that transforms how you interact with your device by offering smarter notifications, text summarization, and contextual information. The iPhone 16 also features the Action Button and Camera Control button, which provide more intuitive ways to access key functions.

But beyond these headline features, how much of an improvement does the iPhone 16 really offer? This guide breaks down the differences between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models to help you understand all of the changes and determine whether these enhancements are enough to justify making the switch from an iPhone 15.

This guide focuses on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, but to learn about how the iPhone 16 Pro improves on the iPhone 15 Pro, see our other comparison guide.

Design and Displays

The iPhone 16 introduces several design and display upgrades over the iPhone 15. The shift to vertically arranged cameras facilitates spatial video capture and looks more modern. Durability is also improved with the next-generation Ceramic Shield, which is twice as strong as the previous version. Additionally, the customizable Action Button replaces the traditional Ring/Silent switch and a new Camera Control button streamlines photography.

iPhone 15	iPhone 16
Diagonally arranged rear cameras	Vertically arranged rear cameras
~2–4 nits minimum brightness	1 nit minimum brightness
Ceramic Shield front glass	Next-generation Ceramic Shield front glass (2x stronger)
	Improved thermal design for better heat dissipation
	Easier battery service
Ring/Silent switch	Action Button
	Camera Control capacitive button with sapphire crystal cover
Available in Green, Blue, Pink, Black, and Yellow finishes	Available in Teal, Ultramarine, Pink, Black, and White finishes

Artificial Intelligence

The iPhone 16 includes support for Apple Intelligence, a significant upgrade absent in the iPhone 15. This artificial intelligence system enhances the iPhone's ability to understand and process personal context, offering features like Visual Intelligence, which can recognize objects and scenes through the camera and provide relevant information, such as restaurant or product details.

iPhone 16

Apple Intelligence (including priority notifications, text summarization, system-wide writing tools, audio transcription, Genmoji creation, personalized suggestions, and more)

Visual Intelligence, allowing users to pull up contextual information about objects or scenes in front of the camera (such as restaurant details or product info)

Apple Intelligence features like priority notifications, text summarization, and system-wide writing tools can significantly enhance the experience of using the device, making the iPhone 16 a substantial upgrade over the iPhone 15 in this area.

Chip, Memory, and Connectivity

The iPhone 16 brings notable improvements in performance and connectivity over the iPhone 15, driven by the A18 chip built with TSMC's 3nm process, which is more efficient and powerful than the iPhone 15's A16 chip. The 6-core CPU is up to 30% faster, while the upgraded 16-core Neural Engine is optimized for running generative models, doubling the speed of machine learning tasks. In terms of graphics, the iPhone 16's 5-core GPU delivers a 40% boost in performance and introduces hardware-accelerated ray tracing, enhancing gaming and visual effects.

Memory and connectivity also see significant upgrades, with the iPhone 16 offering 8GB of RAM, a 33% increase over the iPhone 15, and the introduction of Wi-Fi 7 and Thread networking for better wireless performance and smart home integration.

iPhone 15	iPhone 16
A16 Bionic chip (TSMC's "N4P" enhanced 5nm process)	A18 chip (TSMC's "N3E" enhanced 3nm process)
6-core CPU	6-core CPU (up to 30% faster)
16-core Neural Engine	Upgraded 16-core Neural Engine optimized for generative models (runs ML models 2x faster)
5-core GPU	5-core GPU (up to 40% faster)
	Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
6GB memory	8GB memory (+33%)
Wi-Fi 6	Wi‑Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO
	Thread networking technology

A18 晶片和增強型 GPU 帶來的效能提升對於從事遊戲、影片編輯或其他圖形密集型任務的用戶特別有意義。硬體加速的光線追蹤將使遊戲玩家受益匪淺，使 iPhone 16 能夠渲染更真實的光照和陰影。同時，神經引擎升級使 Apple Intelligence 等機器學習任務的速度提高了一倍。

對於日常用戶來說，從6GB 到8GB 的​​內存跳躍可確保更好的多任務處理和麵向未來的需求，而Wi-Fi 7 和Thread 網路將提高連接速度以及與智能居家設備的兼容性。 iPhone 16 的改進對於需要更高效能和麵向未來的無線技術的用戶來說意義重大，儘管那些更隨意使用裝置的用戶可能會注意到不太直接的影響。

相機

iPhone 16 增強iPhone 15 上已經令人印象深刻的相機設定。超廣角相機升級為 f/2.2 光圈，與 iPhone 15 上的 f/2.4 光圈相比，可提供更好的低光性能。 iPhone 16 還引入了微距攝影和微距視訊錄製，使用戶能夠捕捉詳細的特寫鏡頭，而相機控制按鈕則為拍攝照片和影片帶來了新的輕鬆度和精確度。

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iPhone 15

iPhone 16

4800 萬像素主相機，帶f /1.6 光圈

48兆像素融合攝像頭，帶f/1.6光圈

1200 萬像素超廣角攝像頭，配備f/2.4光圈

1200萬畫素超廣角鏡頭，配備f/2.2光圈，可改善低光性能

Fusion 相機鏡頭上的防反射塗層

微距攝影和微距錄影，包括慢動作和縮時拍攝

攝影風格

下一代攝影風格

以1080p、30 fps 進行空間錄影

以24 fps、25 fps、30 fps 或60 幀率進行4K 錄影fps

以24 fps、25 fps、30 fps 或60 fps 錄製4K 杜比視界影片

以25 fps、30 fps 或1080p 高畫質錄影60 fps

以25 fps、30 fps 或60 fps 的速度錄製1080p杜比視界影片

戲院模式高達30 fps 的4K HDR

電影模式高達4K 杜比視界(30 fps)

QuickTake 影片

QuickTake 影片（在杜比視界HDR 下高達4K 60 幀/秒）

相機控制鈕功能：

iPhone 15	iPhone 16
48-megapixel Main camera with ƒ/1.6 aperture	48-megapixel Fusion camera with ƒ/1.6 aperture
12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.4 aperture	12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture for improved-low light performance
	Anti-reflective coating on Fusion camera lens
	Macro photography and Macro video recording, including slo‑mo and time‑lapse
Photo­graphic Styles	Next-generation Photo­graphic Styles
	Spatial video recording at 1080p at 30 fps
4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps	4K Dolby Vision video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps
1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps	1080p Dolby Vision video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps
Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps	Cinematic mode up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps
QuickTake video	QuickTake video (up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision HDR)
	Camera Control button features: Launch the Camera App: Pressing the Camera Control button immediately opens the camera app. Capture Photos: A single press of the button captures a photo, providing a quick and tactile way to take pictures. Record Videos: A press and hold action allows you to start recording a video. Half-Press for Focus and Exposure (upcoming feature): A light, half-press will lock focus and exposure, allowing you to reframe the shot without losing focus. Trackpad-Like Control: The capacitive sensor on the button acts like a trackpad, enabling gestures to control zoom, cycle through filters, or switch between lenses by sliding your finger across the button. Third-Party App Integration: The Camera Control button can also be used to trigger third-party camera apps, giving more flexibility to users who prefer other photography tools. Camera Function Overlay: A light touch gesture reveals a clean preview and quick access to key camera controls like zoom or exposure settings. Visual Intelligence Activation: The Camera Control button is integrated with Visual Intelligence, allowing users to pull up contextual information about objects or scenes in front of the camera.

• 啟動相機應用程式：按下相機控制鈕立即開啟相機應用程式.
• 拍攝照片：按一下按鈕即可拍攝照片，提供快速、直覺的拍照方式。
• 錄製影片：按住操作即可開始拍攝錄影影片。
• 半按對焦和曝光（即將推出的功能）：輕按半按即可鎖定對焦和曝光，讓您可以在不失去焦點的情況下重新構圖。
類似觸控板的控制：按鈕上的電容式感應器就像觸控板一樣，可透過在按鈕上滑動手指來控制變焦、循環切換濾鏡或在鏡頭之間切換。
• 第三方應用程式整合：相機控制按鈕還可用於觸發第三方相機應用程序，為喜歡其他攝影工具的用戶提供更大的靈活性。
• 相機功能疊加：輕觸手勢即可顯示清晰的預覽和快速存取關鍵相機控制，例如變焦或曝光設定。
• 視覺智慧啟動：相機控制按鈕與視覺智慧集成，允許使用者調出有關相機前面的物體或場景的上下文資訊。

音訊錄製

與iPhone 15 相比，iPhone 16 在音訊錄製方面帶來了多項增強功能iPhone 15 提供立體聲錄音，而iPhone 16 則引入了空間音訊錄音，可提供更身臨其境的聲音體驗，尤其是在Apple Vision Pro 耳機上播放時。風噪聲降低和新的音頻混合功能等附加功能進一步提高了錄製音訊的品質和靈活性，使 iPhone 16 成為捕捉高品質聲音的更強大的設備。

iPhone 15	iPhone 16
Stereo recording	Spatial Audio and stereo recording
	Wind noise reduction
	Audio Mix

Battery Life and Charging

The iPhone 16 brings noticeable improvements in battery life and charging efficiency compared to the iPhone 15. With up to 22 hours of battery life on the iPhone 16 and 27 hours on the iPhone 16 Plus, the new models offer a modest boost. In addition, MagSafe wireless charging is now significantly faster, supporting up to 25W with a 30W adapter, a 66.67% increase over the iPhone 15's 15W limit.

iPhone 15	iPhone 16
iPhone 15: Up to 20 hours of battery life iPhone 15 Plus: Up to 26 hours of battery life	iPhone 16: Up to 22 hours of battery life iPhone 16 Plus: Up to 27 hours of battery life
MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W with 20W adapter or higher	MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher (+66.67%)

Release Date

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available for pre-order starting on Friday, September 13, 2024, with the official launch and availability in stores beginning Friday, September 20, 2024.

Is It Worth Upgrading?

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, while bringing some notable improvements, offer what might feel like an incremental upgrade over the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus for most users. The most significant advancements come from Apple Intelligence and the introduction of the Action Button and Camera Control, both of which provide new ways to interact with the device.

Apple Intelligence is arguably the most important new feature, as it enhances the iPhone's ability to understand user context and assist in everyday tasks like prioritizing notifications, summarizing texts, and pulling real-time information through Visual Intelligence. For users who rely heavily on their phone for productivity and communication, this AI-driven functionality is a meaningful addition. The Action Button and Camera Control button are welcome hardware changes, offering customizable, quick access to key functions and improved control over photography and videography.

Outside of these features, however, the upgrades feel more conservative. The performance gains with the A18 chip, new Neural Engine, and GPU architecture offer incremental improvements in speed and efficiency, which will benefit high-performance tasks like gaming, but may not be immediately noticeable for everyday users. The camera updates, including better ultra wide low-light performance and Macro photography, are valuable for photography enthusiasts, but they don't dramatically alter the overall camera experience for casual users. Similarly, the improvements in battery life and charging speeds are useful but relatively minor, providing a modest boost over the iPhone 15 lineup.

For users with an iPhone 15, the upgrade might not feel substantial unless you're looking to take full advantage of Apple Intelligence or the new buttons. If your phone usage revolves around basic tasks, the iPhone 15 remains an excellent device, and upgrading may not be necessary. However, if you're someone who is interested in AI or more intuitive camera controls, the iPhone 16 offers enough to justify the switch. Overall, the iPhone 16 is a step forward, but the upgrades are relatively modest.

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