Is the iPhone 15 nonetheless value shopping for in 2025? The reply is sophisticated

For some time now, a part of Apple’s modus operandi for making iPhones inexpensive (comparatively talking) has been to maintain no less than one older mannequin on sale. The result’s that whereas there are 4 variations of the

iPhone 16
obtainable, together with the

iPhone 16e
, you possibly can nonetheless purchase the iPhone 15 and

15 Plus
, which initially shipped in 2023. They could be tempting for some consumers, on condition that Apple tends to assist its telephones for a very long time, and the 16e is not actually meant to be a flagship — it is a alternative for the budget-priced iPhone SE.

Must you truly drop money on an iPhone 15 in 2025? You have most likely already obtained an inclination, however the reply is a bit more advanced than you may be imagining. And even in order for you one, you might want to consider carefully about how, the place, and if you purchase it.

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How does the iPhone 15 stack up towards the iPhone 16 and 16e?

Efficiency

The main distinction is, in fact, processor energy. Whereas each iPhone 16 is supplied with some model of Apple’s A18 chip — the 16e having a four-core GPU, as an alternative of the common 16’s five-core unit — each the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are caught with the A16. Meaning they’re incapable of working

Apple Intelligence
, together with all the pieces from notification summaries to Visible Intelligence and

ChatGPT integration
. It isn’t an enormous deal in the mean time (I not often use ChatGPT myself) however AI will inevitably grow to be a much bigger and larger a part of iOS, so you might miss out on key options as iOS 19 and its successors roll out.

In any other case, the A16 continues to be a really succesful processor. There are few video games that can tax the A16 to its limits, and most different apps needs to be silky easy. Certainly, since upgrading to an iPhone 16 Professional, I have been stunned at how not often the A18 is (noticeably) higher than the A15 chip in my outdated iPhone 13. Issues set up sooner, and navigation apps are snappier, however the A18 does not make a lot distinction to apps like Cronometer or Reddit.

It needs to be famous that the iPhone 15 solely has 6GB of RAM, versus 8GB with the iPhone 16 sequence, however the improve between generations is usually for the sake of Apple Intelligence. It might make a distinction in another areas — significantly high-end 3D video games like Resident Evil: Village — however Apple’s {hardware} and software program is so tightly optimized that you just most likely will not discover more often than not.

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Digital camera tech

Functionally, the iPhone 15 digicam system is nearly an identical to the iPhone 16 lineup. The usual 16 does have benefits like macro pictures, Visible Intelligence, and assist for spatial photographs and movies you possibly can expertise with a

Vision Pro
, nevertheless it nonetheless makes use of a 48-megapixel foremost digicam and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide, identical to the 15. Most photographs and movies ought to look an identical underneath comparable situations, until maybe you resolve to experiment with the expanded Photographic Kinds on the 16 and 16 Plus.

The iPhone 15 truly has an edge over the 16e. There isn’t any ultra-wide digicam on the 16e, so for those who’re a fan of taking pictures vistas, structure, or tight areas, the 15 is a greater choice. The 16e additionally lacks Focus Management — which lets 15 and 16 house owners change a portrait’s point of interest after the actual fact — in addition to another options, like Motion (stabilization) and Cinematic (shallow depth-of-field) modes for video. There isn’t any wind noise discount on the 15, thoughts, or any

smart audio mixing
choices.

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Battery life, wi-fi charging, and different options

One space the place the bottom iPhone 15 is soundly trounced is battery life. You will get about 20 hours out of it based mostly on Apple’s testing, whereas the usual 16 will get 22 hours, and the 16e will get 26 hours, only one in need of my iPhone 16 Professional. In follow, nobody makes use of a telephone the best way Apple does, and you will be charging all of those units in a single day — however the 16e could possibly be preferable for vacationers or different individuals who typically discover their system working on fumes.

The 15 Plus matches the 16e, so which may be the best way to go in order for you each glorious battery life and a bigger 6.7-inch display screen with out spending on a 16 Plus. Each different telephone on this comparability (excluding my iPhone 16 Professional, in fact) has a 6.1-inch show.

By way of wi-fi charging, the iPhone 15 sits within the center. It does have MagSafe, which mechanically places it above the torpid 7.5W Qi speeds of the 16e, but it is capped at 15W versus the iPhone 16’s 25W. You will get one of the best speeds from USB charging anyway, so this can be a moot level for those who’re frightened about charging in a rush. MagSafe is an enormous deal for different causes too. It is typically one of the simplest ways of mounting an iPhone, or attaching equipment like wallets and exterior batteries. You’ll be able to dwell with out it, naturally, nevertheless it’s frankly wonderful that Apple felt it could possibly be sacrificed, given the cash it makes from the accent market.

One other factor the 16e lacks is Dynamic Island multitasking. Which will truly be extra vital than MagSafe for some individuals, because it makes it simpler to regulate media playback, change apps, and preserve tabs on Reside Actions like timers and meals deliveries. I take advantage of it each day. There aren’t too many different variations to level out, nevertheless it’s value noting that solely the common 16 helps

Wi-Fi 7
, and that the 16e does not assist the quickest type of 5G, often called mmWave. Should you’ve obtained a sensible dwelling, neither the iPhone 15 nor the iPhone 16e have a Thread radio for appropriate equipment. The iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16e have a customizable Motion button rather than a hoop/mute change.

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Must you get an iPhone 15 in 2025?

Possibly, however it is time to go discount searching

As you have seen, the iPhone 15 holds up surprisingly nicely, if largely as a result of iPhone (and app) evolution has come to a crawl. You would possibly get jealous of the battery life on new fashions, and finally remorse the absence of Apple Intelligence, however even these issues will not matter a lot for those who’re simply attempting to get to work or browse social media. It is truly a more sensible choice than the 16e for those who care about digicam tech, MagSafe equipment, and Dynamic Island controls.

I might strongly advocate towards shopping for a 15 from Apple, nonetheless. Official costs begin at $699, which is not value it for a base-spec iPhone that is practically two years outdated. As of this writing, you may get a refurbished one on Amazon for $508, and the 15 Plus is barely barely {dollars} extra. Should you’re prepared to purchase a used however non-refurbished system from eBay, you could find an unlocked 15 Professional for round $600.

There’s additionally a time window at play, for the reason that

iPhone 17
is predicted to launch in September. The iPhone 16 will drop to the iPhone 15’s present value, and manufacturing of the 15 will cease totally. The excellent news on that entrance is that the iPhone 15 will proceed to be a related system — simply relegated to the used/refurbished market, presumably at even decrease value. That may be the chance to strike if value trumps all different components.

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