Apple iPhone 16E Specs vs. iPhone 15 Pro: New Entry-Level or Last Year’s Pro

One of many largest promoting factors of Apple’s $599 iPhone 16E is that it provides glorious bang for the buck. It’s Apple’s most inexpensive iPhone, but it surely nonetheless has most of the identical options because the $799 iPhone 16, equivalent to the newest A18 chip and Apple Intelligence, which introduces generative emoji, smarter notifications and, finally, an improved Siri. 

Watch this: iPhone 16E Assessment

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But, it is likely to be price trying on the firm’s older iPhones, such because the iPhone 15 Pro. It may not be as low cost because the iPhone 16E, but it surely has a lot better options, equivalent to a nicer digital camera and higher charging capabilities. These additional options is likely to be well worth the larger worth. Plus, you possibly can probably get it at a cheaper price than the iPhone 16 in the event you purchase it refurbished. 

How do these telephones evaluate? We have outlined a couple of options so that you can discover out which one is the best iPhone for you. 

Show 

The iPhone 16E and the iPhone 15 Professional function the identical 6.1-inch dimension display at an analogous show decision, however there are nonetheless a couple of variations. The iPhone 16E runs at a 60Hz refresh charge — much like all the non-Professional iPhone fashions — and it will probably attain a 1,200-nit peak brightness. It additionally has an analogous show notch to the iPhone 14, and doesn’t assist the Dynamic Island that serves up contextual data on different iPhone 15 and 16 fashions. It is purposeful and may work superb whether or not you might be utilizing the telephone indoors or outside, however the Professional’s display has a number of extra perks.

The iPhone 15 Professional’s show can run at a variable refresh charge between 10Hz and 120Hz, altering primarily based on what exercise you might be doing. You may anticipate to see the smoother 120Hz refresh charge when scrolling by means of web sites, taking part in video games and different purposes that profit from smoother animations. In keeping with Apple, it’ll hit the decrease finish of that vary to preserve battery life whenever you aren’t utilizing the telephone. The show additionally hits the next 2,000 nits of peak brightness (outside) and contains the Dynamic Island that exhibits data just like the music participant or countdowns across the house of the front-facing digital camera’s show cutout. 

Processor

The iPhone 15 Professional has the A17 Professional chip, which is a six-core CPU with two efficiency and 4 effectivity cores that makes it nice for graphics and gaming. The iPhone 16E, however, ships with the newest A18 chip, which provides it a contact extra energy and pace. In observe, the A17 Professional remains to be a really succesful chip that may serve you effectively for years to return. The A18 chip, nonetheless, will possible obtain software program and new function updates for a barely longer time period. Each processors are able to working Apple Intelligence and extra superior iPhone video games like Resident Evil 4 Remake and Demise Stranding.

Apple Intelligence

One of many iPhone 16E’s largest highlights is that it helps Apple Intelligence, which was beforehand solely out there in Apple’s high-end choices just like the iPhone 15 Professional and the iPhone 16. Apple Intelligence provides loads of advantages equivalent to good writing instruments, a Clear Up device that removes undesirable components from photographs and a probably smarter Siri on a future replace. The iPhone 15 Professional, as talked about, has had this from the beginning, so the 2 are pretty equal on this division.

Digital camera

The most important visible distinction between the iPhone 16E and the iPhone 15 Professional is that the latter has three cameras as a substitute of 1. The iPhone 15 Professional has a 48-megapixel vast lens, a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. It additionally has a big 48-megapixel sensor that helps immensely in low mild. The iPhone 16E, however, solely has a single 48-megapixel rear digital camera. It has to depend on sensor-cropping for improved zoomed-in pictures. Each have 12-megapixel front-facing cameras. 

Charging

One other draw back to the iPhone 16E is that it lacks assist for MagSafe wi-fi charging, and is just appropriate with Qi charging capped at 7.5W. The iPhone 15 Professional, however, helps 15W MagSafe charging. Not solely can it wi-fi cost at twice the pace, it additionally helps a complete vary of magnetic equipment that the iPhone 16E will not be capable of use until it has a third-party MagSafe-compatible case. 

Each telephones use USB-C for wired charging, with Apple citing that each can recharge their battery to 50% in half-hour when related to a 20W adapter. In CNET’s evaluate testing for the iPhone 16E and iPhone 15 Professional, each telephones examined barely higher than this. The iPhone 16E recharged from 0% to 59% in half-hour, and the 15 Professional recharged from 0% to 62% after being up to date to iOS 17.0.3.

Pricing (and a word on shopping for refurbished)

Clearly, the iPhone 16E provides the cheaper price because it retails for simply $599. Apple, nonetheless, is now formally promoting a refurbished model of the 15 Pro for just $759, which is cheaper than the $799 iPhone 16. Certain, that is dearer than the 16E, however the Professional’s additional options is likely to be price the next worth for you. Moreover, whereas shopping for telephones in a secondary market has its points (the telephone may not all the time be in nice form), Apple’s official refurbished program has a superb fame that’s akin to purchasing the product new. 

Try the next chart to see how the iPhone 16E and the iPhone 15 Professional stack up in different facets.