Is the iPhone 15 nonetheless price shopping for in 2025? The reply is difficult

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, provided that Apple tends to help 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.

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

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How does the iPhone 15 stack up in opposition to the iPhone 16 and 16e?

Efficiency

The foremost distinction is, in fact, processor energy. Whereas each iPhone 16 is provided 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 every thing from notification summaries to Visible Intelligence and

ChatGPT integration
. It is not an enormous deal in the mean time (I hardly ever use ChatGPT myself) however AI will inevitably turn into an even bigger and larger a part of iOS, so you could miss out on key options as iOS 19 and its successors roll out.

In any other case, the A16 remains to be a really succesful processor. There are few video games that may tax the A16 to its limits, and most different apps needs to be silky clean. Certainly, since upgrading to an iPhone 16 Professional, I have been stunned at how hardly ever the A18 is (noticeably) higher than the A15 chip in my previous iPhone 13. Issues set up sooner, and navigation apps are snappier, however the A18 would 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 enhance between generations is usually for the sake of Apple Intelligence. It may 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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Digicam 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 help for spatial pictures and movies you possibly can expertise with a

Vision Pro
, however it nonetheless makes use of a 48-megapixel most important digicam and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide, identical to the 15. Most pictures and movies ought to look an identical beneath comparable circumstances, until maybe you determine to experiment with the expanded Photographic Types on the 16 and 16 Plus.

The iPhone 15 really has an edge over the 16e. There is not any ultra-wide digicam on the 16e, so in case you’re a fan of capturing 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 focus after the actual fact — in addition to another options, like Motion (stabilization) and Cinematic (shallow depth-of-field) modes for video. There is not 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 may 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 observe, nobody makes use of a cellphone the best way Apple does, and you will be charging all of those gadgets in a single day — however the 16e could possibly be preferable for vacationers or different individuals who typically discover their gadget working on fumes.

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

When it comes to wi-fi charging, the iPhone 15 sits within the center. It does have MagSafe, which robotically 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 may get the very best speeds from USB charging anyway, so this can be a moot level in case you’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 possibly can stay with out it, naturally, however 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 really be extra important than MagSafe for some folks, because it makes it simpler to regulate media playback, swap apps, and hold tabs on Dwell Actions like timers and meals deliveries. I exploit it day by day. There aren’t too many different variations to level out, however it’s price noting that solely the common 16 helps

Wi-Fi 7
, and that the 16e would not help the quickest type of 5G, generally known as mmWave. In the event you’ve obtained a sensible residence, neither the iPhone 15 nor the iPhone 16e have a Thread radio for suitable equipment. The iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16e have a customizable Motion button instead of a hoop/mute swap.

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Do you have to get an iPhone 15 in 2025?

Possibly, however it is time to go discount searching

As you’ve got seen, the iPhone 15 holds up surprisingly nicely, if principally as a result of iPhone (and app) evolution has come to a crawl. You may get jealous of the battery life on new fashions, and ultimately remorse the absence of Apple Intelligence, however even these issues will not matter a lot in case you’re simply making an attempt to get to work or browse social media. It is really a better option than the 16e in case you care about digicam tech, MagSafe equipment, and Dynamic Island controls.

I might strongly suggest in opposition to shopping for a 15 from Apple, nevertheless. Official costs begin at $699, which is not price it for a base-spec iPhone that is almost two years previous. As of this writing, you will get a refurbished one on Amazon for $508, and the 15 Plus is simply barely {dollars} extra. In the event you’re keen to purchase a used however non-refurbished gadget from eBay, you could find an unlocked 15 Professional for round $600.

There’s additionally a time window at play, because the

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

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