The most prominent differences between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15
Yesterday, Apple announced the iPhone 16 series, which includes four phones: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The four phones come with multiple updates, most notably: the addition of Apple Intelligence artificial intelligence features and a new physical button to control the camera.
In this article, we will talk about the basic iPhone 16, and mention the most prominent differences between it and the iPhone 15, which was released last year:
1- The iPhone 16 has new physical buttons:
The iPhone 15 Pro models included an all-new Action button in 2023, but it’s no longer exclusive to the Pro models with the iPhone 16 lineup. This year, the entire lineup features an Action button, and Apple is also adding a new Capture Control button to all iPhone 16 models that helps control the camera. A tap on it can change focus, and a firm press can take a photo.
Since this button is touch-sensitive, you can also swipe left and right to zoom in and out without having to touch the screen.
The iPhone 15 doesn't have any of these new physical buttons, and this phone only has a silent mode switch.
2- The iPhone 16 contains a new and powerful processor:
Over the past two years, Apple has chosen different processors for its regular iPhone models and Pro models. The iPhone 15 gets the A16 Bionic processor from the iPhone 14 Pro, while the iPhone 15 Pro gets the faster, more powerful, and all-new A17 Pro processor at the time.
But this year, things are different with the iPhone 16 phones. Apple chose the A18 processor for the entire lineup, but in two slightly different versions. The Pro models are powered by the A18 Pro processor, which is slightly more powerful than the A18 processor that powers the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
This also means that there is a significant performance gap between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, suggesting that the iPhone 16 will be much more powerful than the iPhone 15, which Apple already confirmed at its event, noting that the A18 processor comes with a 30% increase in CPU speed and a 40% increase in GPU performance compared to the A16 Bionic processor.
3- iPhone 16 supports Apple Intelligence features:
Apple first unveiled its Apple Intelligence AI system at WWDC, bringing a new set of AI features to the new iPhone experience, including AI-powered photo editing, custom emoji creation, and integration with other AI systems, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Apple Intelligence is not available on the regular iPhone 15, it is only available on the Pro models. This does not apply to the iPhone 16 lineup, as the entire lineup can run Apple Intelligence thanks to the new processor.
It is worth noting that Apple Intelligence will be available in the United States only for now, and will gradually reach all users of compatible iPhone models at a later time.
4- iPhone 16 comes with a new rear camera design:
While there aren't many changes in the core specifications of the iPhone 16's rear camera compared to the previous model, the iPhone 16 features a new rear camera design that's similar to the iPhone X's rear camera design.
The reason behind the design change, other than offering a new look compared to the iPhone 15, is to easily capture spatial video using both cameras to create a 3D effect that's ideal for viewing on VR headsets like Apple Vision.
5- Price:
The iPhone 16 is now available for pre-order starting at $799 , and will officially launch on September 20. The iPhone 15 will start at $699.
Is the new version worth upgrading to?
The iPhone 16 comes with distinct improvements compared to the previous version, including: the new Action button and Capture Control button, and it also includes Apple Intelligence features.
However, if these features are not important to you, there may be no need to upgrade, especially if you are already using the iPhone 15. However, if you are planning to buy an iPhone for the first time, choose the iPhone 16.