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 reasonably priced (comparatively talking) has been to maintain not less than one older mannequin on sale. The result’s that whereas there are 4 variations of the

iPhone 16
accessible, together with the

iPhone 16e
, you’ll be able to 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 help its telephones for a very long time, and the 16e is not actually meant to be a flagship — it is a substitute 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 complicated than you could be imagining. And even if you’d like one, you could want to think twice 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, after all, 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. Which means they’re incapable of working

Apple Intelligence
, together with the whole lot from notification summaries to Visible Intelligence and

ChatGPT integration
. It is not a giant deal in the mean time (I not often use ChatGPT myself) however AI will inevitably develop into a much 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 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 shocked at how not often 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 generally for the sake of Apple Intelligence. It might make a distinction in another areas — notably high-end 3D video games like Resident Evil: Village — however Apple’s {hardware} and software program is so tightly optimized that you simply most likely will not discover more often than not.

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Digicam tech

Functionally, the iPhone 15 digicam system is just about 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’ll be able to expertise with a

Vision Pro
, however it nonetheless makes use of a 48-megapixel primary digicam and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide, identical to the 15. Most pictures and movies ought to look an identical beneath comparable situations, until maybe you determine 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 should you’re a fan of taking pictures vistas, structure, or tight areas, the 15 is a greater possibility. The 16e additionally lacks Focus Management — which lets 15 and 16 homeowners change a portrait’s focus after the very 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 primarily based on Apple’s testing, whereas the usual 16 will get 22 hours, and the 16e will get 26 hours, only one wanting my iPhone 16 Professional. In apply, nobody makes use of a telephone the way in which 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 usually discover their system working on fumes.

The 15 Plus matches the 16e, so which may be the way in which to go if you’d like 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, after all) 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 will get one of the best speeds from USB charging anyway, so this can be a moot level should you’re apprehensive about charging in a rush. MagSafe is a giant deal for different causes too. It is usually the easiest way of mounting an iPhone, or attaching equipment like wallets and exterior batteries. You’ll be able to dwell with out it, naturally, however it’s frankly superb 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. That will truly be extra important than MagSafe for some folks, because it makes it simpler to regulate media playback, swap apps, and preserve tabs on Reside Actions like timers and meals deliveries. I exploit it day-after-day. There aren’t too many different variations to level out, however it’s value 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. Should you’ve obtained a wise dwelling, 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 rather than a hoop/mute swap.

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Must you get an iPhone 15 in 2025?

Possibly, however it is time to go discount looking

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 would possibly 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 should you’re simply making an attempt to get to work or browse social media. It is truly a more sensible choice than the 16e should you care about digicam tech, MagSafe equipment, and Dynamic Island controls.

I might strongly advocate towards shopping for a 15 from Apple, nevertheless. Official costs begin at $699, which is not value it for a base-spec iPhone that is almost two years previous. 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’ll 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 worth, and manufacturing of the 15 will cease completely. 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 could be the chance to strike if worth trumps all different elements.

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