Technologies

Apple iPhone 16E vs. iPhone 15: Which Cheaper iPhone is Best For You?

The iPhone 16E and the iPhone 15 are both capable devices that cost less than a $799 iPhone 16, but each comes with different compromises.

Apple’s $599 iPhone 16E is the company’s latest entry-level handset, positioning itself as the most affordable way to get Apple Intelligence and other features seen in the $799 iPhone 16. But considering that it replaced the $429 iPhone SE, you could hardly call the iPhone 16E cheap with its higher starting price. If you’re hoping to save some money, there might be another option: Apple’s older, but still quite capable, iPhone 15. Sure, it was released in 2023, but depending on your priorities, it could be a compelling alternative. The iPhone 15 currently retails for $699, but it can be easily found on the secondary market for a lower price.

Of course, as the iPhone 16E is the newer model, it’ll have newer features such as the latest A18 chip and compatibility with Apple Intelligence, which introduces generative emoji, smarter notifications and (eventually) an improved Siri. But in some areas, like the cameras and charging capabilities, the older iPhone 15 edges it out. And those fundamentals might be more important to you than Apple’s developing AI features.

To help you decide, we’ve outlined a few key differences between the two.

Processor

The iPhone 16E ships with Apple’s latest A18 chip, which is also in the $799 iPhone 16. This gives it a touch more power and speed than the iPhone 15, which only has the much older A16 Bionic first seen in the iPhone 14 Pro. That newer A18 processor allows the iPhone 16E to run more graphically intensive games, such as the Resident Evil 4 Remake as well as Apple Intelligence tools and features. The A16 Bionic is still a fast chip that runs nearly every other app in Apple’s App Store, but the A18 chip will likely receive software and new feature updates for longer.

Apple Intelligence

One of the more impressive features of the iPhone 16E is that it supports Apple Intelligence, which was previously only available on iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 16. In addition to providing the smarter Siri planned for a future update, Apple Intelligence offers writing tools and a Clean Up tool that removes unwanted elements from photos. The iPhone 15, on the other hand, doesn’t support Apple Intelligence despite its higher price tag.

While you cannot access Apple’s new AI features on the iPhone 15, you can use other services like ChatGPT and Gemini by downloading apps that include those AI platforms. They’ll just run entirely in the cloud instead of on-device.

Cameras: One vs. two

The iPhone 16E and the iPhone 15 both have 48-megapixel cameras on the rear and a 12-megapixel camera on the front. The big difference, however, is that the iPhone 15 has a secondary 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. Instead of relying on a second camera for its wide shots, the iPhone 16E uses sensor cropping for better zoomed-in shots.

Battery and charging

Apple claims that the iPhone 16E can play video for up to 26 hours (21 hours streamed), while the iPhone 15 supposedly has up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed). The iPhone 16E apparently has a longer battery life due to a new power-efficient 5G modem called the C1.

However, a huge downside of the iPhone 16E is that it doesn’t support MagSafe wireless charging. It is only compatible with Qi wireless charging capped at 7.5W. The iPhone 15, on the other hand, supports 15W MagSafe charging, which means it can wirelessly charge at twice the speed. The iPhone 15 also natively supports all kinds of magnetic phone accessories like wallets and stands, while a third-party case will be needed to use these with the iPhone 16E.

Both phones support USB-C fast charging up to 20W.

A note on pricing and buying refurbished

While the iPhone 15 retails for $100 more than the iPhone 16E, you can buy it refurbished at comparable or even lower prices depending on the store. For example, at the time of this writing, you can purchase a «renewed» 128GB iPhone 15 from Amazon for roughly $500 to $530, which is nearly $100 less than the iPhone 16E’s starting price. But as is the case with buying anything in the secondary market, be aware that the phone might not be in tip-top shape when you get it. Additionally, warranties vary from store to store, so be sure to read the store policies.

Apple iPhone 16E vs. Apple iPhone 15

	Apple iPhone 16E	iPhone 15
Display size, resolution	6.1-inch OLED display; 2,532×1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate
Pixel density	460 ppi	460 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 in.	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm
Weight (ounces, grams)	167g (5.88 oz.)	171 g (6.02 oz.)
Mobile software	iOS 18	iOS 18
Camera	48-megapixel (wide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing camera	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K
Processor	Apple A18	A16 Bionic
RAM/Storage	RAM unknown + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery/Charger	Up to 26 hours video playback, 21 hours streamed video playback, 90 hours of audio playback. 20W wired charging, 7.5W Qi wireless charging	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed). 20W wired charging, 15W MagSafe wireless charging
Fingerprint sensor	No, Face ID	No, Face ID
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance	5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, MagSafe, Dynamic Island
Price off-contract (USD)	$599 (128GB), $699 (256GB), $899 (512GB)	$699 (128GB), $799 (256GB), $999 (512GB)
Price (GBP)	£599 (128GB), £699 (256GB), £899 (512GB)	£699 (128GB), £799 (256GB), £999 (512GB)
Price (AUD)	AU$999 (128GB), AU$1,199 (256GB), AU$1,549 (512GB)	AU$1,249 (128GB), AU$1,449 (256GB), AU$1,799 (512GB)

Apple’s New iPhone 16E in 8 Photos

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 23 #599

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 599.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be Halloween-themed, as the answers are all rather dangerous. Some of them are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Please don’t eat me!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Remember Mr. Yuk?

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

POND, NOON, NODE, BALE, SOCK, LOVE, LOCK, MOCK, LEER, REEL, GLOVE, DAIS, LEAN, LEAD, REEL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

AZALEA, HEMLOCK, FOXGLOVE, OLEANDER, BELLADONNA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is POISONOUS. To find it, look for the P that is the first letter on the far left of the top row, and wind down and across.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 23, #395

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 395.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has one of those crazy purple categories, where you wonder if anyone saw the connection, or if people just put that grouping together because only those four words were left. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Fan noise.

Green group hint: Strategies for hoops.

Blue group hint: Minor league.

Purple group hint: Look for a connection to hoops.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Sounds from the crowd.

Green group: Basketball offenses.

Blue group: Triple-A baseball teams.

Purple group: Ends with a basketball stat.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is sounds from the crowd. The four answers are boo, cheer, clap and whistle.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is basketball offenses. The four answers are motion, pick and roll, Princeton and triangle.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is triple-A baseball teams. The four answers are Aces, Jumbo Shrimp, Sounds and Storm Chasers.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ends with a basketball stat. The four answers are afoul, bassist, counterpoint and sunblock.

Technologies

Amazon’s Delivery Drivers Will Soon Wear AI Smart Glasses to Work

The goal is to streamline the delivery process while keeping drivers safe.

Amazon announced on Wednesday that it is developing new AI-powered smart glasses to simplify the delivery experience for its drivers. CNET smart glasses expert Scott Stein mentioned this wearable rollout last month, and now the plan is in its final testing stages.

The goal is to simplify package delivery by reducing the need for drivers to look at their phones, the label on the package they’re delivering and their surroundings to find the correct address.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

A heads-up display will activate as soon as the driver parks, pointing out potential hazards and tasks that must be completed. From there, drivers can locate and scan packages, follow turn-by-turn directions and snap a photograph to prove delivery completion without needing to take out their phone.

The company is testing the glasses in select North American markets.

Watch: See our Instagram post with a video showing the glasses

A representative for Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

To fight battery drain, the glasses pair with a controller attached to the employee’s delivery vest, allowing them to replace depleted batteries and access operational controls. The glasses will support an employee’s eyeglass prescription. An emergency button will be within reach to ensure the driver’s safety.

Amazon is already planning future versions of the glasses, which will feature «real-time defect detection,» notifying the driver if a package was delivered to the incorrect address. They plan to add features to the glasses to detect if pets are in the yard and adjust to low light.