Technologies

Apple iPhone 16E vs. iPhone 15: Which Lower-Cost iPhone Is Best for You?

Apple’s 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 lowest-cost iPhone that the company sells, 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

VPNSecure Customers Discover Their Lifetime Subscriptions Were Canceled

The new owner of VPNSecure said it didn’t know about the lifetime deals when it bought the VPN provider two years ago.

Lifetime means lifetime. Except when it doesn’t. That has been the dilemma of some VPNSecure customers, whose lifetime subscriptions were canceled by the new owners of the VPN provider — without the customers being told in advance that the subscriptions would end.

A Reddit user posted a copy of a message they said they received from VPNSecure’s new owner. In that message, the company tells customers that it did not know about the lifetime deals when it purchased the company in May 2023.

A VPN, or virtual private network, encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address, which can make your physical location detectable. A VPN enables you to keep your online activity private and trick apps and websites into thinking you’re in a different state or even country. For an in-depth look at VPNs, check out CNET’s guide to everything you need to know about VPNs and how they work.

In its email to customers, VPNSecure outlined the situation regarding the lifetime deals. The email said that the owner bought «the technology, domain, and customer database-but not the liabilities. Unfortunately, the previous owner did not disclose that thousands of Lifetime Deals (LTDs) had been sold through platforms like StackSocial.»

According to the email, the company deactivated accounts that had been dormant for six months or more, then later canceled all the lifetime deals as of April 28.

In the email, VPNSecure said that its «resources were strained by these LTD accounts» that «provide no sustaining income to help us improve and maintain the service.»

A representative for VPNSecure did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Customers are not happy

Several miffed customers weighed in with angry comments on Trustpilot.

«I had bought a ‘lifetime’ subscription a few years ago,» one person wrote. «Horrible new owners come in and cancel everything claiming ignorance. Either they’re idiots or they’re scammers — not sure which is worse.»

In response to customer reactions, VPNSecure is offering discounted new subscriptions to users whose lifetime deals were canceled. They can pay $1.87 for a month (instead of $9.95), $19 for one year (instead of $79.92), or $55 for three years (instead of $107.64). The deals are available until May 31, according to the email that was posted on Reddit.

Technologies

Coming Soon to Apple Devices: Brain Control Accessibility Features

A standard for brain implants that would allow disabled people to control devices such as iPhones and the Apple Vision Pro could be available for developers this year.

Apple is making progress on a standard for brain implant devices that can help people with disabilities control devices such as iPhones with their thoughts. As reported in The Wall Street Journal, Apple has plans to release that standard to other developers later this year.

The company has partnered with Synchron, which has been working with other companies, including Amazon, on ways to make devices more accessible. Synchron makes an implant called a Stentrode that is implanted in a vein on the brain’s motor cortex. Once implanted, the Stentrode can read brain signals and translate that to movement on devices including iPhones, iPads and Apple’s Vision Pro VR headset.

As we saw last year, a patient with ALS testing the Synchron technology was able to navigate menus in the Vision Pro device and use it to experience the Swiss Alps in VR. The technology could become more widely available to people with paralysis. The company has a community portal for those interested in learning about future tests.

Synchron has also been working on ways to use the interface with ChatGPT.

Effects on accessibility

Although Apple is planning to release its standards, it may be a while before the kinds of technology made by Synchron and Elon Musk’s brain-interface company Neuralink reach a mass audience of those who need it.

«It’s important to keep in mind that while amazing medical interventions are becoming possible, the timeline for full mainstream adoption of people with severe mobility disabilities is still long, and we should maintain a focus on ensuring that we are making products accessible now,» said Bob Farrell, vice president for solution delivery and accessibility at Applause, a technology testing company that recently released an accessibility report.

Farrell said that Apple has helped lead a shift in the tech industry to make products available to a wider audience of those with disabilities.

«Apple recognized the social and business benefit to building inclusive products, and we’re seeing an uptick in other industries focusing on inclusivity, like gaming,» he said. «Game companies are now competing for accessibility awards and driving innovation forward in an industry that has traditionally argued it’s exempt from legal requirements around accessibility — yet demand for inclusion remains, and companies are innovating in this area.»

Making products truly inclusive, Farrell said, takes a lot of work and commitment and, Apple aside, not all of them invest and prioritize or seek out input from people with disabilities.

«We encourage more organizations to involve people with disabilities at every stage of the product-development lifecycle, from early conceptual research to both formal and informal usability testing with assistive technologies,» Farrell said.

«We’d also encourage more companies, especially those leading in consumer tech, to collaborate with accessibility experts and the disability community from the outset. Real-world feedback and testing can uncover critical usability issues that internal teams and automated tools will miss,» he said.

Other Apple announcements

Separately, Apple announced a set of new accessibility features it plans to roll out later this year. They include:

Accessibility Nutrition Labels in the App Store will show accessibility features in games and other apps.
A Magnifier tool for Mac, similar to the one available in iOS.
Braille Access through compatible braille devices allowing for note taking, access to more books and live captions for braille displays.
An Accessibility Reader mode across iOS, Mac and Vision Pro.
Live Captions for Apple Watch.
Enhanced View on Vision Pro.
Other features and updates are listed on its blog.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day is on May 15.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for May 14, #1425

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle No. 1,425 for May 14.

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

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a fairly goofy word. It’s a musical instrument that might not come to your ming right away, and it could be tough to guess. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.