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) |
Technologies
Waymo’s Self-Driving Cars Are in a Growing Number of Cities. Here’s Everything to Know
The robotaxi service keeps adding locations to its roster. Here’s where you can hail a ride now — and where the futuristic vehicles will be arriving soon.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, May 6
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for May 6.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword has a tricky clue. 4-Across asks for «a little horse» (pairing with 5-Across and «a little hoarse»). You might be surprised how many words for little horse fit that four-letter space. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Everest and Kilimanjaro: Abbr.
Answer: MTS
4A clue: A little horse
Answer: FOAL
5A clue: A little hoarse
Answer: RASPY
6A clue: Perfect
Answer: IDEAL
7A clue: Unlike houses that have been professionally staged
Answer: MESSY
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Hero of the Passover Seder
Answer: MOSES
2D clue: Spanish small plates
Answer: TAPAS
3D clue: In a sneaky way
Answer: SLYLY
4D clue: Lessen over time
Answer: FADE
5D clue: What airballs fail to touch
Answer: RIM
How to play more Mini Crosswords
The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.
Technologies
Trump Calls for 100% Tariff on Foreign Movies, With Hollywood Seeking Answers
It’s not just hard goods like cars and smartphones. Tariffs could become a factor in the costs of making and watching movies.
Movies are a new focal point for the Trump administration’s campaign to impose tariffs across a wide range of industries, from tech to textiles and beyond.
In a Sunday night social media post, President Donald Trump said the US movie industry «is DYING a very fast death.» He wrote that he’s authorizing a 100% tariff «on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.»
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick quoted the president and responded, «We’re on it.»
Trump’s latest tariff call to action raised a host of questions without much direction on where the answers might lie. What criteria define how a movie is produced overseas? Would the tariffs affect only future releases or would they also apply to films already in the market, like the the wildly successful A Minecraft Movie, which was mostly shot in New Zealand? US film studios often shoot overseas with the help of incentives from countries. The tariffs almost certainly would affect foreign-made films such as the Oscar-winning animated film Flow from Latvia.
From the Los Angeles set of a Toyota commercial, director and Tulsa King actor James Quattrochi told CNET that his phone began to blow up last night on the Trump news. «Everyone’s calling me and I go, ‘I’m not the White House, why are you asking me?'»
As pointed out by The Hollywood Reporter and others, it’s unclear how streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu would be affected, such as the potential impact on subscriber fees and the kinds of content that those services offer. And what about TV shows? Among the top hits on Netflix alone are Squid Game, from South Korea, and The Crown, from the UK.
Trump contended in his social media post that foreign tax incentives for movie production amount to «a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat,» which allows him to levy tariffs under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act. That claim would be open to legal challenge.
It’s also unclear if film tariffs would be considered legal in light of Section 1702 of the US Code, which explicitly prohibits a president from regulating imports and exports of films, publications and other media.
Filmmakers weigh in
The entertainment industry is grappling with what the tariff initiative, if implemented, could mean. In one estimate from The Wrap, an expert suggested it could cost Netflix $3 billion a year and cut 20% from its earnings.
Meanwhile, some independent filmmakers and workers noted that their industries have struggled to keep film productions in the US and that tariffs might spur reconsideration of film towns such as Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta.
Quattrochi, who is in three film-related unions, said it’s been difficult to push for incentives in California and to keep costs down.
«It’s just so expensive. And we’re fighting. … The UK, Ireland, Canada and other countries are really getting a lot of work,» he said. If tariffs against foreign film production do happen, he said, it could be enough to keep work in places like Hollywood. «People are complaining that there’s no work because everything’s leaving the country.»
Talk of a foreign movie tariff, he said, could raise awareness of the film industry’s struggle to keep it local. «Hopefully this open’s everybody’s eyes that the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles, is no longer. We need to do something.»
Filmmaker David Wortham Brooks owns a production company that Disney bought in 2019 and sold back to him in 2023. He said he’s still weighing the implications the potential tariffs will have on foreign films and licensing.
Brooks has worked on films in Morocco, Bangladesh and England, but has been based in Los Angeles primarily. As far as keeping shooting in the US, he says he favors Trump’s idea.
«Anything that could bring production back to LA, I’m all for it,» Brooks said. «The proposition of bringing it back to the states, particularly back to Hollywood, is very appealing to me. It has been slow; everything that can be done to mobilize the workforce, it is welcome in my book.»
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