Apple announced four new iPhones a couple of months ago, including the ‘Plus’ model. In this article, we’ll compare that variant vs its predecessor. In other words, we’ll be comparing the Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Plus. These two phones are not the most powerful the company has to offer, but they are compelling in their own regard. They’re larger variants of vanilla models, basically.
While the two phones do look a lot alike, Apple did change some things from last year’s model to the new one, and it’s definitely worth noting those differences. We’ll first list the specifications of both smartphones, as we usually do, and will then move to compare them across a number of categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. So, let’s get to it.
Specs
Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Plus, respectively
– Screen size:
6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED ( flat, 60Hz, HDR, 2,000 nits)
– Display resolution:
2796 x 1290
– SoC:
Apple A18 (3nm)
Apple A16 Bionic
– RAM:
8GB
6GB
– Storage:
128GB/256GB/512GB (NVMe)
– Rear cameras:
48MP (wide, f/1.6 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor, 1.0um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF)
48MP (f/1.6 aperture, sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.4 aperture)
– Front cameras:
12MP (f/1.9 aperture, PDAF, 1/3.6-inch sensor size,)
12MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth
– Battery:
4,674mAh
4,383mAh
– Charging:
30W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included)
20W wired, 15W wireless (charger not included)
– Dimensions:
160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8 mm
– Weight:
199 grams
201 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Face ID (3D facial scanning)
– OS:
iOS 18
iOS 17
– Price:
$899+
– Buy:
Apple iPhone 16 Plus (Best Buy)
Apple iPhone 15 Plus (Best Buy)
Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Plus: Design
Design-wise, these two smartphones are very similar. There are two notable differences, though. The camera islands are different, and the iPhone 16 Plus also has two extra buttons. We’ll get to that, however, let’s start from the top. Both smartphones are made out of aluminum and glass. They both have flat displays and flat backplates. Their frame is also flat all around, though it does curve towards the edges, just a little bit, for comfort’s sake.
You’ll notice a pill-shaped cutout on the display, that’s there for the cameras and 3D facial scanning tech. The bezels around the displays are fairly thin, and basically the same in that regard. They’re also uniform. On the back, the iPhone 16 Plus has vertically-aligned cameras in the top-left corner. The ones on the iPhone 15 Plus have a different alignment, but the camera island is in the top-left corner as well.
On the right-hand side, the iPhone 16 Plus has a power/lock button and a Camera Control key. The iPhone 15 Plus has only a power/lock button there. On the left, the iPhone 16 Plus includes its volume rocker buttons and an Action Button. The iPhone 15 Plus has the volume up and down buttons too, and in addition to them, you’ll notice an alert slider there. Both smartphones include a Type-C port at the bottom.
The two phones are identical in terms of dimensions, completely identical. The iPhone 16 Plus is 2 grams lighter in comparison, so that’s basically the same too. Both of these smartphones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. They’re both also quite slippery.
Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Plus: Display
The displays are also identical here. They’re exactly the same, so we’ll talk about a single display, not two. You’ll find a 6.7-inch 2796 x 1290 Super Retina XDR OLED display on both of these smartphones. That display is flat, and it supports HDR10 content. Dolby Vision is also supported by this panel, while we’re looking at a 60Hz refresh rate here. So neither phone supports a high refresh rate, unfortunately.
Furthermore, the peak brightness on the panel is 2,000 nits. Even the screen-to-body ratio is the exact same on both, as they have the same bezel thickness. We’re looking at an 88% screen-to-body ratio here. The display aspect ratio is 19.5:9, and the display is protected by the Ceramic Shield Glass. That’s one difference here, as the newer model has a newer version of Ceramic Shield glass.
This display is very good. It’s more than sharp enough, while it’s also vivid, and offers deep blacks. The viewing angles are good, and the touch response is solid too. The display also gets bright enough when you need it, though not nearly as some flagship-grade ones do. It’s also sad that Apple didn’t include a high refresh rate here, as much more affordable smartphones have double the refresh rate of these two smartphones. Regular users mostly don’t care about that, though, so there you have it.
Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Plus: Performance
The iPhone 16 Plus is fueled by the Apple A18 processor. That is the company’s 3nm chip. The iPhone 15 Plus, on the flip side, is fueled by the Apple A16 Bionic chip, a 4nm processor. The iPhone 16 Plus does come with more RAM too, it includes 8GB of RAM compared to 6GB of RAM on the iPhone 15 Plus. Do note that both smartphones offer NVMe flash storage, and neither supports storage expansion.
The performance these two smartphones offer on a day-to-day basis is great. They’re very consistent in terms of performance, and very fluid too. Yes, the iPhone 16 Plus is more powerful, technically, but that’s not something you’d notice in day-to-day use. The iPhone 15 Plus is still more than powerful enough. Well, you may notice it during app launches, if you really look for it, but in general, both smartphones offer great performance.
They can both run truly demanding games too. The iPhone 16 Plus is technically more future-proof in that regard, but there’s plenty of power inside the Apple A16 Bionic, so you shouldn’t be worried when the games are concerned. You may notice a difference with the most demanding titles, though. They both get quite warm during prolonged gaming sessions, but neither one has issues with overheating or anything of the sort.
Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Plus: Battery
The iPhone 16 Plus includes a 4,674mAh battery on the inside, while its predecessor has a 4,383mAh battery. Considering how similar they are otherwise, and the fact that the iPhone 16 Plus has a more power-efficient SoC, you’d expect that the iPhone 16 Plus has notably better battery life. Well, it does, it actually has outstanding battery life, and the iPhone 15 Plus is not that far behind.
If you’re looking for an iPhone with truly outstanding battery life, getting either one of these is a good call, though the iPhone 16 Plus does win in that category. The screen-on-time numbers these two smartphones can provide are very high, and for some people they’ll easily be able to hold a charge for two days, as the standby time is also very good on both. The iPhone 16 Plus does offer around 15% better battery life, though, from what we’ve seen.
When it comes to charging, the new model does have the edge. It supports 30W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. The iPhone 15 Plus supports 20W wired, 15W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. The new model does charge faster both via a wire and wirelessly. Do note that neither phone comes with a charger, though.
Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Apple iPhone 15 Plus: Cameras
Each of these two phones has two cameras on the back. The main camera is exactly the same, but there are some differences in the ultrawide department. The iPhone 16 Plus has a larger aperture on the ultrawide camera (f/2.2 vs f/2.4 that was used last year) and also supports autofocus, which results in better close-up shots. The difference is actually quite noticeable. It also makes a difference for low-light shots.
Both smartphones include a 48-megapixel main camera (f/1.6 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor size, sensor-shift OIS). That camera is exactly the same on both, and the results are basically the same too. Both devices are quite capable of taking good images in all scenarios, though do note that this phone won’t do as good of a job as the ‘Pro’ models in low light. It does a good job, but if you’re looking for the best out there, there are many better options for low light.
The ultrawide camera on the iPhone 16 Plus certainly does a better job in low light. The images end up being more detailed, while it seemingly takes a photo faster too. Macro shots are better from the iPhone 16 Plus, while regular images during the day are similar, though the iPhone 16 Plus does pull ahead in some scenarios. Video recording is really good on both smartphones, as are selfie shots.
Audio
Both of these phones include stereo speakers, but not, they’re not the same. The speakers on the iPhone 16 Plus are notably louder, though the sound quality coming from both is really good, on par.
There is no audio jack on either of these two smartphones. You can use their Type-C ports in order to connect your wired headphones, though. Alternatively, Bluetooth 5.3 is supported by both phones.
