What are the major differences between the iPhone 15 (2023), iPhone 16 (2024), and iPhone 17 (2025)? Aren't these iPhone models basically the same?

Please note that the iPhone 15 has been discontinued. Apple continues to sell the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 as new. This Q&A can be quite helpful for anyone considering one of these models whether new or used.

There are a dozen different variants of the iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17, but this EveryiPhone.com Q&A primarily covers collective differences to make it easy to figure out which device is best for you.

First, it definitely would be an overstatement to say that the iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 models are the same. These models have some common aspects, but also some substantial differences. The differences between these lines are not obvious, though, and require detailed attention, accordingly.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Left to Right: iPhone 15, 16, 17; Black Options)

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Left to Right: iPhone 15, 16, 17; Green Options)

In very basic terms, although there are specific part differences, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models tend to have internals that have much in common with the iPhone "Pro" models from the year before and externals and feature support that are closer to improvements from the previous year's entry-level option. This pattern doesn't quite hold for the iPhone 17, and if anything, it makes a detailed analysis between the three lines particularly worthwhile.

External Design & Functionality Differences

The iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 models all use a rounded rectangle design with a glass front and back and an aluminum case with flat edges. All three models have a "Ceramic Shield" over the display for durability -- the iPhone 17 has a "Ceramic 2 Shield" said to provide "3x better" scratch resistance than the original -- and are waterproof to the IP68 standard for up to 30 minutes of water exposure to a depth of six meters. All three support the "Dynamic Island" interface feature at the top of the display, as well.

All three models also have stereo speakers, a USB-C port, magnetic "MagSafe" charging capability, and Face ID authentication. Many models sold outside of the United States also have a side-mounted access panel for physical SIM access (US models from all three lines only support eSIM as do iPhone 17 models sold in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and a handful of other countries).

Other capabilities and features are a bit different. The iPhone 15 has a simple ring/silent toggle switch whereas the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 have a physical programmable "Action" button and a physical "Camera Control" button -- essentially a modern take on a camera shutter release -- to make photography potentially easier.

The iPhone 17 display is a bit larger and substantially better quality than its predecessors.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 have a 6.1" OLED "Super Retina XDR" display (2556x1179, 460 ppi, 1000 nits max brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness HDR, 2000 nits peak brightness outdoors). The iPhone 16 also adds a 1 nit minimum brightness capability for potentially reduced eyestrain.

The iPhone 17, on the other hand, has an "Always-On" 6.3" OLED "Super Retina XDR" display with ProMotion (2622x1206, 460 ppi, 1000 nits max brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness HDR; 3000 nits peak brightness outdoors; 1 nit minimum brightness). It also has a 2,000,000:1 typical contrast ratio and adaptive refresh rates up to 120 Hz.

These differences, along with the very similar dimensions and weight, are below:

	iPhone 15	iPhone 16	iPhone 17
Material:	Aluminum/Glass	Aluminum/Glass	Aluminum/Glass
Port:	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Button:	Ring/Silent	Action	Action
Camera Control:	No	Yes	Yes
Display:	6.1" OLED	6.1" OLED	6.3" OLED
Resolution:	2556x1179	2556x1179	2622x1206
Always On:	No	No	Yes
ProMotion:	No	No	Yes
Max Brightness:	1000 nits	1000 nits	1000 nits
HDR Brightness:	1600 nits	1600 nits	1600 nits
Outdoors:	2000 nits	2000 nits	3000 nits
Min Brightness:	N/A	1 nit	1 nit
Dynamic Island:	Yes	Yes	Yes
Speakers:	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo
Inductive:	Yes (Qi/Qi2)	Yes (Qi/Qi2)	Yes (Qi/Qi2)
MagSafe:	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dimensions (In):	5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31	5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31	5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31
Weight:	6.02 oz. (171 g)	6.0 oz. (170 g)	6.24 oz. (177 g)

Housing Color Differences

The iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 all have a variety of colors options, but except for black, which is roughly the same, they are not the same colors.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPhone 15 Colors)

The iPhone 15 (above) is offered in five colors (left to right) -- Black in addition to muted, pastel shades of Blue, Green, Yellow, and Pink.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPhone 16 Colors)

The iPhone 16 (above) is offered in five different colors (left to right) -- Black and White as well as vibrant shades of Pink, Teal, and "Ultramarine" (Blue).

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPhone 17 Colors)

Finally, the iPhone 17 (above) has five subdued color options -- Black, White, Sage (Green), "Mist Blue", and Lavender (left to right).

As you can see, the colors are quite different between lines. Black always is a safe, albeit maybe a little boring, choice. Personally, we prefer the more subdued colors provided by the iPhone 17, but some people really love the more vibrant choices provided by the iPhone 16. Color definitely is a personal choice.

Camera Differences

The rear cameras in the iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 are a notable point of differentiation.

Front Cameras

The front-facing camera on all of these models -- which Apple calls "TrueDepth" on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 and "Center Stage" on the iPhone 17 -- support Face ID authentication, augmented reality (AR), still photos, and video, but the software and hardware is more advanced in the iPhone 17.

Most notably, the iPhone 17 "Center Stage" functionality automatically pans and zooms to keep subjects in frame during selfies and videocalls alike. The iPhone 17 camera has a higher megapixel sensor, as well:

	iPhone 15	iPhone 16	iPhone 17
Megapixels:	12 MP	12 MP	18 MP
Aperture:	f/1.9	f/1.9	f/1.9
Video:	4K	4K	4K

Rear Cameras

The rear cameras in the iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 all shoot 4K video and stills and have dual cameras, but there is a significant jump in capability between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17:

	iPhone 15	iPhone 16	iPhone 17
Megapixels:	48 MP/12 MP	48 MP/12 MP	48 MP/48 MP
Main:	f/1.6	f/1.6	f/1.6
Ultra Wide:	f/2.4	f/2.2	f/2.2
Telephoto:	None	None	None
Dolby Vision:	4K	4K	4K
Digital Zoom:	2x-10x	2x-10x	2x-10x

By combining an image from both cameras, these models all emulate a 2x optical zoom. Apple advertises that the Fusion Main camera in the iPhone 17 also "enables" 12 megapixel "optical-quality" 2x Telephoto (52 mm focal length, f/1.6 aperture).

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 provide support for macro photography and more advanced photographic styles, too.

Identification Differences

The iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 are easy to mix up with each other and other iPhone models, as well. It is not possible to visually identify specific iPhone 15, iPhone 16, or iPhone 17 models, either.

Accordingly, one relatively simple way to uniquely identify the exact iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 is by the Model Number listed on the cardboard shipping box and within the iOS "Settings" app as well as other locations.

Consequently, for the purpose of this Q&A, it is sufficient to note that the following model numbers refer to these iPhone devices:

iPhone Model	Model No
iPhone 15 (US)	A2846
iPhone 15 (CA/MX/JP/SA)	A3089
iPhone 15 (Global)	A3090
iPhone 15 (China)	A3092
iPhone 16 (US)	A3081
iPhone 16 (CA/MX/JP/SA)	A3286
iPhone 16 (Global)	A3287
iPhone 16 (China)	A3288
iPhone 17 (US)	A3258
iPhone 17 (CA/MX/JP/SA)	A3519
iPhone 17 (Global)	A3520
iPhone 17 (China)	A3521

EveryiPhone.com's Ultimate iLookup feature also can precisely identify these iPhone models by Order Number (referred to as "Model" within the iOS "Settings" app under General > About).

Battery Life Differences

The iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 all have excellent battery life, but the iPhone 17 is the best of the three:

	iPhone 15	iPhone 16	iPhone 17
Streamed Video:	16 Hours	18 Hours	27 Hours
Video Playback:	20 Hours	22 Hours	30 Hours
Audio Playback:	80 Hours	80 Hours	--

Apple no longer provides an estimate of audio playback time for the iPhone 17, but it is a safe bet that it is longer than the earlier models, as well.

Wireless Connectivity & Data Differences

There are specific 5G band differences for different iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 models depending on the location sold, but they all support fast 5G connectivity.

All three models also support dual SIMs, but specifics vary. Models sold in the United States support dual eSIMs and models sold in China support dual physical Nano SIM. Models sold just about everywhere else have dual eSIMs and a single physical Nano SIM.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 additionally support the newer Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) standard compared to Wi-Fi 6 for the iPhone 15.

Internal Differences

The iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 have significantly different internal specs:

	iPhone 15	iPhone 16	iPhone 17
Clockspeed:	3.5 GHz	4.0 GHz	4.25 GHz
Processor:	Apple A16 Bionic	Apple A18	Apple A19
CPU:	6 Cores	6 Cores	6 Cores
GPU:	5 Cores	5 Cores	5 Cores
RAM:	6 GB	8 GB	8 GB
Storage:	128/256/512 GB	128/256/512 GB	256/512 GB

In benchmark tests, the iPhone 16 is about 29% faster than the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 17 is about 13% to 17% faster than the iPhone 16. The more substantial jump in performance from the iPhone 15 to the iPhone 16, no doubt, is because of the increase in RAM.

iOS Support Differences

The iPhone 15 originally shipped with iOS 17, the iPhone 16 with iOS 18, and the iPhone 17 with iOS 26.

All three support iOS 26, the current version of the iOS, but the iPhone 15 does not support the Apple Intelligence (AI) feature whereas the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 do.

It's always hard to know for sure whether this restriction is an artificial limitation to encourage new -- and/or more expensive -- hardware purchases, but if it is a genuine technical requirement, the extra RAM in the newer iPhone models may be the necessary difference.

iPhone 15, iPhone 16 & iPhone 17 Comparison Chart

These differences as well as other details and pricing information is summarized below:

	iPhone 15	iPhone 16	iPhone 17
Introduced:	Sep 2023	Sep 2024	Sep 2025
Discontinued:	Sep 2025	Current	Current
Processor:	3.5 GHz A16	4.0 GHz A18	4.25 GHz A19
RAM:	6 GB	8 GB	8 GB
Storage:	128/256/512 GB	128/256/512 GB	256/512 GB
Battery Life:	16-20 Hours	18-22 Hours	27-30 Hours
Display:	6.1" OLED	6.1" OLED	6.3" OLED
Resolution:	2556x1179	2556x1179	2622x1206
Always On:	No	No	Yes
ProMotion:	No	No	Yes
Front Camera:	12 MP	12 MP	18 MP
Rear Camera:	2 (48/12 MP)	2 (48/12 MP)	2 (48/48 MP)
Material:	Alum/Glass	Alum/Glass	Alum/Glass
Dynamic Island:	Yes	Yes	Yes
Action Button:	No	Yes	Yes
Camera Control:	No	Yes	Yes
Port:	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
MagSafe:	Yes	Yes	Yes
SIM Card:	Nano/eSIM x2	Nano/eSIM x2	Nano/eSIM x2
5G Cellular:	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wi-Fi:	6	7	7
Thread:	No	Yes	Yes
Original iOS:	iOS 17	iOS 18	iOS 26
Maximum iOS:	iOS 26	iOS 26	iOS 26
Apple AI:	No	Yes	Yes
Original* (US):	US$799 US$899 US$1099	US$799 US$899 US$1099	US$799 US$999
Current* (US):	Used Only	US$699	US$799 US$999

* Note that these prices are for devices unlocked and paid in full upfront. On September 9, 2025, Apple discontinued the iPhone 15 as well as the 256 GB and 512 GB configuration options of the iPhone 16 and cut the price of the remaining 128 GB configuration to US$699.

For pricing in dozens of countries, see the "Global Prices" on the specs page for each iPhone as well as the "By Global Original Prices" section of EveryiPhone.com.

So, which is for me? Should I buy an iPhone 15, iPhone 16, or iPhone 17?

Just between the iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 (and ignoring other models), the newest iPhone 17 clearly is the best of the three.

When purchased new, the iPhone 17 is only US$100 more than the iPhone 16, but this gets you (1) a much better quality, slightly larger, and more durable display, (2) twice the storage capacity (256 GB instead of 128 GB), (3) better battery life, (4) faster performance, and (5) both better front and rear cameras. Clearly, this is a lot of extra value for US$100 and the iPhone 17 is the best choice, accordingly.

On the used market, both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 will cost less and definitely remain well worth consideration for those on a budget, but note that the iPhone 15 does not support Apple Intelligence (AI) capability, should that be important to you.

Even if Apple Intelligence is not of critical importance to you, compared to the iPhone 15, the iPhone 16 also is (1) significantly faster and (2) has more RAM. This extra RAM in particular likely will mean that it will support the current version of the iOS longer and probably would end up being cheaper on an annual usage basis for someone who takes good care of their hardware if purchased today. The iPhone 16 also has (3) a bit better battery life and (4) faster Wi-Fi 7 support.

Of course, for those on a budget, any number of other iPhone models will be cheaper on the used market and are worth considering, too.

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Please also see EveryiPhone.com's Ultimate iComparison feature to dynamically compare any iPhone model to any other iPod, iPhone, or iPad.