On T-Mobile's pricing chart, the iPhone 15 is currently priced slightly higher than the iPhone 17e—meaning a phone launched in September 2023, now the oldest model in Apple's active lineup, can't even undercut a newer entry-level phone released two years later. Engadget writer Christine Persaud's conclusion after comparing the two is blunt: the iPhone 15 isn't a bad buy per se, but in most cases, it's not the smart choice.
Apple's annual iPhone updates have always leaned toward minor design tweaks paired with software upgrades, and the upcoming iOS 27 will reportedly support devices as far back as the iPhone 11 and second-gen iPhone SE. That makes it easy to assume older models still have plenty of software life left and are worth grabbing at a discount. Take Best Buy, for example: a used, unlocked iPhone 15 in good condition runs about $540, while a brand-new iPhone 17e costs $600—a gap of less than $70.
Full Spec Comparison: The 17e Wins on Nearly Every Front
Storage is the most obvious gap: the iPhone 17e starts at 256GB, while the iPhone 15 launched with just 128GB as the base—upgrading to 256GB back then cost an extra $100. In other words, you'd be paying today's price for a storage tier that was already scaled back three years ago.
Chip and memory are also dividing lines. The iPhone 15 runs on the A16 Bionic, which doesn't have enough processing power to support Apple Intelligence—back then, only the A17-equipped iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max could handle that feature. As for RAM, the iPhone 15 has 6GB, while the iPhone 17e, launched in March 2026, comes with 8GB, creating a noticeable gap in multitasking and resource-heavy gaming performance. Battery capacity also differs: 3,349mAh on the iPhone 15 versus 4,005mAh on the iPhone 17e, though both share the same charging speeds—20W wired and 15W wireless. The iPhone 15 is also slightly heavier and still uses the original Ceramic Shield, missing out on the Ceramic Shield 2 found on the 17e.
A Few Areas Where the iPhone 15 Still Holds an Edge
Not every spec favors the newer phone. The iPhone 15's display hits 2,000 nits of brightness, outshining the iPhone 17e's 1,200 nits for outdoor visibility in strong sunlight. It also edges out slightly on resolution, at 2,556 x 1,179 versus the 17e's 2,532 x 1,170—though the difference is barely noticeable. Design-wise, the iPhone 15 keeps the Dynamic Island, while the 17e reverts to a notch. On cameras, the iPhone 15 sticks with a dual-lens setup, while the 17e has just a single rear camera—though the resolution of the main and front cameras is actually identical between the two. If you're just snapping casual photos for social media, this difference may not matter much.
Engadget's review also describes the iPhone 17e as "the budget-friendly choice" that "checks all the essential boxes." As for the iPhone 16, also brought into the comparison—despite adding the Action Button, Camera Control, and the Apple Intelligence-ready A18 chip—it's priced higher than both of the other two models, making it less of a value pick than the iPhone 17e.
If you happen to catch a great deal on the iPhone 15 and just want an entry point into the iPhone ecosystem, the older model still gets the job done. But overall, spending a bit more on the iPhone 17e gets you more storage, a newer chip, and longer battery life—plus access to Apple Intelligence if you can use it. For most people, that math isn't hard to figure out.
