Which pink iPhone is right for you? iPhone 15 vs iPhone 16.
The iPhone 15 lineup came in very light, pastel colors and literally pale in comparison to the deep colors of the iPhone 16 lineup.
Our household ended up with these two shades of pink because my wife can’t decide between which pink she wanted, and the only way to really tell which color is best is to look at both of them in person.
She was heavily leaning towards the iPhone 15’s pastel look, but she also likes the deeper pink of the 16 because the all-aluminum sides look lighter in brighter light resembling the iPhone 15, whereas the iPhone 15 in pink looks almost like starlight in bright light.
She was also intrigued by the Action Button that can be changed as needed and the Camera Control button which I told her is best for launching the camera, and that’s it.
That being said, if you’re a fan of pink, these are your two best options available right now. Even though many people will default to the latest iPhone, it really depends on your needs and budget, especially if your carrier is offering a deep discount on an iPhone 15 compared to the 16. I know a guy who bought an iPhone 14 Plus through his carrier just a few months before the 16 was about to be announced, and he essentially got it for free.
The iPhone 15 is in a similar situation right now with the iPhone 17 only 6 months away, and the deals will only get better as carriers are trying to clear out inventory.
If you’re buying straight out of pocket though, get the iPhone 16 because it has many advancements for only $100:
A18 chip vs an almost 3 year old A16 chip.
At least one more major software update over the iPhone 15.
Macro photography and video.
Faster wired and wireless charging.
Apple Intelligence.
Camera Control button.
Spatial photos and videos making them more 3D and lifelike for Vision Pro compatibility.
Action Button vs Mute Switch.
Glancing at the phone in-store (or just the box) doesn’t always give you the best lighting to really appreciate the color of the device, so here’s some comparison photos of the two vastly different pink iPhones in different lighting conditions.
Unboxing under white light.
The iPhone 15 has the diagonal camera layout vs the capsule-like layout of the iPhone 16.
The lighter pink starts fading to a starlight color in brighter light.
Even the USB-C ports are color coded, which is great attention to detail.
Dim natural lighting.
Near warm LED lighting, with an iPhone 16 Pro Max in White Titanium for reference.
The iPhone 15 gives off a Rose Gold look.
The iPhone 15 pink is almost a starlight color in this photo with natural light on a cloudy day.
Difficult lighting situation with natural light contrasted with warm LEDs bleeding through in the background.
Outdoors in well-lit rainy weather.
