Apples new iPhone 16e isnt quite as budget-friendly as the iPhone SE it replaced, but its still a fantastic option for users looking to upgrade without breaking the bank. For iPhone 15 owners specifically, there are five big upgrades that come with the iPhone 16e vs. your current 15.#1: Apple Intelligence supportApple tends to offer pretty solid ongoing support for its devices years after launch. But controversially, the base iPhone 15 and 15 Plus do not support Apple Intelligence despite debuting only a year prior to AIs launch.Whatever you think of the Apple Intelligence features that are available so far, future iOS updates will only continue adding to the iPhones AI capabilities. And if you buy an iPhone 16e, youll get all of those features thrown in. If you stick with your iPhone 15, youll continue to miss out.#2: A18 chipThe iPhone 16e is launching less than 18 months after the iPhone 15, but its chip is a full two generations better. The A18 included in the new iPhone offers improved performance compared to the iPhone 15s A16 Bionic. It also is a much more future-proof chip, largely thanks to its Apple Intelligence support.#3: Better battery lifeThere are few things that matter more on an iPhone than battery life, and this is another area the iPhone 16e shines compared to the 15.Here are Apples quotes for video playback, its standard battery benchmark:iPhone 16e: 26 hoursiPhone 15: 20 hoursYour experience in daily use will of course vary, but per these numbers you should expect about a 30% increase in battery performance with an iPhone 16e.#4: Action buttonThe iPhone 15 was the last model Apple included the classic ring/silent switch with. That same year, the 15 Pro introduced an Action button in its place, and that same Action button is now included with the iPhone 16e.The Action button can be configured to perform practically any function you want, such as:launching the Camera appentering a Focus moderunning a timertriggering a shortcutusing Shazam to identify a songor activating any control available in Control CenterOf course, you can also still make it toggle between ring and silent, if thats your preference.#5: 8GB RAMFinally in terms of big upgrades, the iPhone 15 has 6GB of RAM, while the new iPhone 16e comes with 8GB. This 33% increase enables Apple Intelligence support but should also lead to smoother performance in iOS overall, especially as future software updates put more demands on your iPhones hardware.Losses when upgrading to the iPhone 16eIts not all positives when upgrading from an iPhone 15. This should perhaps be obvious by the fact that the iPhone 16e costs $100 less$599 vs. $699.Heres the list of noteworthy iPhone 16e omissions compared to the iPhone 15:No Ultra Wide camera or Macro modeNo Dynamic Island, just a standard notchNo MagSafe support, but you can still charge wirelesslyDisplay isnt quite as brightNo Cinematic mode or Action mode for videoNo Ultra Wideband chip for precision findingDepending on your device use, these losses could either be a real issue or not a problem at all.iPhone 16e vs iPhone 15: wrap-upOverall, the iPhone 16e has a lot going for it as a budget-sensitive option to gain Apple Intelligence support. Getting better battery life and the Action button thrown in are compelling upgrades too. But if youd have a hard time giving up the Dynamic Island, MagSafe, or some other iPhone 15 advantages, it might be worth spending the extra $200 to get an iPhone 16 instead.Will you upgrade from an iPhone 15 to the iPhone 16e? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel