Is an iPhone 15 still worth your money in 2026?

The iPhone 15 is still available three years after its release, but how does its value compare to other options?

Apple's yearly iPhone releases usually offer small iterations on the design. And while there are under-the-hood spec bumps, many of the best annual upgrades come via the revamped OS. Thankfully, the upcoming iOS 27 will work with iPhone models dating back to the iPhone 11 and second-gen iPhone SE.

That may make you think that an iPhone 15 (our review) , currently two generations old and soon-to-be three, is still worth getting today. It's the oldest model still offered by retailers and carriers, often available for a discounted rate, and it has decent specs and cameras. However, upon further inspection, it's not as good a deal as you think.

Apple does support its phones for a good while, with typically five to seven years of software updates. But when you consider value, you can get an iPhone 17e for roughly the same price as an iPhone 15, and it beats the iPhone 15 in nearly every relevant area. In fact, some carriers at the time of writing, like T-Mobile, are charging slightly more for an iPhone 15 than the iPhone 17e.

The main distinction is the dual-camera system of the iPhone 15 compared to the 17e's single back camera. But if you're only snapping casual shots for social media, this may not make a difference to you.

Even though it's two generations old, the iPhone 15 is still available brand-new. However, you'll more often locate refurbished or pre-owned models. Given its age and price, its main competition is the iPhone 17e, which our reviewer calls an "economical choice" that "checks boxes for the basics."

You can find a pre-owned, unlocked iPhone 15 in excellent condition for about $540 from Best Buy, for example, while the iPhone 17e brand-new is $600. With the iPhone 17e being more than two years newer and its hardware beating the iPhone 15 in nearly every way that matters, it's an easy choice for most people. Plus, the iPhone 17e starts at 256GB of storage, while the older model began at 128GB. Upgrading to a 256GB iPhone 15 cost an extra $100 upon release, further illustrating the 17e's value.

While the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max (our review) were the first two phones to get Apple Intelligence, the base model iPhone 15 was left out of that mix. Its A16 chip isn't powerful enough to support AI, compared to the A17 in the Pro models of that line. That alone dates the device, but there's more to consider.