iPhones are expensive; so is every flagship-level smartphone. At time of writing the latest iPhone checks in at $799 if you’re buying it new, and that’s just for the base model. But if you’re in the market for a brand-new iPhone, maybe you want to save a bit of money and pick up a flagship from two years ago. The iPhone 15 is still a very capable smartphone in its own right. Apple has already discontinued it with the launch of the iPhone 17 in fall 2025, but you can still buy a new iPhone 15 from all three carriers in the U.S. today for $629.99.

There’s also the used market. Swappa is a nice second-hand market for phones and other electronics. You can pick up a used iPhone 15 there for right around $320 or so. Just be sure to ask the seller about the device’s battery health. Apple typically supports its devices for between five to seven years after it launches, which means you have a solid 2.5 or more likely even 4.5 years of software support left.

But if you’re going to go with a new iPhone from one of the carriers, instead you might want to consider the iPhone 17e, which is brand new — just released in March 2026. The 17e sells for just $599, which is $30 less than the iPhone 15 and is a better phone for all intents and purposes, which just one exception.

When you choose the iPhone 17e over the iPhone 15, you get upgrades to most of the main features of the older handset. The base storage is 256GB over 128GB that you get with the base iPhone 15. You also get 8GB of RAM as opposed to 6GB. The processor in the iPhone 17e is the Apple A19, as opposed to the A16 Bionic if the iPhone 15. You also get a 33% larger battery on the iPhone 17e.

The only upgrade the iPhone 15 carries over the iPhone 17e is the second ultrawide camera, which are nice for taking in a larger scene where backing up isn’t really an option. The single camera sensor on the 17e is pretty good, as is the primary camera setup on the iPhone 15. The second camera is a bonus for sure, but most would agree that the cumulative upgrades of the iPhone 17e are worth far more than an extra camera sensor that you may or may not use.

If the iPhone 17e didn’t exist, then the iPhone 15 is not a bad way to go. But it’s also worth mentioning that for less than $100 more than the asking price of the 17e you can get an iPhone 16, which is still sold by Apple whereas the iPhone 15 has been discontinued by the Cupertino company. Put into perspective, the idea of buying a new iPhone 15 is almost laughable. If you pick one up on the secondary market for less than half its normal retail price, that’s a different conversation. But if you’re buying new, there are two better alternatives to explore.