iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 50+ Differences Compared

[jprmercado]

I’m currently on an iPhone 13 Pro, and while I think that the specs of the 15 Pro are worth an upgrade, what I’m worried about is the battery life (daily use) and battery lifespan (overall battery health) of the 15 Pro.

When I first got my 13 Pro, I was impressed by the battery life in my day-to-day use. Most days, I didn’t need a powerbank!

Right now, my 13 Pro’s battery health is at 90%, which I think is really good for a two-year-old device.

With the anecdotal (but considerable) reports of the 14’s battery health degrading at twice (or more) the rate of the 13 series, I wonder if it will be the same for the 15 Pro.

 

[coso]

Any iPhone 15 has 2x camera. Just 0,6x, 1x, 3x or 5x.
The other focal lens it’s just a crop of an image taken by any of that lenses I mentioned. That means it’s Digital Zoom, not optical (the “good one”)

Yes I know, but with the 15 (and 14) you can have 2x portrait mode. That is very useful even if it's not "optical". I upgraded to 15PM, but without simulated 2x portait it would be very hard using a 5x tele indoors. On the 13P I always used 3x for portraits, but 2x but have been nice too. Anyway, you can't. And the article says 13P has 2x. It doesn't, unless you mean by manually cropping (but they demonstrated simulated 28 and 35mm on the 15P have better resolution than cropped 24mm, so it's not just a crop)

 

[Paddle1]

Upgrading every three years is the best decision i have ever made.
16 ultra I wait.
I think the regular 16 get ProMotion for the first TIMe, because the next generation gets the 17 pro chip, and 17Pro = Promotion
Finger crossed.

I would expect it to happen somewhat soon, rumors have indicated the standard iPhone is likely to get ProMotion in 2025.

 

[StuBeck]

Thanks for the report as this is a more clear scenario for many. I was very interested in upgrading, but personally don't see the big need to now that its been a week and the hype has calmed down. $1500 for a phone that is basically like mine right now but with USB-C isn't a big enough reason yet.

 

[iPaulie81]

I bought a new 12 Pro Max to replace my 7 Plus. I wish I had waited for the 13 Pro Max, as that is the phone I wanted. iPhone 13 is what the 12 would have been if it wasn't for Covid supply chain issues, and it turned out to be an excellent phone. Now I have to decide if I should get the 15 Pro Max or wait another year for the 16's. 🧐

 

[cawgijoe]

I have a 13 Pro that is now two years old. Battery life at 91%. My wife just got the 15 pro, going from an 11. Significant upgrade. Her battery was at 79% and would not last half a day.
Her phone is very nice, but I won't upgrade now because I keep these things for 4 to 5 years before getting a new one. The phone I had before the 13 pro was a 7.

 

[chfilm]

It will be. Its still good battery life, but nowhere near as good as the 13.

Speaking from experience? Damn I already regret my decision to upgrade this year- feels like the 16 is where it’s at.

 

[cawgijoe]

So, battery life...the 15 pro we just got seemed to drain quickly the first day used. Kind of troubling. The Always On feature was being used. My wife turned that off. I didn't hear any complaints the next day.

 

[patent10021]

Anyone worrying about battery life is using their device way too much.

 

[iPaulie81]

Speaking from experience? Damn I already regret my decision to upgrade this year- feels like the 16 is where it’s at.

Who knows what Apple will serve us next year but I don't expect significant improvements as most of the emphasis is on the camera technology. X75 Qualcomm 5G modem will be a nice upgrade for those like me with iPhone 12's with the X55. The iPhone 15 Pro sounds like a great device that would keep most happy for a few years however battery capacity and longevity are what most of us want and I hope Apple gives us another iPhone 13 jump in battery performance next year.

 

[andiwm2003]

"Overall, the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ is a significant upgrade over the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro, introducing meaningful quality-of-life features like the USB-C port and Action button that change the methods of interaction with the device."

Are people really paying over a $1,000 for USB-C and an Action button? Is this what qualifies as a significant upgrade?

I can understand those into professional video getting this because there are real changes in video, but I haven't seen any remotely significant upgrade for the average user since the iPhone 11 Pro.

Journalists are supposed to inform the users, not drink the kool aid.

Fully agree. It's ridiculous that this article says you need to spend $1000 + applecare plus accessories because the iPhone 13 isn't good enough anymore. It's a phone. Stating that you need to upgrade from an iPhone 13 is just plain wrong unless you absolutely need one of the new features. I upgrade every 4-5 years. And it's really only the improved camera that makes it worthwhile. With the iPhone 13 the camera is good enough for most consumer applications. If you are a pro user then of course you upgrade, but then for a pro investing $1000 in a tool is small change.

 

[gatorvet96]

I did. Where's the significant upgrade?

Photos are very marginally better.

Screen was already great. iPhone 13 remains very fast.

Why aren't I able to dock my iPhone for a monitor, mouse and keyboard experience yet? It's certainly fast enough. That's a significant upgrade.

Why isn't Siri a serious AI assistant yet? The technology exists. That's a significant upgrade.

I think we need to hold Apple to a higher standard than these tiny incremental changes they make every year.

I believe if Apple could make bigger leaps they would. They are competing with Android, who also haven't made any huge leaps. It is a matured technology. I think their "leaps" will come with Vision Pro or something else not yet made. What sort of huge leaps are people expecting?

 

[CarAnalogy]

0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 3x optical zoom

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Pro has three cameras: .5, 1x, 3x or 5x. How can there be 2x optical zoom? There is no zoom lens. Would 2x not have to be a crop of the 1x and therefore digital zoom? I know they say they are doing fancy tricks with the sensor but it's still just ML powered fancy digital zoom, right?

 

[Tdude96]

The specs say the f stops are *worse* on the 15 Pro for the main and ultra-wide cameras.

That stood out to me too.

It's not even remotely tempting to move off my 13PM. At this point, I'll definitely be waiting to see what the 16 brings. Maybe even get the battery replaced and wait longer than that.

 

[wegster]

Agreed. I upgraded from 13 Pro to 15 Pro because my Gfs iPhone X was failing and I gave her my 13 Pro.

Honestly, for me it is basically the same phone. There are some nice improvements but really nothing to write home about.

Most is hardware which was plenty fast on the 13 Pro and camera where I don’t see the difference. We compared pictures side by side, I can’t tell which one looks better, maybe more talented photographers can.

Nice to know I'm not the only one who still had an X 'in the family' until recently.
For phones, my wife usually gets my 'last phone' - depending on where I'm working sometimes I get paid upgrades, and when not, I'd probably upgrade even slower than I already do.

My wife got my X to replace her 6 when I got an 11 Pro Max partially paid for from work. The X was still ok overall, but been taking more pictures, so got her a 14 as a replacement, which was kind of tough spec-juggling as the X was basically the first 'pro' iPhone, and was sad to see the change off of the stainless housing. Yeah, it's faster, which she didn't need for the things she uses it for - main benefit is for possibly better image processing. I got $120 on trade-in on the X (with Apple) - not impressive but didn't have the time to sell it elsewhere.

I'm still on my 11 Pro Max, which also is still generally fine. I would like the non-digital telephoto/zoom from the 15 Pro as we're taking a lot more family and trip pictures nowadays, but will wait until at least the 16 to see where things lie, and how the 15 pro pans out - maybe will pick up a refurb or used at that point.

Like you, I think at this point we've long been at the 'fast enough' point on phones (short of allowing to plug it into an external display, kb, mouse and use for productivity work 'nicely' - which the iPad IMO still can't even do all that well), so it's mostly down to 'is the camera significantly better?' and in most cases the answer is no, not really, although there were notable image differences through the X or so/earlier iPhones. Not saying none, but 'are they worth $1300 or so?' etc.

 

[andiwm2003]

I believe if Apple could make bigger leaps they would. They are competing with Android, who also haven't made any huge leaps. It is a matured technology. I think their "leaps" will come with Vision Pro or something else not yet made. What sort of huge leaps are people expecting?

I do not expect any leaps in technology. It's actually good that there are continuous incremental improvements. Because you can upgrade when necessary without fear of missing the "big leap" in the next model. I just think it makes financially no sense to upgrade every two years and I'm a bit taken aback by the article pushing people so strongly to spend $1000 without a clear need. This is basically a free advertisement for apple.

 

[jdmachogg]

"Overall, the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ is a significant upgrade over the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro, introducing meaningful quality-of-life features like the USB-C port and Action button that change the methods of interaction with the device."

Are people really paying over a $1,000 for USB-C and an Action button? Is this what qualifies as a significant upgrade?

I can understand those into professional video getting this because there are real changes in video, but I haven't seen any remotely significant upgrade for the average user since the iPhone 11 Pro.

Journalists are supposed to inform the users, not drink the kool aid.

I literally did for USB-C. I've been waiting for this since like 2018, and decided that I wouldn't buy another iPhone until they have USB-C.

 

[Ctrlos]

I reckon this years iPhones are the biggest upgrade in years. The mainline models practically make the 15 Pro a pointless purchase but the upgrades to the Max are hugely significant.

 

[urkel]

I went from 13Pro to 15Pro even though I didn't want to or need to. My (flawed) logic is this:

1) Price - 16Pro will likely have a price hike despite the same incremental spec upgrades. So I figure $550 out of pocket to upgrade now vs $850(?) to upgrade next year. (13Pro trade in value should be $350 in 2024 while 16Pro price goes up $100-200)

2) Trade In - Trade In / Used prices are getting worse and Subsidies force plan changes with my carrier.

3) Battery - Supposedly 13Pro battery is awesome. Mine wasnt. I hit 80%health in April but I have AppleCare+ so I just needed to wait for 79% and they'll replace it. No big deal. But iOS17 raised it to 82% health and now Applecare expired.

4) USB-C - I'm not a feature or aesthetics person. iPhones are tools. Gimmicks, benchmarks and incremental upgrades are excuses to sell phones. But USBC is one of those things that actually does make my life easier. Not only in the simplicity of cable management between Apple devices, but also a huge benefit of external SD/SSD recording is a tool I will actually use.

5) Weight - People laugh off a few ounces in weight being a non-factor but in reality it does make a difference. Im so impressed with the improved weight that I'm now considering the Pro Max since that weighs as much as my old 13Pro.

So. Thats pretty much it. I intended to keep the 13Pro for much longer but in the end then if I were to be stuck with a phone for multiple years then I think this has the feature set to be a better investment than sticking to my 13Pro.

 

[Risco]

Bit hard to read as the formatting is all out of whack!

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

"Overall, the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ is a significant upgrade over the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro, introducing meaningful quality-of-life features like the USB-C port and Action button that change the methods of interaction with the device."

Are people really paying over a $1,000 for USB-C and an Action button? Is this what qualifies as a significant upgrade?

I can understand those into professional video getting this because there are real changes in video, but I haven't seen any remotely significant upgrade for the average user since the iPhone 11 Pro.

Journalists are supposed to inform the users, not drink the kool aid.

While I personally agree that upgrading from a 13 Pro, Apple's latest and greatest 2021 smartphone, to an iPhone 15 Pro wouldn't be worth it, I don't think the upgrades this year are pointless for every iPhone owner:

Someone coming from an iPhone 12 or older is getting good value in the upgrades that iPhones 15 offer.

Obviously, I'm not saying it's necessary to upgrade. It's most likely not.

The only scenarios where you almost have to upgrade is no more iOS support or repairs that are so expensive that you might as well buy a new smartphone.

But in the end "value" also comes down to the actual price you end up paying for your 15.

 

[Bluegold101]

I have the 13 Pro Max. I remember when I first got it, I hated the camera. I was so used to my XS Max camera, but I finally learned how to use the camera properly and now love it. I plan on keeping it for several more years. I'm realizing I don't always have to have the latest phone, but I must admit next year's phone will be very tempting, we shall see 😄

 

[gatorvet96]

I do not expect any leaps in technology. It's actually good that there are continuous incremental improvements. Because you can upgrade when necessary without fear of missing the "big leap" in the next model. I just think it makes financially no sense to upgrade every two years and I'm a bit taken aback by the article pushing people so strongly to spend $1000 without a clear need. This is basically a free advertisement for apple.

I agree. I am fortunate that I get my wife and 2 adult children their iPhones. I get the new one every year and pass it down through all 3 of them. So the whole family always has a iPhone that is at the oldest 4 years. I win of course. lol

 

[Return Zero]

Journalists are supposed to inform the users, not drink the kool aid.

Yeah but this isn’t really your typical “journalism” outlet. It’s a rumor site dedicated to covering a specific brand. The audience here isn’t exactly the average consumer (even if Macrumors tries to make it so).

 

[rp100]

The huge upgrade from the 12 Pro to 13 Pro was the 120hz refresh rate. That is a core upgrade to the primary input interface and something you notice every time you drag your fingers across the screen.

I say this as a lifelong tech lover and a 13 Pro user: aside from USB C, what is the 15 Pro bringing to the table that I simply cannot live without?