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

[Born Again]

"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.

Thank you for saying this.

If I said something along this line the moderators would have temp banned me for speaking out.

Anyone ever get a warning from weasel?

I agree it’s not a significant difference. Especially when Apple supports software for the 13 and older phones.

Perhaps Mac rumors can do a comparison to the iPhone 15 pro and the iPhone X?

 

[steve09090]

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.

More repairable, 10% lighter, almost twice as bright Outdoors, action button (everyone who uses it, loves it), camera with so much better quality and puts it at the front of the pack finally. Focus and Depth camera better than any other smartphone on the market (Remember the Lytro? Apple fixed it). Thread built into the phone. Game changer imo. No longer relying on hubs.

Your Siri question is a fair enough question even though it’s an iOS question and has little to do with the iPhone Pro. The answer is that it doesn’t steal your data and give it to advertisers. Maybe you prefer that?

 

[SuperCachetes]

It is only worth sticking with the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro if you are holding off for an even more substantial upgrade in the future...

Always nice to be shamed for holding on to a perfectly good 2-year-old phone.

I love the new titanium frame and USB-C connection, but to me they are not worth the cost, even with a trade-in of my 13PM. My current phone has a fantastic display, decent battery health (for now), and there are Lightning cables littered around my house and vehicles. So it is very much "worth sticking with" a completely serviceable phone, but congrats to everyone who made the upgrade.

 

[Shasterball]

"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."

Lol - how much is apple paying for these articles?


"It is only worth sticking with the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro if you are holding off for an even more substantial upgrade in the future, but many users will see tangible benefits by upgrading now."

Or, you know, you maybe have a little love for the environment?

 

[Expos of 1969]

Thank you for saying this.

If I said something along this line the moderators would have temp banned me for speaking out.

Anyone ever get a warning from weasel?

I agree it’s not a significant difference. Especially when Apple supports software for the 13 and older phones.

Perhaps Mac rumors can do a comparison to the iPhone 15 pro and the iPhone X?

One's life would have to be in pretty dire shape to consider those two features "quality of life", in my humble opinion.

 

[DaveXX]

I was very lucky to get 800€ for my IP13 ProMax in perfect condition and 100% battery.
The battery life on my IP15 PM is worse and the island is in most games more annoying than the cut out before.
Besides that there are no noticeable upgrades except usb-c and the action button.
Most things on the list are not noticeable in daily usage.
I knew that I get nearly no upgrades and paid around 900€ just for usb-c and an action button. But if you don’t care about that I would never suggest to upgrade.

 

[sehns]

Can it fit in the palm of your hand? Nope. I'm back on the 13 Mini, still the best iPhone apple have ever made

 

[coffeemilktea]

This article is interesting, but what would really rustle some jimmies is an "original iPhone vs iPhone 15 Pro 50 differences" compared article.

(it might be more than 50 differences)

 

[ggibson913]

Eh, sticking with my 13 Pro, it is nice to enjoy my phone now that it is paid off. Will be upgrading my Watch instead this year.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Thread built into the phone. Game changer imo. No longer relying on hubs.

This will only work when you are home with your phone...Of the limited amount of smart things I have, most need to still work when I'm away; thermostat, water leak sensors in the basement, motion sensors, smart plugs for the chicken coop, etc.

A hub is still absolutely required. Wife and I are away from the house 50+ hours/week.

 

[PowerButton]

🤦‍♂️
I’m not going to lie but the iPhone 15 commercials are really starting to annoy me. They always say, “The new iPhone 15 with TITANIUM.”
That’s their selling point this year, a metal that over 95% of people couldn’t distinguish from brushed aerospace-grade aluminum (7075).

 

[Sami13496]

Most (if not all) of those changes are not noticable in normal use. They are cool sounding marketing phrases to fill the tech spec sheet for those who need to justify purchase of a phone that are practically same as previous 3 (or 6) generations.

 

[kelemor88]

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.

1. Put the 80 bucks a month you’re paying in the Apple savings account. 960 plus the apy means you would have a 1grand towards your purchase so price increase is negligible.

2. Reselling is always an option. If have also saved up in part 1 300-400 bucks on a 3 year old phone helps pay for it. I also like to keep a backup phone a few generations older for emergency or in case family or friends need help. I know this isn’t possible for everyone.

3. 89 bucks to replace the battery out of warranty

4. hope you enjoy it and it works for everything you need

5. Never found the phone heavy except when I used to wear it for exercise now I go watch only.

I hope you enjoy your new phone but still see zero reason in my opinion to do a 13pro max to a 15 pro max

This coming from someone that slept outside to get the 1st iPhone and has had every generation (never had a SE) up to the 13 pro max.

My dad has my 11pro max
My mom my 12pro max
And a friend is still rocking the 10

 

[33Lions]

If you upgrade your phone every 2-3+ years, then carriers have great installment deals nowadays. I bought my 13 pro 256gb for $300 when it came out after trading in an iPhone X.

Obviously spending $1000 isn’t worth the incremental updates, but I’ll gladly upgrade if I get $800-1000 in credit from carriers.

 

[alexe]

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. The new, considerably more lightweight titanium design, slimmer borders around the display, and contoured edges result in a noticeably different aesthetic and feel in the hand.

The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ also brings major advancements to photography and videography, adding an Adaptive True Tone flash, a 48-megapixel main camera for high-resolution images and, on the larger model, a telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. Software features such as Photonic Engine, Smart HDR 5, Next-generation portraits, Action mode, and a host of professional videography features like external recording and Log also take the photography and videography capabilities of the device to the next level.

This is not to mention fast data transfer via USB 3, satellite connectivity, new color options, the second-generation ultra wideband chip, and the A17 Pro chip – Apple's first chip made with a ‌3nm‌ fabrication process, which radically improves the gaming capabilities of the device.

Due to the scale and breadth of these improvements, most ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro will be able to justify upgrading to the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌, especially if they value the new design, USB-C port, Action button, and camera improvements. It is only worth sticking with the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro if you are holding off for an even more substantial upgrade in the future, but many users will see tangible benefits by upgrading now.

Are you joking?! A "significant" upgrade?! Bro, you guys have lost all perspective.

I understand that you're an Apple-centered blog, but you should really provide a more critical debate of Apple's baby-step iPhone iterations in recent years.

It's been so bad that even Tim Apple himself has admitted that the iPhone has plateaued in recent years.

Yes, there are a whole lot of new features, some of which appear to be noteworthy changes on paper, but the relevant question is: For what percentage of iPhone Pro users would upgrading significantly change their lives?

If I had to guess, I'd say that for 95% of iPhone 11/12/13/14 Pro users, getting an iPhone 15 Pro would not move the needle for their lives.

A lot of people lose a lot of money by pointlessly upgrading their iPhones way too frequently, and blogs like this one support this waste of money and resources.

 

[The Oak]

I moved from a 13 Pro to a 15 Pro.

My justifications (not in any order):

1. USB-C - one cable to rule them all.
2. x70 cellular modem - gave in the neighborhood of 20% bump in improved download speeds over the iPhone 14 Pro. It is also supposed to have improved range.
3. Improved GPS over iPhone 13 Pro. Faster GPS acquisition. In theory more accurate too, in real world a few meters here or there will probably not make much of a difference. GPS acquisition speed though is definitely noticeable.

 

[GuruZac]

I own a 13 Pro Max, no intention of upgrading. Photos are great, battery life is great, and I just completed a 24 month payment plan so this phone is now “free” aside from monthly carrier fees. Why bother upgrading now? I’ve been on a 3 yr upgrade cycle for some time, for the average person, we’ve reached “good enough” iphone.

Yeah if I had the 13 Pro Max, I’d likely skip this year as well. I went from the 13 Pro to the 15 Pro Max, and it feels significant mostly due to size. But I am thoroughly enjoying some of the smaller things like Dynamic Island, USB-C, the larger display with Always On. Some nice things that make it feel different enough to have justified the upgrade for me. I am in a 2 year schedule and like the changes over 2 years. Every year is not enough change to excite me overall, especially now that I’m on a Max, with all the best an iPhone has to offer.

 

[jicon]

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?

Likely two years extended iOS support.
I upgraded from an iPhone 7 stuck on iOS 15, and aside from apps opening a bit faster, I'm struggling to see any huge strides in use/workflow. iOS17 doesn't offer much fundamentally different, the only two relevant improvements are slightly bigger screen and camera. And now, I have a dongle in the car until wife upgrades, and we can both use USB-C. If your battery starts to go on your phone, invest $100 in a new battery. Voila.

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

Having gone from a 13 Pro Max to the 15 Pro Max, the battery life doesn’t compare.

The 15 is significantly worse. At least 2 hours of screen on time less.

Now the battery is the 15 is good, with a normal use id still have 20% or so remaining but the 13 was a battery champ for me, I never once killed it. Even after 2 years.

So to make sure i understand, the battery life is worse on the 15 PM than it was on your 13 PM?

 

[Expos of 1969]

Are you joking?! A "significant" upgrade?! Bro, you guys have lost all perspective.

I understand that you're an Apple-centered blog, but you should really provide a more critical debate of Apple's baby-step iPhone iterations in recent years.

It's been so bad that even Tim Apple himself has admitted that the iPhone has plateaued in recent years.

Yes, there are a whole lot of new features, some of which appear to be noteworthy changes on paper, but the relevant question is: For what percentage of iPhone Pro users would upgrading significantly change their lives?

If I had to guess, I'd say that for 95% of iPhone 11/12/13/14 Pro users, getting an iPhone 15 Pro would not move the needle for their lives.

A lot of people lose a lot of money by pointlessly upgrading their iPhones way too frequently, and blogs like this one support this waste of money and resources.

Some folks are addicted and the various Apple-centric sites are the neighbourhood Pusher Man distributing the mainline hit so they can get rewarded by the big cartel. Nobody forces people to go too deep on their credit cards and spend time and funds which maybe should be directed a little more towards their children or spouses. That is today's world.

 

[jennyp]

Having gone from a 13 Pro Max to the 15 Pro Max, the battery life doesn’t compare.

The 15 is significantly worse. At least 2 hours of screen on time less.

Now the battery is the 15 is good, with a normal use id still have 20% or so remaining but the 13 was a battery champ for me, I never once killed it. Even after 2 years.

Exactly my experience. After 16 months my 13PM lasts more than all day and the health is at 96%. Plus the 15 ‘heat’ stories are a bit worrying. Plus in the 15PM camera everything is digital between 24mm and 120mm. I was all set to ‘upgrade’ but I can’t see a really good reason to spend that money.

 

[1278701]

I am not getting this 'one cable to rule them all' malarky. My current situation with lightening means I have one cable for my Air Pods, Keyboard, Trackpad and Phone. If I had upgraded my phone I would have a different cable to the rest of my devices! I know Apple have been forced down this route, but what madness (and hyperbole)

 

[FattiesGoneWild]

14 Pro comparison?!?! 🤭🙄 didn’t think so….

 

[MetalMoose]

Apple could have surely brought the new battery features to older iPhones via a software update. Nonetheless, I'm using the iPhone 13 Pro on iOS 17, works fine for the next 2 years.

 

[Expos of 1969]

14 Pro comparison?!?! 🤭🙄 didn’t think so….

To be fair to MR, the article included this...

This article focuses on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro, but to understand the differences between the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro, see our other buyer's guide:

• iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 30+ Upgrades Compared