iPhone 15/Plus iPhone 15 vs. 15 Pro?

[bcemail]

Hi, we are about to upgrade our iPhones. We can get the 15 for free or the 15 Pro for $170. Not interested in the bigger screens of the Plus/Max.

I've read comparisons, but wanted some advice from people with experience using. Any reason you would go with one over the other? I like the idea of a zoom lens, but didn't know how much better it would be. I also like photography, so I'm used to switching to a 200+mm lens and getting closer to subjects, but not sure if the iPhone zoom will be that dramatic.

I'm sure 120mHz would be nice, but who knows how much. Still rocking a 60mHz on my desktop PC, so maybe I should upgrade that first!

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Hal~9000]

I would definitely go with the 15 Pro.

The only reasons I could possibly think that you would go with the regular 15 is because of the weight difference (171g vs 187g) or if $170 is just too hard to come up with atm. Everything else (telephoto lens, 8gb RAM, upcoming AI, 120hz display, A17 processor for longer updates, longer battery life, faster USB-c transfer speeds, etc) is in favor of the pro model.

 

[Ericdjensen]

15 pro is the first pro I’ve had and I wouldn’t want to go back. The promotion display and zoom lens are worth the extra money imo.

 

[bcemail]

I would definitely go with the 15 Pro.

The only reasons I could possibly think that you would go with the regular 15 is because of the weight difference (171g vs 187g) or if $170 is just too hard to come up with atm. Everything else (telephoto lens, 8gb RAM, upcoming AI, 120hz display, A17 processor for longer updates, longer battery life, faster USB-c transfer speeds, etc) is in favor of the pro model.

Thanks, hadn't thought about all that! I know Apple announced their AI, but is it just going to be part of an iOS update? Will it be something I can turn on and off? Also upgrading my wife's phone so I know she will be suspicious of it!

15 pro is the first pro I’ve had and I wouldn’t want to go back. The promotion display and zoom lens are worth the extra money imo.

Thanks, I'll probably give it a shot.

 

[bcemail]

Forgot to ask, I've read about problems with the 15 Pro battery. Is this a common issue? I know there will always be random problems, but didn't know if it was a different battery or something.

 

[snipr125]

Forgot to ask, I've read about problems with the 15 Pro battery. Is this a common issue? I know there will always be random problems, but didn't know if it was a different battery or something.

The 15 Pro has more advanced features that will use more battery power in certain situations, so its not a problem per se. Going forward though, Apple made it very clear at WWDC that Apple Intelligence only works with 8GB devices which the normal iPhone 15 does not have.

 

[bcemail]

The 15 Pro has more advanced features that will use more battery power in certain situations, so its not a problem per se. Going forward though, Apple made it very clear at WWDC that Apple Intelligence only works with 8GB devices which the normal iPhone 15 does not have.

Gotcha. The stuff I was reading was like "my battery drains to 25% after 1 hour" or something. I know I experienced that once with an iOS update, so I was hoping it was just that and not some larger known issue. Thanks!

 

[bad_robot]

Well, for me, if you want to go for the Pro, you might as well go for the Pro Max. You have better camera, better battery, better everything. I mean, if you are willing to pay the price for the Pro, put a little more and get the Pro Max

 

[Isamilis]

Hi, we are about to upgrade our iPhones. We can get the 15 for free or the 15 Pro for $170. Not interested in the bigger screens of the Plus/Max.

I've read comparisons, but wanted some advice from people with experience using. Any reason you would go with one over the other? I like the idea of a zoom lens, but didn't know how much better it would be. I also like photography, so I'm used to switching to a 200+mm lens and getting closer to subjects, but not sure if the iPhone zoom will be that dramatic.

I'm sure 120mHz would be nice, but who knows how much. Still rocking a 60mHz on my desktop PC, so maybe I should upgrade that first!

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

I choose 15 mainly due to Pro has bulge camera, which I don’t like. Also, I don’t really notice difference promotion display (I have iPad Pro).

 

[HouseLannister]

Depends on if $170 is a lot of money for you or not. You also said "our" phones, so I am not sure how many $170's we are talking here. You could also wait three months and pay even more for a 16 Pro. So the value proposition of all these phones comes down to your unique financial situation. I think there is at least $170 of valuable upgrades in a Pro, but you might disagree.

First, the 15 has a couple advantages over the 15 Pro that you don't want to forget: The camera module is smaller and therefore the device is a little less top-heavy feeling in the hand. It is 0.6 oz lighter too. And it gets about a half hour or so more battery daily than the Pro in most testing. Small things, but they may be important to you.

The 15 Pro has the following going for it:

• 2 GB more RAM, which is apparently what you need for Apple Intelligence. Watch the WWDC keynote and decide if that is something you are interested in. Most of the demoed features I would use on a Mac or an iPad before a phone, but your mileage may vary. These features are also only coming in a staged rollout of multiple betas over the next year or so, so they won't all work in the fall.
• Newer 3nm processor was supposed to consume less battery, but this didn't really pan out. Apple has already moved on from its first gen 3nm tech and the second gen used in the M4 and upcoming chips might come with battery improvements. The processor does have performance improvements over the older processor, but not very noticable in day-to-day. The RAM is the bigger contributor to any performance gains you are seeing.
• Better camera. 3x telephoto, as mentioned. It's not enough zoom for getting good shots of animals at the zoo, but it comes in handy a lot of the time. Also has the ability to set a default 35mm focal length, which I like. And it also has macro. Everyone forgets the macro mode is limited to the Pros. If you take up-close photos of insects, small text, whatever, then this is a nice thing to have.
• 120 hz display, as mentioned. It's very nice when scrolling quickly or flipping between tabs and such. But when you are reading static content, it makes no difference. It's also an always-on display if you want it to be. Play with a demo at a store and see what you think.
• Edit: Pro also has the Thread radio and I still have no idea if it does anything yet.

 

[DarkSorrow82]

I’d go pro if you want to use AppleAI when it comes out. The regular 15’s won’t be supported.

 

[Andeddu]

The 15 Pro can also run AAA console games such as Death Stranding, Assassins Creed: Mirage and Resident Evil Village which lesser phones are unable to do.