iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 35+ Differences Compared

[MacRumors]

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are among Apple's newest iPhone models and follow last year's iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, but how different are the two latest 6.1-inch iPhone models, and what exactly does a "Pro" device give you?

Last year, the biggest new differences between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro were always-on functionality, the Dynamic Island, three hours of battery life, and rear cameras with different apertures. With iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, both devices share new features like the USB-C port, second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, and next-generation portraits, but Apple's "Pro" and non-Pro iPhone models are more different than ever.

Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you, and serves as a way to clearly see what additional features and upgrades the iPhone 15 Pro brings to the table.

iPhone 15	iPhone 15 Pro
Aluminum and glass design	Titanium and glass design
	Slightly smaller due to slimmer borders around the display
Weighs 171g or 201g	Weighs 187g or 221g
Ring/Silent switch	Action button
	ProMotion with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
	Always-on display
A16 Bionic chip (5nm)	A17 Pro chip (3nm)
6-core CPU	6-core CPU (up to 10% faster)
5-core GPU	6-core GPU with with hardware-accelerated ray tracing (up to 20% faster)
16-core Neural Engine	16-core Neural Engine (up to 2x faster)
	Dedicated AV1 decoder
6GB memory	8GB memory
"Advanced" dual-camera system	"Pro" triple camera system
48-megapixel Main camera with ƒ/1.6 aperture	48-megapixel Main camera with ƒ/1.78 aperture and larger sensor
12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.4 aperture	12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture
	12-megapixel Telephoto camera with ƒ/2.8 aperture (unit with larger sensor, folded tetraprism design, and autofocus 3D sensor-shift module on Pro Max model only)
0.5x, 1x, and 2x optical zoom	0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x, and 5x optical zoom (5x on Pro Max only, no 3x)
Sensor-shift optical image stabilization	Second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization
True Tone flash	Adaptive True Tone flash
	LiDAR scanner
	Night mode portraits
	Macro photography
	Apple ProRAW
	Shoot and instantly transfer 48-megapixel ProRAW images to Mac via USB 3
	Record video directly to an external drive
	ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (60 fps with external recording)
	Macro video recording, including slo‑mo and time‑lapse
	Log video recording
	Academy Color Encoding System
	Record spatial video for Apple Vision Pro
USB 2 transfer speeds (up to 480Mb/s)	USB 3 transfer speeds (up to 10Gb/s, 20x faster)
	DisplayPort support for up to 4K HDR video output
Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity	Wi‑Fi 6E connectivity
	Thread networking technology
20- or 26-hour battery life	23- or 29-hour battery life
128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options (no 128GB on Pro Max)
Yellow, Blue, Pink, Green, and Black color options	Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium color options
Starts at $799	Starts at $999

The iPhone 15 Pro offers a large number of upgrades over the standard iPhone 15. With just $200 difference to obtain a display with ProMotion and always-on functionality, the Action Button, and longer battery life, many customers will be able to justify getting the iPhone 15 Pro over the iPhone 15. Other differences, such as the A17 Pro chip and 2GB additional memory are notable, but most significant are perhaps the devices' fundamentally different rear camera setups. The iPhone 15 Pro unlocks 10 additional camera features and offers four additional or different pieces of camera hardware. Due to the scale and breadth of the iPhone 15 Pro's improvements and features, most customers will be happy to choose the high-end model.

The standard iPhone 15 still offers many of the iPhone 15 Pro's most compelling capabilities, such as USB-C, Dynamic Island, and a 48-megapixel main camera, at a lower price point. It will only be worth getting the iPhone 15 over the iPhone 15 Pro if you want a lighter device, do not care for the "Pro" rear camera setup or features like ProMotion and the always-on display, or cannot justify the $200 to upgrade to the high-end model. In this instance, you will still benefit from the device's generous roster of advanced features. The iPhone 15 is still a very well designed and balanced device, especially for average customers and those coming from a much older model.

Article Link: iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 35+ Differences Compared

 

[contacos]

Went for iPhone 15 Plus coming from a iPhone 12 Pro Max. I hope I’ll notice the weight difference of 25 Gramm and improved battery life.

I only got it because apple offered me 420€ for my iPhone 12, which I don’t think I’d get next year and will upgrade again next year for the „Ultra“

 

[Return Zero]

120 Hz and more RAM. That’s what’s keeping me on the pro.

 

[ooschneider]

No always-on display on the regular iPhone 15 is something very dissapointing. This feature is the only reason why I bought the iPhone 14pro. I excepted to be in iPhone 15.

I am a huge apple fan, but this kind of intransparent communication about which features the basic iPhone have or not - I cannot understand that anymore.

 

[LedRush]

I've made the odd jump from the 13 mini to the 15 Pro Max. I love the size of the mini, but the battery life and camera are killing me. It's really the camera that was the final decision for me*; I want to be able to take shots of my kids' sports games and performances, and the zoom is just too much to pass up.

*Really my wife made the decision for me. She said if I don't like the size of the Max than she'll take it, and I can buy a new 15 Pro.

 

[Wowmail]

120 hz, USBC transfer, ray tracing, satellite emergency calling, Just too yummy not to update from my 12 MAX. Giving the 12 to a family flip phoner.

 

[x s]

Upgrading from 11 Pro to standard 15, seems like I won't be missing anything (compared to 11P) and get a better device for a better price

 

[klasma]

I am a huge apple fan, but this kind of intransparent communication about which features the basic iPhone have or not - I cannot understand that anymore.

It’s pretty prominent in the comparison summary? https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/?modelList=iphone-15,iphone-15-pro

 

[poorcody]

The 3x optical zoom listed only exists on the Pro and not on the Pro Max if I’m reading Apple’s product page correctly.

 

[t0pher]

iPhone X to 15 pro max.

I am wondering about the huge leap in size though.

also annoyed that the XS is still supported while my x is not, just hoping that the 15 won't get left behind in future & they place the limit as the 15 ultra.

 

[STC1709]

for me personally i really dont see the justification to pay $200 more for extra features i dont deem to make a whole lot of difference or matter to me. i dont like always on display so fine there. dont use transfer for the speed. could careless about titanium or action button. im also coming from an iphone x

 

[DaveXX]

What is optical zoom?
How can a smartphone with 2 or 3 prime lenses have optical zoom?
These are false informations….
Digital cropping is not optical zoom! And its crucible to know that 77mm on the iPhone 15Pro Max has a worse quality than e.g. the Pro with a fixed 77mm prime lens because its not an optical zoom.
48mm is a digital crop from the 24mm prime lens. It means just 1/4 of the sensor is used (low light performance) and ofc just 12MP possible (1/4 of 48MP) - apple even stated in the technical data -> zoom by quad-pixel sensor (digital zoom). Everything between 48mm and 120mm of the Iphone 15 Pro Max is even worse.
100mm IP15PM -> upscaled 3MP with 1/16 of the sensor surface!

 

[surfzen21]

Went with the 15 Pro coming from an 11.

I went back and forth between the Pro and Pro Max and after seeing the shipping date continue to slip I decided to stick with the Pro.

 

[IIGS User]

I guess everyone has a different viewpoint.

My wife has an 11 and she's looking to upgrade this cycle. I pre ordered my 15PM, but I'm a "new phone every year" kinda guy for no other reason than that's how I "treat" myself for working tons of overtime at a soul crushing job, but anyhwo.

My wife was looking at the "Plus" phone and I kinda reasoned with her. She keeps her phone for about 4 years. Four years is a long time in the world of tech.

My thinking is, if you're going to keep the phone for 4 years you should probably get the absolute best one you can possibly afford.

If the price difference between the 15 Plus and 15 PM is $200, and you keep the phone for 4 years, than that's less than $4/mo more.

 

[Paint.It.Black]

for me personally i really dont see the justification to pay $200 more for extra features i dont deem to make a whole lot of difference or matter to me. i dont like always on display so fine there. dont use transfer for the speed. could careless about titanium or action button. im also coming from an iphone x

For sure thread does matter

 

[Spock]

No always-on display on the regular iPhone 15 is something very dissapointing. This feature is the only reason why I bought the iPhone 14pro. I excepted to be in iPhone 15.

I am a huge apple fan, but this kind of intransparent communication about which features the basic iPhone have or not - I cannot understand that anymore.

It’s going to be a while before those types of Pro features make the standard iPhone. You still can’t get Pro Motion on any non-pro devices across Apples lineup.

 

[GuruZac]

I know the Pros get all the attention, and I went for a Pro Max because I don’t want to give up ProMotion, but I think the 15 and 15 Plus are really fantastic phones and a big upgrade from the 14 and 14 Plus. A16, dynamic island, 48mp camera, USB-C. If I were coming from anything older than my 13 Pro (so no ProMotion) I would consider the 15 Plus.

 

[GuruZac]

I guess everyone has a different viewpoint.

My wife has an 11 and she's looking to upgrade this cycle. I pre ordered my 15PM, but I'm a "new phone every year" kinda guy for no other reason than that's how I "treat" myself for working tons of overtime at a soul crushing job, but anyhwo.

My wife was looking at the "Plus" phone and I kinda reasoned with her. She keeps her phone for about 4 years. Four years is a long time in the world of tech.

My thinking is, if you're going to keep the phone for 4 years you should probably get the absolute best one you can possibly afford.

If the price difference between the 15 Plus and 15 PM is $200, and you keep the phone for 4 years, than that's less than $4/mo more.

That’s exactly how I reason things with me wife as well. Her only priority any given time she upgrades is she wants the best camera. So, it has to be the Pro, and she loves a larger display, so unfortunately for my wallet is Pro Max every upgrade. I’ve reached a place in my career where I’ll be back on a yearly upgrade just because. iPhones and Apple Watch are some of my favorite pieces of tech, and the ones I have the vast majority of my tech interface daily, so I want the latest and greatest.

 

[Asthmatic Kitty]

I usually go for the pro model every 2–3 years but was seriously considering the 15 over the 15 Pro this year, especially because the 3x camera on the Pro is so weak compared to the main camera. At the end of the day losing ProMotion, macro photography and ProRaw was enough to make me go for the Pro. If the case had still been made of stainless steel that would've been enough of a drawback to change my mind though, the ergonomics of the 13 Pro I have now are just terrible. From the early impressions it sounds like the rounded edges and titanium frame of the 15 Pro have made a big difference in that regard 🙏

 

[KOTN91]

Pro is uglier though, still can’t get on board with that camera bump. Weight distribution is probably even worse on the 15 pro than 14 pro and the colours are terrible (though they could have been better on the 15 as well but certainly miles ahead of the various shades of beige on the Pro

 

[azentropy]

All of them are too big and too heavy!
/complaint

 

[H00513R]

I tend to keep my phones until they aren’t supported anymore. While I think I’d be perfectly happy with the regular 15 (coming from the X), the extra memory and beefier chip makes me think it might be supported longer.

 

[GuilleA]

I'm never spending over a thousand dollars ever again on a phone, so when the time comes for upgrading my 12 Mini, I guess the regular 15 will do just fine.

 

[Kung]

I'm making the....er, side-straddle hop (lol) from a 14 Pro to the base 15. Justification:

1. ProMotion - I've had it turned off on my 14 Pro since I got it.
2. AOD - it's...nice....but I've found myself turning everything off but the time, and then found myself tapping the screen anyways to see other stuff when the screen is off. It's one of those things that's 'nice to have' but not at all necessary.
3. Telephoto lens - I've very rarely used it.
4. USB-C transfer speeds - the ONLY time I've ever plugged mine in was to do a DFU recovery. Don't exactly need blazing fast speeds for that.
5. Weight - the weight of the 14 Pro gets heavy when you're holding it for more than 15 minutes or so.
6. Cost - I can essentially almost do a straight across trade from the 14 Pro to the 15. With the 15 Pro, the best trade-in deal I can get is Apple's, which leaves me paying $450 or so.

TL;DR: Most of the stuff I actually USED in the 14 Pro is coming to the 15; and most of the improvements are things I didn't care about or use, so I'll be fine with the 15.

 

[Harshan]

I keep hearing and reading about “price [points]“ and “design [language].” What makes the price pointy? And can someone write a love poem in design language? These two terms drive me up the wall. Why can’t Apple products just have prices and designs? All the reviewers and YouTubers assume that we are thinking about upgrading from iPhone Y to iPhone Y+1. They are, but we aren’t. While I’m at it, it is perfectly legal to post a YouTube video in which you do not say, “without further ado.”