(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)
Apple renewed its iPhone lineup with the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max. Generally, the iPhone 15 and the 15 Plus share most features with the biggest difference between them being screen and battery sizes. The story is mostly the same for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, but the latter's advanced camera system separates it from all the other iPhone 15s. So, which one is right for you?
Here we offer an in-depth comparison of the four phones based on the specs as well as those features Apple mentioned during its launch presentation to help you wrap your head around the new devices.
Apple's iPhone 15 Lineup
Similar, But Slightly Different
While both the regular iPhone 15 and 15 Pro lines feature 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch models, they do not share identical dimensions. The regular 15 and 15 Plus models are a tiny bit thinner and lighter than their Pro model counterparts, but the Pros have more compact dimensions when it comes to height and width.
The regular iPhone 15 comes in at 5.81 by 2.82 by 0.31 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.02 ounces. The iPhone 15 Pro measures a tighter 5.77 by 2.78 by 0.32 inches with a weight of 6.60 ounces. The iPhone 15 Plus is actually the largest of the bunch at 6.33 by 3.06 by 0.31 inches and 7.09 ounces, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max a touch smaller at 6.29 by 3.02 by 0.32 inches, but heavier with a weight of 7.81 ounces.
All four models are IP68 rated, which means they are dustproof and can be submerged in a maximum depth of 6 meters for 30 minutes. Apple uses its proprietary Ceramic Shield glass on the front and back of all the iPhone 15 models; the company says its glass is tougher than any other smartphone glass. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus use an aluminum design, whereas Apple is using a titanium alloy for its iPhone Pro models that it claims is stronger, more durable, and lighter than stainless steel (which was found on both 14 Pros).
Notch Be Gone!
Apple has dumped the notch! Every iPhone 15 features the Dynamic Island at the top of its OLED display. The screens on the iPhone 15 lineup can reach a typical brightness of 1,000 nits, 1,600 nits for HDR content, and up to 2,000 nits peak brightness. That should mean excellent color, contrast, and visibility regardless of environmental light.
As for screen resolutions, the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro both have 6.1-inch displays with resolutions of 2,556 by 1,179 pixels for a pixel density of 460ppi. The 15 Plus and the 15 Pro Max have 6.7-inch displays, each with a resolution of 2,796 by 1,290 pixels for a pixel density of 460ppi.
If you want an always-on display or a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, you'll have to get an iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max as those features are exclusive to the Pro displays.
More Power
Apple's A16 Bionic now powers the iPhone 15 and the 15 Plus. This is the same system-on-a-chip (SoC) that could be found in the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, which were some of the fastest phones available at the time of their introduction. The A16 Bionic helps run the Dynamic Island with its real-time data notifications and can handle more on-device operations than the outgoing A15 Bionic, which powered the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. In benchmarking and real-life tests, the A16 Bionic performed incredibly well.
The new Apple A17 Pro SoC is at the heart of the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. The company says this is the first 3-nanometer chip in the industry and that its new GPU will bring high-level gaming performance to these devices. The neural engine in the A17 Pro is supposedly twice as fast as the A16 Bionic, which should mean quicker on-device features like using Siri or audio transcription. Apple included an AV1 decoder in the A17 Pro which should help with streaming video and a USB 3 controller, which means moving data to and from the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max via cable should be very quick.
All iPhone 15 models will support sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus have Wi-Fi 6 compatibility onboard, with the Pro models supporting Wi-Fi 6E. Apple increased the iPhone 15's satellite abilities by adding roadside assistance via satellite. This joins emergency SOS as a satellite feature; both will be included for free for two years with the activation of any iPhone 15.
A second-generation Ultra Wideband chip is in all iPhone 15 devices. This will allow an iPhone 15 to find another second-generation Ultra Wideband-equipped device at three times the range as before. Apple demonstrated the usefulness of this feature as a way to find a friend in a crowded area because the two devices could locate each other via precise location tracking.
Storage Still Starts at 128GB
Apple does not advertise how much RAM is in its iPhones, but it does disclose how much storage is available. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB options. The iPhone 15 Pro starts at 128GB and tops out at 1TB. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants. One day, 256GB will be an entry-level storage option on the iPhone, but that day is not here yet.
(For reference, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max have 6GB of RAM.)
Camera Improvements
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus have identical camera arrangements: two on the back and one on the front. The main rear shooter has a 48MP sensor with an f/1.6 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). This camera can take either 24MP or 48MP images at 1x zoom or can take a 12MP 2x telephoto image using quad-binning. There's also a dedicated 12MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.4 aperture and a 120-degree field of view. On the front, you get a 12MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture. As for video, front and rear recordings top out at 4K60.
There are three rear cameras on the Pro models. The iPhone 15 Pro and the Pro Max get a 48MP main shooter with an aperture of f/1.78 along with second-generation OIS. This camera can shoot 24MP or 48MP 1x zoom images or 2x telephoto shots using pixel binning just like the iPhone 15. The 15 Pro and Pro Max both have a 12MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 120-degree field of view. The dedicated telephoto lenses separate the Pro and the Pro Max.
The 15 Pro comes with a 12MP 3x optical telephoto lens, with an f/2.8 aperture and OIS. The 15 Pro Max gets a 12MP 5x optical telephoto lens, with an f/2.8 aperture, and OIS. It relies on a special periscope design by employing a tetraprism to achieve its 5x zoom (120mm full-frame equivalent). The 12MP front-facing camera on the 15 Pro line has an f/1.9 aperture and can shoot in Apple ProRAW format. Video recording tops out at 4K60 on the front and rear cameras. The Pro line also allows for recording ProRes video to an external storage device connected via USB-C.
Apple also touted its next-generation portrait feature that will let you make portrait images out of regular photos. If an iPhone 15 sees a person or pet in the frame when you are shooting, it will automatically capture depth information that should allow you to create a portrait effect after the fact. We will have to see how good this is in testing.
The Pro models support the Academy Color Encoding System, which means they produce color that's in line with studios' color editing needs. Further, they support macro video recording, including slow motion and time‑lapse. Perhaps more importantly, the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max will be able to capture 3D spatial video later in the year that can be viewable on and shareable to any Apple Vision Pro headset. If you're looking for content for your future Apple headset, you should be able to make some with the Apple iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Battery and Charging Speed
Apple did not mention battery capacity specs of any of the iPhone 15 models, but did give battery life estimates when playing streaming video (which is similar to PCMag's battery test). Apple says the iPhone 15 will survive up to 20 hours when streaming. The iPhone 15 Plus gets 26 hours and iPhone 15 Pro should manage up to 23 hours. The 15 Pro Max could get up to 29 hours of streamed video playback.
All iPhone 15 models can recharge wirelessly at speeds up to 7.5W using Qi charging, 15W using Apple's MagSafe charging, or 20W using USB-C. Apple claims that a drained iPhone 15 can get up to a 50% charge in around 30 minutes using a 20W adapter. We will let you know how they all fared in our full reviews coming soon.
Other Aspects to Consider
The Lightning port is not found on any of the new iPhone models and is instead replaced by USB-C. Every iPhone 15 can use USB-C to charge, connect to a display using DisplayPort, and transfer data. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus can transfer data at speeds up to 480Mbps because they are equipped with USB 2 technology. The Pro models have USB 3, which supports transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps. That's more than 20 times faster than USB 2. If moving data to and from your iPhone is integral, maybe go with a Pro. But don't forget to buy your own cable.
Apple's color palette also differentiates the regular and Pro lines. The Pro and Pro Max get serious colors like white, black, natural titanium, and blue titanium. The 15 and 15 Plus have a little more fun with black, blue, green, pink, and yellow models that are almost pastel in appearance. If you hate the sight of bezels for whatever reason, the iPhone 15 Pro has smaller bezels than the regular iPhone 15.
For the first time, an Action button comes to the iPhone, but only on the 15 Pro models. Similar to the Apple Watch Ultra, you can customize what that button does and it can be used to control a variety of apps as well. For example, you can press it to launch the camera, start a timer, or answer a call.
Which iPhone 15 Should You Get?
If history is any indicator, every iPhone 15 model will likely capture beautiful still images and high-quality video, while handling multiple apps easily and delivering good battery life all in a well-built package. If you're looking for the cheapest option, that is the iPhone 15 with 128GB of storage at $799. If you're worried you'll use all that space quickly, the 256GB iPhone 15 could be a good pick at $899.
If money is no object and you want the top-of-the-line iPhone, go with the iPhone 15 Pro Max with its 6.7-inch display, A17 Pro SoC, powerful 5x optical telephoto camera, and 1TB of storage with a hefty price tag of $1,599.
Most importantly, look at how you actually use your current phone and think about what issues you've had that a new iPhone could solve. We will have our full reviews of Apple's latest iPhones available in the days ahead, so check back soon.
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