The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro belong to Apple’s latest lineup of iPhones, succeeding the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro from the previous year. However, what sets apart these two most recent 6.1-inch iPhone models, and what exactly distinguishes a “Pro” variant in terms of features and capabilities? | iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 15 Pro.
In the previous year, the primary distinctions between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro revolved around features such as an always-on display, the Dynamic Island, an extended three-hour battery life, and rear cameras with varying apertures. However, with the introduction of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, both models now incorporate new elements like the USB-C port, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, and next-generation portrait capabilities. Nevertheless, the gap between Apple’s “Pro” and non-Pro iPhone models has grown more substantial than ever before.
Our guide is designed to assist you in determining which of these two iPhone models (iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 15 Pro) is the most suitable choice for your needs. Additionally, it serves as a means to transparently highlight the extra features and enhancements that the iPhone 15 Pro offers.
iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 15 Pro :
| Feature | iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Pro |
| Design | Aluminum and glass | Titanium and glass |
| Size | Slightly smaller due to slimmer borders | |
| Weight (g) | 171g (iPhone 15), 201g (iPhone 15 Pro) | 187g (iPhone 15 Pro), 221g (Pro Max) |
| Hardware Buttons | Ring/Silent switch | Action button |
| ProMotion with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz | ||
| Display | Always-on display | |
| Processor | A16 Bionic chip (5nm) | A17 Pro chip (3nm) |
| CPU | 6-core CPU | 6-core CPU (up to 10% faster) |
| GPU | 5-core GPU | 6-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing (up to 20% faster) |
| Neural Engine | 16-core Neural Engine | 16-core Neural Engine (up to 2x faster) |
| Dedicated AV1 decoder | ||
| RAM | 6GB | 8GB |
| Camera System | “Advanced” dual-camera system | “Pro” triple camera system |
| Main Camera | 48-megapixel, ƒ/1.6 aperture | 48-megapixel, ƒ/1.78 aperture and larger sensor |
| Ultra Wide Camera | 12-megapixel, ƒ/2.4 aperture | 12-megapixel, ƒ/2.2 aperture |
| 12-megapixel, ƒ/2.8 aperture, larger sensor, autofocus 3D sensor-shift module | ||
| Optical Zoom | 0.5x, 1x, and 2x optical zoom | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x, and 5x optical zoom (5x on Pro Max only) |
| OIS | Sensor-shift optical image stabilization | Second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization |
| Flash | True Tone flash | Adaptive True Tone flash |
| LiDAR Scanner | LiDAR scanner | |
| Night Mode Portraits | Night mode portraits | |
| Macro Photography | Macro photography | |
| ProRAW | Apple ProRAW | |
| Image Transfer to Mac | Shoot and instantly transfer 48-megapixel ProRAW images to Mac via USB 3 | |
| External Drive Video Recording | 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 | Log video recording | |
| Color Encoding System | Academy Color Encoding System | |
| Spatial Video Recording for Apple Vision Pro | Record spatial video for Apple Vision Pro | |
| USB Transfer Speeds | 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 | |
| Connectivity | Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity | Wi‑Fi 6E connectivity |
| Networking | Thread networking technology | |
| Battery Life | 20- or 26-hour battery life | 23- or 29-hour battery life |
| Storage Options | 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB |
| Color Options | Yellow, Blue, Pink, Green, and Black | Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium |
| Starting Price | Starts at $799 | Starts at $999 |
The iPhone 15 Pro presents a substantial array of improvements when compared to the standard iPhone 15. For just an additional $200, you can enjoy benefits like a ProMotion display with always-on functionality, the Action Button, and extended battery life. These enhancements alone make a compelling case for choosing the iPhone 15 Pro over the iPhone 15. While other distinctions, such as the A17 Pro chip and an extra 2GB of memory, are noteworthy, the most significant disparities lie in their rear camera setups.
The iPhone 15 Pro introduces 10 additional camera features and incorporates four distinct or enhanced camera components. Given the extensive scope of improvements and features found in the iPhone 15 Pro, most customers are likely to find satisfaction in opting for the high-end model.
The standard iPhone 15 continues to offer many of the compelling features found in the iPhone 15 Pro, including USB-C, the Dynamic Island, and a 48-megapixel primary camera, all at a more budget-friendly price point. Opting for the iPhone 15 over the iPhone 15 Pro makes sense if you prioritize having a lighter device, don’t require the “Pro” rear camera setup or features like ProMotion and the always-on display, or can’t justify the additional $200 for the high-end model.
In such cases, you can still enjoy the iPhone 15’s extensive list of advanced capabilities. It remains a well-designed and balanced device, particularly suitable for average customers and those upgrading from much older iPhone models.
Image Use Disclosure
We use the official iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro pictures for content enhancement. Proper attribution and image rights are respected. All images are the property of Apple Inc.
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