iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro: the key differences
iPhone 15
Weight: 171g
Dimensions: 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm
Screen size: 6.1-inch
Resolution: 1179 x 2556
CPU: A16 Bionic
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB
Battery: 3,349mAh
Rear camera: 48MP+12MP
Front camera: 12MP
The iPhone 15 comes close to matching the iPhone 15 Pro in a lot of ways, including its Dynamic Island and screen size, but for the power, cameras, and refresh rate, the Pro has it beat.
For
Dynamic Island
48MP main camera
A16 Bionic chipset
Against
No zoom lens
60Hz refresh rate
Can run a little hot
iPhone 15 Pro
Weight: 187g
Dimensions: 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3mm
Screen size: 6.1-inch
Resolution: 1179 x 2556
CPU: A17 Pro
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery: 3,274mAh
Rear camera: 48MP+12MP+12MP
Front camera: 12MP
The iPhone 15 Pro has a more powerful chipset than the base model along with an extra camera and a better build, but it's not a drastic upgrade.
For
Beautiful titanium design
Finally, USB-C connectivity
All new A17 Pro chip
Against
Niche camera upgrades
No change to battery longevity
Limited to 3x zoom
The iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max have all landed, but if you want a small screen iPhone then of these it's the standard model and the Pro that you'll be choosing between.
Both devices have a 6.1-inch screen, along with a number of other similarities, but they're priced very differently.
With that in mind, we’ve examined the two smaller phones below, comparing their specs and also how we found them in our iPhone 15 review and our iPhone 15 Pro review.
You’ll know without even reading this article that the iPhone 15 Pro is a higher-end handset than the iPhone 15, but for a more in-depth look at how these phones differ – and what’s the same – read on.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro: specs comparison
Before we dive in deep to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro specs, here’s a handy table giving you an at-a-glance comparison of them.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro: price and availability
The iPhone 15 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,499. That's for a 128GB model, and it rises to $899 / £899 / AU$1,699 for 256GB, and $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,049 for 512GB.
As for the iPhone 15 Pro, that starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,849, which again gets you 128GB of storage. 256GB will cost you $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,049, 512GB will set you back $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,399, and 1TB costs $1,499 / £1,499 / AU$2,749.
So the starting price of the iPhone 15 Pro is $200 / £200 / AU$350 higher than the iPhone 15, and the iPhone 15 Pro tops out at $400 / £400 / AU$700 more, though at the top end you also get more storage with the Pro model.
Both phones are out now and widely available across the world.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro: design and display
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro both look quite different to their predecessors. As for how they compare to each other, well, that's a mix of similarities and differences.
Both phones have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch. That’s not a new thing for the Pro model, but it is for the standard iPhone 15. They also both have contoured edges, in place of the flat ones seen on the previous models, and they have a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port.
So, in a lot of ways they look quite similar to each other, but the iPhone 15 Pro has a more premium finish, as this has an Apple Watch Ultra-style Action button in place of a mute switch, and titanium sides rather than the aluminum of the iPhone 15.
The dimensions of these phones are similar though, at 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm in the case of the iPhone 15 and 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3mm in the case of the iPhone 15 Pro. Though the Pro model is heavier at 187g to the 171g of the standard iPhone 15.
As for the screens, both phones have a 6.1-inch 1179 x 2556 display with 461 pixels per inch and a high peak brightness of 2,000 nits. However, while the iPhone 15 Pro has a 120Hz screen, the iPhone 15 is stuck at 60Hz. So the refresh rate is the main display difference.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro: cameras
The iPhone 15 has been upgraded to a 48MP main camera, which is one of the major improvements of this model over the iPhone 14. However, it's still just a dual-lens phone, with the same 12MP ultra-wide and 12MP selfie cameras as last year.
As for the iPhone 15 Pro, that has a triple-lens rear setup like its predecessor, specifically a 48MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 12MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.
So it has a telephoto camera, which the iPhone 15 lacks, and is uses a different sensor for the main snapper (even though both are 48MP).
In practice, we've found that both handsets are capable camera phones, but if you want one of the best camera phones, you'll want to choose the iPhone 15 Pro.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro: performance
Until recently you could expect the same chipset in a standard iPhone as a Pro model, with the only potential power difference coming from the amount of RAM. But Apple didn’t do that with the iPhone 14 series.
Instead, the company gave the Pro models its latest and greatest A16 Bionic chipset, while the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus adopted the A15 Bionic from the previous generation of Pro iPhones.
The same thing has happened this year, with the iPhone 15 getting the A16 Bionic, and the iPhone 15 Pro getting a new A17 Pro chipset.
The A17 Pro has a 20% more powerful GPU than its predecessor and a 10% faster CPU, so this should make the iPhone 15 Pro a far more powerful phone. That said, the A16 Bionic is no slouch, so the standard iPhone 15 doesn't feel underpowered.
Beyond that, the iPhone 15 Pro also has more RAM, at 8GB, compared to 6GB in the iPhone 15.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro: battery
The iPhone 15 has a 3,349mAh battery and the iPhone 15 Pro has a 3,274mAh one, so this is one area where the standard iPhone 15 actually has an advantage, albeit a negligible one.
This hasn't translated into better life though. In fact, the iPhone 15 Pro can last for up to 23 hours of video playback according to Apple, while the standard iPhone 15 can only manage 20. This difference is presumably due to the Pro phone having a more efficient chipset and a variable refresh rate (which can drop very low when 120Hz or even 60Hz isn't needed).
In our own tests, we found that both phones should comfortably see you through a day of mixed use. Both phones also charge via USB-C, which is a change for the iPhone line, as previous models have a Lightning port.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro: verdict
The iPhone 15 Pro has a more premium build than the iPhone 15, as well as a higher refresh rate display, a more powerful chipset, more RAM, an extra camera for telephoto shots, and better battery life.
On the other hand, the screen size and resolution and the general overall appearance is much the same on both phones. And, of course, the iPhone 15 Pro is more expensive; with a price premium of $200 / £200 / AU$350.
Both of these are excellent smartphones, with both achieving 4.5 stars in our reviews, but the iPhone 15 Pro is a significantly better phone in a number of areas.
More iPhone 15 articles
iPhone 15: everything you need to know
iPhone 15 Plus: everything you need to know
iPhone 15 Pro Max: everything you need to know
iPhone 15 price: should you go for iPhone 14 instead?
iPhone 15 deals: the best offers to look out for
iPhone 15 USB-C: everything you need to know
iPhone 15 Pro Max camera: 7 big upgrades
