iPhone 15 and 15 Plus vs. iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max

The iPhone 15 series is out and is hands-down the best bushel of Apple handsets available. In our iPhone 15 review, we were impressed by its new USB-C connectivity, 48MP primary camera, and powerful processor.

As with the iPhone 14 series, you've got four choices: the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max. Essentially, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are nearly identical, but the Plus comes with a larger screen and better battery life. Likewise, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max boast almost the same benefits, but the Pro Max touts more screen real estate, improved battery life, and a better zoom lens on its camera. 

Maybe you're upgrading from an old iOS device, switching from Android, or simply have to ditch your "outdated" iPhone 14 Pro Max for the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer. Whatever the reason, we're here to help you decide which iPhone 15 model is right for you. Let's compare the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max so you can pick the Apple phone of your choice.

iPhone 15 models comparison

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From a quick glance at the spec sheets, you can see that the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are extremely similar, with the Plus version essentially a larger version of the vanilla 15. Likewise, the 15 Pro Max boasts a bigger screen and battery than the 15 Pro, but also features a better telephoto lens. Ultimately, if you want the best that Apple has to offer, that's easily the iPhone 15 Pro Max, although the top-shelf variant is also the most expensive.

Dive into more specifics with a look at the iPhone 15's design, RAM and storage, cameras, performance, battery, and software features so you can decide which option fits your needs and budget.

iPhone 15 design and display

The iPhone 15 comes in four variants, with the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro both offering 6.1-inch displays and the 15 Plus and 15 Pro Max stepping up to larger 6.7-inch screens. However, the Pro options step up the refresh rate to a faster 120Hz versus the 60Hz on the 15 and 15 Plus. That speedier refresh rate is especially better for gaming in competitive titles such as Diablo Immortal but even makes everyday use like scrolling and tapping more comfortable.

iPhone 15 screen sizes and refresh rates:

• iPhone 15: 6.1 inches, 60Hz
• iPhone 15 Plus: 6.7 inches, 60Hz
• iPhone 15 Pro: 6.1 inches, 120Hz
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: 6.7 inches, 120Hz

Across all iPhone 15 versions, there's more of a contour to the edges which makes it feel more natural to hold in your hands. You've got several colours to pick per device lineup.

iPhone 15 colours:

• iPhone 15/15 Plus—Pink, yellow, blue, black, green 
• iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max—Black titanium, white titanium, blue titanium, raw titanium 

While the standard iPhone 15 and its Plus sibling stick with a familiar aluminum chassis, the Pro tiers get a premium titanium alloy frame which shaves a bit off of the weight without sacrificing durability. The titanium frame should keep your phone protected in a pocket or purse, but we'd still recommend a good case for your iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, particularly considering its premium price tag.

Instead of the Lightning connector, Apple finally switched to USB-C for charging and device connectivity—gone are the days of carrying around yet another dongle. This is a welcome change that makes the iPhone 15 lineup even more tempting for folks like yours truly, who are debating switching from Android to iOS.

Aside from colour options and build materials, there's another distinction between the iPhone 15/15 Plus and 15 Pro/Pro Max. You'll find the faithful mute switch for enabling or disabling your smartphone's sounds on the 15 and 15 Plus. But the Pro versions get an Action button, which is a long-press (press-and-hold) switch for handling different tasks like firing up an app, turning on your flashlight, or toggling on audio.

iPhone 15 RAM and storage

The iPhone 15, 15 Plus, and 15 Pro all start out at 128GB of storage. Apple's flagship iPhone 15 Pro Max base model boasts 256GB of onboard storage. You can get up to 512GB of storage on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, or 1TB with the 15 Pro and Pro Max. Here's how iPhone 15 storage stacks up:

• iPhone 15/15 Plus: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
• iPhone 15 Pro: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Which iPhone works for you depends on how much storage space you actually need. Most folks who simply want to stream Taylor Swift albums on Spotify, frantically check Slack messages (I'm working, I swear!), or play games on Xbox Game Pass only need 128GB or 256GB of storage space. While that may sound like a lot, even 256GB fills up quickly once you start downloading apps, games, and taking pictures or videos. Hardcore gamers or audiophiles who want to lug around their entire music collections should consider a 512GB or 1TB iPhone 15.

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus include 6GB of RAM, with the 15 Pro and Pro Max sporting 8GB of memory. If you're a frequent multitasker, the iPhone 15 Pro series lets you run multiple simultaneous apps or tackle demanding games with ease. Even the 6GB on the 15 and 15 Plus is no slouch.

iPhone 15 cameras

Traditionally, Apple has graced the iPhone with one of the best cameras on the market, and that's no different for the 15 lineup. Across the board, the iPhone 15 gets a bump to a 48MP primary camera sensor, with 12MP ultra-wide lenses. Despite the uniform megapixel counts, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max tout different aperture sizes for snapping close-up macro shots. But it's the exact same 12MP front-facing selfie camera on each handset.

Additionally, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max add telephoto lenses, with a 3x 12MP shooter on the Pro and a 5x 12MP lens on the Pro Max. Here's an iPhone 15 camera comparison:

• iPhone 15/15 Plus: 48MP wide ƒ/1.6 aperture, 12MP ultra-wide ƒ/2.4 aperture, 12MP front ƒ/1.9 aperture
• iPhone 15 Pro: 48MP wide ƒ/1.78 aperture, 12MP ultra-wide ƒ/2.2 aperture, 12MP 3x telephoto ƒ/2.8 aperture, 12MP front ƒ/1.9 aperture
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: 48MP wide ƒ/1.78 aperture, 12MP ultra-wide ƒ/2.2 aperture, 12MP 5x telephoto ƒ/2.8 aperture, 12MP front ƒ/1.9 aperture

Both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max include macro support for crisp, clear close-up shots. Likewise, the Pro variants tout telephoto lenses with the Pro Max offering a 5x lens that can capture faraway subjects with minimal image quality loss.

While the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus cameras aren't quite as capable as their Pro siblings, they're by no means bad. If you want to take food photos, snap pictures for your pet's Instagram account, or shoot videos of your kid's dance recital, any iPhone 15 will do just fine. But serious photographers and videographers should look to the iPhone 15 Pro versions.

iPhone 15 performance

Under the hood, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus rock the same A16 Bionic processor as the previous-generation iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. While it's an upgrade compared to the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus processors, it's a lateral move for iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max users. Instead, Apple reserves an upgrade to the A17 Pro chip for its iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

The new A17 Pro processor provides an extra GPU core which comes in handy for playing demanding games like Genshin Impact. Overall, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus still have a fantastic processor—it's just not quite as beefy as the iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max. Unless you're a serious gamer or tackling tough tasks on your phone such as photo and video editing, we doubt most people will notice the difference.

iPhone 15 battery life and charging

Traditionally, Apple is pretty coy about revealing its battery specs, but here are the revealed battery capacities:

• iPhone 15: Up to 20 hours of video playback, 16 hours of streaming video, 80 hours of audio playback
• iPhone 15 Plus: Up to 26 hours of video playback, 20 hours of streaming video, 100 hours of audio plauback
• iPhone 15 Pro: Up to 23 hours of video playback, 20 hours of streaming video, 75 hours of audio playback
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: Up to 29 hours of video playback, 25 hours of streaming video, 95 hours of audio playback

You'll fast charging which juices your phone by up to 50% in 30 minutes with the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro or 35 minutes on the iPhone 15 Plus and Pro Max. Wired charging comes via USB-C, a welcome update for more universal connectivity (you can finally borrow your Android phone-wielding friend's cable, but they'll need to use a third-party app to chat with when using iMessage on Android). Alternatively, you can use Qi and MagSafe wireless chargers.

iOS 17 features

Each iPhone 15 model ships with iOS 17 pre-installed. As such, you'll enjoy a slew of neat features such as offline Apple Maps and StandBy mode. However, there aren't a lot of special benefits unique to the iPhone 15 series. For instance, Voice Isolation Mode and AAA Roadside Assistance via satellites will grace iPhone 14 handsets. However, the iPhone 15 does get Apple's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip which lets you locate AirTags and Find My-compatible devices faster. 

Check out our top three features of iOS 17 that you should be excited about.

Is it worth upgrading to the iPhone 15?

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Now that you've compared the entire iPhone 15 lineup, you're probably wondering if it's worth upgrading to Apple's latest handset. The answer is that it depends.

You should upgrade to the iPhone 15 if...

• You have an iPhone 12 or older (by now, you should have a 5G iPhone)
• You want to switch from Android to iOS
• You have a broken phone
• You're getting a new phone already
• You simply must have the latest and greatest

But you shouldn't (necessarily) upgrade to an iPhone 15 if...

• You have an iPhone 13 or newer
• You are on a budget

The iPhone is, undoubtedly, an upgrade over every predecessor, including the previous generation iPhone 14 series and the two-generations-ago iPhone 13 lineup. So going from the base iPhone 13 to the base iPhone 15 is an improvement in many ways. If you can trade in your phone and get a decent amount of money for it towards a new device, that might be a reason to upgrade. But if it does everything you need it to, you might as well keep it and save money. 

While a jump from the iPhone 14 to the 15 is technically still an upgrade, it's not as noticeable as a three-or-more-year-old iPhone to the latest version. Heck, USB-C is arguably enough of an update in convenience that we wouldn't blame you for selling or trading in your last-gen iPhone 14 series handset for a shiny new iPhone 15. That said, only you can decide if a new mobile device is right for you. As someone with three phones (yes, I know I have a problem...), I'm the last to judge. 

Which iPhone 15 model is right for you?

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For most folks, we recommend the base iPhone 15 as the best iPhone. It gets you a great camera, solid processor, and gorgeous screen without breaking the bank. The iPhone 15 Plus is a good pick if you want more screen real estate but don't want to spring for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

We suggest the iPhone 15 Pro Max for power users—hardcore gamers, content creators, and remote workers who rely on their mobile devices to stay connected on the go. Especially with its 5x optical zoom, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is superb for photography and videography. The iPhone 15 Pro is a nice alternative, but unless you prefer the smaller form factor or slightly cheaper price tag, the Pro Max justifies the price jump from the 15 and 15 Plus better with its 5x optical zoom vs. the 3x zoom in the base model Pro.

iPhone 15 vs. 15 Plus vs. 15 Pro vs. 15 Pro Max: FAQs

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What are the different iPhone 15 models?

Is there an iPhone 15 Plus?

Is the iPhone 15 Plus the same size as the Pro Max?

What is the difference between the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus?