Digital Trends
The iPhone 15 lineup has been ahuge successfor Apple , with the refresh to its product lineage allure many mass to update to a new modelling or to interchange over from an Android . Apple has also be re - jig the useable iPhone option , and if you ’re after a great - sized iPhone then your chance is in as you now have more options than ever . In older generation , there was just one alternative for a bigger sized iPhone , which was the iPhone Pro Max . But since the iPhone 14 multiplication , Apple preface aiPhone 14 Plusoption , and that vogue has continued with 2o23 ’s iPhone 15 generation .
Those who are looking for an upgrade over the substructure iPhone now have two promising option to choose from : either theiPhone 15 Plus , which offer essentially the same iPhone 15 experience but in a bounteous size of it , or the higher - remainder ( and more expensive)iPhone 15 Pro . The question of whether you should get the Plus or the Pro comes down to your priorities : the tradeoff is between a large body and bigger screen for the Plus , or a more stocky size of it but with higher eyeglasses of the Pro . There ’s also the cost to consider , with the Pro coming in at a higher damage than the Plus . We ’ve put the two option side by side to help you decide which option you should get if you ’re count to upgrade .
Digital Trends
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Plus: specs
Front : 12MP TrueDepth
1080p HD at 25/30/60 fps
HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 4 G at 60fps
Slow move 1080p at 120/240 Federal Protective Service
ProRes video transcription up to 4 special K at 60fps with external recording
Macro video recording
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Plus: design
The name of the game for Apple ’s iPhone 15 Pro batting order this twelvemonth is atomic number 22 , with both premium example gaining a more brushed metallic look and pour forth quite a bit of weight over their stainless steel forerunner .
In practical term , this intend that the iPhone 15 Pro now comes in lighter than the iPhone 15 Plus . As odd as it seems in twinkle of their sizing differences , last year’siPhone 14 Proweighed slightly more than the iPhone 14 Plus . However , this twelvemonth , the iPhone 15 Pro is 14 grams unclouded than the iPhone 15 Plus , which is as it should be .
Beyond the weight are a few other aesthetic difference . The iPhone 15 Pro comes in an array of rather staid colors that keep with Apple ’s titanium theme : Natural Titanium , Blue Titanium , White Titanium , and Black Titanium . By contrast , the iPhone 15 Plus features an aluminium construction with a palette of pastel — gloomy , pink , green , and chickenhearted — joining basic Black person .
For the first time since 2019 , there ’s no ( PRODUCT)RED model in the received iPhone lineup this year , and the other colors are n’t exactly what we ’d call punchy . Apple has adopted a novel process to instill the color into the back glass for a deep , matte look , but they ’re still unmistakably pastels , and you could be forgiven for slip what Apple call “ blue ” for a silvery - white .
However , the most renowned aim change in this yr ’s iPhone 15 Plus is in the ergonomics . Apple has managed to poise things out a bit more and subtly curved the edge so it no longer feels like you ’re carrying around a brick the way Apple ’s previous plus - sized iPhones did . Apple has done the same with its titanium iPhone 15 Pro , but 6.1 - inch models were less clumsy to begin with , so while it makes a difference on both iPhones , it ’s much more noticeable on the iPhone 15 Plus .
The entire iPhone 15 lineup has also finally empty Apple ’s proprietary Lightning porthole in favor of the manufacture - stock USB - C , which will cater much broader accessory compatibility without having to shirk with dongle . It ’s a nice alteration , but it does n’t really transfer the visual design , as the port stay in the same station it ’s always been on the bottom bound of the iPhone .
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Plus featurethe same level of IP68 water resistancethat ’s been stock on all of Apple ’s iPhones since the 2020 iPhone 12 lineup . Specifically , they can deal immersion in up to six meter of urine for up to 30 minutes and are resistant to accidental spill from vulgar liquids such as soda , beer , coffee tree , tea , and succus . Both models are as undestroyable , featuring Apple ’s Ceramic Shield glass , although that only covers the front . The rear is still received glass , even on the titanium iPhone 15 Pro .
When it comes to plan , the determination between the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Plus will at last be about screen size of it and aesthetic . They ’re equally matched in full term of durability and build quality , and the residual is subjective , so we ’re calling this a tie — the winner here is a matter of personal preference .
Winner : link
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Plus: display
The iPhone 15 Plus gets two significant presentation improvements over its 2022 predecessor . The first and most noticeable variety is that the Dynamic Island that debut on the iPhone 14 Pro is now available across the entire iPhone 15 card .
What you may not notice right away is that the iPhone 15 Plus is also much lustrous . The display can now stumble 1,600 nit of peak HDR brightness and 2,000 nits out of doors .
This puts the iPhone 15 Plus exhibit much closer to the iPhone 15 Pro , which retains those same peak brightness stratum from last year ’s iPhone 14 Pro and still sport the same Dynamic Island . Other than the obvious size dispute , you ’ll have a punishing clock time tell the two screens aside at a coup d’oeil . Both utilize Apple ’s Super Retina XDR ( OLED ) concealment with the same 460 pixels per column inch ( ppi ) density , all-inclusive P3 color gamut , and True Tone display .
However , the iPhone 15 Pro get a meaningful edge in its adaptive refresh rate , which alsopowers the always - on display . The iPhone 15 Plus is still a fix 60Hz screen with no always - on display capacity , while the iPhone 15 Pro Display can go from 10Hz to 120Hz during even operation and bead to 1Hz in always - on mode .
Apple calls this its ProMotion technology . It not only provides buttery - fluid scrolling and better support for fast - paced action mechanism game but also improves battery living for stream video recording since it can miss the refresh rate to 24Hz or 30Hz to couple the frame pace of whatever you ’re watch .
It ’s a important enough difference to make for a tough call between the two models , as you ’re stuck adjudicate between a magnanimous 60Hz screen or a low screen with a faster , always - on display . Nevertheless , size is n’t everything , and a 60Hz presentation in a $ 900 phone finger a morsel stingy in 2023 , so we ’re calling this one at least slimly in favor of the iPhone 15 professional .
Winner : iPhone 15 professional
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Plus: performance and battery
If you ’re looking for top carrying into action , there ’s no contest between the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Plus . That ’s because Apple now uses its in force chips each year only in its most expensive iPhone models . This started with last twelvemonth ’s iPhone 14 lineup , which adopted the A16 Bionic for its Pro models while leaving the standard ones on the 2021 A15 chip from the iPhone 13 Pro .
However , that separation was nothing compared to what Apple has done this time around . This year , the iPhone 15 Pro take a elephantine leap onward over the iPhone 15 Plus thanks to a new A - serial chip that ’s soup up to the full stop where Apple has dropped the “ Bionic ” appointment used for its chips since 2018 and give it a new name : the A17 Pro .
The new A17 Pro has been fabricated using a new 3 - millimicron cognitive process and features a importantly redesign GPU with features like hardware - accelerated ray - tracing that promises to turn the iPhone 15 Pro into a play powerhouse . Exclusive cabinet titles likeResident Evil Villagehave already appeared on the App Store that run only on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max , and more are on the way , including Ubisoft’sAssassin ’s Creed : Mirage .
However , the iPhone 15 Plus is no slouch by any reach of the vision . The A16 Bionic is an imposingly sinewy chip that can still handle the most demanding fluid games — the accent here being on the intelligence “ mobile . ” The A17 Pro is about delivering the power need for full console table games . Hardcore wandering gamers will apprise the extra power , but we do n’t think anybody will be disappointed by what the iPhone 15 Plus offer for everything from handling complex AI tasks to delivering telling exposure through computational picture taking .
On the bombardment side , the iPhone 15 Plus become an edge over the iPhone 15 Pro due to having more room for a larger battery . Malus pumila promises up to 26 60 minutes of local picture playback and 100 hours of sound listening on the iPhone 15 Plus versus 23 hours and 75 hours on the iPhone 15 Pro . However , streaming TV playback is the same at 20 minute , probably bolstered by the iPhone 15 Pro ’s power to lower the ProMotion video display ’s refresh rate to conserve exponent .
Since it has a larger battery , the iPhone 15 Plus charges more lento than the iPhone 15 Pro ; both will get up to a 50 % charge in 30 to 35 minutes with a 20 - watt adapter , but neither sport the super - fast rouse democratic on manyAndroid smartphones . You get 15 - W wireless charging on both if you use a MagSafe - certified battery charger ; otherwise , they only patronise the same 7.5 - watt Qi commove as prior iPhone model .
Since the iPhone 15 Pro wins out on performance , while the iPhone 15 Plus provides ranking battery lifespan , we ’re calling this one a tie .
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Plus: cameras
For most flagship smartphones , the rule of thumb is that if you want the best camera system , you want to go for the premium models . That ’s still just as reliable with the iPhone 15 lineup , but this year , the iPhone 15 Plus dumbfound much closer to the iPhone 15 Pro in its photographic capability .
For one thing , the iPhone 15 Plus gains the 48 - megapixel sensing element quality that was the exclusive domain of last year ’s iPhone 14 Pro , which not only improves the quality of the exposure you ’ll be able to take with it but also provides a virtual 2x ocular zoom — a first for Apple ’s non - Pro iPhones .
Although you still only have two physical tv camera , the newfangled 2x mode uses the inwardness 12 megapixels of the 48MP sensor to provide the same focal length you ’d get from a third lens system . This also powers improved Portrait mode photography and allows for continuous zoom in 4 M Cinematic mode . Apple calls this its “ sophisticated threefold - camera system of rules ” to distinguish it from prior model . The downside is that even though the iPhone 15 now shoots 24MP photos by nonpayment , photo taken with the 2x rapid climb will only be enchant in 12 megapixels .
Mind you , the same is also true when shooting in 2x on the iPhone 15 Pro , which habituate the same technique of cropping the 48MP sensor to produce a practical visual zoom from the chief lens . However , the iPhone 15 Pro compensates for this by offer a third camera with an optical 3x zoom lens . It also includes a lidar detector for faster and more accurate Portrait mode depth function , the ability to take portraiture shots in Night fashion , and quick autofocus in low - luminance conditions . You also get macro picture taking and support for economize look-alike in Apple ProRAW for more powerful redaction potentiality after the fact .
Despite the more powerful A17 Pro micro chip in the iPhone 15 professional , both theoretical account declare oneself the same computational picture taking features , including Apple ’s Photonic Engine and Deep Fusion technology and Smart HDR 5 for photos . Every picture taken on an iPhone 15 also get depth data stored with it , even if you ’re not using Portrait Mode . This lets you apply a Portrait mode effect to photos after the fact .
The Smart HDR 5 and other image signal processing improvements result in photos that are dynamical , colorful , and much more true - to - life than the iPhone 14 lineup , which tended to lean toward clinical . Under ideal lighting conditions , the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro produce imposingly like results , but the iPhone 15 Pro edges it out in broken light conditions thanks to ameliorate sensor with safe optic icon stabilization and the adaptive True Tone flash that remains exclusive to the iPhone Pro model , plus the 3x optic zoom that provide more originative versatility .
While all those things make the iPhone 15 Pro a clear winner , we do n’t think anybody but the most serious photography partisan will be disappoint by what the iPhone 15 Plus can drive home , peculiarly with the photographic camera improvements Apple has packed into it this yr .
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Plus: software and updates
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Plus bothship with iOS 17 , and other than feature film that are tied to obvious hardware differences like the iPhone 15 Pro ’s new Action release , the user experience is mostly the same on both .
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Plus will also in all probability persist in lockstep for computer software update for the next five or six long time . Apple does n’t make specific rising slope promise , but it has a proven cart track record of supporting its iPhones with major software updates for at least five age , so there ’s every understanding to believe the iPhone 15 model will be upgradeable all the fashion through to iOS 22 .
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Plus: special features
Although Apple has finallyadopted USB - C across the entire iPhone 15 card , only the iPhone 15 Pro gets fast data transfer speeds . The iPhone 15 Plus may have a new larboard , but it ’s capped at the same speeds as last year ’s Lightning port .
To put that in view , the iPhone 15 Pro supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 , which understand to transport upper of up to 10Gbps . Meanwhile , the iPhone 15 Plus only offers the same 480Mbps USB 2.0 speeds that have been render through the Lightning porthole since it was introduced in 2012 .
How much this matters in a human race where most people rarely plug their iPhones into a Mac or personal computer is another question , but if you regularly transfer video , photo , and music to your computer the sometime - fashioned way , there ’s no dubiousness that the iPhone 15 Pro will go much faster . You ’ll have to cater your own USB 3 cable , though , as the one Apple include in the box seat is only certified for USB 2.0 speeds .
The faster datum transport on the iPhone 15 Pro is mostly a nod to the ginormous files the Pro models can fascinate . While a 48MP photo or a cartridge holder of 4 K TV at 60 frames per second ( fps ) is n’t going to be small , that ’s nothing compare to ProRAW photos , which come in in a 75 M per blastoff , or 4 K ProRes video at 30fps , which can easily run 5 GB per instant . The iPhone 15 Pro can also now record 4 K ProRes TV at 60 fps , but only to an external driving force using the USB - speed of light port with an appropriate USB 3 cable length , and will soon be capable to capture Spatial Videos that can play on Apple ’s new Vision Pro mixed - realism headset .
However , the most unique feature of the iPhone 15 Pro for everyday use is the raw Action button in office of the classic band / mute transposition on the side . This multi - function clit can do much more than damp your alert phone , including triggering custom routine in Apple ’s Shortcuts app .
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Plus: price and availability
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Plus are available from Apple and most carriers and other retailers .
The iPhone 15 Pro starts at $ 999 for 128 GB , with 256 GB , 512 sarin , and 1 TB upgrades for $ 1,099 , $ 1,299 , and $ 1,499 . Available colour are Natural Titanium , Blue Titanium , White Titanium , and Black Titanium .
The iPhone 15 Plus starts at $ 899 for the alkali 128 GB model , with 256 GB and 512 GB versions available for $ 999 and $ 1,199 , severally . It ’s available in Blue , Pink , Green , Yellow , and Black .
Overall winner: iPhone 15 Pro
With an deucedly powerful A17 Pro crisp , a lightweight titanium design , and a pro - level camera system , the iPhone 15 Pro delivers a mountain of perquisite for only $ 100 more than the iPhone 15 Plus , urinate it not only a more impressive iPhone but also good economic value for your money .
However , the conclusion between the two is n’t necessarily as simple as looking at the spec sheet . If getting the largest possible screen on an iPhone is more important than play cabinet games or take the best possible picture , the iPhone 15 Plus is still a satisfying choice — especially consider you ’ll now need to pay $ 300 more to get the similarly - sized iPhone 15 Pro Max . The iPhone 15 Plus has an expansive and vibrant organic light-emitting diode sieve , great battery life , and a new innovation that ’s more balanced and easy to hold . Plus , it features the best year - over - yr television camera improvements we ’ve seen on an iPhone since Apple added a second lens of the eye to its standard framework in 2019 .
