Specs Appeal: What is the difference between iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max?

There was a time when iPhone buyers had only two questions to answer: what color and what storage option to select. Now, things are much more complicated. Apple is selling multiple iPhones for different budgets, and the latest iPhone 15 series now-traditionally consists of four models: two "regular" iPhone 15 and two Pro models. If you are wondering what model to choose or just want to compare the latest iPhones, here is a complete spec comparison between the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

You may also want to check out our additional Spec Appeal articles comparing the iPhone 15/15 Plus with their predecessors and the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max with the previous-gen iPhone Pro models.

There are four key differences between the iPhone 15/15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max: materials, displays, processors, and cameras. More affordable iPhone 15 models are made from aluminum, while their more expensive siblings offer polished grade 5 titanium. Apple says replacing stainless steel in the iPhone 14 Pro with titanium allowed for a lighter chassis without compromising strength and durability. Also, the iPhone 15 Pro lineup features a reworked chassis with easier back glass replacement.

When speaking about chassis, the new Action button in the iPhone 15 Pro lineup is also worth noting. It replaced the old single-use mute switch, giving users a customizable button for launching the camera, recording notes, turning on accessibility features, or executing shortcuts. The baseline iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus still use the old mute switch.

Although all four iPhone 15 models now have Dynamic Island instead of the old notch, there is still a notable difference between displays. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max support Pro Motion with refresh rates ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. Another great feature in "Pro-grade" iPhones is always-on-display. "Regular" iPhone 15s still use 60Hz displays without AOD, albeit their sizes, resolution, and peak brightness match their more expensive siblings.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are powered by a newer A17 Pro SoC that offers a 10% increase in CPU performance and a 20% GPU performance boost. In addition to raw horsepower, the new processor features a dedicated AV1 encoder, hardware-accelerated ray tracing for powerful games, and a USB 3.0 controller for faster data transfer via a USB-C port (other iPhone 15 models have a USB-C 2.0 port).

The final biggest difference between the iPhone 15/15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max is cameras. The Pro models have an extra 12MP telephoto camera with 3x (or 5x in the iPhone 15 Pro Max) optical zoom. There is also a second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, macro photo/video, night mode portraits, and Apple ProRAW support.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are also better at video recording: You can record ProRes video at up to 4K 60 fps with external recorder support. There are also Log and ACES support.

Here are the key distinctions between the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max and iPhone 15/15 Plus summed up in a list:

• Chassis material difference: titanium in Pro and aluminum in regular models.
• A newer and better processor.
• Faster screens with adaptive refresh rate and always-on display support.
• Better cameras with a dedicated telephoto camera and a LiDAR sensor.
• 1TB storage option.
• Wi-Fi 6E support and dual-frequency GPS.
• USB-C 3.0 instead of the slower USB-C 2.0.
• Longer battery life.

Now here is a more detailed spec comparison:

The iPhone 15 series will be available for preorder on the official Apple website on September 15, 2023, with availability beginning September 22, 2023.

Are you buying one of the new iPhone 15s? Are you going for pros or regular ones? Let us know in the comments.