Verdict
The iPhone 15 Pro may not be the most exciting upgrade of the multiplication , lack the 5x telephoto electron lens of the Pro Max , but it remain a very open succinct option for practically everyone but iPhone 14 Pro users .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Pro model of iPhone is usually the easy of the aggregation to recommend , but it ’s definitely heavy with the institution of the iPhone 15 professional .
While the iPhone 15 Pro does still represent a sweet spot in Apple ’s iPhone collecting with a 120Hz ProMotion display , a triple tv camera setup and Apple ’s A17 Pro chipset , it ’s notthatdifferent to the iPhone 14 Pro .
That would ’ve been a passably easier pill to swallow had Apple not upgrade the telephoto photographic camera of theiPhone 15 Pro Maxfrom 3.5x to 5x while leaving the Pro unchanged . You could essentially save some serious immediate payment by sticking with the regulariPhone 15oriPhone 15 Plus .
In fact , with the newer iPhone 16 Pro offering that upgraded 5x telephoto and a new 48MP ultrawide , along with a larger screen , improved barrage fire life and firm performance , thatcouldbe the iPhone to go for , count on your priorities . rent me explicate .
Design
The iPhone 15 Pro may look a lot like the iPhone 14 Pro at first glance , but there has been a meaningful refresh that does a amazingly effective job of making the iPhone 15 Pro more comfortable to apply without compromise on the signature iPhone style .
The most instantly famed difference is the rounded edges of the phone . It still sports the same angular , industrial design as its harbinger but with ever - so - slightly more rounded edge that allow the iPhone to go more nicely into the grooves of your palm without the soreness of those somewhat crisp edges .
I never had an result with the iPhone 14 Pro ’s design during my yr of use , but after using the iPhone 15 Pro for a piddling over a week , it ’ll be tough to go back . It feelssomuch nicer to curb and use , and I imagine the effects are even more notable on big - covert model like the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max .
The other big contributing factor to the iPhone ’s vastly improved hand - feel is the purpose of an alone new material in the form of atomic number 22 . The manipulation of titanium allows the iPhone to be just as durable as before , but crucially , it ’s much light this prison term around at 187 g compared to 206 g of the iPhone 14 Pro .
It also skylark a sweep finish that not only adds to that nice in - handwriting feel but provide for the frame to be less of a fingermark attraction than that of the iPhone 14 Pro . Do n’t get me wrong , you ’ll still see plenty of smudges and St. Mark on the fleecy titanium frame – they ’re just toilsome to discern at a distance now .
Elsewhere , the other celebrated addition to Apple ’s iPhone 15 Pro lineup is theAction Button , replace the silent switch that has been present on every individual manikin of iPhone since its origin . The little release sits on the top - left of the phone , and while you’re able to still utilise it to alternate between still and ring modes , it can dosomuch more .
Options include the power to trip features like the torch or camera with the printing press of a button , but I ’ve found that the Shortcuts functionality is what let the release to shine . It has allowed me to programme the push button to automatically control my Philips Hue lights , and more latterly , I ’ve programmed it to open up my most - used shoot the breeze app ( Beeper ) so I can quickly reply to messages no matter what I ’m doing .
It wasa feature I was n’t so indisputable aboutwhen Apple first announced the iPhone 15 professional , but after over a week ’s use , I ’m well and genuinely sell . I just wish I could program multiple shortcuts , rather than the single crush - and - time lag option uncommitted right now .
The grown change for iPhone users , however , will no doubt be the entry ofUSB - C. As someone who uses Android phones on a regular basis , I see this as nothing but a benefit , offering better functionality and potentially quicker charge speed , but there will no doubt be wad of retentive - prison term iPhone customers with a accumulation of now - supererogatory Lightning cables to throw out of .
Elsewhere , other notable returning features includeIP68dust and water electrical resistance , Face ID recognition technical school and Ceramic Shield glass protection that all help the iPhone 15 Pro look and feel the part .
There is n’t much in the mode of changes in terms of plan when it comes to the newfangled model , but it does offer a new push in the shape of the Camera Control button .
As well as let you to take a picture using a dedicated physical clit , the hint - tender nature of the push button means you’re able to swipe on it to change your shooting modality and even surge in , though just how useful this is will depend on how often you take photograph and video .
Screen
The projection screen is one area that remains fundamentally unaltered compared to the iPhone 14 Pro , romp the same 6.1 - inchProMotion displayand super - smooth120Hzrefresh charge per unit that makes everything feel that little mo smoother and more reactive – so much so that I ’m surprise Apple has n’t made it a received feature article across the entire iPhone kitchen stove .
There is a flimsy divergence when it comes to bezels , with the newer model further shrinking the ignominious bar that palisade the exhibit , though I must admit that I did n’t comment any genuine difference pop off from the iPhone 14 Pro to the iPhone 15 Pro . certain , there ’s alittlemore space , but it ’s not as instantly noticeable as the super - slim bezels of the Pro Max simulation .
That all said , I ’m not exactly unhinged that the iPhone 15 Pro display has n’t changed much as it remains one of the squeamish display on the market .
Aside from theLTPO techthat allow the display to escape at as niggling as 1Hz , enabling that lovely rendering of an always - on exhibit with a full scene of your lock silver screen , the display is crisp , vibrant and fabulously bright with a maximum brightness of 2000 nits when watching HDR cognitive content .
It ’s not just the peak brightness that hold HDR content pop , however , it ’s how well the phone deal brilliant and benighted spots in the same aspect .
There ’s much estimable active range here than what you ’ll see from most competing Android machine , even those that confirm the sameDolby AtmosandHDR10+content on the iPhone , which makes the screening experience a truly high - ending one . That even extend to telecasting captured on the iPhone 15 Pro , with accompaniment for Dolby Atmos HDR video – but more on that in a bit .
You ’ve also got the wizard Dynamic Island tech that sit at the top of the display , essentially bring the notch into the iOS experience with notifications and other widgets that seem to come out from the notch itself .
However , it ’s worth take down that the new iPhone 16 Pro not only boosts the screen size of it to 6.3 inches , but with svelte bezel , it ’s not that much larger physically than the iPhone 15 professional . If you need a slimly larger screen with the same heavyset - esque experience , that could be the Pro - level iPhone to go for .
Cameras
If there ’s one area where I care Apple would have done more , it ’s the tv camera section . Sure , the iPhone 15 Pro continue one of the best tv camera headphone around , but compared to the Pro Max ( and newer iPhone 16 Pro ) with its snazzy newfangled 5xtelephotolens , the iPhone 15 Pro palpate a little too same - y.
In terms of pure hardware , you ’re look at the same 48MP f/1.78 detector with a 24mm - equivalent focal length , flanked by the same 12MP ultrawide and 12MP 3x telephotograph lenses as its predecessor .
That pronounce , the master 48MP common snapping turtle persist a expectant pick for the iPhone 15 Pro . It ’s more than capable of taking majuscule shots in well - lit environments packed with detail and vibrant gloss that make them ideal for partake in on social culture medium . There ’s even a natural bokeh on airless - up images , wreak the comparability closer to DSLR - level than ever .
I ’ve also been passably impressed with the iPhone ’s depleted - luminousness capability , an area where Apple has excelled over the preceding few year . The iPhone 15 Pro , despite lacking the 1 - inch sensor of someAndroid rivals , can slurp up deal of light in a rather quick fashion . Though you still get electron lens flaring from bright pip like streetlights , I believe it ’s one of the better pick around for both colour truth and levels of contingent .
Telephoto performance is uniform with the iPhone 14 Pro , which is to say that the 77 mm focal length is big for portrayal picture taking – arguably more so than the upgrade 120 mm focal length of the iPhone 15 Pro Max that fetch you a littletooclose .
However , for everything outside of dedicated portrayal photography , the 5x zoom of the Pro Max is the winner . It let you to get closer to the subject without bank on digital zoom , and even when you do need to delve into the digital realm , the 25x soar bequeath the Pro model ’s 15x in the dust .
It ’s frustrating to see such conservation of parity between Apple ’s top - end devices considering both are intend to be Pro models for pro - flat user .
Ultrawide performance is pretty logical in well - light environs , with the 120 - degree encompassing angle ample enough to squeeze in those scenic vistas or big group selfies , with much no edge aberration either . That order , it is still very much suitable to daylight photography with an f/2.2 aperture that is not well suited to low - brightness photography at all .
That read , you will come up the much - needed encouragement to 5x telephoto , along with a massively upgrade 48MP ultrawide lens of the eye with autofocus for improved macro performance , on the newer iPhone 16 Pro . reckon on how often you take photos and video recording , that could be the thickset Pro - degree iPhone to opt for , though the iPhone 15 Pro remains more than competent for casual snappers .
flip out the earphone over and you ’ll find the same 12MP selfie camera that Apple has used for the past couple of geezerhood , which is to say that it ’s great for video calling and selfies but it ca n’t quite replace the high-pitched - end experience offer by the rear lenses .
Photography aside , videography is one of the main reasons to get an iPhone over practically any other phone around . The image stabilisation , even without the dedicated Action Mode , extradite sweeping Pan and smooth movement rarely seen on Android . Combine that with 4K@60fps Dolby Atmos capture and the new Log encoding , and the iPhone 15 Pro is massive for pro - level mental object creators .
Performance
Performance is one of the areas that allows the iPhone 15 Pro to stand up out not only compared to the veritable iPhone 15 , but most other earpiece on the market place . That ’s down to the use of Apple ’s snazzy new 3nmA17 Pro chipset , trench the Bionic moniker that was first introduced with the A11 Bionic of theiPhone X.
In benchmarks , I saw single - marrow C.P.U. scores in Geekbench 6 of 2855 – more than the multi - core execution of mid - rangers like theGoogle Pixel 7a – while multi - core scores are around 2000 points mellow than the top - performing Android smartphones we ’ve benchmarked in the past 12 months .
It ’s a standardised narrative in the GPU section , though our benchmarking software ( rather frustratingly ) caps out at 60fps on iOS so it ’s more hard to showcase .
As you’re able to see from the above , the iPhone 15 Pro leaves practically every other smartphone – aside from the iPhone 15 Pro Max , of course – in the detritus , though theA16 Bionicisn’t too far behind .
This translates to a rapid , near - flash experience on iOS , with even small-scale aspects of the experience like living swiftness when closing an app impression faster and more antiphonal than the iPhone 14 Pro I had been using up until very recently .
That also extends to social medium use , high - end gaming with top - end artwork enabled and even photograph and video editing with speedy export meter ideal for content creators . Seriously , no matter what I ’ve thrown at this earphone , it has read it in its footstep .
The overweening power also means your iPhone will keep feeling fast for much longsighted than any othersmartphone , make it a great investing for long - term consumption .
Of course , with the new iPhone 16 Pro ’s upgraded A18 Pro chipset vaunt a 15 % boost to CPU performance and a 20 % uptick in GPU performance , that sound will perform slenderly good in benchmark tests , but I do n’t think the vast majority of user will remark a divergence in twenty-four hour period - to - day economic consumption .
Software
Software is arguably the freehanded cause to go for an iPhone , with Apple ’s Io long - annunciate as a much easy - to - role operating system than Google ’s competing Android OS .
The plan has been consistent over the age while Modern feature film improve the core experience on go , be that Wi - Fi countersign share with nearby friends , iMessage and the confab benefits it take or even the way that AirPods seamlessly connect to your iPhone once they ’re out of the case .
As much as I detest to ingeminate merchandising claims , it does ‘ just work ’ most of the prison term , andiOS 17further improves that with interactive widgets on the home and whorl screen , an overhauled Phone app and even Standby mode that lets the iPhone double up as a impertinent display when not in alive use .
There ’s also the ecosystem play that Apple has made across its various mathematical product class , which signify your iPhone will recreate extremely well with a connected iPad , Apple Watch or Mac , with the latter cater nimble access to your subject matter , call , recently used apps and more , and AirDrop allow for quick content sharing among Apple gadget .
The best part is that all these feature are usable onalliPhones running iOS 17 , not just Apple ’s fresh top - end example .
The same ca n’t be said for iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence , with only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max ( along with the iPhone 16 kitchen range ) able to offer Apple ’s take on generative AI , but at least you do n’t postulate to shell out for a new iPhone to practice Apple Intelligence as regular iPhone 15 and 15 Plus drug user will .
lineament support aside , the iPhone offer impressive recollective - term software promise that ’ll deliver the Io 18 update to 2018’siPhone XR , and I ’m expecting much the same with the iPhone 15 Pro . Apple does n’t like to talk particular , but I would n’t be surprised if the iPhone 15 Pro get the iOS 22 update , if not iOS 23 .
By this point , you more than likely already know whether you prefer iOS or Android , and there ’s nothing really that new to tempt Android users here , but for me , I love the experience of iOS on the iPhone .
Battery life
With the unexampled more battery - efficient A17 Pro and the dynamic 120Hz refresh pace , it ’s safe to say that the iPhone 15 Pro will be an ‘ all - mean solar day ’ equipment for all but the biggest power users .
That has been my experience anyway , with a notable boost compared to my erstwhile day-by-day driver , the iPhone 14 Pro . Though still not quite in the same conference as some long - lasting Android smartphones , I found the iPhone 15 Pro could get me through a full sidereal day with around 5 hours of screen on metre ( and 7 hours of concealment off time ) with 26 % left in the tank by the time I went to catch some Z’s .
That was n’t a one - off either – during my workweek with the iPhone , I never feel the need to charge it at any point before I went to bed . That ’s a big change from the iPhone 14 Pro that I ’d sometimes have to top up after a busy day at work as it ’d tally 20 % by around 7 pm .
Of naturally , mileage may vary depending on what you ’re doing , but for me , the iPhone 15 Pro has enough juice to keep you run all day without racing for a charger or business leader bank . That ’s backed up by benchmarks too , with the iPhone 15 Pro sipping 7 % with an 60 minutes of HDR Netflix playback , while a 30 - minute gaming seance interpret 8 % .
The only annoyance is that , despite the move to USB - C , the iPhone 15 Pro does n’t charge any faster than its herald . That means you ’re looking at a similar flush prison term to its old sibling , with the iPhone 15 Pro accomplish a full charge in 92 minutes , while 30 minutes of charge saw 58 % .
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Should you buy it?
The iPhone 15 Pro is much easier to hold and apply one - handed compared to the 6.7 - in iPhone 15 Pro Max , and even in the face of the iPhone 16 Pro , it stay a capable smartphone .
With the same 3x telephoto sensor as theiPhone 14 Pro , the iPhone 16 Pro offers a better soar experience with an improved 5x telephotograph .
Final Thoughts
The iPhone 15 Pro is n’t the most exciting acclivity ever , especially when practically every other iPhone in the iPhone 15 appeal has had a pretty significant upgrade .
TheiPhone 15and 15 Plus now have Dynamic Island and a new main 48MP photographic camera , while theiPhone 15 Pro Maxhas a Modern stabilised 5x telephoto lens . The iPhone 15 Pro , however , lacks any unique new ironware , instead employing the same updated designing , Modern material andUSB - Cas the Pro Max .
That enounce , the iPhone 15 Pro is very much agreat smartphonewith a gorgeous figure that ’s comfy in the hand , a sensational video display and an extremely capable photographic camera setup . The A17 Pro in particular is a highlight , shoot a line the best operation of any smartphone alongside the Pro Max , and the whack - on effect on bombardment life is certainly appreciated . It just does n’t exemplify much of a reasonableness foriPhone 14 Prousers to upgrade , is all .
The iPhone 16 Pro does introduce some interesting young features in the shape of a new Camera Control button , a boosted 5x telephotograph , improved ultrawide performance , a larger screen with slimmer bezel and encourage battery animation , but away from those who need the late and great tech , the iPhone 15 Pro stay a tantalising alternative .
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We test every mobile telephone we refresh thoroughly . We practice industry - standard tests to equate features properly and we use the phone as our main machine over the review period . We ’ll always tell you what we witness and we never , ever , take money to retrospect a intersection .
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FAQs
No , the iPhone 15 Pro has a USB - carbon embrasure , but Apple betray a Lightning - to - USB - degree Celsius adapter for any older accessories .
No , there is n’t a charging brick , but there is a gracious braided USB - one C to USB - C cable .