iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 15 Pro: compact excellence or super-sized accessibility?

Within the iPhone 15 line there’s an interesting choice to make between the iPhone 15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro, as they technically sit next to one another in the extended iPhone line-up.

The Pro costs more, but the Plus is only one step down in terms of price, and it actually has some advantages over Apple's more expensive model.

So which should you buy? Well, based both on their specs and what we found in our full iPhone 15 Plus review and our full iPhone 15 Pro review, we can help you answer that question.

iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 15 Pro: specs comparison

Before we jump into the finer details of these two phones, let’s sum up their spec lists. Here’s an overview then of what the iPhone 15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro offer on paper.

iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 15 Pro: price and availability

Both the iPhone 15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro were announced on September 12 of 2023 and went on sale on September 22. They're also both widely available. However, their pricing differs.

The iPhone 15 Plus starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,649, for which you'll get a 128GB model, rising to $999 / £999 / AU$1,849 for 256GB, and $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 for 512GB.

The iPhone 15 Pro begins at $999 / £999 / AU$1,849, which again gets you a version with 128GB of storage. There's also a 256GB model for $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,049, a 512GB model for $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,399, and a 1TB model for $1,499 / £1,499 / AU$2,749.

So for an equivalent amount of storage you'll have to pay $100 / £100 / AU$200 more for an iPhone 15 Pro than for an iPhone 15 Plus.

iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 15 Pro: design and display

Both of these phones feature Apple’s Dynamic Island. That’s not really an upgrade for the iPhone 15 Pro, but it is for the iPhone 15 Plus.

Both phones have also rounded off their edges somewhat after several years of brutally right-angled surfaces. We’re only talking a very subtle curvature here, but it makes both a little comfier to hold as a result. And both phones also have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, in line with previous models.

Arguably the most consequential design change here for both of these phones is the switch from Apple’s Lightning port to USB-C. Visually, this doesn’t look all that different, but practically it means you can use one charger for everything.

The main difference between these two phones though is the size. The iPhone 15 Pro is relatively compact at 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3mm, while the iPhone 15 Plus is larger but slightly slimmer at 160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8mm. It's also heavier at 201g to the iPhone 15 Pro's 187g.

Beyond that, the other big difference is that the iPhone 15 Pro has adopted a new titanium material, replacing the weighty and shiny stainless steel of its predecessors. The iPhone 15 Plus has kept the aluminum frame of previous non-Pro models.

The iPhone 15 Pro also has marginally smaller bezels, along with a new customizable Action button, replacing the physical alert slider switch on all preceding iPhones – and indeed on the iPhone 15 Plus.

The colors of these phones also differ, with the iPhone 15 Plus colors including Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Pink, while the iPhone 15 Pro colors are Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Natural Titanium.

As for the screen, there's a 6.1-inch OLED display for the iPhone 15 Pro, and a 6.7-inch OLED display for the iPhone 15 Plus.

The iPhone 15 Pro has a resolution of 1179 x 2556, while the iPhone 15 Plus has a resolution of 1290 x 2796, but given its larger size that results in the two having roughly the same pixel density. Both screens also have a peak brightness of 2,000 nits.

The iPhone 15 Pro does steal an advantage with its 120Hz refresh rate and LTPO nature, though, the latter enabling an always-on display. The iPhone 15 Plus is stuck on 60Hz, and with no always-on function.

In practice, we described the iPhone 15 Pro's screen as "gorgeous and responsive", while we called the iPhone 15 Plus's as "a great expansive display." So both screens impressed us, but size aside the iPhone 15 Pro's is undoubtedly the better screen.

iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 15 Pro: cameras

The iPhone 15 Plus has upgraded its main camera sensor from 12MP to 48MP, following in the footsteps of the Pro line. However, this sensor is actually smaller and thus inferior to that of the iPhone 15 Pro's 48MP main camera.

Both phones have 12MP ultra-wides, but only the iPhone 15 Pro packs a dedicated 12MP telephoto camera for 3x zoom shots.

So the iPhone 15 Pro has an extra camera as well as a superior main sensor to the iPhone 15 Plus.

Both phones though have an identical 12MP front-facing camera for selfies and FaceTime calls.

iPhone 15 Plus camera samples

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iPhone 15 Pro camera samples

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Ultimately, the cameras of both phones impress, with our iPhone 15 Pro review noting that "the iPhone 15 Pro offers one of the the most consistent and reliable camera experiences across both stills and video", while of the iPhone 15 Plus we said "if you don't need Pro features, the Plus serves up great shots across the board and gains new versatility too."

So the iPhone 15 Pro has the edge here, but if you can live without a 3x optical zoom then you won't find the iPhone 15 Plus falls too far behind.

iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 15 Pro: performance and software

Apple introduced a historic split in its iPhone line with the iPhone 14 series, keeping the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus on the previous year’s processor while the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max got an upgrade.

This approach has been continued with the iPhone 15 line, meaning the iPhone 15 Pro packs the new A17 Pro chipset while the iPhone 15 Plus runs on the A16 Bionic from the iPhone 14 Pro.

There's a difference in memory allotment too, with the iPhone 15 Pro sporting 8GB of RAM and the iPhone 15 Plus coming with 6GB.

All of which means the iPhone 15 Pro is a significantly more powerful phone. Powerful enough to run AAA console games and delivering what we described as "class-leading performance."

That's not to say the iPhone 15 Plus is lacking for power though, with our review describing this as offering "flagship performance."

The two phones have the same software though – specifically iOS 17.

iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 15 Pro: battery

One area where the iPhone 15 Plus actually beats the iPhone 15 Pro is its battery capacity, with the larger size of the phone allowing for a bigger 4,383mAh cell, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro's 3,274mAh battery.

Even with its bigger screen, that makes the iPhone 15 Plus the longer lasting phone by a long way. In our own tests we found that the iPhone 15 Plus could manage 10.25 hours of screen-on time, while the iPhone 15 Pro could manage just 5.5 hours of screen-on time.

Apple's own battery stats claim the iPhone 15 Plus can manage up to 26 hours of video playback or up to 100 hours of audio playback, compared to 23 and 75 respectively for the iPhone 15 Pro. So not quite as drastic a difference, but it still works out in the iPhone 15 Plus's favor.

iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 15 Pro: verdict

One of the interesting things about these two phones is that while the iPhone 15 Pro costs more, it's worse in some ways.

Most notably, it has a smaller battery and far worse life as a result. So if stamina is important to you then the iPhone 15 Plus is well worth considering.

The iPhone 15 Plus also has a bigger screen, which won't appeal to everyone but does tend to be a feature of pricier phones. Yet it costs $100 / £100 / AU$200 less.

The iPhone 15 Pro though is the better phone overall. It has more and better cameras, a tougher titanium frame, an Action button, a higher refresh rate, and a more powerful chipset.

Beyond that, the two phones are similar, with both having a Dynamic Island and running iOS 17, and both achieving 4.5 stars in our reviews. So if you can't stretch to the iPhone 15 Pro or you value battery and screen size over the Pro's many advantages, you won't go wrong with the iPhone 15 Plus.