iPhone 15 Pro discontinued as Apple pushes users to buy the iPhone 16 for Apple Intelligence

iPhone 15 Pro review front flat angled handheld

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Were you waiting for the iPhone 16 announcement to decide between the new iPhones and last year’s best iPhone, the iPhone 15 Pro? Well, you might be out of luck, as Apple has discontinued the iPhone 15 Pro and its bigger sibling, the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

While this isn’t necessarily a shock, considering Apple discontinues its Pro model iPhones every year, it does handcuff new buyers wanting to use Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI tools.

Until this week, the only iPhones capable of the upcoming Apple Intelligence features like proofreading, Genmoji, and Siri’s overhaul were the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, but now you can’t buy them from Apple anymore.

There's still hope

Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON — The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

As it stands, you can still pick up the 15 Pro and Pro Max from carriers, but the offers on the older models might not last for long, with emphasis pushed towards Apple’s new shiny smartphones.

In terms of Apple Intelligence capabilities, expect all but one of the same features on the new iPhones and last year’s offering. Visual Intelligence, Apple’s Google Lens competition, is activated from the new Camera Control side button, which is exclusive to the iPhone 16 line, so iPhone 15 Pro owners will miss out on that particular AI tool.

If you’re unsure about whether to pick up an iPhone 15 Pro for Apple Intelligence or opt for the iPhone 16, check out our hands-on iPhone 16 review and our hands-on iPhone 16 Pro review to see how they fare with Apple Intelligence.

Apple iPhone 16 event – everything Apple announced and 16 things we learned
Hands on: iPhone 16 review – new buttons, new processor, more 'Pro'
Hands on: iPhone 16 Pro review – max zoom without the Max name

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John-Anthony Disotto is TechRadar's Senior Writer, AI, bringing you the latest news on, and comprehensive coverage of, tech's biggest buzzword. An expert on all things Apple, he was previously iMore's How To Editor, and has a monthly column in MacFormat. He's based in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar. John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade, and is an award-winning journalist with years of experience in editorial.