Apple has just revealed the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus, boasting several new key features compared to their predecessors. The question is, what’s the difference between the two?
While we’re yet to go hands-on with Apple’s latest smartphones, the two phones offer quite the upgrade compared to their respective predecessors with new Dynamic Island tech, cameras and more. However, there isn’t much in it between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus aside from the size of the phones.
With that in mind, here’s how the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus compare on paper to help you decide which to buy.
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The iPhone 15 Plus has a larger display
When it comes to display, the iPhone 15 Plus is the clear winner with a 6.7-inch display that matches the iPhone 15 Pro Max in terms of sheer size – though it does miss out on key Pro-level upgrades in the form of the 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate tech.
That makes the iPhone 15 Plus a stronger option if you watch a lot of videos or play a lot of games on your smartphone, with the larger dimensions providing a more immersive experience.
The iPhone 15, on the other hand, sports a 6.1-inch display. That’s not as compact as the now-defunct iPhone 13 mini’s 5.4-inch display, but compared to most of the Android competition, it’s certainly in compact phone territory.
One key new addition to both displays this year is Dynamic Island – tech previously exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s essentially a redesigned pill-shaped cutout that houses the front-facing camera and Face ID tech, though Apple has also integrated it into the software experience.
That comes in the form of Live Activities, displaying info from third-party apps directly within the Dynamic Island, along with the ability to access music control shortcuts, timers and more. It’s a handy feature that hasn’t really been utilised by third-party devs yet, though now with much wider Dynamic Island availability, that’ll hopefully begin to change.
The iPhone 15 Plus has better battery life
With a bigger display comes a larger chassis, and when it comes to smartphones, that usually means one thing: you can fit a bigger battery inside. That’s very much the case with the iPhone 15 Plus, boasting a larger (though unspecified, classic Apple) battery than its more compact sibling.
In fact, the iPhone 15 Plus, like the iPhone 14 Plus, has the distinction of boasting the best battery life of any iPhone – even when compared to the top-end iPhone 15 Pro Max. Though we’ve not yet tested the iPhone 15 Plus, if it’s anything like the iPhone 14 Plus, it’ll offer strong all-day battery life with the possibility of making it into the second depending on your usage.
That’s not to say the iPhone 15 will have poor battery life – Apple claims it’ll last all day on a charge – it’s just not quite as long-lasting as its larger sibling.
Both iPhones are fairly evenly specced
Aside from the physical differences between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, the two are pretty evenly specced, from processing power to camera prowess.
Both iPhones sport the A16 Bionic, the chipset exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro last year, along with 6GB of RAM to play with, meaning performance should be rapid and near-identical across the two devices.
In terms of camera setup, both have seen an upgrade to a 48MP primary camera – again, the camera used in the iPhone 14 Pro – and sport the same accompanying 12MP ultrawide as previous iterations.
Both displays also sport the new Dynamic Island tech, though are still locked at 60Hz, and both boast the exact same software in the form of iOS 17.
The iPhone 15 is cheaper
The only other key differentiator between the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus is price.
The iPhone 15 starts at $799, while the iPhone 15 Plus starts at $899, an increase of $100. Whether the bigger display and longer battery life are worth the extra cash will entirely depend on your needs.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.