Apple unveiled the new iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models at its September 2023 “Wonderlust” event. This is the second year running that the company has done away with a “Mini” iPhone in favor of a larger new iPhone—which means your base-level options are between the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus. If you’re wondering which iPhone you should pick, lets take a look at the differences between them.
The biggest difference between iPhone 15 and 15 Plus: display size
The display size is the biggest difference between the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. The iPhone 15 has a 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina display. If you’re looking for a phone with a larger screen, the iPhone 15 Plus has a 6.7-inch display. The two phones have a peak display brightness of 2,000 nits outdoors (1,000 nits typical, 1,600 HDR).
The iPhone 15 is, obviously, the smaller of the two: It comes in at 5.81 inches tall (147.6 mm), 2.82 inches wide (71.6 mm), and 0.31 inches deep (7.80 mm), and weights 6.02 ounces (171 grams). The Plus weights 7.09 ounces (201 grams), and comes in at 6.33 inches tall (160.9 mm), 3.06 inches wide (77.8 mm), and 0.31 inches deep (7.80 mm).
Both smartphones also have the Dynamic Island first introduced last year on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The Dynamic Island replaces the “notch” found on every standard iPhone since the iPhone X, and allows you to view app data and Live Activities in a pill-shaped cutout near the top of your iPhone’s display.
Dust and water resistance
Both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are IP68 rated for water and dust resistance, which means you can submerge them in up to 19 feet (6 meters) of water for up to 30 minutes.
Both iPhone 15 and 15 Plus promise “all day” battery life
A bigger battery could be another reason to consider the iPhone 15 Plus over its smaller counterpart: Apple hasn’t revealed the battery capacities for its iPhones, but the company says the iPhone 15 provides “all-day battery life,” while the iPhone 15 Plus lasts longer.
The iPhone 15 borrows the A16 Bionic Processor from the iPhone 14 Pro
Both new smartphones ship with Apple’s A16 Bionic chipset, first introduced on last year’s iPhone 14 Pro. It promises better performance and improved power efficiency when compared with the A15 chip in the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. These chipsets have a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU. Both smartphones start at 128GB storage, but you can pay for more storage options as well.
iPhone finally ditches Lightning for USB-C
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus ship with a USB-C port instead of the Lightning port on previous versions of the iPhone. This is a radical shift for Apple, which has used proprietary ports on its smartphones since the first iPhone was launched all the way back in 2007. (USB-C support has also been added to AirPods, and Apple also is selling a version of its EarPods wired headphones with a USB-C connector.)
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus have received the same camera upgrades
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus have the same dual camera setup, with a 48-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.6 aperture and a 12-megapixel ultra wide angle lens with f/2.4 aperture. Both share the same TrueDepth front camera too.
Either model offers computational photography that allows you to take better photos than ever, at least according to Apple. On your iPhone 15, you’ll be able to take 12MP telephoto shots by using the primary rear camera, with the same f/1.6 aperture. You have the option of choosing between full-resolution 48-megapixel shots, 24-megapixel photos for a balance between quality and storage, and 12-megapixel telephoto shots at 2x zoom.
The Camera app features some crucial upgrades this year. We now have manual control over focus and depth control with Portrait mode, and, speaking of which, you no longer need to be in Portrait mode to take portraits: Your iPhone 15 will capture the information necessary for portrait shots even in standard mode, so you can apply the effect in post if you want.
Emergency SOS
Building on last year’s Emergency SOS via satellite, the iPhone 15 supports “Roadside Assistance via satellite.” You can essentially text AAA, even when outside of wifi and cellular, through Emergency SOS’ useful interface.
Colors
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are available in pink, yellow, green, blue, and black.
How much do the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus cost?
The iPhone 15 starts at $799, and the iPhone 15 Plus at $899. The base variants each offer 128GB storage.
This story is developing and will be updated.
