iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: All the differences explained
Three generations make the iPhone 18 Pro the almost perfect upgrade, but there is one problem.
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iPhone 18 Pro brings a lot of changes
The iPhone 18 Pro is here and I think it gives just enough reasons to convince iPhone 15 Pro users to upgrade.
The iPhone 18 Pro has a slightly larger screen, noticeable gains in battery life, a big change to every single individual camera compared to the 15 Pro, as well as much faster performance and even faster charging.
And while all of that sounds good and dandy, there is one troubling news. With RAM prices increasing multiple fold over the last year, Apple has now raised the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro to $1,200.
iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro differences:
| iPhone 18 Pro | iPhone 15 Pro |
|---|---|
| Bigger 6.3-inch size, with anti-reflective coating | 6.1-inch display size |
| Higher 3,000-nit outdoor brightness and better at night dropping under 1 nit | 2,000-nit peak brightness, worse at night as it can only go as low as 2 nits |
| Bigger, slightly heavier, weighs 211 grams | Smaller and weighs less at 187 grams |
| Smaller Face ID | Face ID in its standard form |
| A20 Pro, Apple’s first 2nm iPhone chip | A17 Pro chip with first-gen 3nm tech |
| 12GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| Biggest vapor chamber on an iPhone Pro to date | No vapor chamber, titanium body with worse thermal performance |
| Variable aperture main lens, going from f/1.4 to f/4.0 | Fixed aperture (f/1.78) main camera |
| Bigger-sensor 48MP ultra-wide camera | 12MP ultra-wide camera |
| Better 4X telephoto camera | 3X telephoto camera with smaller sensor |
| 18MP Center Stage square sensor with Dual Capture support | Older 12MP sensor |
| Higher $1,200 starting price for 256GB model | $1,000 starting price for 128GB model |
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Design and Size
iPhone 18 Pro in Black, Silver, Glacier and Burgundy | Image by Apple
The big upgrade in recent Pro iPhones has been the jump from a 6.1-inch screen size to 6.3 inches, which gives users just a bit more space to read and watch.
On the flip side, that results in phones that are a tiny bit less compact, but since Apple managed to minimize the borders around the screen recently, the difference in physical size is indeed tiny.
The iPhone 18 Pro also inherits the camera plateau design style from the previous model, a noticeable change from the 15 Pro.
Image by Apple
The iPhone 15 Pro was also Apple's first one with a titanium frame, a material known for its durability and light weight. The iPhone 18 Pro, on the other hand, is made of aluminum which dents and scratches easier, but has the advantage of better heat dissipation.
Most other things have not changed, such as the IP68 water and dust protection.
The one change you will notice is that the iPhone 18 Pro a much smaller Dynamic Island, so less distractions when you watch full-screen videos.
If you upgrade from a 15 Pro to an 18 Pro, you are also getting one new button - the Camera Control. This first appeared with the iPhone 16 series, and the iPhone 18 Pro also has it.
Display Differences
Image by Apple
Let's once again mention the screen size difference: the 18 Pro features a 6.3-inch display vs a 6.1-inch on the 15 Pro.
The newer iPhone also hits 3,000-nit peak brightness (same as on 17 Pro), noticeably better than the 2,000-nit peak brightness of the 15 Pro. Put simply, the newer model will be a bit easier to use outdoors on a sunny day.
The 18 Pro is also expected to have the very useful anti-reflective screen from the 17 Pro, as well as the new Ceramic Shield 2 up front, which protects the glass from scratching.
Performance and Software
Image by Apple
The iPhone 18 Pro has the A20 Pro under the hood, Apple's first 2nm chip, paired with 12GB of RAM. That's better than the 8GB of RAM on the iPhone 15 Pro, especially now with the growing importance of AI.
Image by Apple
Apple says the CPU of the A20 Pro chip is the fastest of any smartphone at the time of the 18 Pro release. We also see a huge improvement in gaming, with bigger vapor chamber too that helps sustain those higher speeds longer.
We will have the benchmark numbers here in a couple of weeks after we are done testing these new iPhones.
Image by Apple
The iPhone 18 Pro also launches with iOS 27 software on board, but of course, that same software is also coming to all iPhones released in the past few years, including the iPhone 15 Pro.
We have a deep dive into all the new iOS 27 features here, so check that out to get the full software picture.
Camera
Variable aperture
Image by Apple
Camera is another area where the age difference can be felt.
The iPhone 18 Pro improves upon all of the cameras of the 15 Pro.
The biggest jump will probably be for the telephoto and ultra-wide cameras, both using larger 48MP sensors now, compared to smaller 12MP sensors on the 15 Pro. The 18 Pro telephoto camera also has a bit more reach at 4X native zoom, compared to 3X zoom on the 15 Pro.
As for the main camera, the 18 Pro is the first iPhone with variable aperture on that lens, with a range that goes from f/1.48 to f/4.0. A variable aperture allows you control over how much light hits the lens. A wider aperture gets you more light and gives you a wider bokeh. This sounds cool on paper, as it is a technology that comes from the world of professional cameras, but we are yet to see how much of a difference it will make when paired with a relatively small smartphone sensor.
Plus, the iPhone 18 Pro also inherits the 18MP selfie camera with that new square sensor and Dual Capture mode support from the 17 Pro. This is also a big upgrade over the traditional 12MP selfie camera on the 15 Pro.
Battery Life and Charging
iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max leaked battery sizes | Image by Screenshot from 3G certification database
The most anticipated change for iPhone 15 Pro owners is probably the improved battery life on the 18 Pro. The 15 Pro is officially rated for 23 hours of video playback, while the 18 Pro reaches a whopping 36 hours.
This is particularly noticeable for those 15 Pro users with an already degraded battery (but keep in mind that you can always also only replace the battery).
As for battery size, iPhone 18 Pro was certified with Chinese agency 3C and the listing revealed it is getting a 4,056mAh cell in the global model with physical SIM and a 4,288mAh battery in the US model with eSIM.
The iPhone 18 Pro also gets faster 60W wired charging speeds, while the 15 Pro only tops up at 25W at most. In the real world, you can get a 50% top-up in just 15 minutes on the 18 Pro, while that takes 30 minutes on the 15 Pro.
Both phones have MagSafe for wireless charging, but the 18 Pro charges faster with 25W speeds compared to 15W on the 15 Pro.
Specs Comparison
And here is an early look at the iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro specs:
|
|
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro | Apple iPhone 15 Pro |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 150 x 71.9 x 8.75 mm (~13.49 mm with camera bump) | 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25 mm (~12.28 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 211.0 g | 187.0 g |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.3-inch | 6.1-inch |
| Type | |
| OLED, Variable 1-120Hz | OLED, Variable 1-120Hz |
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Apple A20 Pro (2 nm) | A17 Pro (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB 12GB/512GB 12GB/1TB 12GB/2TB |
8GB (LPDDR5)/128GB 8GB/256GB 8GB/512GB 8GB/1024GB |
| OS | |
| iOS (27.x) | iOS (18.x, 17.x) |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4288 mAh | 3274 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 60.0W Wireless: 25.0W |
Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 48 MP (ToF 3D depth sensing, Sensor-shift OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX905 Aperture size: F1.5/F4.0 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.28" Pixel size: 1.22 μm |
48 MP (Sensor-shift OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX803 Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/2.8" Pixel size: 2.44 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 48 MP (Ultra-wide, Sensor-shift OIS) Sensor name: Sony IMX972 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
12 MP (Ultra-wide) Sensor name: Sony IMX633 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Pixel size: 1.4 μm |
| Third camera | |
| 48 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX973 Optical zoom: 4.0x Aperture size: F2.8 Focal Length: 100 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
12 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX713 Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.8 Focal Length: 77 mm Sensor size: 1/3.5" Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
| Front | |
| 18 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, HDR) | 12 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, HDR) |
See the full
Apple iPhone 18 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
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Summary
The iPhone 18 Pro is a great moment for iPhone 15 Pro users to upgrade.
The list of changes is substantial: longer battery life, more efficient processor, big improvements to display scratch resistance and quality, improved cameras.
But users will also have to stomach a price increase. The iPhone 18 Pro starts from $1,200, which is $100 more than the previous version. If that price seems prohibitive, I can see how many iPhone 15 Pro users may just decide to swap their battery with a new one and stick to their trusty device for a couple more years.
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