What are the "pros and cons" of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max compared to another? Is one the right iPhone for me?

Note that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are sold as new; the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have been discontinued. This Q&A has been updated with current iOS support details and more; it can be quite helpful to anyone considering one of these iPhone models whether new or used.

Whether an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max is the ideal iPhone for you is a personal decision, but objective pros and cons certainly can be useful.

Everyi.com also provides a complete iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max comparison for those who are interested in a comprehensive evaluation. For those who only want a quick-to-read summary, the following will get the job done.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPhone 15/iPhone 15 Plus)

iPhone 15/iPhone 15 Plus Pros:

• Expensive when initially introduced, but less expensive than the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max (and later models).
• The same 5G cellular capabilities as the more expensive iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
• Very good battery life.
• Five attractive color options -- pale shades of Blue, Pink, Yellow, and Green as well as Black.
• Water resistant to six meters for up to 30 minutes.
• Fast, Face ID authentication makes security easy.
• Convenient integrated inductive (Qi/Qi2) charging and "MagSafe" magnet charging.
• Quality dual lens rear cameras.
• "Dynamic Island" interface support.
• Dual SIM/eSIM standard.
• Industry-standard USB-C port.

iPhone 15/iPhone 15 Plus Cons:

• Lower quality display than the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
• Older, slower processor and 6 GB of RAM, instead of 8 GB like the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, likely will comparatively lower the usable lifespan of the device.
• Rear camera is not as high quality as the camera in the more expensive iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models and support for the more professional ProRAW and ProRes formats is not provided.
• Storage tops out at 512 GB, which could be a limitation for heavy video users.
• No "Action" hardware button.
• No physical Nano SIM on models sold in the United States.
• Relatively slow USB 2 (480 Mb/s) transfer speeds over USB-C.
• Support for the current version of the iOS, iOS 18, but not Apple Intelligence (AI).

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPhone 15 Pro/iPhone 15 Pro Max)

iPhone 15 Pro & iPhone 15 Pro Max Pros:

• Beautiful, bright, high-quality, high-resolution Super Retina XDR with ProMotion OLED displays with an adaptive refresh rate and "Always-On" capability.
• Fast performance (roughly 15%-17% faster than the iPhone 15/iPhone 15 Plus).
• 8 GB of RAM, which likely means a longer lifespan compared to the non-Pro models (and Apple Intelligence support in iOS 18).
• 5G LTE.
• Excellent battery life.
• Four subdued, attractive color options -- Natural, Blue, White, and Black Titanium.
• Fast, Face ID authentication makes security easy.
• Convenient integrated inductive (Qi/Qi2) charging and "MagSafe" magnet charging.
• LiDAR capability.
• Water resistant to six meters for up to 30 minutes.
• Impressive, high-quality triple lens rear camera system.
• Dual SIM/eSIM standard.
• The option of as much as 1 TB of storage.
• ProRAW and ProRes support.
• "Dynamic Island" interface support.
• New "Action" hardware button can be customized for quick access to functions of your choice.
• Fast USB 3 (10 Gb/s) transfer speeds over USB-C.
• Full support for the current version of the iOS, iOS 18, including Apple Intelligence (AI).

iPhone 15 Pro & iPhone 15 Pro Max Cons:

• Very expensive; the most expensive iPhone models at the time they were introduced.
• Relatively heavy.
• No physical Nano SIM on models sold in the United States.

So, should I buy an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max?

Compared simply to one another, and ignoring earlier and later models, it can be a difficult decision between the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

There are two "smaller" models with 6.1" displays -- the entry-level iPhone 15 and higher-end iPhone 15 Pro -- and two "larger" models with 6.7" displays -- the entry-level iPhone 15 Plus and higher-end iPhone 15 Pro Max. The "Pro" models in each size originally were at least US$200 more than the equivalent non-Pro option.

Of course, now that the "Pro" models are available used, the price has dropped, but at least comparing used models from both lines, the "Pro" options should remain a bit more expensive.

The extra money for the upgrade to the "Pro" model of either size gets you (1) a substantially higher quality display, (2) 15%-17% more performance, (3) more RAM, (4) a bit better battery life, (5) a much more advanced rear camera with support for a more professional file format and video codec, (6) the potentially useful "Action" button, (7) faster USB 3 charging over USB-C, and (8) and LiDAR support. At additional cost, you also have (9) the option of more storage. Starting with iOS 18, (10) the "Pro" models additionally support Apple Intelligence (AI) features, whereas the entry-level models do not.

Although the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are well worth considering for someone on a budget, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max provide a lot of extra value for the extra money. For many users, the (1) better display and/or (2) better camera already may be worth it, but the (3) faster performance provided by a newer processor architecture and (4) more RAM likely means a longer usable lifespan and an overall lower cost of ownership on an annual basis for someone who takes good care of their hardware, as well. Running iOS 18, the addition of (5) Apple Intelligence (AI) features may prove to be valuable to you, too.

Of course, for those on a tight budget, any number of other used iPhone models are certainly worth considering, also.

In the US, site sponsor Other World Computing sells used and refurbished iPhone models also with free shipping. On the other hand, if you need to sell an iPhone, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac and GoRoostr will buy your older iPhone with an instant quote and prompt payment.

Please also see EveryiPhone.com's Ultimate iComparison feature to dynamically compare any iPhone model to any other iPod, iPhone, or iPad.