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The iPhone 15 Pro is Apple’s latest compact flagship. It stands side-by-side with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and it’s a very compelling phone. How does it compare to its predecessor, though? Well, that’s something we’ll focus on here. In this article, we’ll compare the Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro.
We’ll first list their specifications, as that’s something we usually do in comparisons. Following that, we’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. If you’re wondering whether to upgrade to the iPhone 15 Pro, or perhaps you’re considering getting the iPhone 14 Pro now… well, we do hope that this comparison will be of some use. Having said that, let’s get started.
Specs
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro, respectively
– Screen size:
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion (120Hz, HDR10, 2,000 nits)
6.1-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display (120Hz, HDR10, 2,000 nits)
– Display resolution:
2796 x 1290
2556 x 1179
– SoC:
Apple A17 Pro
Apple A16 Bionic
– RAM:
8GB
6GB
– Storage:
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
– Rear cameras:
48MP (f/1.78 aperture, second-gen sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, macro photography), 12MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 3x optical zoom)
48MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, dual Pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF, 1.4um pixel size), 12MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
12MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth
12MP (f/1.9 aperture, OIS)
– Battery:
4,355mAh
3,200mAh
– Charging:
20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included)
20W wired, 15W MagSafe wirelss, 7.5W Qi wireless (charger not included)
– Dimensions:
146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25mm
147.5 x 71.5 x 7.9mm
– Weight:
187 grams
206 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C/Lightning, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Advanced facial scanning
– OS:
iOS 17
iOS 16 (upgradable)
– Price:
$999+
No longer officially available
– Buy:
Apple
No longer officially available
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro: Design
If you place the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro side-by-side, you won’t see many differences. The only difference that you may notice is the fact that the iPhone 15 Pro bezels are thinner. Its bezels are 1.55mm all around, compared to 2.17mm on the iPhone 14 Pro. That’s not a huge difference, but it’s noticeable. Other than that, and the extra button on the left of the iPhone 15 Pro, these two phones do look almost the same.
Well… that’s the case until you actually hold them. You’ll immediately notice how much more comfortable the iPhone 15 Pro is. That’s because its frame is slightly curved on the sides, making the phone a lot more comfortable to use. Well, the iPhone 15 Pro is also noticeably lighter, which also helps. The two of them have the same display size, but due to thinner bezels, the iPhone 15 Pro is a bit narrower and a bit shorter, while being slightly thicker.
Both smartphones have a pill-shaped cutout on the front, and a triple camera setup on the back. Those cameras look basically the same, from the design perspective. Both smartphones also offer an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. Another thing worth noting is that the iPhone 15 Pro uses titanium for its frame, while the iPhone 14 Pro uses stainless steel. That’s also why the iPhone 15 Pro is noticeably lighter. They may look the same, but the iPhone 15 Pro is definitely a more comfortable device to use.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro: Display
When it comes to their displays, well, they’re on the same playing field. Both smartphones include a 6.1-inch display with a 2556 x 1179 resolution. Both of those displays also offer a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Dolby Vision is supported by both displays, and both panels are referred to as ‘Super Retina XDR OLED’ panels. Both of those panels are also protected by the Ceramic Shield Glass.
In other words, these two smartphones have the same displays. Even their brightness is the same, actually. The maximum brightness these two displays can provide is 2,000 nits. They’re more than bright enough for everyday use, you can’t ask for more, basically. Even if you’re outdoors in direct sunlight, both of these displays will be sufficient. So there’s nothing to worry about.
You’re also getting very sharp displays here, with great viewing angles. The colors pop and the blacks are deep. The touch response on both panels is also quite good, actually. The iPhone 15 Pro does have a higher screen-to-body ratio, but only because of its bezels, which are thinner. When it comes to displays themselves, however, they’re basically the same, and not the reason to upgrade.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro: Performance
The iPhone 15 Pro is fueled by the Apple A17 Pro processor. That is Apple’s new 3nm processor which is immensely powerful. Apple also included 8GB of RAM inside the iPhone 15 Pro, and it uses NVMe flash storage. The iPhone 14 Pro, on the other hand, is fueled by the Apple A16 Bionic processor. That is a 4nm chip, and it’s also quite powerful, but not as powerful as the A17 Pro. This handset includes 6GB of RAM and NVMe storage.
The iPhone 15 Pro is more powerful on paper, that’s for sure. When it comes to regular, everyday tasks, however, they perform the same. Both smartphones offer great performance. They’re very smooth, open apps really fast, jump between them without issues, and so on. Even games are a breeze on both smartphones. There is one difference when it comes to gaming, however, the iPhone 15 Pro can run some console-level games, though. That’s not the case with the iPhone 14 Pro.
For example, Resident Evil Village has been pushed to the App Store, and can be downloaded to the iPhone 15 Pro. It will run at 720p resolution, but the point is that it’s not only playable, but it runs great on the iPhone 15 Pro. That shows the true power of the Apple A17 Pro chip. The phone does get quite toasty if you delve into the game, however, that’s for sure. For almost everyone, though, both smartphones will be more than enough from a performance standpoint.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro: Battery
Apple slightly increased the battery capacity with the iPhone 15 Pro. The device comes with a 3,274mAh unit, compared to a 3,200mAh battery inside the iPhone 14 Pro. That’s a tiny difference, but still, it’s worth noting. Is the battery life any good? Well, yes, it is, and it’s very comparable between two smartphones. We did not really spot better or worse battery life on the iPhone 15 Pro, the results are quite similar.
Both of these phones can cross the 7-hour screen-on-time level, but that will depend highly on your usage, of course. If you’re playing plenty of games, you’ll get noticeably worse battery life. If not, well, both phones do offer good battery life overall. Even with more demanding usage, getting to 6.5 hours of screen-on-time seemed doable. Each of us use our phones differently, though. With different apps, different signal strengths, and so on. So, your numbers will probably be considerably different.
Apple opted not to increase charging speed. Both smartphones charge at a max of 20W via a wire. They do support 15W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging, along with 7.5W Qi wireless charging. The iPhone 15 Pro does offer reverse wired charging as well, in case you need to use it as a power bank. Neither phone comes with a charger in the box, though.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro: Cameras
Both of these smartphones include a 48-megapixel main camera (sensor-shift OIS, dual pixel PDAF), along with a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (120-degree FoV), and a 12-megapixel telephoto unit (3x optical zoom). They also have a TOF 3D LiDAR scanner on the back. Having said that, the hardware is not identical, Apple did make some changes, although it may seem to be, at first.
The 48-megapixel unit on the iPhone 15 Pro is more advanced. Apple used a larger sensor here, and it should technically mean better results. That does seem to be the case. Not only does the iPhone 15 Pro provide better images in general, but only slightly, you can notice a major difference in HDR conditions. Low-light images are also slightly better, so the two phones definitely do not perform the same in the camera department.
You’ll see less of a difference in the ultrawide and telephoto sections. They both do a great job in that sense, and you can even use those cameras in low light to get good results. Still, nothing beats the main cameras on these two phones… especially in low light. Both devices are very reliable when it comes to camera performance, even though they do lack some bells and whistles, such as a periscope telephoto camera.
Audio
Both of these devices also include a set of stereo speakers. Speakers on both smartphones are good, and provide good sound quality. They’re actually extremely similar in terms of output. They’re even on the same level when it comes to loudness, you won’t really notice a difference.
What you will not find on either phone is a 3.5mm headphone jack. You’ll need to use a Type-C port on the iPhone 15 Pro, or a Lightning port on the iPhone 14 Pro, in order to connect your wired headphones. Bluetooth 5.3 is supported on both phones, though.