By James, Mozillion Team
The iPhone 15 Pro is packed with updates but is it worth upgrading?
The iPhone 14 Pro is a stonking piece of mobile kit so what could the iPhone 15 Pro possibly offer to convince a Pro user to upgrade? If you are a Pro user, it is safe to assume that the devil is in the details for you so let’s start with the record breaking new Apple A17 chip that is included on the 15 Pro. It fits 19 billion transistors in it and performs 18% more operations per second than the A16 Bionic chip that is inside the iPhone 14 Pro. Then there is the titanium frame on the iPhone 15 Pro, the new colours, new Action button and improvements to the camera setup to consider so buckle up and get ready to make a pretty tough decision.
Build & Design | iPhone 15 Pro vs 14 Pro
Titanium is a rare and premium metal that is highly resistant to chemical attacks. It also has the highest strength to weight ratio of any metal. This is the reason it is so sought after and the reason that the iPhone 15 Pro now has a frame made from it.
The titanium frame not only looks good but also gives the phone a lighter feel while still being fairly tough. Compare this to the stainless steel frame of the iPhone 14 Pro and…well…it’s way cooler in every way basically, though may be not quite as durable. Additionally, the iPhone 15 Pro is ever-so-slightly smaller since it has thinner bezels around the display, thus a slightly higher screen-to-body ratio. Both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro have a 6.1inch display though.
Chipset | iPhone 15 Pro vs 14 Pro
An impressive smartphone chipset or processor isn’t just about power but also about efficiency. As mentioned above, the A17 Pro chipset under the hood of the iPhone 15 Pro is a bit of a celebrity in the processor world. However, it should be noted that the iPhone 14 Pro is also ridiculously fast, powerful and efficient and unless you want to run NASA from your smartphone you should be more than ok for anything and everything that you want to do. For the gamers out there though, the A17 Pro is so spesh that it has convinced some game developers to actually bring their console-grade games to the iPhone 15 Pro including behemoths like Assassin’s Creed: Mirage and Resident Evil 7.
For serious gamers and those that want the fastest possible processing power for their video and photo editing, then the 15 Pro’s chip is probably worth the upgrade. For everyone else, you’ll perhaps not notice as much of a difference.
Colours | iPhone 15 Pro vs 14 Pro
As well as the titanium finish on the iPhone 15 Pro being glossier, more scratch resistant and less of a fingerprint magnet, it also comes in four new colours; Natural Titanium (lighter grey), Blue Titanium, White Titanium and Black Titanium.
The iPhone 14 Pro is available in Space Black, Deep Purple, Silver, and Gold.
Action button | iPhone 15 Pro vs 14 Pro
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro have essentially the same power and volume buttons in the same places, doing the same thing they always have, but the iPhone 15 Pro has a new little secret. It has an extra button. The iPhone 15 Pro features the new Action button that replaces the mute toggle and it is customisable. It can carry out actions such as open apps, Siri shortcuts, flashlight, camera and focus modes to name a few.
Is this button alone worth the increased price? Probably not, but it’s an interesting difference and a big change for Apple in their iPhone design.
Charging port | iPhone 15 Pro vs 14 Pro
Both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro now boast a USB-C port as standard which replaces the Lightning port that has been used on iPhones for years. USB-C is the same connection port you find on most Android phones, MacBooks, iPads and more so it’s nice to see it standardised on the iPhone 15 too so we can all use the same cable. The USB-C port also ends up supporting transfer speeds that are up to 20x faster than the iPhone 14 Pro.
Camera | iPhone 15 Pro vs 14 Pro
So the iPhone 15 Pro is a stunning piece of kit with a host of new features to get your teeth stuck into. Looks wise, you are going to notice the titanium finish, Action button, USB-C Port and stylish new colour choices. Then there are the more subtle upgrades like the A17 chipset, slimmer bezel and slightly improved camera set up that are impressive of course but are they worth upgrading for?
If you are the owner of an iPhone 14 Pro then you are already experiencing a seriously high spec smartphone so the question is whether you want more, more, more – especially if you’re a serious mobile gamer. If that’s the case then the iPhone 15 Pro is probably for you. If you are new to the iPhone or Pro party though, or coming from an older model such as the 12 or 13 series, then the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro are both going to be impressive upgrades, although the 14 Pro notably costs a fair bit less – especially if you buy it refurbished.
The Titanium finish on the 15 Pro is a nice feature, as is the convenience of USB-C charging, but whether those are worthwhile upgrades versus the 14 Pro will come down to your budget and what you want from your iPhone.