iPhone 15 Pro availability, price, specs, design and cameras

iPhone 15 Pro cameras
(Image credit: Future)

iPhone 15 Pro: Cheat Sheet

  • The titanium frame makes iPhone 15 Pro the lightest iPhone models ever — without comprising strength and durability
  • The iPhone 15 Pro's 6.1-inch display has the thinnest borders on the iPhone, and uses super-strong ceramic glass
  • The action button replaces the mute switch, with user-set features ranging from activating silent mode, opening your camera, and more — all with haptic feedback
  • The A17 Pro chipset promises faster and more efficienct performance than ever before, and significantly faster machine learning
  • The new USB-C port offers USB 3.0 with up to 10Gbps data transfer speeds
  • This is the "best iPhone camera yet" with the equivalent of 7 lenses in a single device, but the new tetra-prism telephoto lens will be exclusive to the Pro Max
  • iPhone 15 Pro will be available in four colors: Black titanium, white titanium, blue titanium and raw titanium
  • iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999 for 128GB, while iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199 for 256GB

The iPhone 15 Pro is the flagship iPhone model for 2023 to 2024, and brought several updates with it over the iPhone 14 Pro. And we'll go through all those changes, plus explain what's stayed the same, in our guide below.

Some updates are easy to notice, like the titanium body, USB-C port and new Action Button. But others are hidden within, such as the new "Pro" chipset, or improved camera system. Don't worry about getting confused though, as here's everything you need to know about iPhone 15 Pro, along with our iPhone 15 Pro review for our evaluation of the new phone.

iPhone 15 Pro price and availability

The iPhone 15 Pro will cost you at least $999 / £999 / AU$1,849, the same as the iPhone 14 Pro, which gets you a model with 128GB of storage. iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199 /£1,199 / AU$2,199, which comes with 256GB of storage. Check out our round-up of iPhone 15 deals to see if you can save on the Pro.

You can find all the iPhone 15 models in stores, though it may be difficult to track down an iPhone 15 Pro model, as supplies remain strained even months after launch.

iPhone 15 Pro design and display

iPhone 15

(Image credit: Apple | YouTube)

The iPhone 15 Pro features a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with a 6.7-inch panel — which are the same screen sizes as last year. The different here is that Apple has slimmed down the borders on the phones, to what it claims are the thinnest borders on an iPhone. That means the screen sizes remain the same, while the phones themselves are slightly smaller than their iPhone 14 counterparts.

The biggest change is the fact that Apple has swapped out stainless steel for Grade 5 titanium. The benefit to titanium is that it offers greater strength and durability while also weighing considerably less in the process. Titanium is also notable for better resistance to corrosion, while grade 5 titanium offers better tensile strength than the pure metal.

Inside Apple has used an aluminum substructure that's bonded to the titanium frame using what it calls "solid state diffusion". It's not entirely clear what that means beyond the fact that the bonds between the two metals are stronger as a result. 

The Pro models are also set to get the same dual-sided interior that debuted on the iPhone 14. This allows repair technicians to open the phone from the front and back, while simultaneously making it a lot easier to replace the back glass.

Other changes include the introduction of USB-C, and swapping the mute switch out for a solid-state action button.

The rest of the iPhone 15 Pro is rather familiar for anyone that has experience with the iPhone 14. That means you have the same Ceramic Shield display, which Apple says is the strongest display glass on the market, and a Dynamic Island cutout.

Plus, despite rumors to the contrary, it appears as though the iPhone 15 Pro retains a similar flat-edged design seen on all flagship iPhones since the release of the iPhone 12. Apple said that the phone has "contoured edges" but at this early stage the visual differences are minimal, to say the least,

iPhone 15 Pro Action button

iPhone 15

(Image credit: Apple | YouTube)

One of the boldest changes that's come to iPhone 15 Pro is the loss of the mute switch, replaced by a new solid-state "action button". Rather than a physical toggle that moves from one position to another, this is a button paired with haptic feedback, capable of toggling a number of different features on the device.

By default the action button will switch between ring and silent mode, much like the mute switch did. But in absence of a physical toggle you can feel, Apple has added distinct haptic feedback so you know exactly which setting is being activated when you press the button.

The idea here is that users can customize the action button to do something they want quick access to. That may be toggling silent mode on or off, but the new switch can also be used to toggle features like iOS 17 shortcuts, turn on the flashlight, open the camera, record voice memos, translate and switch on accessibility features like Magnifier.

Apple also revealed that the Dynamic Island will offer visual clues, and combined with the haptic feedback you'll be able to quickly deduce whether the button is doing the right thing or not.

In going hands-on with the feature, editorial director Mark Spoonauer found the Action button limited to just one shortcut.

iPhone 15 Pro USB-C

iPhone 15

(Image credit: Apple | YouTube)

As expected Apple has swapped the Lightning connector for USB-C, marking the first time the iPhone has shared a cable with the rest of the tech industry. As Apple noted this move means you can use the same cable to power your iPhone, MacBook, iPad and AirPods — the latter of which comes thanks to the new USB-C AirPods case.

Apple confirmed that the 15 Pro will be capable of USB 3.0 data transfer speeds of 10Gbps — the first time an iPhone has exceeded the 480 Mbps limit imposed on USB 2.0 (and Lightning). This isn't particularly fast, and there was no sign of the rumored Thunderbolt 3 connectivity which would have boosted transfer speeds rather significantly. However this change does open up a bunch of new opportunities for iPhone 15 Pro owners.

Apple itself noted that it would be possible to output video at 4K 60fps and HDR, and there would be an option for filmmakers to record video straight to an external storage device.

However you will need a USB 3 cable to make any of this work correctly, and Apple did say that it would be an optional purchase. In other words the USB-C cable that comes with your phone will be limited to USB 2 data transfer speeds.

iPhone 15 Pro cameras

iPhone 15 camera

(Image credit: Apple | YouTube)

The iPhone 15 Pro camera will be sticking to the same sort of layout as last year, with a 48MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide camera and a 12MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. As with last year it will be possible to shoot photos on ProRAW mode from the main lens, though Apple is also supporting 48MP HEIF images that offer 4x more resolution.

The camera will also offer the opportunity to shoot in different focal lengths: 24mm, 28MM and 35MM — with the option for the user to choose the default. 

The iPhone 15 Pro Max benefits from a new "tetra prism" telephoto lens, which offers up to 5x optical zoom with a 120mm focal length. Sadly this module needs more space than the iPhone 15 Pro can offer, which means it's exclusive to the larger phone. The lack of this new telephoto lens also means that the Pro Max gets enhanced autofocus and optical image stabilization.

All iPhone 15 models will be getting enhanced portrait capabilities, though, with the ability to capture portraits without having to switch to portrait mode. What's more the camera will automatically capture depth information, letting you alter it in the Photos app long after you've taken the picture.

Both Pro models will benefit from the new Photonic Engine which, in tandem with the LiDAR sensor, will improve the quality of Night mode portraits. That means sharper details and more vivid colors.  The A17 Pro also promises to improve video quality in both Action mode and low light conditions. 

Then there's Smart HDR, which promises to offer more true-to-life skin tones and offering brighter highlights, richer midtones and deeper shadows.

Finally, Apple is also offering users the ability to create their own spatial video, using the ultrawide and main camera lenses in tandem. The idea here is that you can create your own spatial videos for use with the Apple Vision Pro headset — assuming you can afford to buy one.

iPhone 15 Pro specs and performance

a17 pro chipset

(Image credit: Apple)

As expected Apple is offering different chips in its lineup this year, with the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus coming with the A16 Bionic. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will be coming with the A17 Pro instead, the first ever 3-nanometer chip to be put into a smartphone.

According to Apple the chip comes with 19 billion transistors which it claims will offer better performance, efficiency and power more powerful features. The 6-core CPU is made up of 2 high performance cores, which promises to be 10% faster than before and the fastest of any smartphone on the market. The 4 high efficiency cores are also faster, but offer 3x more performance per watt that Apple's rivals.

Meanwhile the 16-core neural engine is said to be twice as fast as last year, powering all the latest machine learning-centric features we heard about at WWDC. That includes the new autocorrect and iOS 17's personal voice. In our own testing, the A17 Pro proved to be a significant boost, beating out the Galaxy S23 Ultra in benchmark tests such as Geekbench, 3DMark, and Adobe Premiere Rush.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 - Cell 0 iPhone 15 Pro MaxGalaxy S23 Ultra
Geekbench2,890 / 7,1941,396 / 4,882
3DMark Wild Life Unlimited94.3 fps / 15,74787 fps / 14,611
Adobe Premiere Rush (video editing)25.5 seconds40 seconds

The A17's 6-core pro-class GPU is also 20% faster this year, and promises unparalleled performance and energy efficiency in a smartphone — alongside hardware-based ray tracing and the ability to play console-level games on a smartphone. Those games include Assassin's Creed Mirage, Resident Evil Village and the Resident Evil 4 remake.

Finally the chip features a dedicated AV1 decoder, enabling more efficient and high-quality video from your favorite streaming services — though Apple didn't mention any names.

iPhone 15 Pro battery life and charging

iPhone 15

(Image credit: Apple | YouTube)

Even though it's not a substantial improvement, Apple does improve the battery life performance of the iPhone 15 Pro. In Tom's Guide's battery benchmark test, it achieved a time of 10 hour and 53 minutes, improving upon the iPhone 14 Pro's mark of 10 hours and 13 minutes. The larger iPhone 15 Pro Max benefits from a larger battery of course, resulting in an outstanding time of 14 hours and 2 minutes.

We were pleased to find that the UBS-C charging of the iPhone 15 Pro improved over its predecessor, clocking in at its claimed 50% capacity in 30 minutes using a 20W adapter. While this is nice for the iPhone 15 Pro, there are still other Android phones with much faster charging, like the OnePlus 11.

Both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are compatible with MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging — once Qi2 chargers are actually available, that is.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
iPhone 15 Pro10:53
iPhone 15 Pro Max14:02
Galaxy S2310:27 (Adaptive) / 11:20 (60Hz)
Galaxy S23 Ultra12:22 (Adaptive) / 13:09 (60Hz)
OnePlus 11 Pro13:10 (Adaptive) / 12:48 (60Hz)
Pixel 8 Pro8:33 (Adaptive) / 9:46 (60Hz)
iPhone 14 Pro10:13

iPhone 15 Pro software

iPhone 15

(Image credit: Apple | YouTube)

The iPhone 15 Pro runs iOS 17 out of the box, so you'll be able to try out the best iOS 17 features we've been able to try in the public beta, including StandBy mode, Live Voicemail, Check In and NameDrop.

The only iPhone 15-specific software upgrades we've been told about so far is an upgrade to Emergency SOS with satellite and improvements to UltraWideband tracking in the Find My apps. 

iPhone 15 users will be able to use the satellite connectivity to summon roadside assistance in the United States, should they ever need it, in the same way they can call for help with Emergency SOS. Simply tell your phone you need roadside assistance, and it'll put you through to AAA who will be able to come out and help you. 

AAA is the only service partnered with Apple for now, and existing AAA subscribers will be able to get picked up without paying extra. Non-members won't be left out, though you may need to pay for the services.

Like Emergency SOS via satellite, this service will be free to use for the first two years when you buy an iPhone 15.

As for the enhancements to UltraWideband and Find My, the iPhone 15 comes with a second-generation UWB chip which offers three times more range than the current UWB chips. Apple claims that this chip is now good enough to help you track down your friends in a crowd, all within the confines (and safety) of the Find My app.

iPhone 15 Pro outlook

There's a lot to like about the iPhone 15 Pro so far, and now that we've tested it out and put it through its paces, we know what the phone is really capable of. With upgrades to the cameras, design and internal hardware, there's plenty to love about the phone. 

It's especially impressive that Apple has kept the price at the same $999 as last year. Given all the rumors, and the scope of these upgrades, we had been worried that a price hike was inevitable. But that certainly isn't the case in the United States.

The only question is deciding on which one to go with: the iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max? If you prefer a phone you can easily use one-handed and don't mind a 3x optical zoom camera, the iPhone 15 Pro will be a suitable option that has all of the premium features to please your work and home life.

Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.