iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Plus: the key differences (2024)

Apple announced its iPhone 15 series on September 12, 2023, and it’s the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus that are the most affordable of the four models.

So how do these two mainstream flagship phones compare? Based both on their specs sheets and our impressions in our full iPhone 15 review and our full iPhone 15 Plus review, we've answered that below.

But if you're after something more premium, make sure to check out our iPhone 15 Pro review and our iPhone 15 Pro Max review.

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Plus: specs comparison

We’ll be delving into the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus in detail in just a moment, but for now here’s a table giving you an at-a-glance look at the key specs.

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Plus: price and availability

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus were both announced on September 12, 2023, and went on sale ten days later on September 22.

The standard model starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,499 for 128GB of storage, rising to $899 / £899 / AU$1,699 for 256GB and $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,049 for 512GB.

If you want an iPhone 15 Plus, you'll be looking at $899 / £899 / AU$1,649 for a 128GB model, $999 / £999 / AU$1,849 for 256GB, or $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 for 512GB.

So in other words the iPhone 15 Plus costs $100 / £100 / AU$150 more than the iPhone 15 at all storage levels.

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Plus: design and display

The big addition with both of these phones is Apple’s Dynamic Island, which was introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro. Say goodbye to that unsightly notch, as Apple moves towards a more discrete punch-hole solution, anchoring a cool widget-like notification system.

Other than that, the design of the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus broadly resembles that of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, but with slightly rounded edges replacing the right-angled approach Apple adopted with the iPhone 12.

Another noteworthy external change is the switch from Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector to the widely used USB-C. We’ll discuss that more in a moment.

The dimensions are broadly similar to their predecessors, at 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm for the iPhone 15 and 160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8mm for the iPhone 15 Plus. Obviously that makes the iPhone 15 Plus significantly bigger than the iPhone 15.

Those dimensions facilitate another 6.1-inch OLED display for the iPhone 15, and a 6.7-inch OLED for the iPhone 15 Plus. The inclusion of the aforementioned Dynamic Island sees a slight bump in both resolutions, meaning 1179 x 2556 for the iPhone 15 and 1290 x 2796 for the iPhone 15 Plus. The two phones have roughly the same pixel density as each other though, so size is the only real display difference.

Unfortunately, Apple hasn't upped the refresh rate of either of these screens, so it’s 60Hz all the way. Even the Android takes one the best cheap phones now adopt 90Hz and 120Hz screens, but Apple seems intent on keeping this a Pro-only feature. Apple also hasn't brought its always-on display to either phone.

Ultimately, these are very similar phones on both the design and display fronts, with both also coming in the same selection of colors, having an IP68 rating for water resistance, and reaching up to 2,000 nits of brightness.

The key differences are just that the iPhone 15 Plus is larger and heavier, but therefore also has a bigger screen.

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Plus: cameras

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have bumped up their main camera sensors from 12MP to 48MP, following in the footsteps of last year’s iPhone 14 Pro line. That’s the only real upgrade though, with the same 12MP ultra-wide and selfie cameras as before.

Still, that move to 48MP has made a noticeable difference, with our iPhone 15 Plus review concluding that it "serves up great shots across the board", while our iPhone 15 review noted that there's "truly impressive computational photography."

You can see some camera samples from both phones below to judge for yourself.

iPhone 15 camera samples

iPhone 15 Plus camera samples

As well as extra megapixels, the new 48MP sensor also allows for 2x lossless zoom, which brings more versatility to these phones, since they lack a dedicated zoom lens.

It's a compelling setup, but it's identical across the two phones, so there's nothing to choose between the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus when it comes to their cameras.

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Plus: performance and software

The iPhone 14 line introduced a split to Apple’s processor approach, with the Pro models getting new silicon while the iPhone 14 kept much the same chip as its predecessor, and the iPhone 15 line has followed suit.

This means that both the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus run on the A16 Bionic chipset previously used by the iPhone 14 Pro, while only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max get a new A17 Pro chipset.

Both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus also have 6GB of RAM, just like the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

So these aren't the most powerful iPhones, but nor are they really lacking for power. Indeed, in our iPhone 15 review we noted that it "can handle pretty much any task you throw at it."

The two phones also have identical storage amounts – starting at 128GB and topping out at 512GB – and they both run iOS 17.

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Plus: battery

While raw performance looks distinctly iPhone 14 Pro-like, there are advances elsewhere. The iPhone 15 features a marginally larger battery than the iPhone 14, taking its capacity up to 3,349mAh. The iPhone 15 Plus also has a slightly bigger cell than its predecessor, to the tune of 4,383mAh.

This has led to stamina being better with both, but with a clear edge for the Plus model, which we found could last for up to two days between charges at a push, while the standard iPhone 15 comfortably offers one day of life.

As we’ve already mentioned, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have also switched from Apple’s Lightning connector to the universally used USB-C standard.

That doesn't make much of a difference visually, but at least you’ll be able to borrow a charger from your Android-owning friends and family in a pinch.

The two phones have identical charging power though, at 20W wired and 15W wireless.

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Plus: verdict

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are closely aligned, as were the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus the previous year. They’re essentially different sizes of the exact same product.

Improvements across the board include faster processors, less intrusive and more useful Dynamic Islands, bigger batteries for superior stamina, and the adoption of USB-C ports.

Thanks to its much better battery life, the iPhone 15 Plus is arguably the better phone overall, but it also costs more, and not everyone will want its larger screen. Overall though, these are very similar handsets, so if you like one you'll probably like the other too.