by Jake, Team Mozillion
Jake from Mozillion took the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 to Wembley for the ultimate test.
So what does the ‘Pro’ mean when we are considering which model to choose between the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15? Obviously price is a key factor, with the Pro model being the more expensive of the two, but what exactly are you paying that extra cash for?
I headed into London on a lovely, sunny day which was just the ticket as I was doing my iPhone test at Wembley Stadium at the Chelsea versus Liverpool Cup Final match.
One of the features that would definitely be put through it’s paces was battery life as I’d be spending all day filming and taking photos, as well as general phone use.
So why did I think that going to a cup final was a good idea for a camera test? Apart from the obvious – there are lots of fireworks and pyro, and the chance to do lots of long distance shooting. It is clear straight away that the 15 Pro has a better zoom than the standard 15, but is that worth spending the extra money on?
The game itself was very tight with a score of 0-0 at half time despite two goals being scored (both offside). I managed to get some cracking shots and videos with both phones and even managed to capture one of the offside goals beautifully on video. The final score was 1-0 to Liverpool so I headed back to the studio with all my footage and to see how the battery on each phone had fared.
While I was impressed with the battery life on both models, the iPhone 15 Pro was the clear winner here. I used both extensively throughout the day for the camera test as well as watching video, listening to music and doing general phone stuff. The 15 Pro came back with around 70% battery life which was incredible. Not that the 15 was disappointing though. The iPhone 15 still held around 50% of its battery charge and to be honest, I would say both of these phones are two-day phones if you use them lightly – both of these phones have the best batteries I have ever tested on an iPhone.
Moving onto phone speed, again both phones were excellent. I never experienced any lags and they were both really enjoyable to use throughout the day, regardless of which app I was using.
iPhones never really suffer on speed these days thanks to the processors that Apple use. In this instance, you get the A16 Bionic chipset inside the iPhone 15 and you get the A17 Pro inside the 15 Pro. You might get a little bit more longevity out of the latter as apps are upgraded over time, but both currently perform brilliantly.
A significant difference that you may notice if you were to put the 15 and the 15 Pro side by side is the screen. While the front of the screens are actually pretty similar, the technology that sits behind them are pretty different. When using them side by side, you can see the refresh rate on the 15 Pro’s display feels a bit smoother. This is only really noticeable, however, when they’re side by side. There would be a far bigger distinction if you were moving from an older iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro.
Another factor to notice is how both iPhones feel in the hand? The 15 Pro had a big upgrade in look and feel this year. It now has a titanium back, whilst the 15 still has the typical aluminium that Apple have been using for years. I really like both but the 15 Pro does feel lighter due to the titanium and it gives it a new, more premium feel. If you are going to put these phones in a case though, it may not be something that you notice but it should be something to note if you’re going to pick between the two.
When it comes to the cameras on both these phones, check out some of the footage I captured on both phones in my video. My overall thought is go with the 15 if you want a good point and shoot camera, but it’s worth upgrading to the 15 Pro specifcially if photography is your thing. You get the Macro mode, a loads of extra optical field of view options, a dedicated telephoto camera with 3x zoom, a bigger main camera sensor and the ability to capture in Raw using the built-in Camera app.
In conclusion, both of these are fantastic phones. Apple have once again knocked it out of the park with the 15 series but it’s down to you whether you want to pay a little bit more for the extra camera features that the 15 Pro provides. The 15 is a very worthy upgrade from any older iPhone and the 15 Pro has those couple of little nice-to-haves that the photography enthusiast might want. However, the 15 – for the price point it comes in at – is a great all-rounder phone.
Speaking of prices, make sure you have a look on Mozillion to see how much money you can save on your next phone. Or how much extra cash you can get for your current phone, versus typical trade in prices.