Apple is expected to announce four new iPhones in September, with the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 15 Pro Ultra all rumoured to make an appearance. There have been several rumours about all four of the models over the last couple of months, giving us a good idea as to what we can expect from the 2023 iPhones.

What will the differences be between the standard iPhone 15 models and the iPhone 15 Pro models though? We’ve stacked the four devices against each other based on what the speculation says. Keep in mind nothing is confirmed as yet – nor will it be until the iPhone 15 models are announced on stage – but here’s what the rumours currently suggest will be different between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro.

It’s currently claimed the Apple iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will ditch the notch for this year, like the iPhone 14 Pro models did in 2022. If true, that will see the two standard models offering the Dynamic Island feature, marking quite a big change for the standard iPhone since the iPhone X in 2017. It’s claimed the iPhone 15 Pro models will also retain the Dynamic Island this year, so it’s possible the four models will be harder to distinguish between than they were in 2022.

Rumours also report that the standard iPhone models will move to a frosted glass finish, like we currently see on the iPhone 14 Pro models, replacing the glossy finish that’s featured on the standard iPhones since the XR. Elsewhere, there are reports of some new colour options for the standard models, with cyan and magenta both mentioned, and no we haven’t all of a sudden switched to talking about printer cartridges.

In terms of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max – or iPhone 15 Pro Ultra, which it has also been called – it’s been reported that they will see a 30 per cent reduction in bezels surrounding their displays, which would definitely streamline the design. It’s also claimed they will move away from stainless steel and switch to titanium as the material of choice. This should make them a lot lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro models. The standard iPhone 15 models meanwhile, are currently expected to retain their aluminium builds.

There have also been a number of rumours to suggest that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will replace the silence button that has been on the iPhone since its beginning, with a programmable action button – similar to what the Apple Watch Ultra offers. It’s expected that this will be exclusive to the Pro models rather than offered on the standard models – marking another point of distinction alongside the bezel reduction and material differences.

We’d also expect the colours to be different between the standard iPhone 15 models and the iPhone 15 Pro models and rumours have also said there may be some changes to the camera housing on the rear of the Pro models, though it’s not clear if the same will apply to the standard models. Either way, the Pro models will likely retain three lenses, while the standard models will offer two.

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro display

Currently, rumours haven’t detailed any changes to the display sizes from the iPhone 14 models to the iPhone 15 models. It is therefore assumed that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro will feature a 6.1-inch display like the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra will have a 6.7-inch screen.

As mentioned, there’s been the suggestion that the iPhone 15 Pro models will have slimmer bezels than the iPhone 14 Pro models, and the iPhone 15 models. It’s also claimed the Pro models may offer a 2500nits peak brightness, which would be a 500nits increase on the iPhone 14 Pro models. They are also expected to retain the 120Hz ProMotion technology.

The standard iPhone 15 models aren’t expected to adopt the ProMotion tech, which means they also won’t offer the Always On Display that the iPhone 14 Pro models introduced. They also aren’t expected to offer the higher brightness screen, so there will be some differences between the iPhone 15 Pro and standard iPhone 15 models in this department, though it might be that you wouldn’t notice unless you had the devices side-by-side. A brighter display helps when outdoors, while the Always On Display is great in use, but it’s not a necessity.

You should still get the same size screens and resolutions for each respective model – the iPhone 15 to the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Plus to the iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra. All four models should also feature an OLED display.

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro specs

Hardware is an interesting one because for the iPhone 14 models, Apple changed its usual pattern. In the past, all iPhone models used the same processor, but then the iPhone 14 models launched and Apple offered a new processor under the hood of the Pro models and put the iPhone 13 Pro chip inside the standard iPhone 14 models. This suggests the standard iPhone 15 models may offer the A16 chip like the iPhone 14 Pro models, while the iPhone 15 Pro models move to the A17 chip, making them slightly more powerful.

It’s claimed all four iPhone 15 models will use a Qualcomm 5G modem and it’s also claimed all four devices will switch to USB-C for charging. Not much else has been said on the hardware front, though Apple typically offers battery improvements year-on-year and for this year, it’s possible the new iPhones might offer faster charging than previous models if rumours are accurate. In our experience, the iPhone 14 Plus was the most impressive in terms of overall battery performance for the 2022 models, though the iPhone 14 Pro Max followed closely behind. We’d expect similar for the iPhone 15 models.

In terms of software, all four models will run on iOS 17. This means all four will deliver a similar user experience, and the same could be said for older compatible iPhone models too. There will be some features that will be available on the Pro models over the standard models, such as in the camera department, but the overall experience will be the same across the iPhone 15 models.

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro cameras

According to the rumours, there could be a few changes coming to the camera department of both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models. Reports claim the standard iPhone 15 models could see an upgrade to the 48-megapixel main sensor that we saw introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro models. It’s said it could be a stacked sensor too, that would allow for more light, and it’s claimed the iPhone 15 Pro models might not see this upgrade.

Rumours have claimed the iPhone 15 Pro models – specifically the larger model – will opt for a Sony sensor though, which is said to offer double the saturation signal level in each pixel, allowing for more light capture, while also ensuring the correct exposure in different circumstances. If Apple offers a better camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max model compared to the iPhone 15 Pro – and consequently the iPhone 15 models – that will be the first time it’s done this since the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

Either way, the camera department is definitely one area the standard iPhone 15 models and iPhone 15 Pro models will differ. The standard iPhone 15 models likely won’t offer a telephoto lens like the iPhone 15 Pro models, and they will also likely offer reduced features, though if the iPhone 14 models are anything to go by, the standard iPhone 15 models will still deliver good results.

Conclusion

Based on current rumours, it looks like the iPhone 15 Pro models could have slimmer bezels around their displays, a titanium build and an Action Button in place of the silence toggle. The standard iPhone 15 models meanwhile, are said to adopt the Dynamic Island design, bringing them closer in line with the Pro models, and it’s thought they will opt for a frosted finish too. Elsewhere though, the standard iPhone 15 models aren’t expected to feature the slimmer bezels around the display or have the Action Button, and it’s also expected that they will run on different hardware.

For now, everything is speculation but we will update this feature as more rumours emerge ahead of the iPhone 15 event, as well as when the official details are revealed.