iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: Expected differences
Intro
The iPhone 17 Pro is right around the corner, so it's time to see how it stacks against its distant and not-so-distant relatives. Today we're going to pit the iPhone 17 Pro against the iPhone 15 Pro, with the latter being now almost two years old.
This preliminary comparison is still based on leaks, rumors, and our experience in the industry, but we're aiming to answer the most important question. Is it time to upgrade, and is it worth waiting for the iPhone 17 Pro.
Update:iOS 26 is now officially on the horizon, arriving on both these iPhones in the fall of 2025. Learn more about it in the 'performance' section of this article.
iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro expected differences:
| iPhone 17 Pro* | iPhone 15 Pro |
|---|---|
| New seamless design with thinner bezels | Flat-edged design of the past couple of generations |
| Aluminum potentially replacing titanium | Grade 5 titanium frame |
| New camera housing design reminiscent of the Pixel 9 | Old square camera bump with minor tweaks |
| 120Hz OLED display, but more durable and power efficient | The same ProMotion 120Hz OLED display |
| The same display size - 6.3 inches and the same resolution | 6.1-inch display with 1179 x 2556 resolution |
| New Apple A19 Pro chip built on a next-gen 3nm process | Apple A17 Pro chip (3nm) with great performance |
| 12GB of RAM | 8GB of RAM |
| A new vapor chamber cooling solution | Old cooling system |
| A new 48MP telephoto lens with a 3.5x optical zoom | 12MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom |
| An upgraded 24MP front camera | Old 12MP selfie camera |
| The same battery with potentially faster charging | 3274 mAh battery |
| MagSafe support | MagSafe support as well |
Table of Contents:
Read more:
Design and Size
A radical change?
Leaked dummies of the iPhone 17 series phones, the iPhone 17 Pro is the second from the left | Image by Weibo
When it comes to design, Apple is normally pretty conservative with the changes. Not this time. The company is expected to bring the biggest design change in years, and if we're to believe the leaked CAD renders and dummies, the back of the iPhone 17 Pro will look rather different from the iPhone 15 Pro.
The main difference is the new camera housing on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro, which is expected to stretch from side to side and look reminiscent of the Pixel's latest design. The iPhone 15 Pro relies on the old square camera bump design.
| iPhone 17 Pro* | iPhone 15 Pro |
|---|---|
| TBA | Thickness 8.3 mm |
| TBA | Weight 187 grams |
When it comes to size and weight, we don't expect major differences. The iPhone 17 Pro metrics in this section are still a mystery, but given the bigger screen, the phone should be just a tad larger and heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro.
There's a difference in building materials - the iPhone 15 Pro was the first iPhone to feature grade 5 titanium, and the latest rumors suggest that Apple might revert to an aluminum frame for the iPhone 17 Pro.
| iPhone 17 Pro colors* | iPhone 15 Pro colors |
|---|---|
| Sky Blue | Black Titanium |
| TBA | White Titanium |
| TBA | Natural Titanium |
| TBA | Blue Titanium |
*speculated or rumored
Display Differences
Bigger but more efficient
The display of the iPhone 17 Pro follows in the footsteps of the previous model, which means that it will most likely be the same 6.3-inch ProMotion screen as the one on the iPhone 16 Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, was the last "Pro" with a 6.1-inch display, featuring a slightly different resolution but landing at the same pixel density at around 460 PPI.
| iPhone 17 Pro* | iPhone 15 Pro |
|---|---|
| Size 6.3" | Size 6.1" |
| Brightness 1800 nits (typ) 3000 nits (HBM) | Brightness 1000 nits (typ) 2000 nits (HBM) |
The iPhone 17 Pro is expected to get the 120Hz ProMotion treatment with a resolution of 1206 x 2622 pixels. There's also rumors of a new display tech called LDTEE (Low-dielectric TEE), which will supposedly offer better efficiency and durability.
Another potential difference is the rumored M14 material being used on the iPhone 17 Pro. This might boost the brightness of the new model to 3000 nits peak, if we're to believe the latest rumors on the subject.
Performance and Software
3nm on both, probably
Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to be equipped with the new Apple A19 Pro chip. There were some rumors suggesting that Apple will manufacture this silicon on a 2nm node, but the latest info talks about an improved 3nm manufacturing technology.
The iPhone 15 Pro comes with the A17 Pro, which is made on a 3nm node, and still offers plenty of raw power to tackle all day-to-day tasks, and even the most power-intense applications.
There's a potential upgrade in the RAM department - the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to feature 12GB of RAM, and this upgrade might have something to do with Apple Intelligence and on-device AI computations. In comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro comes with 8GB of RAM.
| iPhone 17 Pro* | iPhone 15 Pro |
|---|---|
| Chip Apple A19 Pro | Chip Apple A17 Pro |
| Process 3nm (2nm potentially) | Process 3nm |
| RAM 12GB | RAM 8GB |
Just as my thumbs have finally learned the muscle memory for the last set of changes, Apple has announced iOS 26 is on its way.
The big feature is a visual overhaul called "Liquid Glass." The main event is an optional "Clear Look" that makes the whole screen transparent. I'd say it's very reminiscent of Windows Vista, but just typing this immediately makes my back ache. I suspect all that transparency might be a bit too much for some, it occasionally looks like trying to read a newspaper through a frosted bathroom window.
On the bright side, some changes come for those of us who yearn for simplicity. The Camera app is being decluttered, hiding all the fancy modes by default. This is a blessed relief for anyone who grew up with cameras that had precisely one button.
Apple also re-organize the Photos app, bringing order into the chaos it itself created last year. Great, search is now within easier reach and I can finally find my albums.
The best news, however, is the new Call Screening feature to fend off telemarketers. A magnificent invention, even if Pixel phones have had this for a few years. Far more sophisticated than my old method, which was to simply not answer any calls.
The best news, however, is the new Call Screening feature to fend off telemarketers. A magnificent invention, even if Pixel phones have had this for a few years. Far more sophisticated than my old method, which was to simply not answer any calls.
There’s also Live Translate for calls, which sounds great in demos, but I have serious doubts might create a lot more confusion than help. Let's see.
There are other new tricks, like adding polls to group chats, which seems a very complex way to achieve what used to be accomplished by one person just making a decision. Snark aside, these are all cool and useful features that many people will appreciate. Just don't go overboard with the glass look.
There are other new tricks, like adding polls to group chats, which seems a very complex way to achieve what used to be accomplished by one person just making a decision. Snark aside, these are all cool and useful features that many people will appreciate. Just don't go overboard with the glass look.
Camera
Telephoto changes
Leaked alleged real-life photo of the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro | Image by @kdctweets on X
Apple went through some changes in the telephoto department of the iPhone Pro models in the past couple of generations. The iPhone 15 Pro comes with a 3x telephoto camera. Then last year Apple upgraded that to the same tetraprism optics found on the Pro Max model, featuring 5x zoom.
| iPhone 17 Pro* | iPhone 15 Pro |
|---|---|
| Main 48 MP f/1.8 24mm (wide) 1/1.28" | Main 48 MP f/1.8 24mm (wide) 1/1.28" |
| Ultrawide 48 MP f/2.2 13mm (ultrawide) 1/2.55" | Ultrawide 12 MP f/2.2 13mm (ultrawide) 1/2.55" |
| Telephoto 48 MP 85mm 3.5x optical zoom | Telephoto 12 MP f/2.8, 77mm 3x optical zoom |
The front camera is expected to get an upgrade in pixel count as well. The iPhone 15 Pro comes equipped with a 12MP selfie camera, while the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to double the pixel count and introduce a new 24MP front snapper.
Battery Life and Charging
Slightly bumped up charging speeds?
We don't know much about the battery capacity of the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro, as Apple never list the exact numbers anyway. We expect the capacity to be either carried over the last generation, or slightly upgraded. This would mean s slight advantage over the iPhone 15 Pro, as Apple overhauled the battery of the Pro after the 15, due to the bigger screen size that came with the iPhone 16 Pro.
| iPhone 17 Pro* | iPhone 15 Pro |
|---|---|
| Battery capacity 3582 mAh | Battery capacity 3274 mAh |
Charging speeds 35W wired 25W wireless (MagSafe) 7.5W reverse wireless charging | Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless (MagSafe) |
In terms of charging, an area that has long been a source of frustration for Apple fans, we expect that the iPhone 17 Pro will increase wired charging speed to 35W. We don't know whether this will translate into faster charging or not, but will do our tests and see what's what when the phone lands in our lab. The iPhone 15 Pro charges from 0% to 100% in 1 hour 42 minutes.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick (preliminary) specs comparison between the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro (follow the link for a more detailed one):
| iPhone 17 Pro* | iPhone 15 Pro |
|---|---|
| Size, weight TBA | Size, weight 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3 mm 187 g |
| Screen 6.3" OLED 120Hz ProMotion | Screen 6.1" OLED 120Hz ProMotion |
| Processor Apple A19 Pro 3nm, or possible 2nm | Processor A17 Pro 3nm |
| Versions: --- 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB LPDDR5 | Versions: 8/128GB 8/256GB 8/512GB 8/1TB LPDDR5 |
| Cameras: 48MP main 48MP ultra 48MP telephoto, 3.5x zoom 24MP front | Cameras: 48MP main 12MP ultra 12MP telephoto, 3x zoom 12MP front |
| Battery: 3582 mAh | Battery: 3274 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 35W wired MagSafe | Charging: USB-C 25W wired MagSafe |
*rumored or speculated
Also read:
Summary
If you're looking to upgrade from the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 17 Pro might offer enough upgrades to justify this decision. It has new camera tech—the telephoto is expected to be a 48MP camera, and the ultrawide is also better compared to the one on the iPhone 15 Pro.
The battery will most likely be bigger, and there's a change in design as well. Couple this with the latest A19 Pro silicon and the potentially faster charging, and there are more than enough reasons to upgrade. One problem might be the asking price, as with the recent turmoil around Trump's tariffs, we don't know how much the iPhone 17 Pro will cost.
We will update this comparison with benchmarks, tests, and camera samples once we have the iPhone 17 Pro in our hands.
The battery will most likely be bigger, and there's a change in design as well. Couple this with the latest A19 Pro silicon and the potentially faster charging, and there are more than enough reasons to upgrade. One problem might be the asking price, as with the recent turmoil around Trump's tariffs, we don't know how much the iPhone 17 Pro will cost.
We will update this comparison with benchmarks, tests, and camera samples once we have the iPhone 17 Pro in our hands.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: