Technologies

Is the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Worth it Compared to iPhone 15? Here’s Our Take

Beyond the camera, here’s what each phone offers.

On Tuesday at its «Wonderlust» event, Apple unveiled the latest batch of iPhones alongside updates to the Apple Watch. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are here, and you may soon be facing a decision whether to shell out the extra money for a Pro model when the phones hit stores on Sept. 22.

On last year’s models, the new Dynamic Island was the main differentiator between the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, but this feature has now trickled down to the regular iPhone 15, leaving the entire iPhone 15 line notchless. Still, there are important differences to consider when deciding between the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro. Bear in mind we’re yet to review the new iPhones, so this analysis is based on our hands-on impressions and their specs — let’s get to it.

iPhone 15 vs. 15 Pro: Display and enclosure

Both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro feature the same size screen — a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with a 2,556×1,179-pixel resolution. The Pro’s display, however, features ProMotion technology, which is Apple’s way of saying it has a variable refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz. It should result in smoother motion in videos, games and just scrolling through web pages compared with the fixed 60Hz refresh rate of the iPhone 15. When you aren’t watching YouTube or gaming on your phone, the Pro will lower the refresh rate to conserve battery life.

The iPhone 15 Pro also has an always-on display that keeps it on and dimmed when charging so you can use StandBy mode. You don’t get an always-on display with the iPhone 15.

The iPhone 15 and 15 Pro are made from different materials. The iPhone 15 has an aluminum enclosure with a color-infused glass back, and the iPhone 15 Pro is made from titanium with a textured matte glass back.

More colorful options are available for the iPhone 15, where you can get it in pink, soft yellow, light green, pale blue or black. The iPhone 15 Pro is available in more staid hues: black, white, dark blue and natural titanium that looks beige.

In terms of overall size, the iPhone 15 is ever-so-slightly larger but lighter than the iPhone 15 Pro. Titanium is lighter than aluminum, but the iPhone 15 Pro weighs more than the iPhone 15, in large part because it has a third camera. The iPhone 15 weighs 6.02 ounces (171 grams), and the iPhone 15 Pro weighs 6.6 ounces (187 grams). The iPhone 15 Pro has ultrathin bezels and shaves a millimeter off the width and height of the iPhone 15’s dimensions while also being a fraction of a millimeter thinner.

One last difference between the two enclosures is the introduction of the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro. It replaces the mute switch that’s still on the side of the iPhone 15. By default, a long press on the Action button will mute and unmute, but you can customize it to trigger a number of shortcuts like turning on the flashlight, recording a voice memo or opening the camera app and snapping a photo.

Action button on the side of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro

iPhone 15 vs. 15 Pro: Cameras

As with previous iPhone lines, the iPhone 15 features two cameras on the back, and the iPhone 15 Pro has three. You get a 48-megapixel wide lens and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens with either model, and the iPhone 15 Pro adds a 12-megapixel telephoto lens that has a 3x optical zoom that lets you get closer to your subject.

Both models support night mode, but only the iPhone 15 Pro lets you take night mode shots in portrait mode.

Three cameras on the back of the iPhone 15 Pro

iPhone 15 vs. 15 Pro: Components

Inside, the iPhone 15 has an A16 Bionic chip, while the iPhone 15 Pro has an A17 Pro chip. Both models ought to be plenty fast; each processor is a six-core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores. The iPhone 15 Pro is better suited for graphics and gaming; the A17 Pro Bionic processor has a six-core GPU to the A16 Bionic’s five-core GPU.

Both models are available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities, and the iPhone 15 Pro offers a 1TB option.

iPhone 15 vs. 15 Pro: USB-C speeds

The new models introduce USB-C charging, but only the iPhone 15 Pro supports the faster 10Gbps speeds of USB 3. You’ll need to supply your own USB-C 3 cable for a 15 Pro since Apple ships a USB 2 cable with both phones, but the iPhone 15 supports only USB 2 speeds of 480Mbps.

iPhone 15 vs. 15 Pro: Price

Finally, we arrive at the difference in price. No surprises here: As in past years, Apple charges an extra $200 for the iPhone 15 Pro compared with the iPhone 15. The iPhone 15 starts at $799 (£799, AU$1,499), while the iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999 (£999, AU$1,849).

Get a Better Look at the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro

iphone 15 in five different colors from an angled view

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Apple iPhone 15 vs. Apple iPhone 15 Pro

	iPhone 15	iPhone 15 Pro
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate; 1,000 nits	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 120Hz adaptive refresh rate; 1,000 nits
Pixel density	460 ppi	460 ppi
Enclosure material	Aluminum with color-infused glass back	Titanium with textured matte glass back
Dimensions (inches)	2.82 x 5.81 x 0.31 in.	2.78 x 5.77 x 0.32 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	71.6 x 147.6 x 7.8 mm	70.6 x 146.6 x 8.25 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	171 g (6.02 oz)	187 g (6.6 oz)
Mobile software	iOS 17	iOS 17
Camera	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel telephoto (3x optical)
Front-facing camera	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K
Processor	A16 Bionic	A17 Pro
RAM/storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery/charging speeds	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed)	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 23 hours of video playback (20 hours streamed)
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)
Connector	USB-C (USB 2.0)	USB-C (USB 3.0)
Side button/switch	Mute switch	Action button
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, MagSafe (up to 15W), Qi wireless charging to 7.5W, Dynamic Island	5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, MagSafe (up to 15W), Qi wireless charging to 7.5W, Dynamic Island, 3x optical zoom
US price off-contract	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	$999 (128GB, $1,099 (256GB), $1,299 (512GB), $1,499 (1TB)
UK price	£799 (128GB), £899 (256GB), £1,099 (512GB)	£999 (128GB), £1,099 (256GB), £1,299 (512GB), £1,499 (1TB)
Australia price	AU$1,499 (128GB), AU$1,699 (256GB), AU$2,049 (512GB)	AU$1,849 (128GB), AU$2,049 (256GB), AU$2,399 (512GB), AU$2,749 (1TB)

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 3, #876

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle No. 876 for Monday, Nov. 3.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has some exceptionally long clues. All of them have at least two words. If you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Primary color.

Green group hint: Your lungs also qualify.

Blue group hint: Parents’ nightmare toys.

Purple group hint: Look for a connection in the second word of each phrase.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Things that are red.

Green group: Things filled with air.

Blue group: Things with a lot of pieces.

Purple group: Ending with animals.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is things that are red. The four answers are clown nose, fire engine, maraschino cherry and stop sign.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is things filled with air. The four answers are balloon animal, bouncy castle, water wings and whoopee cushion.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is things with a lot of pieces. The four answers are jigsaw puzzle, Lego set, Lite-Brite and pick-up sticks.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ending with animals. The four answers are dark horse, funky chicken, jumbo shrimp and sea monkey.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 3 #610

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 610 for Monday, Nov. 3.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a really fun one that may take you back to your childhood. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Wee wee wee!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Nursery rhyme counted out on a child’s toes.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

RANT, TAME, TAMES, NAME, NAMES, RATE, RATED, GORE, SAME, SPRIG, MARK

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight, but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

WENT, MARKET, STAYED, HOME, ROAST, BEEF, NONE

(Confused? Read this classic nursery rhyme.)

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is THISLITTLEPIGGY. To find it, start with a T that’s a bit hard to find. You’ll need to go over three rows from the far left, then count down six letters to find the correct T. Then you wind around and back up (see image above).