As expected, Apple announced four new iPhone 15 models yesterday- the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, as well as the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I know exactly which one will be my primary device- the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and I’ll explain why. But let’s go through the four models to decide which iPhone 15 you should buy.
You might not want to upgrade if you bought an iPhone 14 or are in the Android camp (check out our Best Android phones guide). But if it is time for you to upgrade your phone and you have your heart set on an iPhone 15, here are your choices.
Which iPhone 15 Should You Buy?
Reasons to buy iPhone 15
The cheapest iPhone for this year is the iPhone 15, which starts at AED 3,399 for the 128GB model. While that is the lowest price for an iPhone 15, I recommend getting a 256GB model as you can run out of storage very quickly- especially if you take tons of photos and videos. The 256GB model will cost you an additional 400 Dirhams, which comes to AED 3,799.
Apple iPhone 15
Weight: 171 g | Thickness: 7.8 mm | Screen: 6.1” Retina, AMOLED, 60Hz | Processor: Hexa-core Apple A16 Bionic | RAM: 6GB | Storage: up to 1TB | Cellular: 5G, Nano-SIM, eSIM | Rear camera: 48MP Dual Camera | Front camera: 12MP | Battery: N/A, 50% in 30 mins wired charging, 15W wireless charging
New to the iPhone 15 this year are some of the features introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro last year, such as the 48MP camera (which will take photos at 24MP by default and will increase the file sizes of your photos- another reason for more storage) and Dynamic Island- a mini notification centre/app switcher with delightful animations that you’re sure to enjoy.
You’re also getting USB-C connectivity this year across all iPhones, but the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have USB2 speeds which means transferring files from them using the USB-C connection will be slow.
Reasons to not buy the iPhone 15
Here’s a reason you might not want to get an iPhone 15: The iPhone 14 Pro. It’s priced at AED 3,879 on Amazon, just 80 Dirhams more and a no-brainer over the iPhone 15. You’ll get the same processor as the iPhone 15, the same 48MP primary camera as the iPhone 15, and an additional Telephoto lens.
The screen size is also the same with Dynamic Island, but in addition, you also get ProMotion display that makes the phone butter smooth and gives you an Always-On display as well as Standby mode.
Two other reasons to skip the iPhone 15 are a smaller screen size and a smaller battery. Both of these concerns are addressed by our next phone- the iPhone 15 Plus.
Reasons to buy the iPhone 15 Plus
If you want a larger screen and/or better battery (who doesn’t?) but still want to keep the price kinda manageable, then look at the iPhone 15 Plus. It has everything that the smaller-sized iPhone 15 has, such as the 48MP camera, Dynamic Island and USB-C.
Apple iPhone 15 Plus
Weight: 201 g | Thickness: 7.8 mm | Screen: 6.7” Retina, AMOLED, 60Hz | Processor: Hexa-core Apple A16 Bionic | RAM: 6GB | Storage: up to 1TB | Cellular: 5G, Nano-SIM, eSIM | Rear camera: 48MP Dual Camera | Front camera: 12MP | Battery: N/A, 50% in 30 mins wired charging, 15W wireless charging
If you know you want a larger screen then the only real decision is the colour to get. Both the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus are available in 5 colours, which are Black, Blue, Green, Yellow and, new to this year, Pink.
Apple is using a new “Aluminum with colour-infused glass back”, which gives these phones a Matte finish that’s different from the outgoing models. I highly recommend visiting an Apple Store to see these colours first-hand before making your decision.
The iPhone 15 Plus prices start at AED 3,799, but again, that’s for the 128GB version, which I would skip. The 256GB version costs AED 4,199, pushing it into higher-end territory.
Reasons to not buy the iPhone 15 Plus
Exactly the same as the iPhone 15- if you want a larger phone, have a look at the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is selling for AED 4,549 on Amazon for the 256GB version. That’s 350 Dirhams more, but you’re getting a lot more value, including a better screen, an additional camera lens and a more premium finish. Yes, the iPhone 14 Pro Max will be noticeably heavier, but the trade-off is well worth it, in my opinion.
Reasons to buy the iPhone 15 Pro
The iPhone 15 Pro almost offers Apple’s latest and greatest features. You get the incredible new A17 Pro processor, a Titanium finish and the new Action button to quickly launch specific apps or features.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro
Weight: 187 g | Thickness: 8.25 mm | Screen: 6.1” Retina, AMOLED, 120Hz | Processor: Hexa-core Apple A17 Pro | RAM: 8GB | Storage: up to 1TB | Cellular: 5G, Nano-SIM, eSIM | Rear camera: 48MP Triple Camera | Front camera: 12MP | Battery: N/A, 50% in 30 mins wired charging, 15W wireless charging
Shifting to Titanium has allowed Apple to reduce the weight of the iPhone 14 Pro noticeably, though it’s still not as light as the regular iPhone 15. The A17 Pro is the world’s first 3nm chip inside a phone, and not only is it a beast when it comes to performance, but it is also more efficient, which should result in a better battery life.
Apple has also made USB-C available on the iPhone 15 Pro, and it comes with USB3 speeds, making it really fast to transfer files to a storage device directly from the phone when recording a video.
Reasons to not buy an iPhone 15 Pro
You don’t get the best camera system that Apple has to offer. And while Apple hasn’t increased the pricing on the iPhone 15 Pro, paying 4,299 for a 128GB model isn’t cheap. Again, I would recommend getting at least a 256GB model, bringing the price to AED 4,699. That’s a lot of money.
Another reason to not get the iPhone 15 Pro is the iPhone 14 Pro, which costs AED 500 less and offers the same camera system and screen technology. While you won’t get the fast A17 Pro processor, you do get the second fastest on a mobile phone- and believe me, it’s plenty fast for almost everything.
Reasons to Buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max
This is the phone I’m getting because I like larger phones and I like ProMotion display. Shifting to Titanium cuts the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro Max noticeably from the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which was one of my biggest criticisms of that phone. You also get Apple’s best camera system with a 5X Optical Zoom- something not found on any other iPhone.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Weight: 221 g | Thickness: 8.25 mm | Screen: 6.7” Retina, AMOLED, 120Hz | Processor: Hexa-core Apple A17 Pro | RAM: 8GB | Storage: up to 1TB | Cellular: 5G, Nano-SIM, eSIM | Rear camera: 48MP Triple Camera | Front camera: 12MP | Battery: N/A, 50% in 30 mins wired charging, 15W wireless charging
As far as pricing is concerned, Apple has rightfully dropped the 128GB model, but that raises the starting price for the iPhone 15 Pro Max to AED 5,099. Let’s not fool anyone- that’s a whole lot of money for a phone, but you do get a whole lot of phone for that.
The larger screen is ideal for taking or viewing photos and videos as well as playing games- especially with the A17 Pro’s GPU supporting Ray Tracing- it will be quite the experience. You will also get a fantastic battery life and all the other features from the regular iPhone 15 Pro.
Reasons to not buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max
Other than the price, I really don’t see any reason not to get the iPhone 15 Pro Max. There’s nothing else like it from Apple, and it pushes the boundaries of what the iPhone is capable of. You might ask why I’m not recommending an Android phone such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is arguably better than the iPhone 15 Pro Max in some aspects. The answer to that is simple: Because it’s not an iPhone.
Apple’s ecosystem really hooks you in but, in return, provides an excellent experience between your Mac, iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. They all work together beautifully, or as Apple would like to call it, magically.
So there you have it- the four new iPhone 15s and why you should or shouldn’t pick either. Let me know in the comments below which one you plan on purchasing and the preferred colour. I’ll go first.
