iPhone 13 Pro vs. 15 Pro: What to Expect if You've Waited to Upgrade (2024)

Tuesday June 27, 2023 7:43 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

While year-over-year iPhone upgrades are not always significant, new features begin to stack up over multiple generations. For this reason, the iPhone 15 Pro will be a notable upgrade for those who still have a two-year-old iPhone 13 Pro.

If you are still using an iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max and will consider upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max when the devices launch later this year, we have put together a list of features to expect below. The list includes major changes introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro last year, as well as new features rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models.

We also shared an iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro comparison.

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro

A17 chip vs. A15 chip: The 5nm-based A16 chip in the iPhone 14 Pro is already up to 17% faster than the A15 chip in the iPhone 13 Pro, according to the Geekbench 6 benchmark. The iPhone 15 Pro will be equipped with the A17 chip, which is expected to be manufactured based on TSMC's latest 3nm process for even faster performance and improved power efficiency over the previous generation.
USB-C port: With the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple is finally expected to switch from Lightning to a USB-C port. This change will provide a more universal charging standard and allow for faster wired data transfer speeds.
Titanium frame: Like the Apple Watch Ultra, the iPhone 15 Pro is rumored to have a titanium frame instead of stainless steel. The back glass and display bezels are also expected to have slightly curved edges.
Action button: iPhone 15 Pro models are rumored to be equipped with a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra. The button would replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. Users would likely be able to assign the button to various system functions, such as Ring/Silent, Do Not Disturb, Flashlight, Low Power Mode, and more.
Dynamic Island: With the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple replaced the notch with the Dynamic Island, a pill-shaped area surrounding the Face ID sensors and front camera. The Dynamic Island displays system alerts and integrates with iOS 16's Live Activities feature to show live NBA scores, the status of an Uber ride, and more.
Always-on display option: With the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple introduced an always-on display option that dims the entire Lock Screen, but still shows the time and date, widgets, wallpaper, and notifications. Once you raise the iPhone, tap the screen, or press the side button, the display returns to normal brightness.
Thinner bezels: Similar to the Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 8, the iPhone 15 Pro is rumored to have even thinner bezels around the display.
Longer battery life: Already, the iPhone 14 Pro lasts up to 23 hours for offline video playback, compared to 22 hours for the iPhone 13 Pro. With components like the A17 chip and the LiDAR Scanner expected to be more power efficient this year, the iPhone 15 Pro could have even longer battery life.
Numerous camera improvements: iPhone 13 Pro users upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro will get access to a wide range of camera upgrades, including a 48-megapixel Wide lens, an upgraded front camera with autofocus, Action mode, and more. Increased optical zoom is also expected for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
eSIM only in U.S.: Apple removed the physical SIM card tray from all iPhone 14 models sold in the U.S., meaning the devices work with eSIMs only. The devices are still compatible with physical SIM cards in other countries.
Increased RAM: iPhone 15 Pro models are rumored to be equipped with an increased 8GB of RAM, compared to 6GB for the iPhone 13 Pro. Increased RAM can benefit multitasking on the iPhone by allowing more apps to be open in the background simultaneously without reloading.
Wi-Fi 6E: iPhone 15 Pro models are rumored to support Wi-Fi 6E, which supports the 6GHz band for faster wireless speeds, lower latency, and less signal interference compared to standard Wi-Fi 6.
Emergency SOS via Satellite: iPhone 14 models can connect to Globalstar satellites, enabling users to send text messages to emergency services when outside the range of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. The service is free for two years after activation, and is currently available in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the U.K., Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and select other countries.
Crash Detection: New for the iPhone 14 series, Crash Detection is designed to detect severe car crashes and contact emergency services via Emergency SOS if the user does not respond. The feature is enabled by default.
5G improvements: iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X70 modem for improved 5G performance.

Apple will likely unveil the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max in September, and the devices could have additional features that have yet to be rumored.

Related Roundup: iPhone 15 Pro

Buyer's Guide: iPhone 15 Pro (Neutral)

[ 202 comments ]

Top Rated Comments

Mr. Dee

10 months ago

You know what I find astounding, I am going to get 7 to 8 years out of my iPhone X. The 8th year would be one more year of security updates for iOS 16.

That means an iPhone 12 could be maxed out in 2027, iPhone 13 in 2028.

Think of how much money you could save on needless upgrades. Don't come for me on better photos and videos. Seriously, we have photo albums from 50 years ago and we hardly complain. Photos taken on an iPhone 4s still look darn good.

Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)

bodonnell202

10 months ago

There was a time where upgrading every other generation meant substantial upgrades. Now I feel like most folks can get away with upgrading every 3 years without missing much.