Apple recently announced its latest iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and iPhone Air models – and as we’ve seen, the base iPhone 17 gained a plethora of upgrades that have made it quite a compelling package.That begs the question, does a 2 year old ‘Pro’ iPhone still have a leg up, or should you just go with the new base model iPhone 17? Displays iPhone 17 gains ProMotion for the first time, something that you previously had to buy an iPhone Pro for.On top of that, it isn’t a compromised ProMotion display either.
It’s the same 1-120Hz variable refresh rate as a Pro iPhone, meaning you get truly buttery scrolling, as well as support for an Always-On Display.iPhone 15 Pro has all of those things too, though in a slightly smaller package.iPhone 15 Pro comes in with a 6.1″ display, compared to iPhone 17’s slightly larger 6.3″ display.
They’re rather similar, but if you want the smaller phone, the iPhone 15 Pro would be a better choice.Conversely, if you want a larger display without going big, iPhone 17 will serve you well.Battery This is where things are a lot more interesting.
iPhone 17 took a pretty big leap in battery life this year, and it now offers up to 30 hours of video playback, compared to just 23 hours on iPhone 15 Pro.So, if you want the best battery in an iPhone, you’ll want to go with the newer iPhone 17.That isn’t insubstantial.
If you find yourself going outside for extended periods of time and don’t want to deal with battery banks, iPhone 17 is a no brainer.Camera This is going to be more of a tossup – at least in the rear camera department.iPhone 17 is newer, but iPhone 15 Pro has the Pro-advantage of having a true telephoto camera.
With the iPhone 15 Pro, you have a 48MP main lens, a 12MP ultra wide lens, and a 12MP 3x telephoto lens.With the iPhone 17, you have a 48MP main lens and 48MP ultra wide lens.Thanks to both of these phones offering 48MP sensors, you can also crop in on the middle 12MP for an ‘optical’ 2x shot.
However, if you want more than just 2x telephoto, you’ll need the iPhone 15 Pro.Moving to the front, iPhone 17 has a massive advantage, thanks to its new 18MP Center Stage front camera.In short, it lets you take extremely wide angle selfies, regardless of orientation.
This is thanks to Apple’s new square camera sensor, which allows them to crop the photo based on where people are located in the frame.You don’t need to worry about rotating your phone anymore.It also allows for much wider selfie shots than usual.
Build Fit and finish is the main category where iPhone 15 Pro has a leg up.With iPhone 15 Pro, you get a premium titanium finish around the edges of the phone, compared to iPhone 17’s aluminum.Not even iPhone 17 Pro offers a titanium finish (primarily due to thermal issues), so if you want the most premium material on an iPhone, the 15 Pro and 16 Pro are the only two models to offer that.
Titanium does feel nice in the hand, and if this is a point that matters to you, then iPhone 15 Pro does better in this regard.You do lose out on colors, though, since titanium is a harder finish to properly coat.Wrap up Really, the best argument for iPhone 15 Pro is the fact that you can get it for cheaper since it’s an older phone.
For example, Amazon has unlocked renewed 256GB models for as low as $660, making it $140 cheaper than an iPhone 17 – which can be essential if you’re on a budget.Otherwise, though, they’re both great iPhones.They’ll both support Apple Intelligence, and they both have a USB-C port, as well as great features like the Action Button.
That said, if you aren’t too big of a telephoto camera fan and you have the budget for it, I’d just recommend the iPhone 17.The new selfie camera is killer, and it’s an excellent value.Pre-order the latest Apple products on Amazon: AirPods Pro 3 – $249 Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm) – $249 Apple Watch SE 3 (44mm) – $279 Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm) – $399 Apple Watch Series 11 (46mm) – $429 Apple Watch Ultra 3 – $799 You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.
Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel