iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: what has changed?

What are the differences between the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro, released two years earlier? And is the iPhone 15 Pro finally the moment for iPhone 13 Pro users to upgrade?

First on the list of changes is the new Apple A17 Pro chip on the 15 Pro, first in the world to use the cutting-edge 3nm tech, but then there are a bunch of ther changes. The new titanium body which is tougher and weighs less, the new USB-C port that replaces the Lightning one, so you can now use the same cable for all of your electronics, the new Action button on the 15 Pro, the camera improvements, the satellite connectivity and more.

Read on to find out all about these new features!

iPhone 15 Pro at Walmart: preorder and save with a Verizon subscription

If you're looking for more power, we suggest you consider Walmart's preorder offer on the incredible iPhone 15 Pro. This smartphone can be bought with a carrier subscription to Verizon for just $26.37/mo, saving you a total of $100.

$100 off (10%)

$949 ³²

$1049

Pre-order at Walmart

AT&T-locked iPhone 15 Pro: preorder and save at Walmart

The incredible iPhone 15 Pro is also available with a subscription to AT&T. The device is available for $26.37 a month over 36 installments. In total, your savings amount to $100. This is the 128GB version of the device.

$100 off (10%)

$949 ³²

$1049

Pre-order at Walmart

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is available for preorder at Walmart with a Verizon subscription

Don't miss out on the chance to preorder Apple's newest and most capable smartphone yet for just $31.92/mo at Walmart. To get the iPhone 15 Pro Max at that price, you just need to subscribe to Verizon or upgrade. Your total savings through this preorder deal amount to $100.

$100 off (8%)

$1149 ¹²

$1249

Pre-order at Walmart

AT&T-locked iPhone 15 Pro Max is available for preorder at Walmart

An AT&T-locked version of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is available for preorder at Walmart. The device sells for $31.92/mo over 36 installments, saving you as much as $100 in total. This is the 256GB configuration of the Apple smartphone. Currently, all colors are available.

$100 off (8%)

$1149 ¹²

$1249

Pre-order at Walmart

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro size is very similar, but there are some slight tweaks and the camera system on the newer phone is much bigger so your old 13 Pro cases will not fit the newer 15 Pro.

The 15 Pro also switches to titanium for the mid-frame, a change from the stainless steel that is used on the 13 Pro. Titanium comes with a brushed finish, so it's not such a fingerprint magnet as the shiny stainless steel rails on the 13 Pro.

One important side benefit of using titanium is that it is a lighter material, and the 15 Pro weighs nearly 8% less than the 13 Pro.

The 15 Pro also brings a brand new Action Button, which replaces the Mute Switch that Apple uses on the 13 Pro. This Action Button is programmable, so you can set it to act as a mute switch, but also as anything else you desire. The 15 Pro has the same physical power and volume keys as the 13 Pro.

In terms of color options, the iPhone 13 Pro was available in more vibrant tonalities, while the iPhone 15 Pro color options are a bleaker, more muted. 

• Titanium Black
• Titanium White
• Titanium Blue
• Titanium Gray

Both phones come with the same IP68 water and dust protection rating, and neither one has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

And in terms of screens, you get the same 6.1-inch screen size on the 15 Pro and the 13 Pro, but the newer model comes with thinner borders around that screen for a very elegant look, while the 13 Pro has chunkier screen borders.

Oh, and you do get that pill-shaped Dynamic Island on the 15 Pro, while the 13 Pro has the notch.

Apart from that, the 15 Pro does get a bit brighter, which is useful on a sunny day, but in terms of color accuracy, we don't expect major changes, and both phones support common HDR standards.

There is no difference in the Face ID system either, and both feel fast and reliable.

The iPhone 15 Pro is two generations ahead of the 13 Pro when it comes to the processor, and it's this latest upgrade that counts the most as the Apple A17 Pro chip uses a brand new 3nm manufacturing technology.

This cutting-edge process allows Apple to cram more transistors in the same space, which results in faster performance and notable power efficiency improvements.

The iPhone 15 Pro also jumps to 8GB of RAM, up from 6GB on the 13 Pro. This helps keep more apps open in the background and you get a better multitasking experience because of that.

Despite the iPhone 13 Pro being a bit older, it runs the same iOS 17 software as the iPhone 15 Pro.

New features in the iOS 17 version include updated Phone, Messages and FaceTime apps, as well as autocorrect tun-ups which will finally make the ducking thing work better.

The Phone app is where you will notice the biggest upgrade. You get a new Contact Poster which you set for yourself and others will see when they get a call from you, a cool feature. NameDrop is another new iOS exclusive trick where you just bring two iPhones close to exchange contacts. The Messages app gets a bunch of new features but the coolest one has got to be the new stickers and live stickers, which you create from your own Live Photos, adding a personal touch to conversations.

Among other iOS 17 novelties are Standby Mode, which turns your iPhone into a mini home hub of sorts, displaying useful information while the device is charging. You also now get interactive widgets, you have mood tracking in the Health app, as well as a brand new journaling app.

The great thing about iPhones is that they get updated for 5 or 6 years, so the iPhone 13 Pro still has quite a few years of software support left.

Both also have 5G connectivity support, but one new feature only available on the 15 Pro is satellite connectivity, which allows you to send an emergency SOS message in places where you have no cell phone coverage. That's definitely a welcome feature. You also now get roadside assistance even in areas where there is no signal, which is great.

We should also mention that the iPhone 15 Pro is eSIM only in the United States, so you can't just pop in a physical SIM card like you can on the 13 Pro. International models of the 15 Pro still support a physical SIM slot, though.

Get Apple Music on your Apple device and unleash the beat

If you want unlimited music content on your favorite Apple devices, you might want to hit that subscribe button on Apple Music. It allows you to play over 100 million songs and 30,000 playlists without ads.

$10 ⁹⁹ /mo

Buy at Apple

Subscribe to Apple TV+ and enjoy the home of Apple originals

And if you also want to reserve a front-row seat to countless movies and TV series, we suggest you sign up for Apple TV+. For just $6.99, the service allows you to enjoy new Apple Originals every month, with the option to stream on various Apple devices.

$6 ⁹⁹ /mo

Buy at Apple

Both phones use a triple rear camera system, but the physical size of the iPhone 15 Pro camera island is just noticeably bigger compared to the 13 Pro.

The main reason for that difference is that Apple is using larger camera sensors on the new model. For cameras, the rule of the thumb is to not look at the megapixel count that can be misleading, but instead look at the sensor size, which is usually a good indication of the quality of a camera.

So the iPhone 15 Pro gets an extra-large 48MP main camera sensor, and then an improved 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera as well as a 12MP 3X zoom lens. The 13 Pro, on the other hand, uses a 12MP main camera sensor.

The change in quality can be noticed on all three cameras thanks to both the new hardware and the software, but here is a list of the most notable new features:

All of those improvements also make their way to video quality as the iPhone 15 Pro delivers improvements in the clarity of recording and less lens flare thanks to new lens coating.

Both these iPhones come with a dual loudspeaker setup with a main, bottom-firing speaker and a secondary one embedded in the earpiece at the top.

The 13 Pro was a big leap in audio quality over previous generations, but since then, it seems that audio quality has remained mostly the same and we don't anticipate any huge leaps in audio quality on the 15 Pro. Some small tweaks and improvements, however, are certainly possible.

These two models rely on the same Taptic Engine for your haptics. This vibration motor is industry leading and provides excellent feedback, but if you want to compare the quality of the haptics, well... don't expect much in terms of a difference.

The iPhone 13 Pro delivered very impressive battery life for its size, so the iPhone 15 Pro has big shoes to fill.

And the battery life of the iPhone 15 Pro matches the iPhone 13 Pro, but there is not much improvement.

The iPhone 15 Pro battery size stands at 3,274 mAh, which is 6% larger than the 3,095 mAh battery capacity on the iPhone 13 Pro.

As you can see the numbers are extremely similar save for one tiny difference in video playback. At the end of the day, both of these will still need to be recharged every day for the average user.

Speaking of charging, you won't find a charger in the box with either one, but you will find different ports on each phone and also different cables that come in the box.

The iPhone 15 Pro makes the move to USB-C which is everywhere, while the iPhone 13 Pro uses the older Lightning connector.

Unfortunately, charging speeds are the same slug-fest: 23 watt speeds on both models, meaning a full charge takes around 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Both use the same MagSafe magnetic wireless charging standard, which tops up the phones at 15W speeds, so a full MagSafe charge takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes on both.

Take a look at this breakdown of the specs of the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro:

Check out our in-depth iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro specs comparison here where you will find a lot more detail.

The iPhone 15 Pro is new and it changes a few things in a big way, but a few key elements remain largely the same as on the iPhone 13 Pro.

The new model is faster, its camera is more versatile, and it has quality of life improvements with the USB-C port and the new Action button. Plus, the design is more refined and it weighs less.

However, the battery life and charging speeds remain the same, and the fundamental iPhone experience has not changed either.

And it's not like the iPhone 13 Pro has lost its charm much in the past couple of years. At the fundamental level, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro are incredibly similar: they feel fast and fluid as both support 120Hz ProMotion screens, they both have solid battery life, and both have MagSafe.

Here is the short of it: if you are excited about the new high-res photos and the camera in general, and you want an iPhone that is not quite as heavy, the 15 Pro makes a lot of sense, but for all the rest, the iPhone 13 Pro can still serve them well for the future.