Considering purchasing the Plus model of the iPhone 15 vanilla or the less expensive model? We are here to support you. The good news is that the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus offer a significant upgrade over their predecessors, so whichever one you choose, you will be greeted with a measurable improvement in performance, efficiency, display quality, and, to some extent, camera performance. They both have their flaws and strengths.
We would guess that if you are reading this article, you haven’t made up your mind about size. However, the distinction is clear. Anyone seeking a big-screen experience and who doesn’t mind the added weight will find the 15 Plus appealing. The Plus weighs 201 grams, which is a large but manageable amount.
The vanilla 15 is obviously a much smaller and lighter substitute. Old-school iOS users who were used to the smaller iPhones in the past will undoubtedly find the 15 appealing.
Aside from the size and weight difference, the two have no notable differences in design and build. After all, they both belong to the same family, so there’s no generational difference.
But before we provide a more nuanced comparison, we suggest taking a quick look at the
Sure, I’ve formatted the information into a table for you:
| Apple iPhone 15 Plus | |
|---|---|
| Price | ₹89,900 |
| Specs Score | 84/100 |
| Display Size | 6.7 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1290 x 2796 pixels |
| Weight | 201g |
| Battery | 4383 mAh |
| Apple iPhone 15 | |
|---|---|
| Price | ₹79,900 |
| Specs Score | 83/100 |
| Display Size | 6.1 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1179 x 2556 pixels |
| Weight | 171g |
| Battery | 3349 mAh |
General
| Apple iPhone 15 Plus | Apple iPhone 15 | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | India | India |
| Sim Type | Dual Sim, GSM+GSM | Dual Sim, GSM+GSM |
| Sim Size | Nano-SIM and eSIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM |
| Device Type | Smartphone | Smartphone |
| Release Date | September 12, 2023 | September 12, 2023 |
Design
| Apple iPhone 15 Plus | Apple iPhone 15 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 77.8 x 160.9 x 7.8 mm | 71.6 x 147.6 x 7.8 mm |
| Colors | Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink | Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink |
Display
| Apple iPhone 15 Plus | Apple iPhone 15 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Color Super Retina XDR OLED (1B Colors) | Color Super Retina XDR OLED (1B Colors) |
| Touch | Yes | Yes |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 1290 x 2796 pixels, 60 Hz | 6.1 inches, 1179 x 2556 pixels, 60 Hz |
| Aspect Ratio | 19.5:9 | 19.5:9 |
| PPI | ~ 460 PPI | ~ 460 PPI |
| Glass Type | Ceramic Shield front, Colour-infused glass back | Ceramic Shield front, Colour-infused glass back |
| Notch | Yes, Dynamic Island | Yes, Dynamic Island |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 15 Plus | Apple iPhone 15 | |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 6 GB | 6 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Card Slot | No | No |
Connectivity
| Apple iPhone 15 Plus | Apple iPhone 15 | |
|---|---|---|
| GPRS | Yes | Yes |
| EDGE | Yes | Yes |
| 3G | Yes | Yes |
| 4G | Yes | Yes |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| 5G Bands | Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n26, n28, n30, n38, n40, n41, n48, n53, n66, n70, n77, n78, n79 | Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n26, n28, n30, n38, n40, n41, n48, n53, n66, n70, n77, n78, n79 |
| VoLTE | Yes | Yes |
| Wifi | Yes, with wifi-hotspot | Yes, with wifi-hotspot |
| Wifi Version | Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO | Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v5.3 | Yes, v5.3 |
| USB | Yes, USB-C v2.0 | Yes, USB-C v2.0 |
| USB Features | USB on-the-go, USB Charging | USB Tethering, USB Charging |
| GPS | Yes with A-GPS, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou | Yes with A-GPS, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou |
| Fingerprint Sensor | No | No |
| Face Unlock | Yes | Yes |
| Sensors | Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Compass, Gyroscope, TrueDepth | Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Compass, Gyroscope, TrueDepth |
| 3.5mm Headphone Jack | Lightning | Lightning |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Water Resistance | Yes | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dust Resistant | Yes | Yes |
| Extra Features | Ultra Wideband Chip, Voice Isolation, Satellite Services, Road Side Assistance, Emergency SOS, Crash Detection footnote, Spatial Audio playback, Supports Dolby Atmos, Aluminum design, Wide Spectrum microphone modes | Ultra Wideband Chip, Voice Isolation, Satellite Services, Road Side Assistance, Emergency SOS, Crash Detection footnote, Spatial Audio playback, Supports Dolby Atmos, Aluminum design, Wide Spectrum microphone modes |
Camera
| Apple iPhone 15 Plus | Apple iPhone 15 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rear Camera | 48 MP f/1.6 (Main), 12 MP f/2.4 (Ultra Wide) with autofocus | 48 MP f/1.6 (Main), 12 MP f/2.4 (Ultra Wide) with autofocus |
| Video Recording | 1080p @ 60 fps FHD, 4K @ 24/25/30/60 fps UHD | 1080p @ 60 fps FHD, 4K @ 24/25/30/60 fps UHD |
| Flash | Yes, Dual LED | Yes, Dual LED |
| Front Camera | 12 MP f/1.9 with Retina Flash | 12 MP f/1.9 with Retina Flash |
| Front Video Recording | 4K @ 60 fps UHD, 1080p @ 60 fps FHD | 4K @ 60 fps UHD, 1080p @ 60 fps FHD |
Technical
| Apple iPhone 15 Plus | Apple iPhone 15 | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS v17 | iOS v17 |
Camera comparison
The camera comparison is pretty easy. Both devices sport a brand new 48MP main camera, which offers a significant upgrade over last year’s standard iPhone 14 lineup, but there’s absolutely no difference between the two handset’s ability to perform in daylight or low-light scenarios.
The new 48MP sensor outputs excellent photos in pretty much every scenario, even at night, without having to resort to the dedicated Night mode. On the other hand, the Night mode does seem to improve overall image quality, but it’s rarely triggered by the software.
Performance
Since both handsets run on the same A16 Bionic chip, based on the same 4nm node, there’s little to no difference in short benchmark tasks. The 15 Plus consistently edges out the vanilla 15 in all benchmarks, but the difference is statistically insignificant. It’s probably because the 15 Plus has a slightly larger body and can maintain higher clock speeds for longer.
Charging speed
To our big surprise, the iPhone 15 Plus charges faster than the iPhone 15. However, to some extent, that makes sense because bigger batteries tend to charge faster as they can maintain higher voltage for longer.
On the grand scheme of things, however, you might feel little difference between the two. In the first 15 minutes, the 15 and 15 Plus charge equally fast, while at the 30-minute mark, the vanilla model was slightly faster even. Still, the 15 Plus completes a full cycle about 16 minutes faster.
Battery life
The winner in the battery endurance race wasn’t as clear-cut as we expected. Usually, bigger phones tend to have longer battery life because they can hold bigger batteries. And for the most part, this is still true here.
The iPhone 15 Plus scores 111 hours overall in our endurance tests, while the vanilla 15’s score is 98 hours. But that’s mainly due to the 15 Plus’ longer standby and call runtimes.
Looking closely at the results, the 15 and 15 Plus don’t seem to be much different, as the screen-on results are barely different. The 15 Plus runs longer when browsing, while the 15 Plus is more efficient in the video test, but by a small margin.
Perhaps the 15 Plus display draws disproportionally more energy as it’s bigger and has a higher resolution. Although historically, the latter rarely makes a big difference in real-world usage.
Either way, the conclusion you could draw from the results is that the 15 Plus may be suitable for people who tend to leave their device idling for longer, whereas power users who rack up screen time more easily won’t notice much of a difference.
Keep in mind that battery deterioration throughout the years is less felt on a bigger battery, so that may be one reason to opt for the Plus if you are looking to get a few years’ worth of use out of your new iPhone.
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s not just about size. Sure, getting the bigger 15 Plus has some benefits and drawbacks due to its bigger size, but there are other things to consider here. For instance, price. The 15 Plus’ MSRP is €1,100/$899 (in Europe/USA), while the 15 asks sensibly less – €950/$800. That’s about 150 bucks worth of a difference, which some users may not justify. Especially if you don’t mind having a more compact device in your pocket. After all, the iPhone 15 is the cheapest possible entry into Apple’s 2023 ecosystem, and it’s also the closest you will get to your years-old compact iPhone.
On the other hand, the iPhone 15 Plus makes a compelling case for itself as it’s slightly better in some regards. It’s capable of maintaining higher clock speeds for longer, it’s slightly faster when it comes to charging, it offers a bit longer battery life, and, of course, it has a bigger display.
No matter how we put it, though, the deciding factor would still be the display size, because for the most part, you will get a near-identical user experience. It depends on whether you want a big-screen iOS experience or you are into something more compact.