The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and, against the iPhone 15 Pro from 2023, it offers up to 36 hours of video playback instead of 23, a 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip three generations newer than the A17 Pro, a variable aperture main camera and a 6.3-inch display in place of the 15 Pro’s 6.1-inch panel.
Three years is the point where many Pro owners start looking. Apple’s press release, which we covered in our iPhone 18 Pro announcement roundup, frames every gain against the 17 Pro, so here the new phone is set beside the iPhone 15 Pro using Apple’s published specifications for the older model.
iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro: spec comparison
| Spec | iPhone 15 Pro (2023) | iPhone 18 Pro (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.1-inch OLED | 6.3-inch |
| Chip | A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine | A20 Pro (2nm), 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine |
| Main camera | 48MP, f/1.78, sensor-shift OIS | 48MP Fusion, variable aperture f/1.48 to f/4 |
| Telephoto | 3x optical, 6x optical zoom range | Not detailed in Apple’s release |
| Ultra Wide | 12MP | No change announced |
| Front camera | 12MP | No change announced |
| Video playback | Up to 23 hours | Up to 36 hours (eSIM-only model) |
| Fast charging | 50 percent in about 30 minutes (20W or higher) | 50 percent in about 15 minutes wired |
| Storage | 128GB to 1TB | 256GB to 2TB |
| Weight | 187 g | Apple has not published |
| Frame | Titanium | Aluminum (17 Pro design carried over) |
| US starting price | $999 (128GB) at launch, not verified | $1,199 (256GB) |
The three-year gap in numbers
Battery is the clearest difference. Apple rates the 15 Pro at up to 23 hours of video playback and the 18 Pro at up to 36 hours, a 13-hour gain, and the new phone reaches 50 percent charge in about 15 minutes on a cable versus about 30 minutes with a 20W adapter on the 15 Pro.
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The chip has moved three generations, from A17 Pro to A20 Pro. Apple’s stated gains, a GPU up to 40 percent faster, double the AI processing and 50 percent more memory bandwidth, are measured against the A19 Pro, so the gap to the A17 Pro is wider than those figures but Apple has not published it.
On the camera, the 15 Pro’s main lens is fixed at f/1.78. The 18 Pro’s six-blade aperture runs from f/1.48 to f/4, adds manual aperture and shutter controls, and brings Smart Focus subject tracking and faster Night mode. The Ultra Wide on the 15 Pro is 12MP, while Apple did not announce any Ultra Wide changes on the 18 Pro.
What you lose, and what Apple has not said
The 15 Pro has a titanium frame and weighs 187 grams. The 18 Pro uses the aluminum design of the 17 Pro generation with a new rear finish, and Apple has not published its weight. The 15 Pro also had a physical SIM tray in every market, whereas the 18 Pro is eSIM-only in 12 countries, including the US, Canada and the UAE.
The telephoto is the open question. The 15 Pro has a 3x optical zoom, and Apple’s release for the 18 Pro does not describe its telephoto lens, so a direct comparison is not possible from official material.
The new phone also adds a smaller Dynamic Island that shows up to three Live Activities, the N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, and the C2 modem. Colors are Black, Silver, Glacier and Burgundy, and our iPhone 18 Pro Black coverage has more on the returning finish.
Pre-orders open Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT and the phone ships Friday, September 18. Apple has not published the higher storage tier prices, and the pre-order guide covers what to expect on the day.
