Question for all of you all. I’m switching from an Android since my phone is 3 years old and there is certain things iPhone supports that Android doesn’t. The USB-C switch was the final straw for me. Should I get the 15 or 15 Pro? I’m by no means a power user (Sync, Mail, texting, an occasional video), but I like to keep my phone for about 3 years. Do I future proof and get the Pro, or save money and get the regular.
I made the switch recently to a 13 mini, just hated how big everything is now.
Personally I’d say just get the regular one and save the money. The Pro is a big cost increase for 120Hz and a third camera, otherwise they do basically all the same stuff. Apple supports both models for 6+ years anyway, so longevity isn’t an issue either way.
I’m the same way. I would love if there was a 15 mini. I’d consider the 13 but USB-C is one of my main drivers and the fact it’s already 2 generations behind.
Well keep in mind the 14 has the same SoC as the 13, so Apple will probably provide software for the same time since they are essentially the same phone.
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Oh that’s good news. The 13 pro max is about as heavy as I’d ever want to go.
Just a note on that, but going forward it’s likely that the regular models will lose support when the previous year pro does now that they are doing the chip difference.
So with the 15 having the same chip as the 14 pro, it will probably get one year less support than thr 15 pro.
The big differences are the screen and cameras. I get the pro because I love taking pictures and phone cameras are still so limited that any advantage at all is worth the price difference. Some people go pro for the slightly nicer screen.
But both will still easily last 3+ years. Future proofing is not a valid reason to go pro.
I absolutely love the big screen so I’m Pro all the way. At first I was worried about it being bulky in my pocket but it’s not as big of a deal as I thought. I don’t think I can go back to a smaller screen
Honestly the only real world differences are the camera and battery life. If you are a medium to light user the non pro battery will last all day and then some. So if you are a very heavy phone user or just care a lot about the camera get the pro, otherwise not worth it.
Thanks everyone. It sounds like I’m gonna wait for the 15 (non-pro) to come out and get that!
I got the 12 Pro and 12 Mini (for work) about three years ago. The 12 Mini is holding up fine, though the battery would be lacking if it were my personal phone. My partner still uses an iPhone XR, which is nearly 5 years old, and I’ve never heard her complain about it being too slow or unable to run an app that she wanted to use. And the XR was basically the “non-Pro” version of its generation.
Resale value wise, the 12 Pro of the same storage capacity is selling for roughly $100 more than the comparable 12 on eBay ($500 vs $400), but a 64 GB iPhone 12 is another $70 or so cheaper. (I was going to warn you away from getting a 64 GB phone, but it looks like the entry level storage is now 128 GB, which sounds like it would be enough for you.)
The max Apple trade-in values’ difference is even lower - $30 apart ($300 and $330).
So if you’re reselling, you’ll likely be able to recoup $100 of the $200 price difference in three years.
If the Pro-only upgrades (for the 14 vs 14 Pro this was an improved camera + zoom lens, higher refresh rate screen, ~10% faster CPU/GPU, and higher peak brightness in HDR) don’t have that much value to you, then it should be an easy decision to pass on the 15 Pro and pick up the 15 instead.
After 2 years of regular usage for my 12 mini I can confirm battery life was a problem. In fact it was the main reason I got a new phone.
Realistically I would have been fine with a non pro model but I ended up getting a 14 Pro for the high refresh rate.
Unpopular opinion: get the 15 or the 15 max, avoid the pro.
If you’re not a power user, you won’t need the 120 hertz refresh rate, but you might want a bigger screen.
I have the 14 Pro and the dynamic island is extremely useful for me (shows timer, shared internet connection, music, phone calls while doing stuff on the phone) but I’m also a power user who’s already down to 90% battery capacity in less than a year.
Regular 15 will easily last 3 years. Heck, I’d expect 4 or 5 out of it. As for the Pro, that’ll probably be good for a year longer, maybe two.
