Apple iPhone 17 vs Apple iPhone 15

The Apple iPhone 17 scores 7.9 in our rating, and the Apple iPhone 15 scores 6.2. The Apple iPhone 17 leads in display, performance, camera, battery, software support and value for money. The Apple iPhone 17 is the newer phone, announced Sep 9, 2025.

2 of 4 phones Clear all
Apple Apple iPhone 17
7.9 From $799
Top score
Apple Apple iPhone 15
6.2 From $799
Discontinued

Key differences

Why choose the Apple iPhone 17

  • Bigger battery 3,692 mAh vs 3,349 mAh
  • Faster wired charging 40 W vs 20 W
  • Bigger screen 6.3 inches vs 6.1 inches
  • Brighter screen 3,000 nits vs 2,000 nits
  • Higher refresh rate 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • Newer model Sep 9, 2025 vs Sep 12, 2023

Why choose the Apple iPhone 15

  • Lighter 171 g vs 177 g
  • Thinner 7.8 mm vs 7.95 mm

PhoneRanked scores

Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones

Spec Apple iPhone 17Apple iPhone 15
Overall 7.9 6.2
Display 8.5 6.7
Performance 8.3 7.1
Camera 6.9 6.6
Battery 5.5 4.3
Design 8.8 8.7
Software support 7.4 3.5
Value for money 5.4 3.2

Display

Spec Apple iPhone 17Apple iPhone 15
Size 6.3 inches 6.1 inches
Type OLED, Super Retina XDR OLED, Super Retina XDR
Resolution 1206 × 2622 px 1179 × 2556 px
Pixel density 460 ppi 460 ppi
Refresh rate 120 Hz 60 Hz
Adaptive refresh ✓ Yes ✕ No
Peak brightness 3,000 nits 2,000 nits
HDR HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Protection Ceramic Shield 2 Ceramic Shield

Performance

Spec Apple iPhone 17Apple iPhone 15
Process 3 nm 4 nm
GPU Apple GPU (5-core, with Neural Accelerators) Apple 5-core GPU
RAM 8 GB 6 GB
Storage 256 GB / 512 GB 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB
microSD slot ✕ No ✕ No

Cameras

Spec Apple iPhone 17Apple iPhone 15
Main camera 48 MP, f/1.6 48 MP, f/1.6
Optical stabilization ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Ultrawide 48 MP 12 MP
Rear cameras 2 2
Rear video 4K@60 4K@60
Front camera 18 MP 12 MP
Front video 4K@60 4K@60

Battery and charging

Spec Apple iPhone 17Apple iPhone 15
Capacity 3,692 mAh 3,349 mAh
Battery type Li-Ion Li-Ion
Wired charging 40 W 20 W
Wireless charging 25 W 15 W
Reverse wireless ✕ No ✕ No
Charger in box ✕ No ✕ No

Design and build

Spec Apple iPhone 17Apple iPhone 15
Dimensions 149.6 × 71.5 × 7.95 mm 147.6 × 71.6 × 7.8 mm
Thickness 7.95 mm 7.8 mm
Weight 177 g 171 g
Form factor Bar Bar
Frame Aluminum Aluminum
Back Glass Glass
Water resistance IP68 IP68
Fingerprint None None
3D face unlock ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
SIM eSIM only eSIM only
Colors Lavender, Mist Blue, Sage, White, Black Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink

Connectivity and features

Spec Apple iPhone 17Apple iPhone 15
5G ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 6.0 5.3
USB USB-C 2.0 USB-C 2.0
NFC ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
3.5 mm jack ✕ No ✕ No
Stereo speakers ✓ Yes —
Satellite ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
IR blaster ✕ No ✕ No

Software

Spec Apple iPhone 17Apple iPhone 15
OS at launch iOS 26 iOS 17
Security updates 5 years —

Launch and price

Spec Apple iPhone 17Apple iPhone 15
Announced Sep 9, 2025 Sep 12, 2023
Released Sep 19, 2025 Sep 22, 2023
Status Released Discontinued
US launch price $799 $799

Green marks the stronger value in a row. Specs come from official manufacturer data, cross-checked with established tech media; each phone page lists its sources. Report an error

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