Reviewing posts on the iPhone 16 models and the forthcoming 17 models, I can't but think that the 15 Pro has its all, including capabilities in iOS 26 and AI - but what am I missing?
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iPhone 15 Pro Why upgrade from 15 Pro?
- Thread starter StrollerEd
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you aren't.
iPhone 15 pro is great.
The only way they can make it better in any tangible way is the battery life.
iPhone 15 pro is great.
The only way they can make it better in any tangible way is the battery life.
I agree: no new feature will be worth upgrading for, until we have a 2 days or one week battery life.
there is this rumor about a significantly improved tele camera, but, as with all rumors, who knows?
I have a 13PM and I will wait and see the 17PM specs and then make my decision
Nothing. I have a 14Pro and haven't seen anything that would drive an "upgrade" from it. One of the great things about it is that it DOESN'T support Apple Intelligence, so it won't be trying to install that. Siri will just stay disabled.
You don't. Your phone is 2 years old and it's 2025. Enjoy the extra $1000!
I think 5 years is a good upgrade cycle these days. I went from an 8 Plus to a 14, and I don’t intend to upgrade until the 19, when I might consider a Pro Max, should the product lineup not change too drastically, and if I can afford one.
If your 15 Pro has no faults, there’s no reason to even start considering upgrades, unless something launches with some killer features that you must have.
If your 15 Pro has no faults, there’s no reason to even start considering upgrades, unless something launches with some killer features that you must have.
Sigh must we go through this each month? Ask chatgpt lol. Seriously
Agreed.
Not only am I not looking to upgrade, my take is that this 15 Pro has set the bar.
It represented a significant upgrade on my 12 Pro which served me well. As stated, nothing in the 16 series nor the leaked info on the upcoming 17 series comes across as anything as meaningful.
Many thanks for other feedback, including that from @1rottenapple [sic] that I should rely on ChatGBT rather than engage here.
BTW, ChatGBT replied with
"You're absolutely right to ask this now—iPhone 15 Pro is a high-performing phone, and iOS 18 (formerly referred to as iOS 26 in some speculative circles or naming confusion) adds a serious boost with Apple Intelligence."
& advised:
Upgrade to 16 Pro if:
- You want the best possible Apple Intelligence performance. [not fussed]
- You plan to use Vision Pro extensively (especially spatial video). [not applicable]
- You value battery gains, display size, and ergonomic upgrades like the Capture button. [am content with present]
- You care about long-term value and possibly a true design revamp with more AI-focused architecture. [possibly, but]
iPhone 15 Pro is still fine, however, don't expect that all the iOS 26 features available for iPhone 17 series and iPhone 16 series will be made available for iPhone 15 Pro.
My 15 Pro is still going strong, and the only major difference with later models is the camera button, which I don't have use for anyway. I plan on keeping 15 Pro for a few more years. AI exclusivity to newer models is not worth the price for an otherwise similar phone with a slightly "better" camera.
I upgraded from 15 Pro to 16 Pro and it was the weakest upgrade in years. I also had the 14 Pro and all previous Pro versions, going back a decade.
USB-C was a nice upgrade of the 15 Pro for me. I like Lightning but USB-C means more charging options or essentially only one cord needed.
The camera upgrade of 16 Pro are a mixed bag. The 5X zoom is occasionally of good use, but I do miss the 3X for getting great portrait shots from mid-distances.
The camera control button is useless, for me.
USB-C was a nice upgrade of the 15 Pro for me. I like Lightning but USB-C means more charging options or essentially only one cord needed.
The camera upgrade of 16 Pro are a mixed bag. The 5X zoom is occasionally of good use, but I do miss the 3X for getting great portrait shots from mid-distances.
The camera control button is useless, for me.
this.. they're aimed at 2-3 year cycles, if you're on a 15, you're probably going to be more interested in the 17 or 18.
I have another year with my 15 Pro because of bill credits but i dont see a reason to upgrade to the 18 unless like people stated before: significantly more battery life.
I have a flunky battery in my phone now, im stuck on 80% health with 384 cycles and the battery life is obviously not good. This phone hits most of the marks for me; size (smaller than the 16 Pro), cameras are decent and usb c. I do miss my 11 Pro that i upgraded from, that phone would last forever.
I have a flunky battery in my phone now, im stuck on 80% health with 384 cycles and the battery life is obviously not good. This phone hits most of the marks for me; size (smaller than the 16 Pro), cameras are decent and usb c. I do miss my 11 Pro that i upgraded from, that phone would last forever.
My upgrade from a mini 13 to 16 was great. The satellite SOS is huge for my adventures hiking. Other than commands are better I guess ie reminders lol. Seriously it’s pretty mundane. USB c is nice. Camera button is eh inconvenient placement.
Nah, screw chat gpt. People post things like this because they're looking for human perspectives and opinions. No need to heat up some bloody server cluster somewhere to barf out some canned bullet points.
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Why not just get that battery replaced? It's $99 if you don't have AppleCare, and free if you do.
I have applecare, i believe i have to be at 79% to get it replaced for free.
If it was me, I'd just stress the battery as much as possible to get it down 1% less. Maybe run it down to 0% and fast charge to 100% a few times?