Apple's latest iPhone 15 series is still fresh on the market, which means that the best Apple iPhone 15 prices aren't too far off the original retail price. We'll likely see some worthy price cuts during this year's Black Friday event if previous years are anything to go by – but the more significant savings will be record-low iPhone 14 prices instead, as part of the early Apple Black Friday deals.
The standard iPhone 15 has a starting price of $799, with the iPhone 15 Plus sitting at $899 and the iPhone 15 Pro at $999. Only the iPhone 15 Pro Max was given a higher starting price than the previous year at $1,199, but it now has 256GB of storage at a minimum, instead of the original 128GB, making it more on par with the original iPhone 14 Pro Max price. The best iPhone 15 deals are usually found through new contract offers and by trading in your old handset.
The standard iPhone for those who don't need flashier specs
Display: 6.1‑inch Super Retina XDR OLED display (2556 x 1179) | CPU: A16 Bionic chip | Camera: 48MP (26mm, ƒ/1.6), 12MP Ultra Wide (13mm, ƒ/2.4), 2MP 2x Telephoto (52mm, ƒ/1.6) | Front Camera: TrueDepth 12MP (ƒ/1.9) | Storage: 128GB - 512GB | Dimensions: 147.6 mm x 71.6 mm x 7.80 mm | Weight: 171 grams (6.02 ounces) | Battery: Video playback Up to 20 hours
iOS 17 works great
Easy to set up
Great sound and a good camera
Slow charging
Older processor than 15 Pro
The standard iPhone 15 model inherits several features from last year's iPhone 14 Pro series, including an improved Dynamic Island, the A16 Bionic chip, and a 48MP main camera. There are additionally five colours to choose from in a textured matte finish: pink, yellow, blue, green and black.
The move from Lightning to USB-C charging is a big design change from Apple, and a necessary one too because of EU rules announced last autumn that require all phones sold after autumn 2024 to use the USB-C connector for charging. It makes sense too, at least from a brand point of view, with the iPad, MacBook and most third-party accessories shifting to USB-C for easier accessibility.
We recently got our hands on the iPhone 15 and found that it felt just a little bit too familiar, taking inspiration from older iPhone generation models. Our reviews editor found that while there's nothing wrong with the iPhone 15, per say, it does struggle to stand out from the crowd in today's best camera phone market. Unless you can find a tempting price on this handset, it might be best to hold off for a more significant upgrade depending on the device you currently own.
The best Apple iPhone 15 prices: contracts and handsets
(Image credit: Apple)
iPhone 15 Plus
The slightly bigger iPhone 15 for those who stream content
Display: 6.7‑inch Super Retina XDR OLED display (2796 x 1290) | CPU: A16 Bionic chip | Camera: 48MP (26mm, ƒ/1.6), 12MP Ultra Wide (13mm, ƒ/2.4), 2MP 2x Telephoto (52mm, ƒ/1.6) | Front Camera: TrueDepth 12MP (ƒ/1.9) | Storage: 128GB - 512GB | Dimensions: 160.9 mm x 77.8 mm x 7.80 mm | Weight: 201 grams (7.09 ounces) | Battery: Video playback Up to 26 hours
Large 6.7 inch display
Improved battery life over the 15
A lot of the same features as the standard iPhone 15
The iPhone 15 Plus is the older sibling to the standard iPhone 15 model, and has all of the same features plus a little bit extra. It's available in the same colour options as its little brother, and shares the exact same camera unit with a 48-megapixel main camera and a TrueDepth 12MP selfie camera.
We're yet to review this iPhone model for ourselves, but based on the specs it would be best for those who don't necessarily need the horsepower or impressive camera unit that you get with the iPhone 15 Pro models, but would certainly benefit from having a larger screen and improved battery life for streaming content on the go.
The best iPhone 15 Plus prices: contracts and handsets
Display: 6.1‑inch Super Retina XDR OLED display (2556 x 1179) | CPU: A17 Pro chip | Camera: 48MP (24mm, ƒ/1.78), 12MP Ultra Wide (13mm, ƒ/2.2), 12MP 2x Telephoto (48mm, ƒ/1.78),12MP 3x Telephoto (77mm, ƒ/2.8) | Front Camera: TrueDepth 12MP (ƒ/1.9) | Storage: 128GB - 1TB | Dimensions: 146.6 mm x 70.6 mm x 8.25 mm | Weight: 187 grams (6.60 ounces) | Battery: Video playback Up to 23 hours
Zippy performance
Better camera to rival Samsung and Xiaomi
Good battery life
Gets worryingly hot
Slow charging
The iPhone 15 Pro might have the same sized screen and XDR OLED display as the standard iPhone 15, but the handset has been upgraded with a sleek titanium case, a textured matt glass back, and a brushed texture finish. It's available in the colours Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Natural Titanium.
Both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models have new features like a customisable action button and the new full-screen standby mode which is activated when the phone is turned on its side. The Pro models also sport a new A17 Pro chip with a new 6-core CPU and 6-core pro-class GPU that Apple says is up to 20 per cent faster.
We have a hands-on review of the iPhone 15 Pro and our reviews editor gave it a 4.5-star rating (9 out of 10) based on the premium feel from the titanium casings and "zippy performance". However, it was a little concerning that the iPhone 15 Pro kept overheating while performing mid-range tasks, so keep this in mind if you need a smartphone that can handle multiple tasks and extensive workloads. Also note, if you're a gamer – don't buy an iPhone 15 Pro (at least for now) as reports indicate it cannot even handle Genshin Impact and has lag issues.
The best iPhone 15 Pro prices: contracts and handsets
(Image credit: Apple)
iPhone 15 Pro Max
The standard iPhone for those who don't need flashier specs
Display: 6.7‑inch Super Retina XDR OLED display (2796 x 1290) | CPU: A17 Pro chip | Camera: 48MP (24mm, ƒ/1.78), 12MP Ultra Wide (13mm, ƒ/2.2), 12MP 2x Telephoto (48mm, ƒ/1.78), 2MP 5x Telephoto (120mm, ƒ/2.8) | Front Camera: TrueDepth 12MP (ƒ/1.9) | Storage: 256GB - 1TB | Dimensions: 159.9 mm x 76.7 mm x 8.25 mm | Weight: 221 grams (7.81 ounces) | Battery: Video playback Up to 29 hours
The best choice for photographers
2MP 5x optical zoom (120mm equivalent)
Only minor differences from the Pro model and not much difference in performance from the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
We have a lot to say about the new iPhone 15 Pro Max camera, and it has even divided our team. Joe feels that the iPhone 15 has finally given us a reason to go Pro Max, with its amazing camera specs tempting him away from Samsung – whereas our photographer Beth definitely won't be buying the iPhone 15 with no interest in these mediocre megapixels.
The biggest change with the iPhone 15 Pro Max camera is that Apple has taken advantage of the larger phone's size, in order to give the Pro Max model an upgraded 12MP 5x optical zoom (120mm equivalent) camera. This still doesn't compete well with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's 10x zoom, but it has a wider f/2.8 aperture compared to f/4.5 on the Galaxy. There's also the option to customise the default lens, and the phone can now shoot 48MP HEIF as well as Apple Raw.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has also been updated with a larger quad-pixel sensor, and with higher resolution in more focal length options including 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm. If you're a photographer or content creator, this is the iPhone 15 you want out of all of the options above.
The best iPhone 15 Pro Max prices: contracts and handsets
Apple iPhone 15: FAQs
What are the key differences between the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models?
These two Pro models have more in common than the obvious things that set them apart (such as the screen size and dimensions), but if you're a photographer, videographer, or general content creator then these differences might actually be the make or break deciding factors in which model you choose to buy.
Phone 15 Pro has a 6.1-inch display, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a much bigger 6.7-inch display, making it a little heavier too. The Pro model also sports a 3x Telephoto camera with up to 23 hours of video playback, whereas the Pro Max comes equipped with a 5x Telephoto camera and gets up to 29 hours of video playback on one charge.
Which iPhone 15 model is the best?
That all depends on what you want to get out of your smartphone, such as how big of a screen size you prefer, how big of an upgrade you're expecting from your current device, and how much you can afford or want to spend.
For photographers and content creators, it's usually the case that the Pro Max model is the option with the best camera and features. But both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have nearly identical specifications this year when it comes to the camera array, so it might be a wise choice to opt for the Pro model over the Pro Max if you don't have the biggest budget.
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Beth is Creative Bloq’s Ecommerce Writer and has the fun job of finding you the very best prices and deals on creative tech. Beth kicked off her journalistic career writing for Digital Camera World, and has since earned bylines on TechRadar too. With a Masters degree in Photography, Beth loves getting to tinker with new cameras, especially camera phones, as the resident Samsung fan on the team. Her background working as a tester for CeX let her play around with all kinds of weird and wonderful products, including robots, and she’s recently gotten into 3D printing too. Outside of CB, you’ll find her gaming on her PS5, photographing local shows under the alias Bethshootsbands, and making TikToks of her dog, Tilly.
