Spec cross-check · 2026-10-14

iPhone 17 vs iPhone 15

iPhone 17 vs iPhone 15 lines up the September 2025 iPhone 17 with the September 2023 iPhone 15. The spec score is a weighted share of comparable published rows. Manufacturer spec sheets are the source.

Spec lead

9.5 / 10

iPhone 17 specs

A19

Spec score

0.5 / 10

iPhone 15 specs

A16 Bionic

iPhone 17 leads iPhone 17 vs iPhone 15 on the weighted spec sheet, ahead on display, chip, storage, and camera hardware.

Spec sheet

iPhone 17 vs iPhone 15 published specs. Display lead uses refresh rate, pixel density, peak brightness, and always-on when both phones publish them. Camera lead is a hardware class, not a photo test. Battery is scored only when both phones publish the same kind of figure.
Spec	iPhone 17	iPhone 15
Display	6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 2622×1206, 460 ppi, 120Hz, 3,000 nits peak, always-onLeads	6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 2556×1179, 460 ppi, 60Hz, 2,000 nits peak
Chip	A19Leads	A16 Bionic
Memory	Not published	Not published
Storage	256GB, 512GBLeads	128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Camera hardware	48MP f/1.6 main, 48MP ultrawide, 2x optical-quality cropLeads	48MP f/1.6 main, 12MP ultrawide, 2x optical-quality crop
Optical zoom	No optical telephotoTie	No optical telephotoTie
Front camera	18MP Center Stage	12MP
Battery	up to 30 hours video playbackLeads	up to 20 hours video playback
Charging	50% in 20 minutes with a 40W or higher adapter. MagSafe, 50% in 30 minutes with a 30W adapterLeads	50% in about 30 minutes with a 20W or higher adapter. MagSafe up to 15W
Weight	177 g	171 gLeads
Water resistance	IP68Tie	IP68Tie
Software support	Apple does not publish a fixed OS support window	Apple does not publish a fixed OS support window
Launch price	Not listed	$799 launch price
Software	iOS 27	iOS 17 at launch
Biometrics	Face ID	Face ID
Connectivity	USB-C, 5G, Wi-Fi 7 (Apple N1), Bluetooth	USB-C, 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

Who should buy which

Choose the iPhone 17 if you want iOS 27. It leads on display, chip, storage, camera hardware, battery, and charging.

Choose the iPhone 15 if you want iOS 17 at launch. It leads on weight.

Questions

Which is better, iPhone 17 or iPhone 15?

iPhone 17 leads iPhone 17 vs iPhone 15 on the weighted spec sheet, ahead on display, chip, storage, and camera hardware.