iPhone 15 price: how much is it and should you go for iPhone 14 instead?

During the September 2023 Apple event, we finally got our first official look at the new iPhone 15 line. As predicted we’ve got four models, the base iPhone 15, the bigger iPhone 15 Plus, the more powerful iPhone 15 Pro, and the top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max for people who want a large phone and high-end performance. But how do these iPhone 15 models compare in terms of price?

Below we’ve got a breakdown of the different iPhone 15 variants, in particular, you’ll see what specs you’re getting for the price you’re paying so you can decide which is best for you.

Once you’ve decided which iPhone 15 price you want to pay, check out our iPhone 15 colors guide to find which shade you like best from the different options out there.

iPhone 15 prices

This year’s iPhone 15 models are the same as the launch prices of their iPhone 14 equivalents – in the US at least. In the UK the prices have gone down a little, but in Australia, the prices have all gone up from last year.

The iPhone 15 (Image credit: Apple)

The new iPhone 15 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,499 for 128GB, the 128GB iPhone 15 Plus will set you back $899 / £899 / AU$1,649, and the same storage size on the iPhone 15 Pro will cost you $999 / £999 / AU$1,849.

Interestingly, the iPhone 15 Pro Max doesn’t have a 128GB variant anymore. The cheapest option is instead the 256GB model for $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199.

Should you buy an iPhone 14 instead?

On paper you might want to pick up one of the new iPhone 15 models – after all, they launch at the same price as last year’s iPhone 14s. But a small detail you might have missed near the end of the presentation is that the base iPhone 14 isn’t being sold for $799 anymore, it’s down to $699 – or down to £699 / AU$1,299 in the UK and Australia. Other iPhone 14 variants have dipped in price too.

So what would you be missing out on if you chose last year’s iPhones?

Well, the base iPhone 14 and 14 Plus would lack the dynamic island that was exclusive to their Pro variant, and is now featured on the iPhone 15; as well as the A16 chip that has dropped down from last year’s Pro to this year’s base model. You also won’t be able to charge your iPhone via a USB-C cable – you’ll be stuck with Apple’s lightning chargers.

The biggest difference is the camera array however, with the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus adopting a 48MP main camera instead of the 12MP used by the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. This is a serious boost and could make it worth the higher price for people who take plenty of snaps.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 (Image credit: Future / Apple)

For those of you looking to splash out how do the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models stack up against each other?

Just like with the base iPhone 15s these phones are charged using a USB-C cable, but Apple’s giving the Pros USB 3 support for faster wired data transfer. It also has Wi-Fi 6E support too for improved wireless connectivity (provided your router offers support for this kind of data connection).

You’ll also be able to take advantage of the new and improved A17 chip if you pick up this year’s models – which Apple promises can run Resident Evil 4 Remake and Assassin’s Creed Mirage natively. What quality they run at is to be seen, but these are high-end console games not your typical mobile apps so this claim is certainly a bold one.

The other factor in the iPhone 15 Pro’s favor is Apple isn’t selling the iPhone 14 Pro directly anymore. If you want to pick up the older Pro you’ll need to find a third-party reseller and take advantage of any discounts they might be offering (assuming they are selling the iPhone 14 Po at a discounted price).

We’ll need to get hands-on time with the new iPhone 15 models to know how well they stack up against last year’s iPhone 14s, but from the looks of things they do seem to be a more meaningful upgrade than some previous entries in Apple’s phone lineup. If you have the cash to spare it looks like the iPhone 15 is a worthwhile pickup. That said, the iPhone 14 is still an impressive phone with useful safety features like emergency SOS via satellite; so if you are looking to save it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pick up one of these either.