Should You Upgrade Your iPhone?

Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 series—which consists of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max—in September. 2023, delivering across-the-board improvements, especially on the Pro models. With the new models hitting the market, iPhone owners are forced to ask: Should I upgrade my iPhone?

Reasons to Upgrade to an iPhone 15

There are plenty of reasons to jump to the iPhone 15. Key enhancements include USB-C replacing the Lightning port, photos up to 48 megapixels, and the ability to change pictures to portrait mode after a picture is taken.

The two Pro models add more features like the latest, most powerful Apple mobile processor (the A17 Pro), reduced weight thanks to titanium construction materials, and the transformation of the mute switch to a multi-purpose Action button.

Reasons to Wait to Upgrade Your iPhone

There are good reasons to wait to upgrade your iPhone, especially budgetary ones: The iPhone 15 starts at US$799, and a top-end Pro Max can cost $1,599. Even if your current iPhone is a little long in the tooth, make it last another year or two by sprucing it up with:

• Battery Replacement: Nothing makes an old iPhone feel newer than a fresh battery (replacement batteries start at $29). Check out Tips for iPhone Battery Replacement.
• Replace Cracked Screen: Fixing a cracked screen is another quality-of-life step. Learn more in The Best Options for iPhone Screen Repair.
• Clean Your iPhone: A good cleaning can help your iPhone look and perform better. Check out How to Clean iPhone Speakers and How to Clean Your iPhone's Charging Port.
• Upgrade iCloud Storage: You can't upgrade your iPhone's physical memory, but upgrading iCloud storage lets you store big files in the cloud and keep just what you need on your phone.
  

If You Have an iPhone 12 or Older

If you have an iPhone 12 or older—especially if your phone is older—we recommend upgrading to the iPhone 15. While the iPhone 12 is a good phone, you won't believe how much has changed.

Every iPhone 15 model has a significant upgrade to almost every aspect and feature: The 15 offers a bigger and brighter screen that includes the Dynamic Island; The 15's performance—especially on the Pro models—is much faster, making it better for games and other processor-intensive tasks.

The camera system is night-and-day better (48-megapixel images vs. the 12 Pro's 12-megapixel photos, plus much-improved night photography), and there's more storage to hold those photos.

If You Have an iPhone 13

If you've got an iPhone 13, deciding whether to upgrade is tougher. The 15 is better in every way, but it's not the same leap from the 12 to the 15. The 15 series has a somewhat faster processor than the 13 (15 Pros are much faster), slightly better battery life, the Dynamic Island and a brighter screen in outdoor use, and is a bit lighter (e.g., the 13 Pro Max weighs 8.46 ounces vs. the 15 Pro Max's 7.81 ounces; thank the titanium body for that weight reduction).

The camera system is the significant difference. Both base models have two cameras, and both Pro models have three, but the cameras on the 15 series deliver higher-resolution images, better night photography, and more zoom options.

A good-condition iPhone 13 still has a few years of life left, so if it was me, I wouldn't feel the pressure to upgrade right away.

If You Have an iPhone 14

Upgrading from an iPhone 14 to an iPhone 15 is harder to justify unless you want the latest and greatest, or money is just burning a hole in your pocket.

The iPhone 15 series is an improvement over the 14, but most aren't significant. The camera system adds a few nice options (especially applying focus effects after photos are taken), the Pro processor is a bit faster, the Pro models are lighter, and the 15 has USB-C.

On the other hand, many aspects—battery life, screen quality, storage capacity—are essentially the same. An upgrade from a base iPhone 14 to an iPhone 15 Pro brings more significant gains, but upgrading equivalent models (i.e., 14 Pro to 15 Pro) may not be worth the cost.

If You Have an iPhone SE

We recommend you upgrade if you have a 1st or 2nd-generation iPhone SE, as every aspect of the iPhone 15 is much better than the SE.

Even if you have a 3rd-generation iPhone SE, we recommend an upgrade. You'll get a brighter, bigger screen (4.7" on the SE vs. 6.1" or 6.7" on the 15), the Dynamic Island, a faster processor, a much better camera (48-megapixel images vs. 12, up to 4 zoom options vs 1, Night mode, improved video), and higher-capacity storage (starting at 128GB vs 64GB).

Other upgraded features include Animoji and Memoji, Face ID, MagSafe charging, satellite safety features, and a better battery (up to 75 hours of audio on the 15 vs. 50 on the SE).

Unless you just bought an SE, start thinking about what iPhone 15 model is right for you.

iPhone Buying Tips

Ready to upgrade to a new iPhone? Make an informed decision by checking out these buying tips:

• Everything You Need to Know About the Apple iPhone Upgrade Program
• Here's the True Cost of an iPhone
• 9 Things to Know When Buying a Used iPhone

The Bottom Line

It's not the right time for every iPhone owner to upgrade to the iPhone 15. If you've got a reasonably recent iPhone that's still working well—especially an iPhone 14—you can probably skip this generation (unless you love the latest and the greatest). But, if you've got an iPhone 12 or earlier, an upgrade brings so many improvements that it justifies the cost for most people.

How to Buy

If you're ready for an upgrade, you can buy all four iPhone 15 models directly from Apple.