-
iPhone 15
This next-gen smartphone from Apple runs on the powerful A16 Bionic chip. With 5G readiness, a sleek aluminum frame, improved cameras, and IP68 resistance, the iPhone 15 promises to be a game-changer in the world of smartphones.
Pros- Cutting edge processor, more storage, and memory
- 48MP camera with AI
- USB Type-C support
Cons- Much more expensive
- No significant improvements to cellular connectivity
-
Apple iPhone 12
If you want an iPhone that still feels flagship-ish at a good price, look no further than the 2020 iPhone 12.
Pros- Much cheaper
- Has 5G just like the iPhone 15
- Specs are still decent enough
Cons- Ultimately slower overall
- Smaller storage might feel restrictive
Apple is once again going to the cutting edge of silicon with its brand-new iPhone 15, which is already a fairly sizable improvement over the iPhone 14, let alone older models like the iPhone 12. Released in 2020, the iPhone 12 has dropped to about $600 against the iPhone 15's $800. If you're wondering whether the iPhone 15 is worth it when the iPhone 12 is so much cheaper, or if you own an iPhone 12 and have been thinking about upgrading, here's what you need to know.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 12: Price, specs, and availability
The iPhone 15 has been available from Apple, Best Buy, and major carriers on pre-sale since Sept. 15, and then will launch in earnest on Sept. 22. On and after Sept. 22, you should be able to get an iPhone 15 from Amazon and other retailers too. While Apple's website will allow you to configure your iPhone 15 before pre-sale, you won't be able to actually check out until pre-sale has begun. The base iPhone 15 at $800 comes with 128GB of storage, and you can spend an extra $100 for 256GB or an extra $300 for 512GB.
As for the iPhone 12, it came out in 2020, and can generally be found for $600 or sometimes less depending on where you get it from and how you activate it. Apple however, with the launch of the iPhone 15, no longer sells the iPhone 12, so you can only get it from retailers. The base iPhone 12 has 64GB of storage, half that of the iPhone 15, but you can get the 128GB model for under $700, which is still over $100 cheaper.
iPhone 15 Apple iPhone 12 SoC Apple A16 Bionic Apple A14 Bionic Display 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR 6.1-inch OLED, 60Hz, HDR 10, 1200nits Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB 64GB/128GB/256GB Ports USB-C Lightning (USB 2.0) Operating System iOS 17 iOS 16 Front camera 12MP TrueDepth camera TrueDepth: 12MP, ƒ/2.2 Rear cameras 48MP f/1.6 main, 12MP f/2.4 ultra wide Primary: 12MP wide, ƒ/1.6; Secondary: 12MP ultra-wide, ƒ/2.4 Dimensions 5.81x2.82x0.31 inches (147.6x71.6x7.80mm) 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm Colors Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green, Black Blue, Purple, Green, White, Black, Red Weight 6.02 ounces (171 g) 164g Charging USB-C (20W), MagSafe, Qi2 Wired: 18W; Wireless: 15W Magsafe and 7.5W Qi IP Rating IP68 IP68 Price $799 $599
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 12: Design and display
In respect to dimensions, the iPhone 15 and 12 are practically identical: both are roughly six ounces or 170 grams, measure 6.1 inches across, and are .3 inches or 7.6 millimeters thick. They also use a similar combination of materials: a metal band around the exterior and glass on the back, though the iPhone 15's back glass is more durable (you should still probably get a case anyways) and has more evenly distributed coloring. You'd probably have a fairly difficult time telling these two iPhones apart without giving them a much closer look; they're that similar.
One of the two major improvements with the iPhone 15 however is that it finally uses USB Type-C. Considering how ubiquitous Type-C is compared to Lightning, you'll probably not miss Apple's proprietary connector anytime soon, especially since you'll never again find yourself without a charger and nobody around you has a Lightning cable to spare. For some reason though, the iPhone 15 only has USB 2.0 bandwidth through its Type-C port, which is just disappointing.
The other big improvement is the Super Retina XDR display, which is a high-end OLED screen. This new display is capable of reaching peak brightness of 2000 nits, versus the 1200 on the iPhone 12's display. That means better visibility in the sunlight as well as better color accuracy, especially in HDR scenes. Both the iPhone 15 and 12 have roughly the same pixels per inch (or PPI) at 460 though, so things won't look more detailed in that respect on the 15. Likewise, both iPhones still have a notch, though in the case of the iPhone 15 it's more of a hole.
Overall, the iPhone 15 isn't exactly a major improvement in the design department, which is fair; if it's not broken, don't fix it, and most would agree this design is still good today. The introduction of USB Type-C and the new display on their own however can be pretty enticing to the right person. It's not in question that the iPhone 12 is behind here, it's just a matter of asking yourself how much this stuff matters to you.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 12: Power and performance
The big difference between the iPhone 15 and 12 under the hood is the processor, though the difference isn't as big as the numbers would imply. The iPhone 12 uses the A14 Bionic chip that came out in 2020, while the iPhone 15 uses the A16 Bionic from 2022, rather than the newer A17 that's present in the higher-end iPhone 15 models. So, we're really looking at a two-generation difference here, not a three-generation difference, and they're also built on the same process node, which means there's no massive generational leaps in power efficiency like with the A17.
Still, the difference between the A14 and the A16 is quite substantial, mostly because the A16 is just bigger. They both have the same configuration of two performance cores and four efficiency cores in the CPU, but the A16 has five GPU cores against the A14's four. Plus, the A16 has tons more CPU cache than the A14, with a total of 44MB on the A16 and just 28MB on the A14. On top of all that, the A16's CPU cores can also hit a boost frequency about 10% higher than the A14 can.
When it comes to the software though, these iPhones are identical and both have access to iOS 17, the latest version at the time of writing. The iPhone 15 will certainly run iOS 17 better than the iPhone 12, though probably not by a very significant margin given that the A14 is still pretty capable today, even if it is slower than the A16.
As for charging and battery life, both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 12 are expected to be pretty similar. Both models get 20-watt charging through the USB/Lightning port and 15-watt charging through MagSafe wireless. Apple hasn't disclosed the size of the iPhone 15 battery, but given that it's the same size as the iPhone 12, we can expect the battery to be roughly the same as the 12's 2,815mAh battery. The iPhone 15 will probably be marginally more efficient though thanks to its newer (though not massively more power efficient) processor.
Again, it's mostly a tie here except for the raw horsepower of the chip inside the iPhone 15. This will mostly matter if you're gaming frequently on your phone or if you're doing productivity stuff on the go. The average person probably won't be able to tell or even care about the difference, since they're both fast enough today.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 12: Cameras
The camera might be the biggest reason to get the iPhone 15. The main camera uses a slightly improved version of the 48MP lens that came with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, and the iPhone 12's older 12MP main just can't match up to it. That's not to say the iPhone 12 is an awful device for taking pictures, but the iPhone 15 is obviously going to get better results as it's using one of the best main cameras out there.
The selfie cameras on the other hand are pretty similar as they're both 12MP lenses, but the iPhone 15 does have a slight edge in two key areas. Firstly, the iPhone 15's selfie camera has a wider aperture of f/1.9 compared to the f/2.2 on the iPhone 12, which means more light is going to be able to get into the camera, and that's generally better for picture quality. Plus, the iPhone 15 also has phase detection autofocus on the selfie camera, which is better than the more typical autofocus technology on the iPhone 12.
The cameras are probably where you'll find the biggest difference between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 12, and while not everyone is a super discerning photographer, anyone can appreciate higher quality images and better working autofocus.
iPhone 15 vs iPhone 12: You're probably getting better value with the 15 instead of the 12
At $800 for the iPhone 15 and $600 for the iPhone 12, there's not a huge price difference between these two iPhone models. I would probably recommend the iPhone 15 since an extra $200 on top of $600 isn't that much more, especially when you're getting twice the storage, a significantly better processor, a much brighter display, and a main camera that's got way more raw horsepower.
iPhone 15
This next-gen smartphone from Apple runs on the powerful A16 Bionic chip. With 5G readiness, a sleek aluminum frame, improved cameras, and IP68 resistance, the iPhone 15 promises to be a game-changer in the world of smartphones.
Still, the iPhone 12 does share lots of qualities with the iPhone 15: Its chassis is more or less unchanged, it should have similar battery life, it has 5G, and its selfie camera is pretty similar besides for the older autofocus tech and smaller aperture. If you don't particularly care about storage size, processor performance, or main camera quality, then saving $200 with the iPhone 12 is definitely a decent idea.
Apple iPhone 12
If you want an iPhone that still feels flagship-ish at a good price, look no further than the 2020 iPhone 12.