Best iPhone 15 Pro Alternatives (January, 2024)

If you want a device that’s comparable to Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, there are some excellent alternatives on the market.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are the company’s flagship phones and they come with Apple’s best processor, cameras, and software. They’re two of the best smartphones money can buy, but they aren’t cheap.

Without a trade-in or deal, the iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999 while the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1199. The pricing might be too much for a lot of shoppers, especially in the current economic climate.

Fortunately, there are very solid iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max alternatives out there and they’re worth a look if you want a similar device in early 2024.

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In this guide we’ll take you through the best iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max alternatives and help you find a device that fits your needs and budget.

iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Plus

If you can’t afford an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, but still want a top of the line iPhone, look no further than Apple’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.

The other two members of the iPhone 15 series aren’t as powerful as their counterparts, but they’re solid alternatives if you’re determined to get the latest iPhone and stay in Apple’s ecosystem.

Here are a few of the key differences between the iPhone 15 models and iPhone 15 Pro models. Keep these in mind while you shop:

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have a 120Hz screen refresh rate, the base models have 60Hz
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max both use Apple’s new A17 Pro processor, the base models use last year’s A16 Bionic
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have faster USB-C data transfer speeds
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max use a new titanium design
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max feature better cameras which include a 48MP main camera system

The iPhone 15 starts at $799 while the iPhone 15 Plus starts at $899. They aren’t the cheapest iPhone 15 Pro alternatives, but they’re certainly worth a look.

iPhone 14 Pro & iPhone 14 Pro Max

You’ll also want to check out Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Yes, they’re over a year old, but the pair are more than capable.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max don’t this year’s bells and whistles, but they’re still in excellent shape and offer good battery life, solid cameras, wireless charging, and beautiful displays.

Of course, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are also cheaper than the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max which is great if price is important to you.

Samsung Galaxy S23

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is comprised of three devices: the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the closest to the iPhone 15 Pro models, but don’t dismiss the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+.

Like the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Galaxy S23 series comes equipped with powerful specs including a speedy Snapdragon processor, impressive cameras, and outstanding battery life.

Picking a Galaxy S23 model over the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max means picking Android and Samsung’s One UI software over iOS. That might be a hurdle for some shoppers.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the high-end model and commands an iPhone 15 Pro-like price. However, there are plenty of deals out there and you shouldn’t have to pay anything near full price. The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are cheaper.

Make sure you go hands-on with Samsung’s 2023 flagships before you commit to an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro is one of the best Android devices on the market.

Google sells two version of the Pixel 8: Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. However, the the Pixel 7 Pro is most comparable to the iPhone 15 Pro models thanks to its premium feature set.

The Pixel 8 Pro features a massive 6.7-inch OLED display with 1344 x 2992 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It also comes with 12 GB of RAM, Google’s Tensor G3 processor, a 50 MP Octa PD wide camera, 48 MP Quad PD ultrawide camera, and a 48 MP Quad PD telephoto camera. It also comes with Google’s sleek version of Android 14 that many users prefer.

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999 for the 128GB model. The 256GB variant will run you $1059, the 512GB model costs $1179, while the larger 1TB Pixel 8 Pro is $1399.

You can buy the Pixel 8 Pro directly from Google or from retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

You may also want to check out Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 5 which is even more expensive than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but also has some unique features to help set it apart.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is one of the newest models in Samsung’s Galaxy Z series and it’s a foldable device that gives you access to two display sizes.

On the outside, it has a 6.2-inch cover display. The inner display is a foldable 7.6-inch screen which supports Samsung’s S Pen stylus. This makes it ideal for those who love to multitask.

The device also has a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto lens putting it in the upper echelon of devices on the market right now.

It’s certainly different, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is worth a look. You can buy the Galaxy Z Fold 5 directly from Samsung or via retailers like Amazon.

OnePlus 11

Don’t sleep on OnePlus’ flagship either.

Like Apple’s latest phones, the OnePlus 11 comes equipped with high-end hardware that should be more than capable of handling your needs.

It has a massive 6.7-inch display which falls in line with the iPhone 15 Pro Max in terms of size, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 8GB RAM, and a triple camera setup which features a 50 MP main camera, a telephoto lens, and an Ultra-wide camera.

It runs OnePlus’ version of Android, which the company calls Oxygen OS. You’ll want to get familiar with it before you buy as it differs from the version of Android running on Samsung and Google’s devices.

It’s cheaper than the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. You can buy the OnePlus 11 at retailers like Amazon.

Upcoming iPhone 15 Alternatives

We’ll see new iPhone 15 Pro alternatives launch in early 2024.

Samsung’s cooking up a new Galaxy S24 series and these models (Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra) will launch on January 17th.

Apple’s also working on a new iPhone, but the iPhone 16 announcement is a long way out. The new iPhones will likely debut in September, 2024.

9 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 16 & 6 Reasons Not To

Wait for Performance Improvements

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The iPhone 16 series should come equipped with a new processor (likely the A18), but performance improvements will likely go beyond that.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple might have support for Wi-Fi 7. According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, the standard could provide speeds up to 30Gbps.

It also says it will "support reduced latency and jitter for time sensitive networking applications including AR/VR, 4K and 8K video streaming, automotive, cloud computing, gaming and video applications."

Kuo's information has been backed up by Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu.

Pu claims the base iPhone 16 models, presumably called iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, will come with Apple's A18 chip and 8GB of RAM while the higher-end models would come with an A18 Pro processor. He's reiterated this stance in a newer note.

This has been backed up by a report from a user on Weibo who says the lower-end models will come with the first Apple chip specifically designed for the standard models.

This is an interesting development because it means the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus would skip the company's A17 chip.

Early iOS 18 code, seen by Apple blog MacRumors, hints at this being the case.

Jeff Pu also says the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will sport Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X75 modem. This should lead to faster, and more efficient, 5G connectivity.

Pu believes the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will keep the Snapdragon X70 modem from Apple's iPhone 15 lineup.

On top of all that, we've also heard the iPhone 16's OLED display might be more power efficient thanks to new material Samsung's developing for Apple.