Apple
iPhone 15 Storage: Which Size Should You Buy?
Choosing an iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro storage size can be tricky so we want to help you decide between Apple’s cheapest options, the middle-of-the-road options, and the most expensive versions of Apple’s flagship phones.
While you might be tempted to buy the cheapest iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max, or the variant with the most storage, a lot of people will be perfectly fine buying a model that falls in between.
Table of Contents
There are several factors you should consider before you settle on one storage size or another. We’ll break down everything you need to think about before you buy here in this guide.
iPhone 15 Storage Options
Apple offers three iPhone 15 storage options.
The iPhone 15, like the iPhone 14, starts at 128GB. Apple, carriers, and retailers also sell 256GB and 512GB options for those who need more storage.
The 128GB iPhone 15 is the cheapest option while, unsurprisingly, the 512GB model is the most expensive variant.
iPhone 15 Plus Storage Options
Like the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Plus comes in three sizes: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.
iPhone 15 Pro Storage Options
Apple’s higher-end iPhone 15 Pro comes in four different flavors.
The iPhone 15 Pro starts at 128GB. From there, the storage capacity goes up to 256GB, 512GB and 1TB.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Storage Options
The most expensive iPhone 15 model is the iPhone 15 Pro Max and it comes in three sizes: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Apple doesn’t offer a 128GB iPhone 15 Pro Max model.
Pay for Storage Now or Pay Later
The iPhone 15 series, like its predecessors, doesn’t have a microSD card slot for expanded storage. If you want to add additional storage to your new iPhone, you’ll need to use iCloud or buy a USB-C compatible drive.
If you plan to shoot high-resolution videos and photos, download movies or songs, or play games on your device, you’ll need quite a bit of storage space.
While 128GB or 256GB might seem like it’s enough, there’s a chance your storage fills up quick. At that point you’ll be forced to continuously delete files you no longer need, buy a compatible drive, or pay for iCloud.
Fortunately, Apple’s iCloud storage solution is pretty inexpensive. You can get 50GB of cloud storage for just a dollar a month. Here’s how the pricing breaks down:
- 50GB: $0.99
- 200GB: $2.99
- 2TB: $9.99
- 6TB: $29.99
- 12TB: $59.99
You can also share iCloud storage with your family members.
Will Apple Add More Sizes?
No, we don’t expect Apple to add new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro storage sizes in 2024. What you see is what you get.
If you want more storage, you might want to wait for the iPhone 16 series. It may include a larger variant.
Why You Should Buy a 128GB iPhone 15
The 128GB iPhone 15 models are the cheapest models Apple offers and they should be considered if you don’t think of yourself as a power user.
Here are a few reasons why you might want to buy the company’s 128GB iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, or iPhone 15 Pro:
- You stream most of your movies and music
- You don’t plan to shoot a lot of high-resolution video
- You plan to store your photos in iCloud or on a computer
- You come nowhere close to using 128GB of storage on your current phone
Why You Should Buy a 256GB iPhone 15
The 256GB variant is a middle of the road choice for prospective iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus users. It’s the second largest option for the iPhone 15 Pro and offers the least amount of storage on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Here are some reasons why you should buy the 256GB iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max:
- You like to store some of your movies, photos, and music locally
- You plan to shoot some high-resolution video
- You’re close to using 128GB of space on your current phone
- You hate having to occasionally manage the files on your phone
A 256GB iPhone 15 can work with, or without, an iCloud subscription.
Why You Should Buy a 512GB iPhone 15
Some people might want to spend the extra money for more space, even if it’s for the peace of mind that comes with having a bit more internal storage to play with.
Here are a few reasons to buy a 512GB iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max:
- You like to store lots of movies and music locally
- You need, or prefer, to keep your photos and videos stored locally
- You plan to shoot a lot of high-resolution content
- You’re close to using 256GB of space on your current phone
- You can’t stand having to constantly manage the files on your phone
Why You Should Buy the 1TB iPhone 15 Pro
The 1TB iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are extremely expensive, but they’re solid options for those who desire a ton of local storage.
It should provide more than enough space for photography buffs, avid gamers, and those who plan to tackle school or work projects while on-the-go.
That being said, unless you’re already using well over 512GB of storage on your current phone, or don’t use iCloud, you probably don’t need this much storage.
Here’s who we think should buy one of these models:
- You’re an extreme power user
- You’re planning to use the iPhone as a professional creative
- You’re a photo buff who doesn’t want to use iCloud
- You’re someone who travels often and wants everything store locally
How to Check Your Current Storage
Before you pick your storage, make sure you check your current phone’s storage. This will give you much needed insight. Here’s how to do this if you own an iPhone:
- Tap on the Settings app
- Tap on General
- Tap on iPhone Storage
This will show you how much free storage you currently have on your device and how much you’re using. It’ll also tell you exactly what’s taking up the most storage.
For many of you, it’ll be your photos and videos, apps, and messages.
If you’re using iCloud, you should also check on your iCloud storage usage:
- Open Settings.
- Tap on your Name at the top of the screen.
- Tap on iCloud.
This screen shows your iCloud storage use and your current plan. If you tap on Manage Storage you’ll get a better breakdown of how you use your cloud storage.
Wait for Performance Improvements | ||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||
The iPhone 16 series should come equipped with a new processor (A18), but performance improvements will likely go beyond that. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple might have support for Wi-Fi 7 which the Wi-Fi Alliance recently announced. Kuo's information has been backed up by Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu. That being said, Pu believes the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will come with support for Wi-Fi 6E which is currently limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. ?si=1jKMNIUZ9PEBYooa 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 newer notes. 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. A private user on X/Twitter has released technical information about chips for unreleased Apple products and said information also suggests all four iPhone 16 models will utilize an A18 processor. Early iOS 18 code, seen by MacRumors, hints at this being the case. Taiwanese publication Economic Daily News says Apple's upcoming A18 and M4 chips will feature an upgraded Neural Engine with more cores. This should improve the devices AI learning capabilities. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also says Apple's "planning to make AI-focused upgrades to this year’s iPhone processor 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. Qualcomm announced it extended its modem license with Apple through March 2027 which means we'll see Qualcomm modems, and not in-house Apple modems, appear on the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, and iPhone 18 at the very least. 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. Naver user "yeux1122" claims the iPhone 16 Max could feature the longest-ever battery life on an iPhone. Alleged iPhone 16 details have highlighted the potential size of the batteries on board the phones and here's what it may look like:
If this is true, every iPhone 16 model except the iPhone 16 Plus will carry a larger battery. Another leaker, Instant Digital, says the iPhone 16 Pro's display might be up to 20% brighter for SDR content. Specifically, they say the display will offer 1,200 nits. HDR brightness will evidently stay at 1,600 nits. The iPhone's peak brightness for typical SDR content has been stuck at 1,000 nits since the iPhone 13 Pro's release back in 2021. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
