Head to head
Apple iPhone 15vsApple iPhone 12
The short answer
Choose the iPhone 15 for peak brightness, more base storage and Geekbench 6 CPU score. The iPhone 12 wins no row by a gap you’d notice. Apple publishes no date for either; its record with retired iPhones points to 2030–2034 for the iPhone 15 and 2027–2031 for the iPhone 12, our estimate, not Apple’s.
- Released
- 2023-09-22endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Security updates until
- Not published by the makerendoflife.date — iPhone, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Released
- 2020-10-23endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-19
- Security updates until
- Not published by the makerendoflife.date — iPhone, retrieved 2026-08-19
3 wins for iPhone 150 wins for iPhone 124 gaps borderline1 difference you won’t notice
Verdict: iPhone 15 ahead on 3 rows, iPhone 12 on none
On the makers’ figures and the named third-party sources, the iPhone 15 wins on peak brightness (2,000 nits against 1,200 nits), storage (base) (128 GB against 64 GB) and Geekbench 6 (CPU, multi-core) (5,967 against 4,246, both from Geekbench Browser). 4 gaps are borderline, differences most people would not notice: typical brightness (1,000 nits against 625 nits) for the iPhone 15, RAM (6 GB against 4 GB, both from GSMArena) for the iPhone 15, battery capacity (3,349 mAh against 2,815 mAh, both from GSMArena) for the iPhone 15 and claimed video playback (20 h against 15 h) for the iPhone 15. The difference in weight is below the threshold you would notice. Both state the same display size, HDR peak brightness, fast charging and wireless charging. The other 32 rows have no threshold or no direction to judge by, so nobody wins them.
True to scale
Outlines from each maker’s published dimensions, drawn to scale. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.
Specifications
A win is marked only where the figures can be ranked and the gap is one you could notice. A row the site has no threshold for says whether the two differ, and that it is not ranking them. = marks the same figure on both, ≠ not ranked a difference with no ranking. Every figure carries its source.
Body
Display
Platform
Memory
Camera
Battery
Connectivity
Benchmarks
7 attributes neither phone has a sourced figure for
Refresh rate · Google Mobile Services · Battery per charge · Battery lifespan · AnTuTu benchmark · 3DMark Wild Life Extreme · Repairability (EU class). Rows appear as sources are cited — a gap in our data, not a statement about either phone.
Questions
Is the iPhone 15 better than the iPhone 12?
On the figures, the iPhone 15 is ahead wherever there is a gap you’d notice: peak brightness, 2,000 nits against 1,200 nits (both Apple Support UK), storage (base), 128 GB against 64 GB (both Apple Support UK) and Geekbench 6 (CPU, multi-core), 5,967 against 4,246 (both Geekbench Browser). The iPhone 12 wins no row by such a gap. That is a count of rows, not an overall score.
Which has the better battery?
The iPhone 15 is ahead, narrowly: claimed video playback, 20 h against 15 h (both Apple UK), a borderline gap most people would not notice. The iPhone 15 is ahead, narrowly: battery capacity, 3,349 mAh against 2,815 mAh (both GSMArena), a borderline gap most people would not notice.
Which is lighter?
The iPhone 12 is lighter on paper, but not by a gap you’d notice: weight, 162 g against 171 g (both Apple Support UK).
Which has the brighter screen?
The iPhone 15, by a gap you’d notice: peak brightness, 2,000 nits against 1,200 nits (both Apple Support UK). The iPhone 15 is brighter, narrowly: typical brightness, 1,000 nits against 625 nits (both Apple Support UK), a borderline gap most people would not notice. Both state 1,200 nits for HDR peak brightness (Apple UK).
Which gets updates for longer?
Apple publishes no date for either; its record with retired iPhones points to 2030–2034 for the iPhone 15 and 2027–2031 for the iPhone 12, our estimate, not Apple’s. Sources: Apple’s record from endoflife.date and Apple security releases.
Other comparisons
The pairs a buyer of either phone would also weigh. Any two phones in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.