Every time Apple drops a new iPhone lineup, buyers face the same old question: do you really need the Pro, or is the standard model good enough to handle your daily routine? Even though the iPhone 16 series replaced them back in September 2024, the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro still perfectly illustrate this divide. They both rock a 6.1-inch display, keeping them relatively compact compared to the massive Max and Ultra devices flooding the market right now. Honestly, they are manageable with one hand most of the time. You might need to grab them with both hands occasionally, though, since these certainly aren’t the tiny “mini” iPhones of yesteryear. The 15 Pro edges out the base model with slimmer bezels, giving it a modern, edge-to-edge look. It is also physically a tiny bit narrower. We did notice that the matte frame and titanium material can get surprisingly slippery if you are out in the winter cold with dry hands and no case.
A Shift in Materials and Features
Apple really pushed the envelope with the 15 Pro’s weight. Ditching the heavy stainless steel used in older models for a new titanium frame made a massive difference. It uses a clever hybrid approach, featuring an aluminum core wrapped in a millimeter-thick titanium outer shell. You get the dent resistance and fingerprint-repelling perks of titanium without the added bulk. The standard iPhone 15, on the other hand, sticks to the familiar, softer aluminum. It is lightweight, easy to hold, and comes in a bunch of vibrant colors, whereas the titanium models are stuck with muted, albeit sleek, brushed finishes.
Hardware-wise, the Pro boasts an exclusive Action Button that replaces the classic mute switch found on the regular 15. It is completely programmable. You can map it to launch the camera, open a specific app, or run complex commands via the Shortcuts app. It only handles one “press and hold” action at a time, so if you map it to the camera, you lose your physical mute switch. Fortunately, Apple added a digital mute toggle right in the Control Center to compensate. Both phones finally adopted USB-C ports, effectively killing the annoying multiple-cable problem. But if you care about moving massive files, keep in mind that the Pro hits 10Gbps via USB 3, while the regular 15 crawls at standard USB 2 speeds of 0.5Gbps.
Pushing the Boundaries of Form Factors
While Apple continues to perfect the traditional glass-and-metal slab, other manufacturers are fundamentally rewriting the rules of smartphone design. Honor has been a driving force in the foldable space for several years now. The Magic V2 was a massive breakthrough, becoming the first foldable thin enough to genuinely feel like a standard phone when shut. Then the V3 came along, bringing the software up to speed to actually take advantage of the larger canvas. Now, Honor is stepping up again with the newly announced Magic V6, and the physical dimensions are wild enough to make even traditional flagships sweat.
The Thinnest Foldable Arrives
When you pick up the Honor Magic V6, the first thing that hits you is the impossibly thin profile. At just 8.75 millimeters thick when folded, it is exactly as thick as the current iPhone 17 Pro Max. It even undercuts that phone on weight, coming in at a mere 219 grams. Closed, it operates exactly like an ordinary smartphone thanks to a 6.52-inch cover display. Snap it open, and you are looking at a sprawling 7.95-inch screen that is ideal for running apps side-by-side, browsing the web, or gaming like you would on a small tablet. Honor also threw in IP68/69 water and dust resistance, a brand-new anti-reflective coating to cut down on glare, and an upgraded hinge that makes the center crease far less noticeable than on older models.
Power Beneath the Surface
Right now, we have only seen a flashy red variant with gold accents, but Honor promises a wider variety of colors by launch. Under the hood, this device is a total powerhouse. It runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which is currently the fastest mobile chip on the market. That makes the Magic V6 not just the thinnest foldable out there, but practically the most powerful one, too. The engineers managed to cram a massive 6660 mAh dual-cell battery inside, splitting the power plant across both halves of the display to keep things balanced. We are still entirely in the dark regarding the camera specs, but there is plenty of time for leaks to fill in the blanks. Honor is not planning to release the Magic V6 until the second half of 2026. Pricing remains a mystery for now, though for context, its predecessor launched at roughly 1,500 euros.
