Phone (3) vs 15
It depends
Too close to call outright
These two are within 3 points overall, so it depends on you: keep phones for years → Phone (3) (supported until Jul 2032); want maximum speed → 15 (Snapdragon 8 Elite).
Value Score: Phone (3) 70 · 15 67 — methodology
The lifespan decider
When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.
Category by category
The 15's screen is the better one — 6.36-inch crystalres amoled, 2670×1200 (460 ppi), 1–120hz ltpo, up to 3200 nits peak, dolby vision/hdr10+.
The 15's Snapdragon 8 Elite is simply the faster chip.
Camera systems are comparable on paper — pick by sample photos.
Battery capacities are close enough not to decide this.
The Phone (3) is supported until Jul 2032 — 28 months longer than the 15.
Pound for pound, these two are equally good deals.
Full spec table
| Spec | Phone (3) | 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Price (street) | $799 | $750 |
| Display | 6.67-inch LTPS AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 960Hz PWM dimming | 6.36-inch CrystalRes AMOLED, 2670×1200 (460 ppi), 1–120Hz LTPO, up to 3200 nits peak, Dolby Vision/HDR10+ |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| RAM | 12GB/16GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB | 256GB/512GB |
| Battery | 5,150 mAh | 5,240 mAh |
| Charging | 65W wired, 15W wireless | 90W wired, 50W wireless |
| Rear cameras | 50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP periscope 3x | 50MP main (Light Fusion 900, f/1.62), 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto (Leica 60mm floating) |
| Dimensions | 160.6 × 75.6 × 9.0 mm | 152.3 × 71.2 × 8.08 mm |
| Weight | 218 g | 191 g |
| Water resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
| Supported until | Jul 2032 | Mar 2030 |
Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.