Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup delivers small but solid improvements

It’s another year of minor improvements for the standard iPhone. Nobody expects any substantial changes at this stage. The iPhone 15 improves on the iPhone 14 while making no significant changes to the formula.

Still, there are a few notable modifications. The vanilla iPhone finally receives the Dynamic Island from its Pro brothers. In reality, the display is completely new this year, with greatly increased maximum brightness. You’ll also get a new 48MP main camera, putting the vanilla closer to the Pro models. This includes a new default photo resolution of 24MP, next-generation portraiture, and 4K@60fps HDR video capture.

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iPhone 15 KEY FEATURES

The iPhone 15 display features rounded corners that follow a stunning curved design, and they are located within a normal rectangle. When measured as a typical rectangular shape, the screen measures 6.12 inches diagonally. The new 48-megapixel primary camera captures amazing photographs. Rounded edges, a frosted back, and muted colors create a slick-looking phone. USB-C Lightning has been replaced by USB-C, finally.

APPLE IPHONE 15 UNBOXING

Apple pays a lot of attention to packaging, and understandably so. Cupertino prioritizes reduction and reuse in this department, which is always a good thing. The crates have shrunk even more, allowing Apple to pack more units into a single shipment, saving money on transportation and lowering carbon emissions. In terms of materials, the box is entirely composed of cardboard, including the robust phone cradle on the inside, and hence recyclable.

The packaging contains a 1-meter-long USB Type-C to Type-C connection, a SIM ejector tool (outside the United States, the iPhone 15 is eSIM only and lacks a physical SIM tray), and some pamphlets. That is it. Nothing more. Nothing less. Apple pioneered the “less accessories” trend and is not about to retreat now. The good news is that if you already have a great USB Type-C charger, you may only need to swap out some Lightning cords rather than purchase a new charging brick. To charge the iPhone 15 properly, you just need at least 20W of electricity, ideally a little more, possibly in the 30W range to be safe.

CAMERA

The most significant improvements to the iPhone 15’s camera revolve around the new 48-megapixel sensor, which finally replaces the 12-megapixel sensor we’ve had for years. This isn’t identical to the 48-megapixel sensor featured on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is larger, albeit Apple has widened the aperture slightly to f/1.6.

By default, the iPhone 15 (and 15 Pro) shoot 24-megapixel photographs, which is an improvement above the iPhone 14 Pro’s 12-megapixel images. As a result, even though they employ the same chip, I prefer the standard images from this less expensive device. The additional megapixels provide a clearer, more detailed image that can be zoomed in on without losing detail. The photos are pretty good.

The iPhone’s specific camera software capabilities, such as Deep Fusion and Smart HDR, ensure that colors appear brilliant without being oversaturated, and this camera is incredibly dependable, whether you’re photographing a face or a colorful plant.

I’d give the Pixel 8 Pro the edge at night; the iPhone 15 still has a very reflective lens that stands out when photographing in low-light conditions with a lot of streetlights. You can still shoot decently at night, though, and the specific night mode is useful for static photos with little movement.

The front camera stays at 12MP, and the ultrawide appears to be the same as previously. The iPhone 15 also lacks the ‘Pro’ modes found on the 15 Pro, such as shooting ProRes and ProRaw. There is also no support for log shooting, and the color profile is flat, making it perfect for individuals who will grade the video later.

Even without a few of these Pro features, the videography abilities are impressive. Cinematic mode (which adds slight background blur) works up to 4K 30fps, while Action Mode (which keeps the camera steady during quick movement) works up to 2.8k 30fps.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

The iPhone 15 is all about refining; there is no substantial redesign here. Instead, Apple has updated the chassis that has been around since the iPhone 11. This is not a terrible thing because it results in a phone that feels complete, and comfortable to carry, and operate.

A few modifications make a noticeable effect. The smoother, frosted rear eliminates fingerprints and is considerably grippier than the iPhone 14’s flat glass. There is also a tiny curvature to the screen’s edge, making this phone even more comfy.

With a 6.1-inch screen, the iPhone 15 is one of the smallest phones available. It’s not a little phone like the iPhone Mini series, but rather one with a size comparable to the Pixel 7a or Galaxy S24. The iPhone 15 Plus is an option if you want a larger screen without spending a lot of money on the Pro Max. This has a 6.7-inch display and a significantly larger battery.

The remainder of the phone’s design is very standard. The front has Ceramic Shield, an IP68 rating for 30 minutes of protection from a 6-meter submersion, and the ringer switch is located on the side. This switch has been replaced by the significantly more functional, and entirely customizable, Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro. This is expected to trickle down to the iPhone 16 or iPhone 17, once the Pro has another flashy new feature to showcase.

Many of the additional functions in the iPhone 15 have been taken from prior Pro iPhones. For example, the Dynamic Island debuted with the iPhone 14 Pro and has since made its way down to the normal range.

This pill-shaped cutout is a welcome substitute for the weary notch, serving as both a cover for the multitude of cameras and sensors and a supplementary location for alerts to show. Not all system alerts appear in Dynamic Island; instead, it is limited to apps that have adopted it and select system apps, such as the phone.

The Dynamic Island performs admirably for some applications. If a song is now playing in Spotify, Audible, Pocket-Casts, or any other app that implements the Right Now Playing API, it will appear in Dynamic Island. Long press down to reveal playback controls, or tap to quickly return to the app. Some third-party apps have added smart features, like as FotMob, which allows you to pin the score of a live football match so you can stay up to date even when you’re in another app.

There’s still a sense that the Dynamic Island is a step toward the ultimate objective of an all-screen iPhone, and I’m confident we’ll get there soon. For the time being, it’s good to see the feature across the new iPhone 15, and maybe more apps will use it.

The rest of the screen is identical to the one on the iPhone 14, and herein lies my main complaint about the iPhone 15: it still lacks a fast ProMotion screen. The iPhone 15 is the only phone I can find that costs this much while still having a 60Hz panel, making it feel substantially slower than the 120Hz iPhone 15 Pro.

I frequently see individuals ignore this complaint, arguing that most people can’t notice the difference between a 60Hz and a 120Hz panel. I can only presume that folks making these claims have never used a quick screen for an extended amount of time, whether on a Pro iPhone or the low-cost Pixel 7a, because the difference is significant.

ProMotion makes the Pro iPhones feel significantly faster, whether through faster animations or smoother scrolling and comparing the iPhone 15 Pro to the iPhone 15 demonstrates just how significant the downgrade is. There is no longer a justification for the iPhone 16 to lack ProMotion.

However, the quality of the real OLED panel cannot be contested. It’s brighter this time, reaching up to 2000 nits in some very particular outdoor conditions, and it’s still a terrific screen for watching HDR film and images. Colors are also precisely portrayed, and the image is clear enough that no pixels are visible. The screen is pretty good; it’s just a bummer about the refresh rate.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

The iPhone 15 is powered by an A16 Bionic chipset, not the A17 Pro found within the iPhone 15 Pro. This is combined with 6GB of memory (2GB less than the Pro) and either 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of internal storage.

The A16 Bionic isn’t new, having previously been used in the iPhone 14 Pro, yet it still performs admirably after a year. This is an extremely competent SoC for a £799/$799 phone, producing synthetic benchmark scores that outperform many more expensive Android phones.

US models of the iPhone 15 continue to ship without a SIM card. Surprisingly, there hasn’t been any movement towards this in other locations, which all preserve the physical tray and offer eSIM as an option rather than a must. Just as it should be for the next few years.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Everything nice about the iPhone 15 was previously accessible on iPhones. There’s little truly new here, with all of the major additions taken straight from the iPhone 14 Pro.

Nonetheless, the iPhone 15 feels like a worthwhile purchase for anyone who owns an iPhone 12 or 13. Minor modifications improve an already fantastic design; the camera is more versatile because of the extra megapixels, and Dynamic Island is a better option than the notch. If you’re willing to pay a bit more, either upfront or on a multi-year contract, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is a significant upgrade for those looking for something a little more complete. For me, the higher price is justified by the better screen, superior zoom camera, and nicer build.

Buy it if...

• The subtle change makes it easier to grip and operate; we enjoy the new colors.
• Excellent build quality, up to 6m of water resistance, and industry-leading scratch and shatter resistance on the front glass.
• Extremely bright OLED screen, HDR10, Dolby Vision, and great color accuracy, plus the more modern-looking Dynamic Island.
• USB-C has arrived, and we adore it.
• Battery life is adequate given its size.
• Excellent speaker quality.
• Excellent all-around performance.
• Excellent photo and video quality across all three cameras.
• Every iPhone includes at least five years of iOS updates.

Don't buy it if…

• It is more closely related to S22 than S23, although having arrived 18 months after the S22 family.
• Heavyweight with large screen bezels.
• The battery life is not especially impressive.
• Strong GPU throttling, with chipset fragmentation by area.
• The pricing at debut makes no sense.

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