The base iPhone 15 model, as well as the iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, were released on September 12, 2023. These devices mark a significant upgrade over the iPhone 14 series. All four smartphones are among the best iPhones ever manufactured, and you can read our entire evaluation of Apple’s current basic model in our iPhone 15 review. For our comments on the other new models, see our iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max reviews.
Our comparisons of the iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max show how Apple’s top-tier phones weigh up against one another, but in this post, we compare the vanilla iPhone 15 to the vanilla iPhone 14.
IPHONE 15 VS IPHONE 14: SPECS COMPARISON
Even if the iPhone Pro models sell more, many still purchase the standard iPhone models. The iPhone update cycle is longer than that for Android phones, demonstrating how well these products are built from hardware to software and back.
If you still have an earlier iPhone, you may consider upgrading to the iPhone 14 or 15 (both are still officially on sale from Apple). Look no further; we have a comprehensive comparison lined up. The jump from the iPhone 14 to the iPhone 15 is one of the most significant we’ve seen in a while. The iPhone 15 sports a new, much brighter display, a new, much better main 48MP camera, and now uses a USB Type-C connection, to mention a few.
CAMERA
The iPhone 14’s rear camera has two lenses: a 12MP primary (26mm, f/1.5) and a 12MP ultra-wide (13mm, f/2.4).
Apple’s most recent ordinary iPhone also features a dual-sensor camera arrangement, albeit the iPhone 15 inherits the 48MP main sensor from the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, rather than the 12MP main sensor used by the vanilla iPhone 14.
Needless to say, this is a significant advantage for the iPhone 15. While the iPhone 14’s cameras are competent for typical photography tasks, they are virtually identical to the iPhone 13 (save for the enhanced imaging pipeline that powers them). The iPhone 15’s 48MP primary sensor, on the other hand, introduces pixel binning to the ordinary iPhone for the first time, resulting in higher quality 2x zoomed pictures and portrait photography, as well as improved shooting in all circumstances, including low light. Not to mention superior stability for both stills and video.
On the selfie-snapping front, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 share the same 12MP selfie camera (as do the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro, if you’re wondering).
DESIGN AND DISPLAY
The iPhone 14 has the same design as the iPhone 13 and 12, with flat sides and a matte finish. The IP68 designation assures that it is waterproof, allowing you to take it on rainy outings.
The iPhone 15 features a largely similar design, with the main difference being a modified chassis that has been available since the iPhone 11. It has a smoother, frosted back and feels much grippier than its predecessor, with a little bend to the screen’s edge that makes it more comfortable to use for extended periods. Another significant distinction between these devices is the presence of a USB-C port in the current generation, although the iPhone 14 retains the classic Apple Lightning port.
We discovered that the iPhone 14 display accurately reproduced colors while also providing enough brightness for dramatic HDR material. The 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display has a resolution of 2532×1170, but lacks ProMotion technology. The refresh rate is 60Hz.
The iPhone 15 does not include ProMotion, which is still only available on the iPhone Pro and Pro Max variants, but it does include Dynamic Island. We thought the pill-shaped cutout was a welcome substitute for the boring notch, as it served as both a camera cover and an additional space for alerts. Aside from Dynamic Island, the remainder of the screen is identical to the iPhone 14, making the Dynamic Island feature the only difference.
HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?
On the performance front, the iPhone 14 employs Apple’s 2021 (read: iPhone 13 Pro) version of silicon, the A15 Bionic, with the A16 Bionic reserved for the Pro siblings.
The vanilla iPhone 15 also benefits from the previous-generation silicon of its Pro-level predecessor, the iPhone 14 Pro (thus, the A16 Bionic), which theoretically makes the smartphone feel faster than the vanilla iPhone 14, albeit the latter is no slouch in terms of performance.
In other words, the performance gap between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 is equivalent to the one between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. Which isn’t much. The iPhone 14 is certainly quick enough for most people; the iPhone 15 merely has slightly more power behind the hood, allowing it to handle streaming, swiping, snapping, and gaming with greater ease.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 have the same storage options, with a base of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB at the top of the ladder. Apple does not publicly release RAM specifications, although both devices purportedly have 6GB of RAM.
GET THE IPHONE 15 FOR:
- The brighter display features a Dynamic Island design.
- Better battery life.
- The fastest and most efficient chipset.
- The new 48MP main camera offers improved overall quality.
- The more universal USB-C connector.
- The longer software support.
GET THE IPHONE 14 FOR:
- The lesser price.
- The faster it charges.
- Louder speakers.
- If you’re still hooked, use the Lighting port.
