Apple engineers have poured their creativity and expertise into refining the user experience, with the aim of making the new iPhone 15 and iPhone plus better than the iPhone 14. But, is the latest offerings from Big tech company Apple worth the hype?
At first glance, the design features of the new models appear similar to that of the iPhone 14 series. The design language appears familiar, the color palette, though improved and updated, may not immediately grab your attention. But don’t be fooled by appearances alone. To truly appreciate the significance of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, you need to pick them up, use them.
Below is a comprehensive review of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, Selling at $799. highlighting the changes and improvements that deserves attention before making a purchase.
Design and Build Quality
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus may seem familiar in the Apple lineup, but beneath the surface, they bring substantial upgrades that enhance the overall user experience.
Luxurious Finish: The first noticeable change is the frosted back, which not only looks more luxurious but also complements the premium price tag of these devices. The finish feels good to the touch and also offers a satin-like smoothness.
Matte Sides: Unlike previous models, the matte sides of these iPhone contribute to a more professional feel while maintaining a resistance to fingerprints. Even if you attempt to smudge them, the marks are remarkably invisible.
Rounded Edges: the front and back of these devices now feature rounded edges. If you have the chance to compare them side by side with their predecessors in an Apple Store, you will notice immediately the improvement and overall feel of quality.
If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 14, your existing case may still fit and work perfectly with the new models. Including every button and cutout functions as intended, making it worth a try for those who wish to keep their favorite case.
Notch and Ports
Apple has a knack for fine-tuning its devices, and the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus come with noteworthy changes to the notch and charging ports. A visually apparent change is the replacement of the traditional notch with what Apple dubs “Dynamic Island.” this redesign to dynamic Island allows you to multitask more efficiently, you can keep an eye on ongoing tasks like a baking timer, while simultaneously browsing for a recipe, all without interruption of the previous notch.
USB-C Port: the inclusion of a USB-C port is in line with the industry’s shift towards USB-C. If you don’t already have gadgets designed for the older lightning port, this change is a positive one. As smart phones gradually transition to USB-C, having your phone on the same standard as your other devices means you can carry just one cable for all your charging and data transfer needs. The USB-C port is also color-matched to your phone, adding a unique touch to the iPhone 15 design.
iPhone 15 Screen Display
The iPhone 15 is 6.1-inch screen size, while the 15 Plus takes it up a notch with a 6.7-inch display. The display refresh rate is locked at 60Hz. Many high-end smartphones offer 120Hz displays for a smooth user experience, the 60Hz screens display might raise eyebrows.
Some argue that a phone selling at $799 in 2023, should have a higher refresh rate. This is the only downside I have noticed for the iPhone 15 and 15 plus. Though the average user may not notice or care about the difference.
Performance in Practice: The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus offers a smooth and responsive performance. Users upgrading from older iPhone may not immediately feel the difference.
Durability and Display Quality: The displays are remarkably sharp and exceptionally bright even in harsh sunlight, they exhibit impressive crack resistance, ensuring that your investment remains intact even after minor accidents.
Standby Mode Consideration: When the phone is charging and positioned horizontally, it activates a new screensaver-like interface. However, due to the locked 60Hz refresh rate, some of this standby feature may not be fully realized.
Battery Life & charging time
Charging these devices is not the fastest process in the smartphone market. It takes about an hour and a half to fully recharge the iPhone 15 and two hours for the 15 Plus. If you’re still using an older charger, be prepared for longer charging times.
Having a smartphone with high charging speed in is a hot trend, the absence of this feature on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus may not be a deal-breaker for most users. An excuse for this is that the iPhone 15 series comes with an improved battery life which reduces the need for frequent charging.
The iPhone 15, in particular, offers better battery life than any iPhone before it. While it may not compete with the Pro Max models, it still provides a full day of use with ease. Users can expect six to seven hours of screen-on time
Camera Quality
The camera feature especially for an iPhone is often a deciding factor for many buyers, and the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus comes with several noteworthy improvements.
48-Megapixel Sensor: One of the headline features of the iPhone 15 is its new 48-megapixel camera sensor. The 48-megapixel sensor on the iPhone 15 is slightly smaller than the one found in the Pro models. This difference in size might raise concerns, but the software improvements more than compensate for it.
Despite the having smaller sensor size, the image processing capabilities of the iPhone 15 outperform last year’s Pro models in both photo and video quality..
The Pro models features a dedicated telephoto camera for optical zoom, while the base models rely solely on digital zoom. However, there is a clever workaround. Thanks to the 48-megapixel main camera, you can zoom in by cropping the image, resulting in a 12-megapixel shot.
The iPhone 15 stands out by capturing photos at a 24-megapixel resolution, even though it features a 48-megapixel sensor. The increase in resolution becomes particularly evident when the sun is out, providing a noticeable in detail compared to the iPhone 14.
Night Mode and Low-Light Performance: Thanks to an extra layer of image processing known as the “photonic engine,” low-light photography on the iPhone 15 surpasses expectations. The night mode feature enhances the device’s ability to capture stunning images in challenging lighting conditions
Another exciting addition is the ability to capture depth information when taking photos of people or pets. Using both cameras simultaneously, the phones calculate the distance between objects and store that data. This means you can refocus photos after taking them, adding a new layer of creativity to your photography.
Market Value $799
When evaluating any smartphone, an important aspect to consider is its value and price tag, to justify if the features match the amount being sold. The price tag of these iPhones, especially in the U.S., remains consistent with the iPhone 14 series. However, if you’re in the UK both the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus come in £50 cheaper than the launch price of the iPhone 14 series.
