iPhone 15 hands-on: flagship specs at a mid-range price
The iPhone 15 — and its larger twin, the iPhone 15 Plus — pack a lot of goodies under the hood that will remind a lot of people of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as I learned during an iPhone 15 and 15 Plus hands-on session at Apple’s “Wonderlust” event — who wouldn't complain about getting Pro features in a less expensive device?
Standard iPhone models have felt paired-down recently. That's not the case with the iPhone 15, which inherits some of the most popular features of the iPhone 14 Pro — namely its processor, main camera sensor and Dynamic Island cutout. All of these capabilities come together to make a compelling case for the ultimate hand-me-down phone since you don't feel like you're getting a compromised device. You’re effectively getting premium flagship features for less than the $999 starting price Apple's Pro phones command.
In my iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus hands-on, I’ll detail what’s new and different about these two models. This could be the year I finally bite the bullet and make the upgrade from my iPhone SE (2022).
Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: Price and availability
Apple hasn't deviated from its past releases, as the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus inherit the same starting prices as iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. The new phones start at $799 and $899 respectively, which is a delight given how they’re flaunting specs that closely match the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. Note that if you buy either the iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus unlocked from Apple, you'll need to tack on an additional $30 to the cost.
The iPhone 15 comes in black, blue, green, and yellow, and pink colors. They may not be as saturated in tone as previous Apple releases, but I do enjoy the pastel-like hues. I also prefer these shades to the iPhone 15 Pro colors.
iPhone 15 preorders begin on September 15, with general availability in stores and online on September 22.
Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: Specs
Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: Design
Right away, I can’t get over how incredibly lightweight both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are in my hand. They make my iPhone 14 Pro Max feel like an overbloated brick, but their clean lines and solid construction make them every bit worthy of flagship phones.
Sporting an aluminum enclosure with contoured edges, I love how they feel comfortable to hold — with the iPhone 15 being the easier of the two to hold due to its smaller footprint. I find it much easier to reach all corners of the iPhone 15 display, rather than dealing with all the finger stretching that’s necessary with the iPhone 15 Plus.
Most of the iPhone 15's cosmetic changes are minor compared to last year's models, but the two biggest design changes to the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus include the addition of USB-C and the Dynamic Island. While I haven’t really leveraged Dynamic Island a whole lot with my iPhone 14 Pro Max, its addition on the iPhone 15 series gives this year's phone the same utility of being able to better access notifications and mini players.
Meanwhile, I’m indifferent about the iPhone's change to a USB-C port. I get the convenience it offers, but now all of those Lightning accessories I’ve bought over the years are essentially useless, at least without a dongle. Then again, with USB-C, I only need to bring one type of charging cable on trips to handle all my gear.
Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: Display
Displays are another area where the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus feel more like premium offerings. With either phone, you get a Super Retina XDR display that does away with the ugly notch from previous iPhones. The displays look a lot better now, while their strong brightness and vibrant colors capture my attention.
I played the The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer on the iPhone 15 Plus and I was mesmerized by the same colorful hues it produces on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Apple claims that the iPhone 15 screen has a peak outdoor brightness output of 2,000 nits, which puts it in the same level as the iPhone 14 Pro. That’s impressive if our iPhone 15 testing approaches that figure.
Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: Cameras
Nothing gets me more excited than cameras, and there’s plenty to be exuberant about with the setup on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. Most notably, you'll enjoy a substantial upgrade from earlier iPhones in the form of a new 48MP main camera that features an f/1.6 aperture and can produce detailed shots at a 24MP default resolution. This new camera includes a couple of special tricks that makes it pretty similar to the triple camera setup on last year’s iPhone 14 Pro series.
The main camera is paired by a 12MP ultrawide shooter, and while there's no dedicated telephoto lens like there is on the iPhone 15 Pro, you're not totally out luck when you want to get closer to a subject. Thanks to lossless zoom, you can apply a 2x zoom for 12MP photos.
I saw the zoom feature in action during my hands-on and I must admit that it’s a useful addition for when you need to zoom in. In fact, I really enjoy that the iPhone 15 covers 0.5x, 1x, and 2x ranges, which is a first for a dual-camera iPhone.
But the magic doesn’t end there with the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus cameras. With the new focus and depth controls on the iPhone 15 series, I’m able to take a picture and worry about the focus later. Through the Photos app, I can select a photo and adjust the aperture and focus point, picking and choosing what’s in focus and keeping everything else out of focus. The end result looks pretty convincing as a photo captured by a professional camera, so I’m eager to see it more outside of a demo area.
Apple doesn’t go into much detail about the iPhone 15's video recording. I can confirm that Cinematic video is available along with 4K 60 fps recording.
Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: Software
Having checked out the iOS 17 public beta on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, I’m acquainted with the software running on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus by default. Dynamic Island works flawlessly with the Music app, while the widgets on the homescreen do a better job of breaking up the traditional grid layout of the apps.
While Apple did tease iOS 17’s StandBy Mode during its product event, neither the iPhone 15 nor the iPhone 15 Plus support Always-On displays that would be more ideal for the feature. In other words, their displays will eventually time out and turn off when you use StandBy Mode — something the new Pro phones don't have to contend with.
Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: Performance
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are powered by Apple’s A16 Bionic chip — you know — the same exact one found inside the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. That should allow Apple's less expensive pricey flagships to stay ahead of rival Android flagships when it comes to performance.
During my time with the phones, apps instantly launched, while scrolling through photos and zooming in on shots were buttery smooth — the hallmark qualities of iPhones in general. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus handled these basic operations with ease, but I’m more interested to see how well it handles gaming, especially since Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered phones posted better graphics benchmark results than the A16-powered iPhone 14 Pro models. It’ll be a true test of the iPhone 15's performance.
Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: Battery
Even though there was no meaningful way to make out the battery life potential of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus during my hands-on time, I think it’s important to know that they’re very close to the iPhone 14 Pro series. Specifically, the iPhone 15 is rated to deliver upwards of 20 hours of video payback — versus the 23 hours of the iPhone 14 Pro.
Likewise, Apple didn’t dive into the charging speeds of the iPhone 15. However, it’s noted that the iPhone 15 can get up to a 50% charge in 30 minutes using a 20W charger. I was hoping for faster charging, but it's no different from last year's models.
Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: Outlook
I could see myself upgrading to either the iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus because they now have more of the premium features Apple usually restricts to its Pro phones. There's still an iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 15 Pro divide, but the additions to the standard model make it feel less stark. And I’d be saving at least a couple hundred dollars with the iPhone 15 instead of the Pro.
Dynamic Island, the upgraded camera sensor and a fast A16 Bionic chip may have been on the iPhone 14 Pro first, but that doesn't make them any less welcome on the iPhone 15 now. Throw in the telephoto capabilities and USB-C connectivity, and you have a winning flagship at a more attractive price.
