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APPLE IPHONE 15 REVIEW: IT'S MY DEFAULT RECOMMENDATION AGAIN

By Will Graf
Published Oct 18, 2023


The iPhone 14 was hard to recommend in 2022 due to the lack of compelling
features compared to the 14 Pro. Does the iPhone 15 change the narrative?

Hannah Stryker / MakeUseOf
Readers like you help support MUO. When you make a purchase using links on our
site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

 * The iPhone 15 offers an improved design with contoured edges and a matte
   glass back, but still uses aluminum for its frame to avoid fingerprint
   smudges like the Pro models.
 * The display of the iPhone 15 features Dynamic Island, which replaces the
   notch, and a higher peak brightness of 2000 nits when outdoors. However, it
   still lacks ProMotion with a 60Hz refresh rate.
 * Powered by the A16 Bionic chip, similar to the iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 15
   delivers excellent performance for everyday tasks. It also has a dual camera
   system with a 48MP main camera for detailed photos, but lacks some features
   of the Pro models.



In 2022, the standard iPhone 14 line was lacking value compared to the iPhone 14
Pro and Pro Max, which featured Dynamic Island, a significantly better camera
system, and other Pro features. While the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have been in
the spotlight, for better or for worse, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus bring many of
the iPhone 14 Pro’s features at a lower cost, effectively tightening the gap
between the different models.

Even though we’ve seen many of the features before, does history repeat itself?
Should you skip it and go with the pro models? Let’s take a look.

Hannah Stryker / MakeUseOf

APPLE IPHONE 15

Recommended
8.5 / 10

The iPhone 15 is the standard iPhone for 2023, featuring Dynamic Island, the A16
Bionic chip, and a 48MP main camera for even better photos.


Brand Apple
SoC A16 Bionic
Display 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR
RAM 6GB
Storage 128GB-512GB
Ports USB-C
Operating System iOS 17
Front camera 12MP
Rear camera 48MP Main, 12MP Ultra-Wide
Connectivity Wi-Fi 6, 5G, Bluetooth 5.3
Dimensions 147.6 mm x 71.6 mm x 7.80 mm
Colors Black, Green, Blue, Pink, Yellow
Display type OLED
Weight 171g
IP Rating IP68
Price $799-$1,129
Material Aluminum
Pros
 * Improved design
 * Solid dual camera system
 * Dynamic Island
 * USB-C
 * Good battery life

Cons
 * Only 60Hz refresh rate
 * USB 2.0 speeds for USB-C

See at Apple


THE DESIGN

The iPhone 15’s design resembles the new Pro models in many ways. The edges of
the iPhone 15 are also contoured, noticeably improving the comfort in the hand
compared to the last few iPhones. Additionally, the back of the phone is now a
matte glass back, departing from the glossy glass that was on the iPhone 14.

Hannah Stryker / MakeUseOf


However, the iPhone 15 continues to use aluminum for its frame. One benefit of
picking the iPhone 15 over the iPhone 15 Pro is that the aluminum sides don’t
show fingerprints like the titanium ones on the Pro models.

As for color choices, the iPhone 15 comes in Black, Green, Yellow, Pink, and
Blue. The colors are much lighter this year than previous versions.
Surprisingly, there is no red or white version this time, both of which have
been present on the regular iPhones since the iPhone XR. I don’t think the
iPhone 15's color palette is a bad choice, but it's definitely had its share of
criticism from others.

However, I still think the iPhone XR had the best color shades. If I had to pick
one model for my daily device, I would choose the blue option for my iPhone 15.

Despite not featuring a more high-end material such as titanium or stainless
steel, the iPhone 15 still has an excellent design that feels premium and
comfortable to hold without a case or grip. And it’s good to see that it still
comes in various colors for people to select from, even if they are somewhat
muted.





IPHONE 15’S DISPLAY: THE BIG 60HZ DEBATE

Hannah Stryker / MakeUseOf

Similar to last year, the iPhone 15 features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR
display, with a slightly different resolution (2556×1179). There are two main
upgrades for the display this time around. To start, the iPhone 15 gains the
Dynamic Island. It replaces the notch, and adapts to what you are doing on the
phone.

You can quickly access controls when using Apple Music, see the status of a
timer, and more. While it may seem like a gimmick, I find it occasionally
helpful and more aesthetically pleasing than the notch. I’m glad it is now
featured across all the new iPhones.

The second improvement to the display this year is a higher peak brightness. The
iPhone 15 can now hit 2000 nits of peak brightness when outdoors, just like the
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. According to Apple, it also has a higher peak
brightness when viewing HDR content (1600 nits vs. 1200 nits).



However, one aspect of the display that has been controversial is the refresh
rate. The iPhone 15 still lacks ProMotion, meaning that it is limited to a 60Hz
refresh rate. For the price of the phone ($800), it's a tough sell for many
enthusiasts who notice and appreciate a 120Hz refresh rate.

On the other side of the argument, many consumers likely won’t notice the
difference between 60Hz and 120Hz. And that is the target market for the iPhone
15: the average user. Jon Prosser, host of Front Page Tech, made an excellent
video that covers the controversy and links this debate back to the iPhone XR’s
display resolution in 2018, since it was below 1080p for a $750 phone.



My opinion on this topic aligns with Prosser's. If you don't notice, care, or
even know about your smartphone's display's refresh rate, you'll be fine using
the iPhone 15. People concerned about the refresh rate should look towards the
iPhone 15 Pro, since it includes the best specifications for those enthusiasts.



Still, I would have liked to see at least a 90Hz display on this phone; the lack
of 120Hz hurts the perceived value for many. But despite this, it’s still a
solid display in terms of brightness, color, and resolution. So, I don’t think
people should disregard the phone solely because of the 60Hz refresh rate.




THE A16 BIONIC CHIP

2 Images

Close


For the regular iPhone models, Apple continues its trend of bringing last year’s
new processor down to the standard phones. This means that the iPhone 15 uses
the A16 Bionic chip from the iPhone 14 Pro. The chip includes a 6-core CPU and a
5-core GPU, along with 6GB of RAM.

The chip delivered excellent performance in the iPhone 14 Pro series, and as
expected, it has been the same experience here on the iPhone 15. This also means
that the chip benchmarks similar to the iPhone 14 Pro Max in Geekbench 6.



Model

Single-Core Score

Multi-Core Score

GPU Metal Score

iPhone 15 Pro Max

2957

7481

27451

iPhone 15

2605

6588

22596

iPhone 14 Pro Max

2645

6689

22900

While it might not include the latest SoC, which allows AAA games to run on the
iPhone, Apple’s A-series chips still hold up over time, even if they are a year
or two old. The A16 Bionic can still handle the everyday tasks that people
purchasing non-Pro models typically perform. If that’s you, you will be happy
with iPhone 15’s performance. We'll have to see what processor the iPhone 16
will use since Apple gave the A17 chip a Pro moniker this year.




THE DUAL CAMERA SYSTEM

Since the iPhone 11, the regular iPhone models have included a dual camera
system that features a main camera and an ultra-wide camera. And the iPhone 15
is no exception. However, it now has a new 48MP main camera, similar to what the
iPhone 14 Pro offered. This increase in megapixel count allows for is more
detail in your photos compared to the previous 12MP camera that was in the
regular iPhone 14.


Hannah Stryker / MakeUseOf

The iPhone 15 also now shoots 24MP photos by default, providing a bit more
detail in the photos you take without needing to go all the way up to 48MP.



The photos come out true to life and not over-processed or with oversaturated
colors. Similar to the iPhone 15 Pro, the 24MP photos from the regular 15 have a
solid amount of detail. With the boat photo sample, I was pleased to see that
the iPhone 15’s main camera was able to accurately present the light from the
sun coming through the clouds, contributing to, in my opinion, a good photo.


Close


If you want to take 48MP photos, you will have to enable the toggle through
settings since it does not appear in the camera app by default. The 48MP photos
that the iPhone 15 produces do contain slightly more detail than the 24MP
photos, but the difference is not very noticeable on the surface.

Photos from the iPhone 15 are also a bit more zoomed in compared to the iPhone
15 Pro due to the main camera using a 26mm focal length, compared to 24mm on the
15 Pro and Pro Max. Unlike the Pro models, however, you can’t change the focal
length in the camera app.

For the ultra-wide camera, the iPhone 15 uses a slightly wider aperture than the
Pro iPhones do, but it’s difficult to see the difference in photos.

Just like on the Pro iPhones, the iPhone 15 allows you to add a bokeh effect to
certain subjects from within the photos app after you take the picture.
Effectively, you don't have to be in Portrait to take a portrait photo. Below
shows what a regular photo looks like with and without the bokeh effect.


Close


One of the headlining features of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the new 5x telephoto
camera. While the iPhone 15 doesn’t have a dedicated telephoto camera, the 48MP
main camera gets a new 2x zoom option, which you can use to take photos like the
ones below. However, when you use the 2x zoom, your photos will be 12MP instead
of 24MP since the new zoom option is possible by cropping the sensor.

Close


It's important to note that the iPhone 15 is missing some notable features that
the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max offer, such as the option to take macro photos,
night mode portraits, a dedicated telephoto camera, and more. But overall, the
iPhone 15's camera system is good for the most common scenarios. It's not as
versatile as the iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera system, but it's still good
nonetheless.





THE BATTERY LIFE

Battery life on the regular iPhones has been exceptional in the past. With a
3349mAh battery (ever so slightly larger than the iPhone 15 Pro’s battery), the
iPhone 15 has good battery life for the smaller of the two regular models Apple
sells. It can get you through the day with a mix of light to medium use. On a
lighter day for me, the phone would have roughly 58-61 percent battery left.

The iPhone 15 also has decent standby time. Overnight, the phone dropped around
6%. The fact that the phone doesn’t include an always-on display surely helps
maintain battery life since that feature can drain the battery faster on the Pro
iPhones.




USB:C: NOT JUST FOR PROS

Hannah Stryker / MakeUseOf

Like the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the regular iPhone 15 features USB-C and
eliminates the Lightning connector. The addition of USB-C means you get almost
all the same benefits of the port that the Pro models get. You only need one
cable for all your devices, charge your Apple Watch or AirPods with your iPhone,
and more.



The one specification difference, however, is that the iPhone 15's USB-C port is
limited to USB 2.0 speeds, which is a bit of a let-down. Therefore, it will take
noticeably longer for you to transfer files from your phone to your computer.
Regardless, I'm pleased to see USB-C on the iPhone from now on.




IOS 17

The iPhone 15 series comes with iOS 17, which includes multiple new features and
builds on existing ones. We'll cover a few of them.

Starting with the phone app, you can now use Live Voicemail to see a transcript
of the message while the caller is leaving it—this is more useful than it
sounds. It essentially lets you screen your voicemails and decide if you want to
pick up the call without needing to call the person back.

Hannah Stryker / MakeUseOf

Apple’s highly appreciated ecosystem feature, AirDrop, also received some
updates with iOS 17. Arguably, NameDrop is the most notable, which allows you to
share your contact information with someone else easily by placing your phone
near another iPhone or even an Apple Watch. NameDrop is intended to be more
convenient than having to create a new contact manually.


Image Credit: Apple

There is also a brand-new feature for iPhones with MagSafe in iOS 17 called
StandBy. When your iPhone is connected to a MagSafe charger that props up your
phone, you can turn it sideways to see information such as your calendar,
weather information, and various other options. It’s great to use either at your
desk or on your nightstand and certainly is one of the flagship new features in
iOS 17.

Lastly, iOS 17 enhances widgets by making them interactive. Prior to this
version of iOS, widgets that you would put on your home screen would show
information, but not let you interact with them. Instead, tapping it would bring
you to its respective app. Thankfully, you can now trigger actions from widgets,
such as resuming a song in Apple Music or checking off a task in TickTick. There
are also a handful of other third-party apps that support interactive widgets.



iOS 17 brings some solid features and quality-of-life improvements to iOS.
However, it does have its bugs, such as some animation stuttering and widgets
still occasionally disappearing from the home screen. It's a relatively new
release. Hopefully, those will get fixed soon.




SHOULD YOU BUY THE IPHONE 15?

Yes, if you don’t care for the iPhone 15 Pro’s features and don't mind the 60Hz
refresh rate. With the gap between the two iPhone lines shrinking, the regular
iPhone 15 is now my default recommendation for most people. While the 60Hz
display is difficult to look past for me, many people won’t mind it and are
possibly upgrading from an iPhone that already has only a 60Hz refresh rate.

The iPhone 15 is a good smartphone, making the standard iPhone worth paying
attention to again.

Hannah Stryker / MakeUseOf

APPLE IPHONE 15

Recommended
8.5 / 10

The iPhone 15 is the standard iPhone for 2023, featuring Dynamic Island, the A16
Bionic chip, and a 48MP main camera for even better photos.


See at Apple



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Related Topics
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 * iPhone
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About The Author
Will Graf • Staff Writer (87 Articles Published)


Since he was young, Will has been passionate about technology and has over a
decade of experience with Apple, Samsung, and Google products. The depth of his
knowledge is the result of years of research and experience with tech products.
He is keen on staying current on the latest product releases, news, and rumors.


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