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Apple's iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are now official. These smartphones go up for pre-orders this Friday and launch on September 22. They will replace the iPhone 14 and its Plus counterpart with some minor upgrades after these two phones sold millions in 2022. This has attracted quite some backlash, with netizens slamming the new devices from the Cupertino, California-based tech giant.
The base iPhone 15 is also the cheapest compared to its more expensive variants. The larger Plus version will set you back $899, with the 6.1-inch least-costly alternative priced at $799. This ranks these variants in the mid-premium segment with the Samsung Galaxy S23, OnePlus 11, and Xiaomi 13.
This article will go over the best upgrades on Apple's new base and Plus iPhone versions. Moreover, it will also list some features that could've been better on both devices.
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Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.
The Apple iPhone 15 adds a ton of exciting features
1) Lightning is gone, USB-C is here
Probably the biggest update in the entire iPhone 15 series is USB-C connectivity. Apple has finally ditched the aging Lightning connector 12 years after introducing it back in 2012 with its iPhone 5. You can now use one cable to charge all devices offered by this brand and other accessories, given that Type-C is the norm these days.
Apple was forced to shift to this standard after the EU mandated every electronic device use USB by 2024. Moreover, the Lightning standard was struggling to keep up with USB-C. It had way slower transfer speeds and slower charging capabilities. It wasn't as rugged as its USB counterpart. Therefore, this shift is a welcome move.
2) Dynamic Island on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus
The last-gen iPhone 14 and 14 Plus didn't have Dynamic Island. Instead, they had the notch that was introduced with the iPhone X. Starting with this generation, the the iPhone 15 base and Plus variants feature a punch-hole camera with the Dynamic Island. This allows for more creative use of the available screen real estate and adds to the overall cool factor of your smartphone.
The entire iPhone 15 lineup supports this little software trick. That makes this series a step above the last-gen variants. Moreover, the Dynamic Island adds to the overall appeal of Apple's cheaper smartphones.
3) Massive upgrade to the cameras
The main cameras on Apple's iPhone 15 variants have been massively upgraded as compared to their last-gen counterparts. As opposed to a 12 MP wide sensor on the last-gen, these new devices sport a 48 MP sensor. The second sensor is a 12 MP ultrawide, which is no better than the one last-gen offerings boasted.
The upgraded 48 MP sensor is particularly useful for better portraits and performance in low-light environments. It's worth noting that Apple has claimed the new cameras will perform much better in any scenario.
4) Telephoto mode on the base and Plus models
The iPhone 15 base and Plus models feature a digital telescope mode that enables a 2x zoom. The resulting photos are produced in a 12 MP resolution and, with sufficient software tricks, look pretty good.
iPhones have lagged behind their Android counterparts in terms of telephoto lenses and zoomed camera quality. While Samsung has introduced up to 10x optical zoom with over 100x digital zoom features, iPhones were locked to just 3x up to the last gen.
However, with the new iPhone 15 series, this has gotten slightly better. The base and Plus can offer up to 2x zooming, with the flagship Pro Max going up to 10x.
5) Voice isolation mode
The new voice isolation mode for iPhone 15 series phones is a software tweak, rather than a hardware feature. It allows for better voice quality in calls, even in crowded or noisy environments. 15 series iPhones will use a machine learning algorithm that detects your voice and separates it from the background noise.
Apple didn't pioneer this feature, however; Google has been experimenting with a Clear Calling technology that works in a similar way for a couple of years now.
The iPhone 15 disappoints in a lot of ways
1) 60 Hz isn't enough for 2023
The base and Plus models of Apple's new iPhone still come with a 60 Hz display, which simply isn't expected from a flagship-grade phone in 2023. Most competitors already offer up to 120 Hz at this price range, which makes these iPhone variants seem like a massive downgrade.
120 Hz is locked to the higher-end Pro and Pro Max models that cost exponentially more than the base ones. The base and Plus variants' 60 Hz display is one of their biggest flaws.
2) USB-C is here, but it's only Gen 2
One of the most exciting features of Apple's new iPhones is their USB-C port. However, things quickly fall apart when you look at the specs of their connectors. Only the costlier iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models get access to USB Gen 3, which brings faster transfer speeds and is an industry-standard today.
The base and Plus variants are locked to USB Gen 2, a standard introduced as early as 2000 and only used by cheap electronics these days. This feature has a transfer speed of only 480 megabit/s (or 60 megabyte/s), which can prove to be very slow while transferring large files. Moreover, it doesn't support the latest USB Power Delivery (PD) technologies either.
3) The iPhone 15 looks exactly like the iPhone 14
Although the overall design language of Apple's iPhone stagnated a couple of years ago, devices in this lineup have seen a few changes here and there since. This includes a different orientation of the camera module, slight changes to the bezels, and more.
However, Apple's new base iPhone 15 looks exactly like the last-gen iPhone 14. It is only slightly narrower and shorter and has slimmer bezels, but these differences are hardly noticeable. This is pretty disappointing, given Android phone makers vary their designs wildly with every update.
4) No improvements to the battery life
Another major disappointment is the battery life of the new iPhones. We know that on-paper capacity numbers aren't very meaningful for Apple devices because of multiple software optimizations that deviate from the advertised numbers.
Hence, we are relying on the battery life numbers published by the company to convey how no improvements have been made in this sector compared to previous-gen devices.
Both the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus bring the same battery life as their last-gen counterparts. However, note that the iPhone 14 had a class-leading battery life, much better than its competition. Therefore, this setback might not impact the user experience in any way.
Both devices still bring all-day battery life to the masses, and a lack of innovation in this field will be covered by Apple's established expertise in making batteries.
5) No faster charging
Besides no improvements to the battery life, the new iPhone 15 models don't bring fast charging for users. They cap at 30 in wired charging and 15W with MagSafe. Wireless Qi charging is capped at 7.5W.
This makes them the slowest charging devices among other flagship-grade offerings on the market. Despite embracing USB-C, the iPhone 15 lineup doesn't utilize its fancy Power Delivery (PD) features at all.
