iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus reviews are finally out ahead of the smartphones’ availability. There is a general consensus amongst the reviewers that the latest base models are reliable and capable smartphones.
Both new 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch base or standard models offer features that were exclusively available on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max like the A16 Bionic chip, Dynamic Island, and 48MP camera.
Have these upgrades made the smartphone better, the reviewers certainly think so. Here is what they have to say about the new iPhone 15 and 15 Plus.
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus display reviews
The Verge writes that displays in the new base iPhone models are “great”; they can reach peak brightness up to 2000 nits outdoors, making it easier to read the screen in sunlight. The addition of Dynamic Island delivers an enjoyable experience and its expansion across the new iPhone series might also lead to adoption by more developers.
However, the published lamented the absence of an Always-On display and a higher 120Hz refresh rate, strongly.
A faster refreshing screen, like the 120Hz display on the iPhone Pro or countless Android phones, is nicer to interact with and look at. That’s important for a device you spend literal hours using every day — it’s not just something for “techies” to obsess over.
Scrolling is smoother, animations are nicer, and everything about the device feels more fluid with a faster refreshing screen.
We’re at the point where it’s inexcusable for Apple to be putting a 60Hz screen on an $800 or $900 phone, and it’s something that would keep me from buying either model myself. However, the published lamented the absence of Always-On display and higher 120Hz refresh rate, strongly.
CNET said that the Dynamic Island brings convenience by allowing users to view sports scores, change songs, track their order, and more through the interactive space and improves multitasking on the new iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. The publisher also applauded the brighter display on the new smartphones.
The Dynamic Island alone isn’t a reason to upgrade. But I appreciate that it makes the iPhone better at multitasking, which is important considering the iPhone lacks the split-screen mode found on Android phones. Since the Dynamic Island works automatically for the most part, there’s no learning curve.
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus camera reviews
Wired wanted to say that it loves the iPhone 15 because of its camera and Dynamic Island experience but settled for like because “No one should really love a phone.” The reviewer was strongly impressed with the photos quality.
The pics I took on the iPhone 15 looked dramatically better than the ones captured on the iPhone 13 Pro — the 15 captured more detail and truer colors, had better exposure control, and didn’t lag at all when shooting in lower-light settings.
Depending on the scene, it was difficult to tell the difference between images captured on the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro models (especially the iPhone 14 Pro) and the iPhone 15 camera.
The Verge called the enhancement to 48MP from 12MP in the base models a “significant” setup. Although the 48MP on iPhone 15 and 15 Plus is not the same as iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro, it captures detailed images with better saturation and vibrance than iPhone 14 or older base models.
Images captured by this new high-resolution sensor are instantly recognizable as iPhone shots, but Apple has tweaked its HDR algorithms to allow brighter highlights than in years past. That has the effect of making images feel less “flattened” and more dynamic than with older iPhones. Colors are also vibrant and saturated — not as much as Samsung tends to do, but more than shots from a mirrorless camera will be — and look great on the mobile screens they are typically viewed on.
CNET was impressed with the new Portrait Mode in the new iPhone 15 models. Users no longer have to manually switch to capture images with bokeh effect, the smartphones do that automatically.
It’s a fun addition that provides more flexibility when shooting and editing. It’s refreshing to see Apple adding more editing options like these to the iPhone, considering that’s typically been one of Google’s strong points with its Pixel phones.
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus battery reviews
Battery life on the new smartphones is good, but it is even better on iPhone 15 Plus. Testing by The Verge revealed that the iPhone 15 Plus battery can last till the next day even with heavy usage.
If battery life is more important to you than other things, you’ll want to spring for the iPhone 15 Plus. Its larger size affords a bigger battery, and in my testing, the 15 Plus had no trouble lasting through a full day of heavy use and well into the next. It’s easily a two-day phone for my average usage, even if I’m going to be charging it every night anyway. The regular iPhone 15 can last a day without concern, too, but it’s not going to stretch into the second day nearly as well.
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus: Pros and Cons round up
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the new iPhone 15 and 15 Plus according to the reviews:
| Pros | Cons |
| A16 chip delivers better performance | |
| Second-gen Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding with Find My Friends | Lacks Always-On display and 120Hz ProMotion tech |
| 48MP Camera captures high-quality photos and videos | 12MP UltraWide camera not improved |
| USB-C port makes it easy to charge iPhone 15, along with other USB-C devices | USB-C port supports slow USB-2 data transfer speed |
| Dynamic Island is interactive and great | Purchase a 20-W USB charging adapter separately for fast charging |
| Slightly rounded edges improve the grip and make it comfortable to hold | Precision Finding with Find My Friends is only restricted to iPhone 15 series |
iPhone 15 Plus might perform better than iPhone 15: Here is why?
As we know this year, Apple has introduced Pro features in the base iPhone models like the A16 Bionic chip built on a second generation 5nm process, Dynamic Island, and a 48MP Main camera.
The advanced hardware upgrades combined with iOS 17’s innovative features like new AirDrop, Name Drop, Live Voicemail, Standby mode, stickers, and many others will enhance users’ experience on even 6.1-inch iPhone 15 and 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus models.
However, I believe the consumers will be more gravitated towards the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus base model because of the larger display and longer battery than the 6.1-inch iPhone 15.
Introduced in the iPhone 14 series in 2022, the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus model replaced the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini. Because of its much smaller display and battery life, the iPhone 13 mini did not perform well.
Although the iPhone 14 Plus also did not do as well as expected because it only offered a larger display than the iPhone 14 for $100 more, and none of the Pro features, I believe this might not be the case with the iPhone 15 Plus as it now offers a larger display, Pro features and longer battery powered by A16 chip for a comparatively affordable price.
It could be the choice of many first-time iPhone buyers, teenagers, or users whose usage includes a lot of music and video streaming and a decent camera.
