iPhone 15: Two-minute preview
Ring the bells, the day is here. Apple has opened the gates and let a flood of journalists (including yours truly) and analysts into Apple Park to witness the reveal of its latest and greatest iPhones (plus a few extras). And while it may not be the most powerful or exciting, there’s something to be said for getting up close and personal with what will likely be the new go-to phone for potentially millions worldwide in the coming months.
The iPhone 15 – as predicted – doesn’t break the mold set out by its predecessors in any significant way and it enjoys all the upgrades you’d expect, plus one or two you might not have. The iPhone 15 Plus is its larger sibling, while the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max offer considerably more power, slicker screens, and more capable cameras. What else is new?
With the iPhone 15, you still get a 6.1-inch 60Hz OLED display, but now it sports the Dynamic Island that was exclusive to last year’s iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, instead of a notch. It runs on a more powerful Apple-made A16 Bionic chipset (again like 2022’s Pro iPhones), while the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have been bumped up to the even more potent A17 Pro. Also, wave farewell to Lightning; like Galaxys, Pixels and pretty much every other phone out there, the iPhone now charges via USB-C.
As for the all-important camera setup, you’ll still find two lenses in a diagonal layout, but the main sensor jumps from 12MP to 48MP, promising better still image quality in a myriad of conditions – including low light and when zooming in or taking portrait shots – while video stabilization has been improved as a result too.
With Apple nixing a 64GB storage option a couple of generations ago, you can pick the iPhone 15 up in 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB configuration, with five iPhone 15 colors to choose from, all sporting new color-infused glass backs.
Running iOS 17 out of the box, the iPhone 15 gains all the benefits we’ve been waiting to test out for months (ever since Apple first showed off the experience, back at WWDC 2023 in June). From Contact Posters to Interactive Widgets and even StandBy (previously thought to be a feature exclusive to iPhones with always-on displays); there are a number of quality-of-life improvements that long-time iPhone users will appreciate on the iPhone 15.
Thankfully, for all that is new, Apple has left pricing well alone this year in the US, while the UK enjoys a notable price drop, and the phone becomes fractionally pricier in Australia compared to last year’s model. Available for pre-order this Friday (September 15) and on-sale the week after on Friday, September 22.
Hands-on iPhone 15 review: Price and availability
- Priced from $799 / £799 / AU$1,499
- Pre-order from September 15
- On sale from September 22
Although there was a rumor of a range-wide price rise this year, the iPhone 15 (along with the Plus and Pro) stays the course in the US, meaning the standard 128GB model starts at $799, just as the iPhone 14 did, one year earlier.
The iPhone 14 brought about a notable increase in price compared to its predecessor in the UK, so the fact that pricing in the region has fallen back down is welcome (the iPhone 15 starts at £799, while the 14 started at £849). Australian pricing is marginally higher year-on-year.
| 128GB | $799 | £799 | AU$1,499 |
| 256GB | $899 | £899 | AU$1,699 |
| 512GB | $1,099 | £1,099 | AU$2,049 |
Apple introduced all four new members of the iPhone 15 family to the world at its ‘Wonderlust’ event on September 12, with the phone going on pre-order on Friday, September 15. It’ll then be available to buy a week later, on September 22.
Of course, if you’re already sold on the promise of the iPhone 15, then head on over to our iPhone 15 deals roundup, where we’ll be constantly updating the best offers available on Apple’s newest entrant in the mobile market.
Hands-on iPhone 15 review: Specs
The main upgrades fall to a new camera system, the Dynamic Island and USB-C, but here’s a full breakdown of the hardware on offer.
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|---|---|
| Dimensions: | 147.6mm x 71.6mm x7.8mm |
| Weight: | 171 grams |
| Screen: | 6.1-inch 60Hz (2532 x 1170) OLED |
| Chipset: | Apple A16 Bionic |
| RAM: | 6GB (unconfirmed) |
| Storage: | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB |
| OS: | iOS 17 (at launch) |
| Primary camera: | 48MP |
| Ultra-wide camera: | 12MP |
| Front camera: | 12MP |
| Battery: | 3,877mAh (unconfirmed) |
| Charging: | 50% in 30 min (advertised), 15W wireless (MagSafe) or 7.5W wireless (Qi) |
| Colors: | Black, blue, green, yellow, pink |
Hands-on iPhone 15 review: Design
- Similar dimensions to predecessor
- Color-infused glass back
- USB-C instead of Lightning
At a glance, the iPhone 15 looks very much like the iPhone 14, but closer examination reveals a newly crafted aluminum frame that gently scrubs away the sharp edges making the iPhone 15 (and larger 15 Plus much more comfortable to hold).
So long as you like pastels, this year’s lineup of iPhone 15 colors includes five finishes (black, blue, green, yellow, pink), all of which showcase new color-infused glass, with the camera bump more seamlessly rising out of the back panel. It’s a good look. I especially liked the new Pink (very Barbie) iPhone 15.
That aluminum frame also now plays host to a USB-C port, where there was once a Lightning port; meaning you should be able to charge with just one cable, if you already own a modern MacBook and/or iPad – with the latter finally ditching Lightning on its base iPad 10.9 (2022) model last year.
If you opt for this more affordable iPhone, you will notice that it doesn’t have that nifty new Action Button. No, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus still have the classic ring/silent switch. If none of your friends end up with the iPhone 15 Pro, you won’t feel too left out (Oh, what am I saying? Most people will have the Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max – you will feel left out).
Aside from a tweak to materials and colorways, the Ceramic Shield protecting the back of the phone still plays host to a diagonal dual camera system, while on the front, you’ll now find an iPhone 14 Pro-like Dynamic Island on the screen, where the notch once lived.
Apple continues to offer some of the best IP-rated protection in the business, quoting figures that actually marginally surpass its IP68 certification against dust ingress and promised water resistance.
Hands-on iPhone 15 review: Display
- 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED
- 2532 x 1170 resolution w/ 60Hz refresh rate
- Dynamic Island instead of notch
Every year, we cross our fingers in the hopes that Apple will finally pull its baseline iPhone above the 60Hz threshold that the phone line has held since forever, and every year we are denied smoother viewing. While the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max continue to flaunt their lineage’s variable 120Hz refresh rate, the standard iPhone 15 remains stuck at 60Hz; it’s functional, and it’s fine, but it was already behind the curve of even far more affordable competitors and that gap continues to widen. Give us a smoother screen, Apple!
Beyond that, the Super Retina XDR OLED is a joy to behold in person, a little brighter this year – so Apple says (a 1,200-nit peak rises to 2,000 nits) – with the same resolution as its predecessor, producing the same 460ppi pixel density. Essentially, if you’ve seen the last two generations of non-Pro iPhone display, you’ve seen the iPhone 15’s.
Or at least, almost. There is one significant change to the presentation of the 6.1-inch panel on this year’s standard iPhone: there’s no notch. Instead, the once Pro-only feature that is the Dynamic Island now finds a new home on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, making it a range-wide feature for 2023.
Everything that the Dynamic Island could already do can now be achieved on the iPhone 15, and iOS 17 will hopefully continue to add new functionality over time, even if Apple didn’t have any functionality to add during the launch event.
Hands-on iPhone 15 review: Software
iOS 17 feels like a comparatively minor upgrade, over the beefier features the company introduced in iOS 16, however, there are a few (which our dedicated iOS 17 feature covers) of note that help enhance the user experience on the iPhone 15.
Contact Posters and NameDrop, real-time location sharing (called Check In) in Messages, automated blurring of nudity in Messages and AirDrop, Live Voicemail (complete with transcription) Interactive Widgets, and a heap more. Even StandBy comes to the iPhone 15, which is a surprise as it was assumed to be exclusive to iPhones with always-on displays (i.e. last year’s and this year’s Pro models). To be clear, without Always On, you’ll need to tap the screen to see the iPhone 15’s display in Standby mode.
The iPhone 15 feels as familiar to me as the iPhone 14, even with iOS 17. But it also feels fresher thanks the the new Dynamic Island. There’s a lot of information that can appear there, depending on what you do (directions, music, the status of your Uber ride). Essentially you end up with a pleasing mix of familiar and fresh and, I think people will like it.
Hands-on iPhone 15 review: Cameras
- 48MP main sensor
- 12MP ultra-wide
- 12MP front-facing camera
Design-wise, the camera system may look the same as the iPhone 14 and 13 before it, but the iPhone 15’s camera setup has a big secret. The main sensor that has – for the longest time – clocked in at 12MP, is taking a leaf out of the iPhone 14 Pro’s playbook and making the leap to a whopping 48MP sensor.
This introduces pixel binning to the standard iPhone photographic recipe for the first time and, alongside better shooting in all environments – including low light – should also deliver better quality 2x zoomed shots and portrait photography. Not to mention better stabilization across stills and video.
More importantly, the iPhone 15 can now shoot 24MP images that actually combine the best 12MP of information with the full details of that new 48MP sensor. You also get an effective 2x optical zoom, which is not a zoom lens but takes the middle 12MP out of that same 48MP image.
Beyond the megapixel bump, the iPhone 15’s secondary ultra-wide stands at 12MP, as does the front-facing camera (even if it is now concealed within the Dynamic Island).
I saw some photography on the iPhone 15 and even took some of my own, which looked good, but my short time with the iPhone 15 is hardly conclusive. I’ll deliver a verdict in my full review.
There are some neat new software tricks in the camera that now allow you to shoot in portrait mode with your standard camera. Basically, you start with a standard photo, the phone recognizes that there are people and that there’s depth in the photo and saves the info. Later, when you go back, you can transform the photo into portrait mode and even select which of your subjects is in focus.
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Hands-on iPhone 15 review: Performance & battery
- Apple A16 Bionic
- Up to 512GB of storage
- Same quoted battery life the iPhone 14
With the iPhone 14 series, Apple created a larger divide than fans were used to, by sticking the base iPhone 14 with the same Apple A15 Bionic chip that had been range-wide a year prior, while the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max received exclusive access to the more powerful and power efficient A16 Bionic. For 2023, that two-tier processor trend continues, with the iPhone 15 gaining access to last year’s A16 Bionic, while this year’s 15 Pro models sport the potentially much more capable A17 Pro.
I can say that the iPhone 15 feels, a least in my short time with it, just as responsive as the iPhone 14 Pro. The A16 Bionic is a fast chip and I’ve always had a hard time maxing it out. I expect that to be the case with the iPhone 15.
Storage remains unchanged from last year, with a baseline 128GB, a 256GB option, and a 512GB at the top of the ladder (the Pro models now start at double the storage). A story that’s much the same with charging – although (still unconfirmed) talk of a marginally larger battery than last year – paired with that newer chipset would suggest greater power efficiency, even though the company’s figures don’t suggest as much.
Apple still quotes 50% charge in 30 minutes and the same 15W and 7.5W wireless charging speeds for MagSafe and the Qi-standard respectively, but beyond that, your iPhone should still be able to last all day without issue.
Hands-on iPhone 15 review: Early verdict
With last year’s CPU and the vestigial silent/ring switch, the iPhone 15 (and 15 Plus) might seem like it’s getting the short end of the smartphone stick. The reality is that the A16 Bionic is still a wickedly fast mobile CPU.
Also, let’s not forget that the iPhone 15 did get both the USB-C port and even the fungible (and fun) Dynamic Island.
Best of all, it now has that big 48MP camera and it’s backed by all sorts of new iPhone camera tricks that will let you do many of the same things you can do with the more expensive iPhone 15 Pro (and Pro Max).
I don’t know how things will wash out in testing, but I think the iPhone 15 may turn out to be a very attractive and more affordable option for those who want to enter the Apple iPhone sphere.
First tested September 2023
