THeiPhone15 continues Apple's slow trickle down of features previously reserved for the flagship Pro line phones to other models. But even with the new dynamic island, improved camera, faster chip and USB-C, the standard iPhone can't help but seem a bit boring.
The regular 2023 iPhone gets a £50 price cut in Britain, costing £799 (€949/$799/A$1,499), although other regions aren't so lucky. That makes it about €200 cheaperiPhone 15 Pro in the same size, with a plus-size version also available for around £100 more.
The 15 has the same combination of aluminum and glass as the iPhones of recent years. The aluminum edges are beveled this year for a softer feel, but only if you don't put it in a case. The screen is twice as bright as previous models, making it easier to read outdoors, but it lacks the always-on display mode and a faster refresh rate for smoother scrolling than the Pro iPhone models and Android competitors at this price.
The six-year-old notch design at the top of the screen that hid the selfie camera and Face ID system has been replaced by the smaller dynamic island first introduced oniPhone 14 Pro last year. It's useful for displaying timers and other bits and is easier to ignore when not needed. The mute switch on the side remains for the 15 and has been replaced by another buttonThis year's Pro models.
The phone also features the A16 Bionic chip from last year's 14 Pro, which is still one of the fastest available and makes the phone feel smart. The battery lasts about as long asiPhone 14– up to 48 hours – which is pretty good for a relatively small smartphone in 2023. This means you'll need to charge the iPhone 15 about every other day, which takes about 110 minutes when it's empty with a 20W USB-C power supply or more adapter (not included).
New for this year is the USB-C port, which, like the other 2023 iPhones, means ditching the Lightning cable and whatever accessories you have. The advantage is that you can charge iPhone 15 with almost any power adapter and USB-C cable, including those for laptops, tablets and Android phones, not onlyAppelunits. You can also use a variety of USB-C accessories like game controllers, SD card readers, and display cables, but keep in mind that the iPhone 15 is limited to the same USB2.0 speeds as previous Lightning-equipped models.
Specifications
Screen:6,1 inch Super Retina XDR (OLED) (460ppi)
Processor:Appel A16 Bionic
RAM:6 GB
Bulletin:128, 256 of 512 GB
Operating system: iOS17
Camera:48 MP + 12 MP rear camera, 12 MP front camera
Link:5G, wifi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C (2.0), Satelliet, UWB en GNSS
Water repellent:IP68 (6 meters for 30 minutes)
Dimensions:147,8 x 71,6 x 7,8 mm
Weight:171 gram
Sustainability
Apple says the batteryshould last more than 500 full charge cycleswith at least 80% of the original capacity and can bereplaced for DKK 95. Out of warrantyscreen repairs cost £289.
It contains recycled aluminum, cobalt, copper, gold, plastic, rare earth metals, tin and tungsten. The company is going bankruptthe impact of the telephone on the environmentin his report. Apple offers exchange and free recycling programs, including for non-Apple products.
Improved dual camera
The iPhone 15 has a dual camera system on the back, which features an improved 48-megapixel main camera plus a 12MP ultrawide, similar to last year's model.
The main camera captures 24 MP images by default, instead of 12 MP, and produces more beautiful and detailed images in different lighting conditions. It can shoot as much as 48MP images, which is best done in very bright light, and has the 2x optical zoom of last year's Pro models, which zooms in on the center of the sensor.
Perhaps a bigger deal is that the main photo mode now automatically records depth information when it detects people or pets, allowing you to refocus photos and turn them into portraits when editing them afterwards. It also means that night mode can be used at the same time for much better low-light portraits.
The lack of an extended optical zoom holds the standard iPhone back and remains the fallback of the Pro models, along with their more advanced photography and video capabilities. But overall the camera takes great photos without much effort.
Taken
iPhone 15 costs from£ 799(949€/$ 799/1.499 €) with 128 GB of storage space.
For comparison, the iPhone 15 Plus costs£ 899, iPhone 15 Pro bone£ 999, kost Samsung Galaxy S23£ 849, ThatGalaxy Z Flip 5cost£ 1.049, ThatGoogle Pixel7cost£ 599InFairphone 5cost£ 649.
Dom
For those with older phones from about five years ago, the iPhone 15 marks a huge leap forward with a fast chip, long battery life, a sharp and bright screen and the more convenient USB-C port.
The trickle-down effect of the iPhone Pro models also adds a bit of interest. The dynamic island of14 Procertainly improves on the older notch design. The 48MP main camera captures more detail and the auto portrait mode is a bit of a game changer.
But the same general iPhone caveats apply as in previous years. No extended zoom is disappointing, no always-on screen or high refresh rate for the screen is a loss, and the body color options are a bit too washed out and pale. None of these things are deal-killers, but they are features that can be found among competitors at this price.
The iPhone 15 is a good phone. It's just not as exciting as it should be for the price. You need an iPhone for that15 Pro, or switch gears and look at Android competitors.
Benefit:fast, good camera, good screen now with dynamic island, great size, USB-C, great battery life, long software support, Face ID.
Cons:no telephoto camera, screen slower than the competition and the 15 Pro, no Always-on display mode, boring color selection, more repair-friendly design limited by software locks.
