iPhone 15/15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro/15 Pro Max will be released on Friday, and the first press reviews will appear today. All four phones feature a host of changes, from the camera system to USB-C and more. Here’s what early reviews and how-to videos say…
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
Verge has developed a more user-friendly design, especially for the Plus model:
The edges of the phone don’t dig into my hand like older models did, and these tweaks even allow the larger iPhone 15 Plus to be held comfortably without the aid of a PopSocket or other grip.
There’s also a camera update with ultra-high-resolution images and updated HDR:
Images captured by this new high-resolution sensor are instantly recognizable as iPhone shots, but Apple has tweaked its HDR algorithms to deliver brighter moments than in years past. As a result, images appear less “smooth” and more dynamic than on older iPhones.
CNET makes the case that the iPhone 15 is more than just a repackaged iPhone 14 Pro:
The similarities between the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 14 Pro gave me a bit of déjà vu. But those with an older iPhone model will find many benefits in this update, from a new USB-C port to a higher-resolution camera, Dynamic Island, and a fresh design. As someone who has been using the iPhone 12 for the past three years (unless I’m reviewing other phones, of course), I can say that this feels like a big upgrade. However, if you have an iPhone 14 or even an iPhone 13, you can probably wait a little longer unless you’re really keen on getting USB-C or Dynamic Island.
All four new phones use USB-C instead of Lightning, and WSJ notes this along with battery life:
Am I excited about the USB-C charging port? Yes. Am I struggling with the transition? Yes too. In the car, for my wife and I to use CarPlay, we need to switch between a USB-C cord and a Lightning cord. (I even had to order a USB-A to USB-C cord.) Same thing in our kitchen. But hey, short term pain, long term gain.
When it comes to battery life, none of the iPhone 15 models I tried lasted significantly longer than their predecessors. However, one of the main reasons I bought the 15 Pro Max this year is because it lasted at least two to three hours longer than the 15 Pro. Additionally, I’m disappointed in my 14 Pro’s battery life and how it has deteriorated over the past year. Both the Plus and Pro Max models have larger batteries, so they last longer than the smaller models.
Connected to iPhone 15 camera system:
The entire iPhone 15 camera system gives you more granular control over your photos than the iPhone 14, even if some of the resulting images aren’t much better than the previous generation. The biggest update is that the iPhone 15 can shoot both 24-megapixel and 48-megapixel images, which can be pre-configured in the Resolution Control section of your phone’s camera settings. But this feature is optimized for shooting at 1X in decent light, whereas if you shoot at 0.5X or ultra-wide, the camera will default back to 12 megapixels.
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
The Verge takes advantage of the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s new 5x optical zoom:
Next to another Pro phone with a 5x zoom lens, the Google Pixel 7 Pro, the 15 Pro Max’s telephoto lens performs well. The Pixel 7 Pro retains more color detail in dim light, although I see a little more fine detail in the greens in the iPhone image. But you don’t have to check the pixels to see that the iPhone produces a darker image overall. The Pixel 7 Pro’s image is slightly brighter and cleaner, although the level of detail appears to be about the same. Oh, and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra? Beats them both with its 10x zoom lens.
As for the rest of the camera system:
Among these three, the iPhone doesn’t win in every category—special thanks to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s excellent portrait mode—but after a week of shooting with it in a variety of conditions, the 15 Pro was likely to hit the color mark I was constantly looking for. It’s the familiar iPhone camera, but now with a little more flexibility in composition settings.
TechCrunch discusses the new action button:
I know a lot of people who knew what they wanted to do with the Action button as soon as it was announced. I’m a little more indecisive and that’s how I deal with these things. I mostly switched between the camera and voice notes. I immediately thought I would become a cameraman, but having a camera button on the lock screen made me rethink that thinking. […]
The more I think about it, the more I like tying Shazam to the Action button. Being able to set timers or open the Notes app can also be useful.
In a separate post, TechCrunch reveals the iPhone 15 Pro Max Disney:
To be honest, I was quite skeptical about the 4K60 capabilities of the device. I figured this would reduce battery life, cause the phone to overheat, and be dim in low light due to frame rate issues. None of this was true. In fact, as you can see in the footage we captured for our video review, the Max Pro not only held its own weight to match a pro-level camcorder, but even outperformed that camera in low light and variable conditions. easy situations.
TechRadar explains what to expect in terms of file size when increasing the resolution of photos from 12 MP to 24 MP:
Every default image I shot on the iPhone 15 Pro Max was processed at 24MP. Yes, this is a new resolution for the iPhone, and Apple manages it by first combining the 48-megapixel data into the largest possible 12-megapixel frame, and then combining it with the full detail of the 48-megapixel sensor. The only downside is that 24MP images will be larger than 12MP photos (by about a megabyte). Apple reduces storage costs a bit by automatically saving photos in HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format). You can also shoot in 48MP RAW format for uncompressed images ready for editing.
Inverse provides some expected battery life metrics:
In terms of battery life, the rated battery life of the iPhone 15 Pro is the same as the iPhone 14 Pro. Apple claims up to 23 hours (video) / 20 hours (video streaming) / 75 hours (audio) on the iPhone 15 Pro and up to 29 hours (video) / 25 hours (video streaming) / 95 hours (audio) on the iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 pro max.
In my testing, this equates to a full day of battery life with the iPhone 15 Pro and almost 1.5 days with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Battery life will vary depending on apps, widgets, always-on display settings, etc. But “all day” seems to be a benchmark that Apple is comfortable maintaining.
And Wired praises the new titanium frame:
The frame of the iPhone 15 Pro is now made of titanium, a metal that is lighter, stronger and more scratch-resistant than the stainless steel that came before. Durability is good, but I’m more concerned with how light it feels. The phone is so light compared to the iPhone 14 Pro that it felt cheap at first, but I quickly got used to it. Switching to titanium gives the Pro a weight savings of about 10 percent. That’s not much on paper, but it really makes a difference when you’re holding your phone above your face while scrolling in bed.
I’ve seen reports online that titanium “discolors” the edges, but that’s not true. I noticed that in the case, the case buttons leave a ring around the phone’s physical buttons that is a shade lighter than the rest of the edge of the frame. Wipe it with a damp microfiber cloth to get rid of it and other stains. (Pros love spots). This color change is less pronounced on Natural Titanium (the top color) as opposed to Blue Titanium, but I can’t speak for other colors. None of this is an issue on the back of the phone, which is a nice frosted glass finish.