{"id":3419,"date":"2024-04-05T08:43:44","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T08:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aitesonics.com\/apple-iphone-15-review-the-most-substantial-update-to-the-regular-iphone-in-years-173204712\/"},"modified":"2024-04-05T08:43:44","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T08:43:44","slug":"apple-iphone-15-review-the-most-substantial-update-to-the-regular-iphone-in-years-173204712","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aitesonics.com\/apple-iphone-15-review-the-most-substantial-update-to-the-regular-iphone-in-years-173204712\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple iPhone 15 review: The most substantial update to the regular iPhone in years"},"content":{"rendered":"
New iPhones tend to be rather boring<\/a>. Not the pricey Pro models<\/a> that get most of the fancy new features \u2014 I\u2019m talking about the regular versions that are ideal for most of us. Apple has historically taken a trickle-down approach to its mainline phone, adding components and features from the previous year\u2019s Pros as part of the annual update. That\u2019s primarily what we\u2019re dealing with on the iPhone 15<\/a>, which starts at $799. However, the combination of those hand-me-downs, a revamped camera and the switch to USB-C make this year\u2019s regular iPhone a worthy upgrade.<\/p>\n Apple hasn\u2019t made sweeping changes to the \u201cregular\u201d iPhone design in years, opting instead for subtle tweaks that only a careful observer will notice. For the iPhone 15, the company kept the aircraft-grade aluminum frame but gave it a more contoured edge. For this reason, the new model is more pleasant to hold, but you\u2019ll only enjoy that if you aren\u2019t using a case.<\/p>\n <\/a>Apple88100<\/p>\n In an era when the \u201cregular\u201d iPhone has become a home for the previous year\u2019s Pro features, the iPhone 15 actually feels like a significant upgrade.<\/p>\n ProsUpgraded cameraSolid performanceDynamic Island is handyUSB-C is finally hereConsOverall design is getting staleNo high-refresh rate displayUSB-C is limitedColors are underwhelming$799 at Apple<\/a><\/p>\n Apple also made a significant tweak to the back of the iPhone 15, choosing \u201ccolor-infused\u201d glass with a matte finish that it says is a first for smartphones. The issue for me here is the colors. Apple\u2019s selection of black, blue, green, yellow and pink lack the pop of previous iPhone generations and are quite pastel in real life.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t a problem if you\u2019re a fan of those shades, but they\u2019re not for me. They\u2019re muted to the point I thought I still had a protective covering on the back of the phone. There\u2019s no white, gold or silver option, so you\u2019re only left with the black \u2013 that\u2019s really more of a dark gray \u2013 if you want something less Easter-y. The iPhone 15 is just as durable and water-resistant as its predecessor, so there\u2019s no upgrades there. You\u2019ll still get a Ceramic Shield display up front for added protection and an overall IP68 rating.<\/p>\n If a distinguishing factor on the iPhone 14 was the lack of a SIM tray, this year you\u2019ll want to venture to the bottom edge. Apple has finally made the change to USB-C, a slightly larger and more pill-shaped port than its Lightning jack. Of course, there\u2019s still no SIM tray as last year\u2019s model ushered in the era of the eSIM, making transferring your number to a new phone much easier and giving you the option for multiple lines on the same device.<\/p>\n Apple\u2019s decision to not upgrade the iPhone 14\u2019s display last year was disappointing, and while the company didn\u2019t go as far as I\u2019d like on the iPhone 15, there are some worthwhile changes. There\u2019s a new Super Retina XDR display that offers 2,556 x 1,179 at 460 ppi on the iPhone 15 (2,796 x 1,290 on the 15 Plus). That\u2019s not much different from the iPhone 14, which also had a Super Retina XDR panel. But, Apple now offers 2,000 nits of peak brightness and 1,600 nits of peak HDR brightness \u2014 both increases over the previous model. Colors continue to be rich and you\u2019ll get plenty of crisp detail, none of which is surprising.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, we\u2019re still saddled with a 60Hz refresh rate on the iPhone 15s; the higher refresh rate is once again reserved for the Pros. Unless you\u2019ve used a phone with a 120Hz display, you can probably live without it, but it\u2019s worth noting that other companies have given their base model phones a higher rate. The Pixel 8<\/a>, for example, has a 120Hz display, as does the Galaxy S23. And as my colleague Cherlynn Low pointed out last year, when you go from a Pro model iPhone to the \u201cregular\u201d version, the choppiness of the display becomes apparent when scrolling. Of course, the always-on display is limited to the iPhone 15 Pros, too, so you don\u2019t get ever-present time, widgets and wallpapers on the iPhone 15.<\/p>\nDesign<\/h2>\n
Apple iPhone 15<\/a><\/h3>\n
Display<\/h2>\n