Hands-on: Apple’s iPhone 15 Finally Feels Like an Upgrade

Unlike last year ’s iPhone 14 departure , this year ’s iPhone 15 event felt less iterative and more like an rise than in recent class . Meet theiPhone 15andiPhone 15 Pro , Apple ’s fifteenth - generation smartphones . If you need to upgrade your iPhone from an sr. model , now is the meter to moot the kind of swap - in economic value you’re able to get toward a fresh equipment .

Apple ’s bread - and - butter sound , the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus , are more fun than their predecessors . Not only have they been redesigned with pearly , pastel colors and textured aluminium , but they play over some of the secure features of last year’siPhone 14 Pro , include the Dynamic Island and telephoto capabilities .

But which version of the new iPhone 15 is the most fun ? I went hands - on with theiPhone 15/15 PlusandiPhone 15 Pro / Pro Maxat Apple Park on Tuesday . I ’m excited to stress out the iPhone 15 Pro Max ’s improved camera organization , especially that 5x opthalmic soar , to equate it to Android smartphones with the same capabilities . But until we get the sound in for reexamination , we can show you a close - up look at the new Ti shield on the iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max , plus what it ’s like having anAction Button .

The 6.1-inch iPhone 15 in green.

The 6.1-inch iPhone 15 in green.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo

iPhone 15 Pro Max: The best you can get

The biggest alteration coming to theiPhone 15 Pro / Pro Maxis the Action Button . As with the first- and second - gen Apple Watch Ultra , the Action Button is programmable to perform a range of functions , though only one at a time . you could set it up from within preferences to turn on a torch , fervency off a Siri shortcut , or bring up availability features . By default , the Action Button do work like the bequest deaf-mute replacement , which you could still find on the iPhone 15/15 Plus .

The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max feature a fresh “ aerospace - grade ” atomic number 22 chassis with contoured edges . Apple said the Ti makes the smartphone much lighter than its Pro predecessor . I immediately felt the difference of opinion after retain an iPhone 15 Pro Max in one hand and ouriPhone 14 Pro Max review article unitin the other . Here ’s to hoping that means less radiocarpal joint tiredness with the Pro model than in retiring year — popping on a case and a MagSafe appurtenance adds to the bulk of an already dense gadget . The 15 Pro is still the unclouded experience — it ’s 187 grams compare to last year ’s 206 grams . The 15 Pro Max will still be a cogent carry . It ’s 221 grams compared to the previous year ’s 240 Gram .

Inside , the iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max runs on Apple ’s first 3 micromillimetre chip , the A17 Pro . Apple say the new CPU is up to 10 % faster than its forerunner , with its GPU potentiality up to 20 % natty than what was potential with the iPhone 14 Pro . Apple has also enabled tranquil gameplay through software system - free-base ray tracing . I ’ll be rummy to benchmark games on the unexampled iPhone 15 Pro and equate them with their Android equivalents .

The best has gotten better, and it’s not a bore!

The best has gotten better, and it’s not a bore!Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo

To me , the camera system is the most exciting part of the iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max . Although both machine have three television camera lenses , including the new 48 - MP primary camera with 24 - military policeman super - high - closure capabilities , the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the only speech sound capable of up to 5x optic rapid climb . Apple says this capableness is facilitate by its novel “ tetraprism ” stabilization system , which feature a combined optic paradigm stabilization and autofocus 3D sensor - shift faculty . I ’m peculiar how this performs on far - away shots compared to theSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra , which has a similar stabilization system .

The iPhone 15 is a cutie

Sure , the iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max has all the high - ending execution feature and the brand - new A17 Pro mobile C.P.U. . But none of the Pros come in cute pastel colour like theiPhone 15andiPhone 15 Plus . There are two size of iPhone 15—6.1 inches for the steady and 6.7 inch for the Plus — and various colors , including pink , yellow , blue , and black . I ’m particularly attracted to the young green one — it ’s precious in person . Apple impregnate the color throughout the ceramic flesh . The matte conclusion gives the phone the texture of tumbled ocean glass .

The Dynamic Island also makes a cameo on the base model iPhone 15 , which will expend all those apps and serve that have been functioning in that top part of the screen for the last year . But even more helpful will be the increase brightness of the iPhone 15 , which now goes up to 1600 nits manually and 2000 nits in direct sun . Samsung ’s AMOLED is no longer the bright smartphone showing in all the domain .

Of course , the insides have also improved . The A16 Bionic chip has been bring over from last year ’s Pro good example , with tweaks so it use 20 % less great power than its predecessors . There ’s also a two - camera system with a 48 - MP chief television camera . Apple has extended that 24 - MP tops - high - resolve capability to this batting order , along with a 2x Telephoto option that ’s less far - reaching than the iPhone 15 professional ’s but will be courteous to have on deal .

Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo

Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo

About that USB-C

The raw iPhone 15 , iPhone 15 Plus , iPhone 15 Pro , and iPhone 15 Pro Max now all practice USB - C cable television service to shoot and channelise data . If you plan to upgrade to the iPhone 15 once it ’s on sale on Sept. 22 , you must reconsider what ’s in your cable drawer . Lightning cables will work no more . Apple is contrive to sell Lighting - to - USB - C dongle . But expect to go out buying USB - speed of light cable length , especially if you ’re purchasing the Pro variant of the iPhone . The iPhone 15 Pro , in special , will be compatible with USB 3 for data transference speeds , meaning you might want a proprietary Apple cable television to get the fastest succus potential .

There’s more coming soon

The iPhone 15 and 15 Pro bring in a few other feature article for the iOS gimmick card . Emergency SOS via satellite has been expanded to include Roadside Assistance , though it ’s only in the U.S. and select regions at launching . Both iPhone 15 exemplar also include the second - gen Ultra Wideband chip , enable wireless connections up to three times farther than before . It should also help with Precision Finding in the witness My app .

The newiPhone 15 Prowill be on sales agreement Sept. 22 , starting at $ 1000 . depend on how much you want to pay , it ’ll come with 28 GB , 256 GB , 512 GB , and 1 TB of memory . TheiPhone 15 Pro Maxwill come out at $ 1,200 and is available with 256 GB , 512 GB , and 1 TB of store .

The regular iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will be sell the same day . The standardiPhone 15starts at $ 800 and is useable with 128 GB , 256 Great Britain , and 512 GB of storage . TheiPhone 15 Pluswill take up at $ 900 .

Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo