Apart from the sound, the new iPhones also output video through USB C: just connect the mobile phone to a compatible monitor or TV so that the image from the smartphone is transferred to the big screen. This is very useful for presentations, multimedia playback or games, for example: with a connected Bluetooth controller, the iPhone 15 becomes a desktop console . The power of the Apple A16 Bionic supports this personality of the phones.
Let’s go with the external speakers. The iPhone 15 offers double stereo speakers: one at the bottom of the phone and another in the headphone area (upper area of the screen). The sound emitted by the couple is very loud, it does not cause too much stridency at maximum volume and it does not resonate in the bass. Yes, a certain predilection for treble is appreciated. And with a maximum sound pressure of 88 dB (measured with an external app and mobile phone).
That the iPhone 15 has the Apple A16 Bionic processor is a guarantee of quality and performance; Not in vain is it an SoC that has been offering very high performance in the iPhone 14 Pro. On a general level, the pair of phones in question performed just as well as my iPhone 14 Pro: fast in multitasking, with very high quality in games high resolution , I have not noticed an exaggerated heating even with more than an hour running Genshin Impact at maximum quality and, as a drawback, the one I mentioned in the screen section. Yes, 60 Hz undermines the perception that the iPhone 15 is capable of anything.
In practice they have shown themselves to be really fast, also when it came to running the performance tests: the two smartphones are at an equal level with the iPhone 14 Pro, their pure and simple numbers are notable. Of course, we already know that benchmarks do not determine the final experience with the smartphone .
Below I leave the comparative table of benchmarks executed on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
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IPHONE 15 / IPHONE 15 PLUS
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IPHONE 14
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IPHONE 14 PRO
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XIAOMI 13 ULTRA
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HONOR MAGIC5 PRO
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SAMSUNG GALAXY S23+
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PROCESSOR
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Apple A16 Bionic
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Apple A15 Bionic
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Apple A16 Bionic
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Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
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Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
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Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (for Galaxy)
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RAM
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6GB
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6GB
|
6GB
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16 GB
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12GB
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8GB
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GEEKBENCH 5/6 (SINGLE/MULTI)
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2,587 / 6,423 (6)
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1,728 / 4,469 (5)
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2,508 / 6,306 (6)
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1,982 / 5,492 (6)
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1,914 / 5,049 (6)
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2,019 / 5,308 (6)
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3D MARK WILD LIFE UNLIMITED
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11,807
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11,283
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12,463
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13,978
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13,741
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14,250
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3D MARK WILD LIFE STRESS UNLIMITED
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11,646 / 8,280
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11,409 / 8,458
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12,463 / 8,195
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13,926 / 12,788
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13,765 / 9,226
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14,018 / 13,968
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PCMARK WORK
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–
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–
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–
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15,048
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14,897
|
15,823
|
They have no problem completing any task quickly, reliably and without overheating, even during demanding processes. During long gaming sessions I found both phones warm, but without making them uncomfortable to hold. When trying to drain the battery on one occasion, the temperature was somewhat more noticeable: with 15 continuous minutes of recording video in 4K, the degrees rose until it was close to the heat warning . Although, curiously, I only got this warning during the 30W fast charging of the iPhone 15 Plus: the iPhone 15 did not exceed the limits.
The iPhone 15 does not have problems with excess temperature: although they logically heat up when power is required, the heat does not become annoying at any time
Although at this initial stage the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are grabbing headlines due to abnormal heat during use, neither the iPhone 15 nor the iPhone 15 Plus gave me those problems: the temperature is within the ranges usual . As I said, the heat warning did occur, although only on the iPhone 15 Plus during fast charging.
In terms of connections, there is nothing that I missed: the calls were clear both from my side and from the other person’s , fast on WiFi and without transmission interruptions, the 5G showed itself equally well, both They allow you to be geolocated even without a battery thanks to the inclusion of Ultra Wideband (UWB), the Spanish models offer physical nano SIM, space for a second SIM in electronic format and geolocation is at the highest level.
Battery: a leap forward that extends the time between charges
The evolution from Lightning to USB C not only makes it easier to find a charging cable, we have already seen that it also expands the use of wired headphones: it is easier and cheaper to find good USB C adapters and headphones with built-in DAC. And it has another advantage, one that iPhone users have been asking for for a long time: reversible charging through the physical port .
The iPhone 15 can charge other phones by simply running a USB C bridge, it is a great advantage. In addition, we must welcome the charging of accessories directly from the smartphone . Who hasn’t had their watch or headphones battery run out and been left without using them just because they didn’t have an external battery? Directly to the iPhone 15 and that’s it. Now all that’s left is for Apple to enable reverse wireless charging .
The advantages of USB C are notable, Android users know that well. It’s a shame that we have had to say goodbye forever to receiving a charger with a new iPhone: only the USB C cable still comes in the box. Braided and of higher quality than previous models , at least in appearance. And in white, nothing about the colors of the cable matching the color of the iPhone .
Let’s go with the autonomy data. Obviously, the iPhone 15 Plus lasts longer on between charges than the iPhone 15; as long as the use is similar. I took both phones out of the house using them under 5G on social networks, I made intensive use of the camera, performance tests, navigation, I wasted many hours of streaming (basically under WiFi) and I also played games; both casual and graphically intensive shooters.
The maximum battery consumption was around 9% every fifteen minutes. During intense gaming and 4K video recording.
The results are clear: the day of autonomy is common in both, generally a day and a half with moderate use and more than six/seven hours of screen time . On the iPhone 15 Plus the figure can be extended to up to three days using it with containment and under WiFi. During a Sunday away from home, I left in the morning with the battery charged and returned at night, after an intense day of photography in Barcelona, with a 53% charge. During hardcore gaming sessions the battery discharge on both usually drops to around 9% discharge every fifteen minutes . According to data provided by 3D Mark, the iPhone 15 has a 3,349 mAh battery and the iPhone 15 Plus has a 4,383 mAh battery.
Time to calculate loading times. For the tests I used the MacBook Pro’s USB C fast charger with 61 W power and the braided cable that the phones come standard with:
- 5 minute charge : 8% battery on iPhone 15 and 9% on iPhone 15 Plus.
- 10 minute charge : 20% battery on iPhone 15 and 21% on iPhone 15 Plus.
- 15 minute charge : 31% battery on iPhone 15 and 32% on iPhone 15 Plus.
- 20 minute charge : 42% battery on iPhone 15 and 42% on iPhone 15 Plus.
- 25 minute charge : 52% battery on iPhone 15 and 51% on iPhone 15 Plus.
- 30 minute charge : 61% battery on iPhone 15 and 60% on iPhone 15 Plus.
How strange that the loading times are even between two mobile phones with such different capacities, right? I thought the same. And I analyzed the charging power during all sections: the iPhone 15 Plus charges at about 5W more power than the iPhone 15 (reading taken on the smart plug). In the initial half of the process, the power negotiated by the iPhone 15 is a maximum of 25W; with 30 W for the iPhone 15 Plus. Above 50% load it drops to 20 and 25 W respectively. And when it reaches 80%, recharging stops, whether or not the battery protection mode is active: the last stretch can take up to an hour. Especially since with the fast charger it is common for iPhones to show the warning that an excess temperature has been registered. It hasn’t happened to me with a lower power charger (like my iPad Pro at 20 W), although the charging times are longer.
Photography: the lack of telephoto is better covered than it seems
The strategy of subtracting potential from the most basic models materializes again in the iPhone 15, and Apple finally increases the megapixels of its main sensor: from the 12 latent megapixels in the iPhone 14 we go to 48 megapixels in the iPhone 15 , identical number to last year’s iPhone 14 Pro (and the same as this year’s Pro). Of course, the fact that the resolution corresponds does not imply that the main sensor of the iPhone 15 is the same as that of the Pro: it is smaller ; which on paper decreases the abilities to capture light and detail. On paper, in practice things change.
The photographic section of the two models that I was analyzing is identical: you will get the same quality in the images and videos taken regardless of whether you get an iPhone 15 or an iPhone 15 Plus . These have the now usual double rear camera placed diagonally and protruding noticeably from the body. Its photographic characteristics are summarized in:
- Main chamber . 48 megapixel sensor, optics with f/1.6 aperture value, focal length equivalent to 26 mm and optical stabilization by sensor shift. Allows you to automatically save the image in 24 megapixels or 12; with shooting at the maximum capacity of the sensor, 48 megapixels. Always with the image and video processed.
- Ultra wide angle camera . 12 megapixel sensor, optics with f/2.4 aperture value, 13 mm equivalent focal length and 120 degree field of view. Images are always saved at 12 megapixels and processed.
- Front camera . 12 megapixel sensor, optics with f/1.9 aperture value, 23mm equivalent focal length, Deep Fusion and TrueDepth.
The photographic experience with both phones was at a very high level, both for the results and for the native possibilities of the shooting app. Apple still does not offer completely manual settings, although you can always complement the lack with applications like Halide, one of my favorites (for a fee, something common in the iOS ecosystem). There are no major differences in the interface with respect to previous versions apart from assigning focal lengths to the lenses, the welcome automatic portrait mode in default shooting or the inclusion of an electronic level to know when the shot is parallel to the horizon . Small details that complement the most important hidden part: the improvement in image and video processing.
The jump in resolution from the 12 megapixels of the iPhone 14 to the 48 megapixels of the iPhone 15 means that shooting with the main camera covers most of the requirements. And that is very positive, since this camera is a true all-rounder: the results in most situations are impressive, even at night . This versatility and capacity makes recommending a non-Pro iPhone even more accurate: neither video nor image taking is far behind in general terms.
Apple has reduced the distance between the Pro and the non-Pro like never before: yes, the superior ones have better shooting hardware, and more cameras, but the shots can be generically equivalent in quality
The iPhone 15 only takes photos in compressed format: either heic or jpg, ProRAW is left for the higher models (other applications can save in RAW). The iOS application allows you to choose whether to save by default at 12 or 24 megapixels: the choice will depend on whether you want to save some space or are interested in obtaining the best possible quality automatically . In addition, there is the option to mark the save at the maximum resolution of the sensor, 48 megapixels; always in compressed format (or heic or jpg, with the “Heif max” mode). I took most of the shots I took for this review at 48 manually with 24 chosen by default. The former usually do not weigh more than 10 MB, the latter tend to stay below 6 MB.
During the day, the main camera of both phones shows off with muscle in both key aspects: both hardware and software. The new iPhone 15 sensor takes shots with very high sharpness, even in background details: each element is still perceived quite clearly after maximizing the image . This is most noticeable in the shots to “Heif Max”; without the automatic ones losing quality, always better at 24 megapixels by default.
The colors of the scene are nailed to the originals, very high dynamic range, the focus is really fast and the detection of the subjects helps to ensure that people are always in focus automatically . As a personal wish, I would like Apple to implement autofocus with tracking set by the user, just like the Google Pixel does: click on the screen and the camera constantly keeps the chosen point focused. For shots with animals and children it would be really good.
Despite the logical difficulties due to the high light contrast, the iPhone 15 camera managed to offer a good quality image while maintaining a very high level of detail, even in dark areas. The automatic HDR was not too aggressive, the color temperature and white balance are correct and all with a weight of 5.5 MB in 48 megapixels. Too bad the main camera app doesn’t save in ProRAW.
The HDR risks something more in this shot, coming out with a note: blue sky nailed to the real thing, the textures of the stone are perfectly perceived even in the dark areas. At 48 megapixels in Heif Max.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus do not have a camera equipped with a telephoto lens, but they manage quite well by applying the cropping trick to the 48 effective megapixels of the main sensor. All these photos are saved compressed to 12 megapixels: if you apply some zoom to the capture, use the wide angle, night mode or portrait mode, the camera will save at a maximum of 12 megapixels . In terms of quality, the 2x zoom can be used without problem, even the 5x; always at the risk of seeing some pixelation in the image. Both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus max out at 10x hybrid: image crop and digital zoom.
At night the results are very good, although always with exceptions. If the scene is evenly illuminated, the iPhone 15 can take photons from its sleeve, even without activating night mode. They keep the white balance nailed and even preserve great background detail, such as text. Watercolors usually appear with zoom, something inevitable.
When the light is not uniform, the camera has many more problems. The night mode comes into action trying to expand the dynamic range at the cost of some sharpening and watercolors on the dark areas. With the activation of night mode all images are saved at 12 megapixels with a large loss of information along the way.
The portrait mode on the iPhone maintains the quality of the usual cropping and blurring, being effective not only with people, but also with animals and certain objects. It does release a novelty that is really useful: once selected in the camera settings, the sensor will save the depth information whenever it detects a person in the foreground ; offering the option to adjust the focus point from the Photos app. With iOS 17, it is no longer necessary to use external applications such as Spotlight to choose the amount of blur or the area that will remain out of focus.
The front camera offers no differences with respect to previous models, so there are no major changes in quality: the self-portraits are natural, good outlines, accurate colors and tones, and great treatment of light and detail. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro include the option to illuminate the face with the screen flash and the front camera can record video up to 4K and 60 fps.
To know the quality of the photos, there is nothing like passing them through the magnifying glass in their original size and without editing: I leave all the images I took with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus in this link to Google Photos .
When it comes to video recording, both the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus perform like a premium range in terms of quality, image stabilization, resolution and sharpness. From my tests, they have nothing to envy of the Pro, at least as long as the main camera is used: it allows up to 4K and 60 fps. The results with the wide angle are much more timid, it is generally better to refrain from using said sensor.