“The similarities between the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 14 Pro cause déjà vu.”
The first reviews of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus appeared on the Internet simultaneously with reviews of older models, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, which we already wrote about. All four smartphones offer USB-C, Dynamic Island, and improved cameras.
The Verge notes the more comfortable design, especially on the iPhone 15 Plus model: “The edges of the phone don’t cut into my hand as older models did, and these tweaks even make it easy to hold the larger iPhone 15 Plus comfortably without the aid of a PopSocket or other grip. There’s also a camera upgrade with ultra-high-resolution images and updated HDR. Images captured by this new high-resolution sensor look like 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.”
The first reviews of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus published
CNET thinks 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 used the iPhone 12 for the past three years, I can say that this feels like a big upgrade. That said, if you have an iPhone 14 or even an iPhone 13, you can probably wait a little longer unless you want USB-C or Dynamic Island.”
WSJ praises the move to USB-C and says about battery life: “Am I excited about the USB-C charging port? Yes. 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.”
Wired went over the iPhone 15’s 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 the ultra-wide module, the camera will default back to 12 megapixels.”
