Introduction and specifications
Apple’s non-Pro lineup is arguably the most affordable way for consumers to keep up with the latest and greatest Apple experience without breaking the bank. The newly introduced iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models come with a handful of significant updates. There is little to no difference between the two in terms of features, so screen size, battery size, and price appear to be the main differentiators.
Last year, the big screen and big battery weren’t enough to justify the 14 Plus’s high price, and its sales were the lowest in the family. The Plus range may not have a much longer lifespan than the iPhone mini if sales of the 15 Plus are not as exciting as those of the 14 Plus. The future of the entire Plus series could depend on the success of this device that we have to review today.
It’s not like Apple set it up for success this year either. Its launch price is 50 euros lower in Europe, which is a good start, but the price in the US remains the same. And the fact that last year’s 14 Plus officially remains on sale will add an extra dimension to the sibling rivalry the 15 Plus will have to endure. In other words, if you’re looking for a big-screen iPhone, you have even more choice this year.
But this year’s changes are a step above the usual annual update cycle. This year marks the transition to USB-C for iPhone, and we couldn’t be happier. The convenience of sharing the same charging connector as any other phone brand on the market is unsurpassed. Not to mention the wide range of accessories you can connect directly to your phone, allowing you to easily transfer files, stream video to a TV/monitor, or even charge your smartwatch or earbuds.
Apple iPhone 15 Plus specifications in brief:
- Body: 160.9×77.8×7.8mm, 201g; Glass front (Corning glass), glass back (Corning glass), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 minutes), Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified).
- Screen: 6.70″ OLED Super Retina
- Chipsets: Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm): Hexa-core (2×3.46 GHz Everest + 4×2.02 GHz Sawtooth); Apple GPU (5-core graphics).
- Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM; NVMe.
- Operating system/software: iOS17.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm, 1.0µm, dual-pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚.
- Front camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/1.9, 23 mm, 1/3.6″, PDAF; Depth:SL 3D.
- Video Capture: Rear camera: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60 fps), cinema mode (4K at 30 fps), stereo audio recording; Front camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, Gyro-EIS.
- Drums: 4383 mAh; Wired, 50% in 30 minutes (advertised), 15W wireless (MagSafe), 7.5W wireless (Qi), 4.5W reverse wired.
- Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.3; NFC.
- Various: Face ID, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer; stereo speakers; Support Ultra Wideband 2 (UWB), emergency SOS via satellite (send/receive SMS).
Aside from USB-C, the main camera is now a more advanced 48MP sensor with pixel binning, which promises a substantial improvement in image quality, with Apple also promising great photos at 2x zoom.
While the screen size remains the same – 6.7″, the iPhone 15 Plus now boasts an OLED panel that’s nearly twice as bright and finally replaces the old notch with the pill-shaped Dynamic Island. Even if you’re not a fan of the software features that revolve around the Dynamic Island, you can still appreciate the more modern, Pro-style look of the home screen now that the notch is gone.
Under the hood is last year’s professional chipset: the A16 Bionic. The chipset is still a powerful and well-optimized piece of hardware, and offers faster performance than the 14 Plus.
Other than these changes, you still get the same ultra-wide camera without autofocus and the screen is still 60Hz without Always-On Display, which is a feature reserved for Pro models. Speaking of Pro-only features, the USB-C port here it only provides USB 2.0 speeds, and we don’t have the new customizable Action key on the left side of the device.
Unboxing of the iPhone 15 Plus
Just like the rest of the iPhones, the iPhone 15 Plus comes in a modest box containing only a few user manuals, a SIM ejector tool, and a USB-C to USB-C cable for charging. US buyers don’t even get the pin for the SIM card tray as these iterations rely on the eSIM only.
While you need to buy a new charger if you don’t already have one, the good news is that you don’t have to buy an iPhone charger. Any PowerDelivery charger should do the job. The recommended power is 20W, but a 30W charger should provide even faster charging in the first 40-50 minutes.
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