The iPhone 15 is still a great buy

Released in 2023, the iPhone 15 brought with it some of the most significant updates to the iPhone line since the iPhone X. These updates include a new dynamic island that changes how we interact with our phones, the introduction of USB-C to the iPhone, and a massive new 48MP camera. 

2024’s iPhone 16 built upon the 15’s changes with new buttons and the introduction of Apple Intelligence, but for those who don’t need either, the iPhone 15 is cheaper and better value.

Here’s everything you need to know about the iPhone 15:

Brighter display

The biggest visual difference between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 is the Dynamic Island. The feature itself isn’t new and was introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro, but it’s nice to see the feature make its way to the cheaper iPhone 15.

The iPhone 15 also features a new colour-infused glass back which looks and feels a lot nicer than the one on the 14. 

While the displays are technically identical with a 6.1-inch diagonal size, the iPhone 15 display is fractionally larger. The display is also brighter than the one on the 14, hitting a typical brightness of 1,000 nits (vs 800 on the 14), 1,600 nits in HDR (vs 1,200), and 2,000 nits outdoors (vs 1,200).

48MP cameras

The biggest update is to the camera system, which is now a 48MP F1.6 system compared to the 12MP F1.5 unit on the 14. At 12MP each The ultra-wide and selfie cameras, however, remain the same.

The 48MP main camera adds some additional capabilities over the resolution change. You can now capture a binned 12MP image or 24MP image, as well as shoot in a 2x telephoto mode by cropping the sensor. Image processing speed and the Portrait Mode is improved over the 14.

Video recording options include 4K60 with Dolby Vision support and a 1080p 240 mode.

Goodbye, Lightning

Our favourite feature by far is the iPhone 15’s switch to USB-C for charging and data transfer. Ditching the Lightning port now meant that the iPhone was now finally compatible with modern charging cables and standards, simplifying the charging process. Speed remained the same as Lightning (480Mbps USB 2.0), but you now have video output over USB-C with compatible displays.

The rest of the connectivity stack includes Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and sub-6 5G support.

Better performance

The A16 Bionic chip in the iPhone 15 is based on the same one found in the 14 Pro. It’s significantly more powerful and responsive leading to improved gaming performance. RAM remains constant at 6GB.

The one feature that’s missing from the iPhone 16 is Apple Intelligence, and this is largely because of the 8GB RAM requirement for AI. However, AI so far doesn’t seem as great as it was hyped up to be. The iPhone 15 is thus a great smartphone with more than enough power for the bulk of smartphone users in India. Given that it’s usually available at a significant discount, it is, arguably, a better deal than the newer iPhone 16.