iPhone 15 Series Monthly Review Main Camera Upgrade Exceeds Expectations, Plus Charging No Longer Annoying.

Monthly Review iPhone 15 Series Surpasses Expectations with Main Camera Upgrade and Improved Charging Experience

【Mobile China Review】It has been a month since the iPhone 15 series first went on sale on September 22nd. I believe everyone has already seen a lot of reviews on various platforms, whether they are in the form of text or video. In this “late” experience with the iPhone 15 series, I will try to talk about my unique feelings from a different perspective, hoping that through these words, you will have a more three-dimensional understanding of the iPhone 15 series.

Honestly, my choice to focus on the iPhone 15 series is biased. As a user of the iPhone 14 Plus, I am satisfied with the upgrade of the iPhone 15 series. Therefore, I am more concerned about the actual performance of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, to see if it is necessary for me to upgrade my phone. If I decide to upgrade, I have to choose between the digital series or the Pro series and embrace the titanium body.

The battery life + weight of the iPhone 14 Plus is the reason why I choose it.

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Before we begin, I want to share why I chose the Plus series. Due to my work, I often come into contact with various smart hardware products, especially smartphones. Since around 2016, I have been a “dual-wielder,” which means I have been using both an iPhone and an Android phone. This is the background. Before switching to the iPhone 14 Plus, I was using the iPhone 13 Pro, but the battery life has always been a problem. I always have to carry a portable charger with magnetic attachment when going out. This actually reduces the user experience.

<img alt="iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 15 Plus” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/1964_600x1000/1963952.jpg” title=”iPhone 14 Pro (left) and iPhone 14 Pro Max (right)”/> The iPhone 14 Pro series is great, but you can’t have both weight and battery life.

If I choose the Pro Max version, I will definitely have better battery life. But as a dual-wielder, weight is also an important factor to consider. Carrying two phones already adds a certain burden, and choosing the Pro Max version will obviously increase that burden. As you all know, in the iPhone 14 series, Apple removed the “mini” and added the “Plus.” With outstanding battery life and lighter weight compared to the Pro Max, I chose to use another Android device to compensate for the “loss” in the telephoto end of the camera. In other words, the iPhone 14 Plus is the best solution for me at the moment.

The compatibility between me and the iPhone 14 Plus is indeed very high, but the best solution does not mean perfection. For example, after taking photos with the telephoto lens on another phone, it is difficult to quickly share them. AirDrop and the cross-platform sharing alliance of Android are both useless. Mobile games often make me swing between iOS and Android. The appearance of the iPhone 15 Plus seems to offer the possibility of further optimization.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are the same as the previous generation products, with only differences in screen size and battery capacity, while other hardware specifications remain the same. Compared to the previous generation, the upgrades in the iPhone 15 series are indeed impressive. Starting from the exterior, the iPhone 15 series and iPhone 14 series have made some slight adjustments to the body dimensions. They now feature matte glass back panels and a rounder middle frame. The screen size remains the same, but there are noticeable improvements in terms of the LiDAR scanner and screen brightness.

iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 15 Plus

The matte glass back panel of the iPhone 15 series can be seen as a design downgrade from the Pro series, but it still maintains the colorful options similar to the iPhone number series. However, due to the matte texture, the colors on the back panel may appear faded, making the camera lens deco colors appear more vibrant, which is the opposite effect compared to the iPhone 14 series.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 Pro

The matte glass texture feels very delicate and has a certain fingerprint resistance, which has already been implemented in the Pro series, so I won’t analyze it further since most users will be using cases. In terms of color options, pink is the most anticipated, and I admit it does look good, especially with the matte glass effect. However, personally, I prefer green and blue, and coincidentally, these two colors are available in this lineup. The matte glass back panel gives the colors a fresh and unique feeling, even though they may appear “dull.”

The dimensions of the iPhone 15 are 147.6×71.6×7.8mm, while the iPhone 14 measures 146.7×71.5×7.8mm. As for the iPhone 15 Plus, it measures 160.9×77.8×7.8mm, compared to the iPhone 14 Plus, which measures 160.8×78.1×7.8mm. As I mentioned earlier, these are minor adjustments, with the most significant changes being within 1mm. The weight difference is also only 1 gram (the Plus version is 2 grams lighter). In principle, their grip should feel almost identical, but due to the smoother transition between the matte glass and metal middle frame, there is a noticeable improvement in the tactile experience, although this is all based on using the phone without a case.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have slight size adjustments

In the habits of Chinese smartphone users, protective cases and screen protectors are probably essential, especially now that phone cases not only provide protection, but also serve a greater “benefit” in showcasing personality, and even have a certain social effect. It is important to note that due to slight adjustments in the body size of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, the cases of the two generations of products are not interchangeable. For example, if I use the Pitaka carbon fiber case from my iPhone 14 Plus on the iPhone 15 Plus, the button positions are fine, and the opening for the camera deco is barely suitable, but the adjustment of the frame prevents the case from fitting securely on the device, which makes it loose.

The case is barely compatible, not recommended for perfectionists.

I also tried putting my iPhone 14 Plus into the original Apple silicone case for the iPhone 15 Plus. The button and opening positions were not a big issue, but it required quite a bit of force to fit the device completely into the case, meaning the case size is slightly smaller. However, it is likely that many online stores selling phone cases will mix and sell products for both models, so it is advisable for users to consult before purchasing, as creating molds also incurs a significant cost.

Often activates the iOS 17 business card sharing when taking photos.

Here’s a little story to share: when I first got my iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, I naturally compared the difference in screen bezels and frame treatments with my iPhone 14 Plus, unintentionally triggering the iOS 17 business card sharing feature. It continued to trigger when I took photos with the phones together. I didn’t turn off this feature immediately, but obviously, the unedited business cards are rather ugly. And considering the habits of Chinese users, the practicality of this feature is also questionable.

The iPhone 15 series all adopt the “Ingenious Island” design, which enhances the interaction experience. “Going to the island” is a title many media outlets used when the iPhone 15 was first released. I won’t go into too much detail about what the Ingenious Island can do, but at least its introduction allows the iPhone 15 series to keep up with the trends. Compared to the iPhone 14 series, the coverage area of certain games has also changed, which is similar to the updates when the iPhone 14 Pro series was first launched. The impact of this coverage in the gaming experience is not significant because of the existence of safe zones, combined with the fact that edge positions are generally not important for interaction.

<img alt="iPhone 15全系“上岛”” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172_600x375/2171462.jpg” title=”iPhone 15全系“上岛”“/> iPhone 15全系“上岛”

If you’re upgrading from an iPhone with a “notch” screen, you may need some time to adjust. Although the blocked area doesn’t affect functionality much, it has to be admitted that compared to the “notch”, the visually-appealing island blocks more of the screen.

<img alt="游戏场景下“刘海”的可接受程度比灵动岛更高” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172_600x375/2171463.jpg” title=”游戏场景下“刘海”的可接受程度比灵动岛更高“/> The acceptability of the “notch” in gaming scenarios is higher than that of the dynamic island.

One small detail is that after upgrading to the dynamic island, the earpiece on the iPhone 15 series has become smaller, meaning it is consistent with the iPhone 14 Pro series and the iPhone 15 Pro series. This has almost no impact on usage and visual experience, except for screen protectors. If you happen to have extra iPhone 14 Plus screen protectors, they can be used, but the earpiece position will look a bit strange. If you have screen protectors for the iPhone 14 Pro Max, they should work fine.

<img alt="iPhone 15系列的听筒尺寸明显缩小” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172_600x375/2171464.jpg” title=”iPhone 15系列的听筒尺寸明显缩小“/> The earpiece size of the iPhone 15 series has noticeably decreased.

The maximum brightness and HDR brightness of the iPhone 15 series are 1000 nits and 1600 nits, respectively, while the corresponding values for the iPhone 14 series are 800 nits and 1200 nits. In addition, the iPhone 15 series also has a 2000 nits excitation (outdoor) brightness, so in terms of sensory perception, the display effect of the iPhone 15 series is better than that of the iPhone 14 series. In terms of numbers alone, the maximum brightness and HDR brightness of the iPhone 15 series have been upgraded by 200 nits and 400 nits, but the difference is not significant in other scenes except for displaying HDR. However, when it comes to outdoor excitation brightness, the iPhone 15 series equals the screen brightness of the iPhone 14 Pro series and the improvement in direct sunlight is huge.

<img alt="室内常规光源下差异不是很明显” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172_600x375/2171479.jpg” title=”室内常规光源下差异不是很明显“/> The difference is not very noticeable under indoor regular lighting.

The replacement of the USB-C interface is also well known. Compared to the Pro models, the iPhone 15 series uses USB-C interfaces, but the data transfer speed standards are different. The digital series only supports the USB 2.0 standard, but this doesn’t have much impact. However, the charging speed experience is definitely improved. We conducted a “long-lasting” charging test specifically for the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and iPhone 14 Plus models.

<img alt="Finally achieving interface unity” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172_600x375/2171466.jpg” title=”Finally achieving interface unity“/> Finally achieving interface unity

First of all, let’s talk about the testing conditions. During the testing process, the initial battery level of all phones was 1%, and the charging optimization function was turned off in battery health. The iPhone 14 Plus is a special case because it was the previous flagship device and its battery health is 97%, which means there is a slight reduction in battery capacity, but this proportion doesn’t have a significant impact on the results.

<img alt="Anker PowerPortIII+ original USB-C braided cable” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172_600x375/2171496.jpg” title=”Anker PowerPortIII+ original USB-C braided cable“/> Anker PowerPortIII+ original USB-C braided cable

In addition, the charger used is the Anker PowerPortIII 65W PD charger (supports 27W output), and the cables used are original braided cables and MFi certified Lightning cables. The room temperature throughout the charging process is 25℃, which is a suitable temperature that has a minimal impact on the test results. Let’s start with the test results of the iPhone 14 Plus. It took a total of 2 hours and 27 minutes to charge from 1% to 100%. The 1%-60% interval is relatively fast and also the temperature of the device is the highest. Charging power clearly decreases from 60% to 80%, and further decreases after 80%. From 90% onwards, it can be considered as trickle charging. Initially, I was a bit skeptical about this performance, but later I checked the test results on a charger review website, which confirmed the accuracy of my test results. According to the charger review website, the complete charging time for iPhone 14 is 1 hour and 43 minutes, which can be taken as reference.

<img alt="Charging speed comparison” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172_600x375/2171465.png” title=”Charging speed comparison“/> Charging speed comparison

Now let’s take a look at the results using USB-C. The iPhone 15 took 97 minutes and 53 seconds to charge from 1% to 100%. The 1%-80% interval can be considered as the first stage, and the charging power significantly decreases between 80% and 90%. The charging power gradually slows down between 90% and 95%, and after 95%, it basically enters the trickle charging state. What surprised me is that the charging speed of the iPhone 15 Plus is almost the same as the iPhone 15, or even slightly faster in the early stages. However, the overall progress curve remains consistent, which can be seen from the chart and the detailed data below.

To be honest, whether it was when it first supported 18W PD fast charging or now with the switch to USB-C, iPhone’s charging speed has always been overshadowed by Android phones, especially Chinese brands. However, in a vertical comparison, the charging time of the Plus version has been reduced from 147 minutes to 97 minutes, which makes the interface switch quite meaningful.

<img alt="“Power supplement pack” that I always bring on business trips” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172_600x375/2171495.jpg” title=”“Power supplement pack” that I always bring on business trips“/> “Power supplement pack” that I always bring on business trips

Furthermore, the interface change has also improved the convenience of my business trips as a dual-wielder. When I first got the iPhone 15 Plus and saw that the battery was low, I instinctively picked up the Lightning cable on the table to charge it, only to realize that it couldn’t plug in and that the interface had already been changed. Therefore, when I travel, I no longer need to carry an extra Lightning data cable, and I don’t have to keep a Lightning cable in my backpack for special situations. But the awkward part is that my AirPods 3 still use the Lightning interface, so if I want to completely get rid of it, I can only buy a new pair of AirPods Pro.

In terms of imaging, although the iPhone 15 series still features a combination of ultra-wide-angle and wide-angle dual cameras, the main camera has been upgraded from 12 million pixels to 48 million pixels, which supports equivalent 2x optical zoom. This is achieved by using high pixel count in the main camera and cropping, which happens to be what I value.

The imaging improvement of the iPhone 15 series is the part I am most excited about

It must be clarified that when the iPhone 15 series was officially announced, many people mistakenly thought that the main camera of the iPhone 15 series was upgraded to the same IMX803 sensor as the iPhone 14/15 Pro series. However, the actual sensor size is 1/1.5 inches, not 1/1.3 inches like the IMX803. However, there are sources that indicate that it uses a dual-layered photodiode sensor. But currently, Sony’s official Lytia optics series products do not have a 1.5-inch sensor size. If the iPhone 15 series does indeed use a sensor with dual-layered photodiode technology, it must be custom-made.

Shot with iPhone 14 Plus

Shot with iPhone 15 Plus

Next, let’s analyze the performance of the main camera of the iPhone 15 series from two dimensions. First, compared with the previous iPhone 14 series, let’s review the main camera parameters of the iPhone 14 series, which are 12 million pixels and 1/1.65 inches (pixel size of 1.9μm). Let’s use this set of daytime outdoor sample photos as a reference. In the sample photo of the iPhone 15 Plus, the colors of the red brick building, sky, and trees are more accurately reproduced and closer to the colors I see with my own eyes, while the colors in the sample photo taken with the iPhone 14 Plus have a slight greenish tint.

Reference scene for the image

Another group of photos taken of distant high-rise buildings, everyone can refer to the entire landscape. Capturing screenshots at 100% zoom and comparing them, in 12MP mode, the iPhone 15 Plus (middle) has slightly better details in the distant buildings compared to the iPhone 14 Plus (left), reducing the smearing feeling and making the image look cleaner. There is indeed an improvement with the increase in sensor size, but the improvement is limited.

<img alt="Zoomed-in comparison of image quality details” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172/2171471.jpg” title=”Zoomed-in comparison of image quality details“/> Zoomed-in comparison of image quality details

In the high-resolution (48MP) mode, the improvement in resolution of the photos taken by the iPhone 15 Plus (far right) in the same position is very obvious, after all, the information and capacity of the photos are significantly increased in 48MP mode. Moreover, this comparison also shows that in the pursuit of resolution and under sufficient lighting conditions, the high-resolution mode can indeed bring more advantageous image quality performance.

<img alt="Sample night photo taken by iPhone 14 Plus” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172/2171472.jpg” title=”Sample night photo taken by iPhone 14 Plus“/> Sample night photo taken by iPhone 14 Plus

<img alt="Sample night photo taken by iPhone 15 Plus” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172/2171473.jpg” title=”Sample night photo taken by iPhone 15 Plus“/> Sample night photo taken by iPhone 15 Plus

Next, let’s take a look at the night photo comparison. It is very obvious that the intelligent HDR 5 used in the iPhone 15 series performs better than intelligent HDR 4, with softer suppression of highlights. Especially, the “Le Shan Flavor” sign looks more pure, and the treatment of the light bulb is also better, making the distant wall look more natural. Whether it is the actual restoration of the picture seen by the human eye or the actual perception, the night effects have made significant progress, which also proves the fact that the main camera of the iPhone 15 series is more superior than that of the iPhone 14 series, regardless of whether it adopts dual-layer transistor technology or the same sensor as the Pro series.

<img alt="iPhone 14 Pro updated to iOS 17 does not provide a 24MP default option” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172_600x375/2171474.jpg” title=”iPhone 14 Pro updated to iOS 17 does not provide a 24MP default option“/> iPhone 14 Pro updated to iOS 17 does not provide a 24MP default option

In another perspective, we will compare the iPhone 15 with the iPhone 14 Pro. This is when we have to mention a small advantage of the iPhone 15 series, which is that both the digital series and the Pro series main cameras support 24MP photo output. Although the main camera hardware of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro is the same, after updating to iOS 17, we did not see a switch option for 12/24MP default output in the camera settings.

<img alt="iPhone 14 Pro shooting” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172/2171475.jpg” title=”iPhone 14 Pro shooting“/> iPhone 14 Pro shooting

<img alt="iPhone 15 shooting” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172/2171476.jpg” title=”iPhone 15 shooting“/> iPhone 15 shooting

In this comparison, my focus is on the 2X virtual focal length. In the default 1X focal range, there is almost no difference in the visual appearance of these two photos, from color to handling of light and dark details. And in the 2X focal range in the same scene, there is also almost no noticeable distinction between them. The visual appearance is also similar, even when zoomed in. The text on the lower left corner of the signpost in the iPhone 15 sample is slightly clearer than that of the iPhone 14 Pro, but the difference is minimal. If we have to find a reason, it may be due to the advantage of dual-layer transistor technology, considering that there is still relatively sufficient light in this scene, and the sensor size difference is not significant.

<img alt="2X zoom 100% crop comparison (left: iPhone 14 Pro shooting / right: iPhone 15 shooting)” src=”//phoneauto.miximages.com/img.cnmo.com/2172/2171477.jpg” title=”2X zoom 100% crop comparison (left: iPhone 14 Pro shooting / right: iPhone 15 shooting)“/> 2X zoom 100% crop comparison (left: iPhone 14 Pro shooting / right: iPhone 15 shooting)

It can be said that in terms of imaging, the iPhone 15 series pleasantly surprised me. It still delivers excellent image quality even without the Pro-class sensor, and the usability of the 2X focal range is not weaker than the Pro series, and may even have a slight advantage in some scenes. The maximum digital zoom has also increased from 5X in the previous generation to 10X. Despite still being a dual-camera setup, the available focal ranges are more abundant, which is a substantial improvement.

In terms of performance, the iPhone 15 series is equipped with the A16 Bionic chip, which started with the previous generation of iPhones. This means that the new digital series will use the chip used in the previous Pro series, with possible minor upgrades, such as an increase in GPU core count. However, there doesn’t seem to be any significant changes in the specifications of the A16 Bionic chip on the iPhone 15 series, so we won’t go into much evaluation on this part, as we don’t need to worry about the actual performance of Apple’s A-series chips.

Here are all the upgrade points of the iPhone 15 series that I have been using recently and would like to share with you. In terms of actual experience, there is a very noticeable improvement in imaging, charging speed (specifically for the iPhone 15 Plus), and the new interactions brought by the dynamic island. Especially the imaging part has exceeded my expectations in terms of the upgrade extent.

Let’s talk about my personal buying suggestions. If you prefer a smaller and more compact phone, are very sensitive to weight, don’t have particularly high demands for battery life, and are very concerned about the price, then the iPhone 15 is a very suitable choice. On the other hand, if you care a lot about screen size, battery life, and device weight, and aren’t that concerned about high refresh rate screens, then the iPhone 15 Plus is practically tailor-made for you.

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