Don’t let the workstation-in-your-pocket iPhone 15 Pro distract you — this year’s base iPhone 15 is shaping up to be a deceptively strong upgrade of its own. Apple’s most mainstream iPhone gets one of the Pro series’ best features for this year, and sports a subtly refined design that looks and feels nicer than last generation’s phone. And then there’s the big switch to USB-C, which should be good news for anyone looking to streamline the mess of charging cables all over their home.
Available for preorder right now and launching on Sept. 22, the starting iPhones also retain the same relatively attainable price tags of $799 for the iPhone 15 and $899 for the big-screen iPhone 15 Plus. Wondering if you should make the switch this year? Here’s what I think after getting my hands on Apple’s latest handsets.
If you're not looking for the powerhouse iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 makes a compelling upgrade case over previous iterations, thanks to its USB-C port, next-gen portrait photos and Apple's useful Dynamic Island feature.
A lighter design that feels a bit different
The iPhone 15 looks almost identical to previous models from a distance, but I immediately noticed some changes as soon as I picked one up. The new phone is even lighter than the already airy iPhone 14, which combine with the freshly contoured edges and new matte finish for a device that just feels a bit nicer to have in your hand. Each phone’s color (black, blue, green, yellow and pink) is now infused into the back glass this time around, which is designed to make each respective hue pop a bit more. I found most of the options to be more subtle than saturated with color, though the pink model looked gorgeous in person — and seems perfectly timed to go with any Barbiecore outfits you may have assembled this summer.
Of course, the biggest change to the iPhone 15’s physical design is the addition of a USB-C port, which replaces the Lightning jack that the iPhone has used for charging and accessories for more than a decade. This should be a welcome change for most, as you’ll now be able to use one cable to charge your MacBook, iPad, iPhone and most non-Apple devices (such as an Android phone or Nintendo Switch) instead of digging around for disparate cords.
The phone will come with a nice braided USB-C cable out of the box, and if you plan on picking up the new AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, you’ll even be able to charge your earbuds case via your phone. Apple knows you probably still have plenty of Lighting gadgets and cables sitting around, which is why they’re happy to charge you $29 for a Lightning to USB-C adapter for the new phone.
Pro-level features for less
Ever since I got an iPhone 14 Pro last year, I haven’t stopped raving about the Dynamic Island. This little black bubble — which wraps around the front camera and eliminates the notch from previous iPhones — can dynamically adapt to show all kinds of handy at-a-glance information at the top of your phone, from sports scores to the ETA of your incoming Uber. It’s something I get use out of every single day, which is why I’m thrilled to see it come to Apple’s cheaper iPhones.
Based on some quick hands-on time, the iPhone 15’s Dynamic Island works exactly how it does on the pricier Pro models. Set a timer in the Clock app, and you’ll see the countdown at the top of your screen as soon as you close the app (perfect for cooking or laundry day). Set a course in Maps, and you’ll get turn-by-turn instructions at the top of your phone even when you’re using other apps. I also love that the Dynamic Island shows your incoming phone calls in a small bubble up top rather than overtaking your entire phone screen like on previous iPhones.
While the iPhone 15 isn’t designed to replace your fancy DSLR like the Pro models are, its slightly upgraded dual-camera setup sounds very promising for the price. It’s the first base-level iPhone to offer three optical-quality zoom levels (0.5x, 1x, 2x), which should allow for crisper shots whether you need to zoom in a bit or want to get wider. But the real selling point here is Portrait mode — or rather, the fact that you won’t really have to use it anymore.
The iPhone 15’s camera will automatically capture depth information when you’re shooting a person or pet that’s featured prominently in frame regardless of what mode you have open — meaning you can hop in Photos after the fact and apply that sweet depth-of-field bokeh effect for an Instagram-worthy shot.
Promising performance and safety features, but an OK display
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are powered by the same A16 Bionic processor found in last year’s iPhone 14 Pro — a phone that proved to be one of the best we’d tested in terms of sheer performance and true all-day battery life. We’re expecting similar results on the base iPhone 15; though, as always, we’ll have to run it through our usual slate of tests (as well as some good ol’ real-world use) to be sure.
I just wish this Pro-quality processor was met with an equally Pro-level display. The iPhone 15’s Super Retina XDR display (which measures 6.1 inches for the standard model and 6.7 inches for the Plus) still looks nice and colorful, but its 60Hz refresh rate is starting to look sluggish when scrolling through apps and webpages. It was a bit jarring having the Dynamic Island I’m used to from the Pro but not the same smooth 120Hz screen to go with it. Considering nearly all mainstream phones — including cheaper options from Samsung and Google — have adopted smoother screens that just make navigation feel better, the base iPhone is starting to feel behind the times in the display department.
Rounding out the iPhone 15’s highlights are an improved set of safety and connectivity features. The new phone will retain the Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite (the latter of which can ping emergency services if you’re stranded without a cell signal) features of last year’s models while also introducing Roadside Assistance via satellite. Similar to Emergency SOS, this feature will let you connect to AAA even when you can’t get online, which could provide crucial help when you’re broken down on the road. You’ll also get an improved Ultra Wideband chip, which will make it easier to find fellow iPhone 15 friends in a crowd using the same reliable Precision Finding we loved on the AirTags.
The takeaway
If you’re a fan of Apple’s more basic phones and have been hanging on to an iPhone that’s around three years or older, the iPhone 15 makes a compelling case to upgrade. The switch to USB-C should make life easier for folks who just want one charging cable to rule them all, and you’ll get to enjoy features like dynamic portrait photos and the handy Dynamic Island without splurging $1,000 or more for a Pro-series model. And while Apple’s higher-end phones continue to look a bit boring, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus have the most compelling advantage of all: They come in pink.
That said, these perks likely aren’t reason enough to make the leap if you just grabbed an iPhone 14 last year, and Apple’s insistence on using slow 60Hz screens on its more affordable smartphones is starting to make them feel dated. We’ll have a full verdict on the iPhone 15 once we put it through a full review, so stay tuned for much more.
