If you’ve found your way to this review, you probably already know that an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max shouldn’t cost more than $1,000. You don’t find metallurgical advancements appealing, you don’t care about an additional Action Button, and you don’t think you’re a budding filmmaker—or, if you’ll pardon me, content creator—who might go viral at any time. You own that you are a normie. You shouldn’t fall in love with your smartphone. You just want an iPhone, preferably one with a battery that lasts all night and a camera that takes better pictures when the light is getting dim. So, the iPhone 15 is certain; why not? iPhone 15 in various colors arranged in a row
Apple in the image The iPhone 15 costs $799, and it’s a great phone. Apple always does a good job of telling the difference between old and new phones just enough to make you want to upgrade. Is the iPhone 15 more advanced than the iPhone 14 from last year, which cost $699? Yes. Are Apple’s newest chip systems, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which start at $999 and are more advanced than the iPhone 15? Yes. However, there isn’t much of a difference between the new iPhone 15 and the iPhone 14 Pro ($899) from last year. The iPhone 14 Pro is even better in some ways, so if you’ve been waiting a long time for a new phone and don’t care about USB-C, you might want to look into the 14 Pro. iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus from Apple Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
Rating: 7/10
$699 at Apple (iPhone 15)
$799 at Apple (iPhone 15 Plus)
At Best Buy, $730 Our editors independently select each product featured on WIRED. However, we may be compensated by retailers or by product sales made through these links. Find out more. The iPhone 15 distinguishes itself from the iPhone 14 not-Pro by featuring an improved “Photonic Engine” and a “color-infused glass back.” An animated widget bar known as a “Dynamic Island” can be found at the top of the display. If you were to inquire of Apple, “Who exactly is the iPhone 15 intended for?” the folks in the marketing department there might respond with something like, “We think people are going to love this phone!” However, it is my responsibility to inform you that you need not adore your phone. You just need it to do a good job.
What’s Up? Closeup of the camera and display on the iPhone 15
Photograph: Apple
Let’s first address the Serial Bus in the room: The new iPhone 15 (and 15 Plus and 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max) support USB-C instead of Lightning. This is mostly great. A round of applause for the European Union for forcing Apple’s hand on this.
USB-C is great when you’re charging lots of other USB-C gadgets as part of your daily routine, like if you work on a newer MacBook laptop or iPad. Over the past five days, whenever the iPhone 15 loaner I’ve been testing hit its low battery mark, I was able to unplug the USB-C charger from my MacBook Pro and just pop it into the phone. Brilliant! Except when I was using navigation on the iPhone 15 during a long car ride, and with just 4 percent battery left, realized that the USB-A to Lightning cable I keep in my car was absolutely useless. (I remembered to order yet another cable after I found my way home.) Additionally, you should be aware that not all USB-C adapters and cables are created equal. The iPhone 15 ships with a short USB-C to USB-C cable, but no charging block. The iPhone 15 also supports USB-2, which means transfer speeds are limited to 480 megabits per second, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max support USB-3, and therefore data transfer speeds up to 10 gigabits per second.
Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus from Apple a score of 7/10 $699 at Apple (iPhone 15)
$799 at Apple (iPhone 15 Plus)
At Best Buy, $730 All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Find out more. Apple iPhone 15 displaying Precision Finding features
There’s a new ultra-wideband chip in the phone that improves its location-sensing abilities. Apple in the image Therefore, an iPhone 15 requires a 20-watt USB charging adapter, which Apple sells for $19, for fast charging and optimal data transfer speeds. Your phone’s battery will be fully charged in about 30 minutes with a 20-W adapter. However, once more, I found that plugging my phone into the same cable and 67-W power adapter that I use to charge my MacBook was much more convenient. This took my iPhone 15 from 10% to 50% in just under 20 minutes. Speaking of battery: The iPhone 15 gave less “range anxiety” than what I normally experience using the iPhone 13 Pro, and it just about matches the iPhone 14 in terms of its battery life claim. During at least one charge cycle, the iPhone 15 lasted from my 10 am meeting until around 8 am the following day, and that was with a heavy dose of Spotify, maps, phone calls, texting, and some social media browsing. Although Apple claims that the larger iPhone 15 Plus will have 30 percent more battery than the base model, I was unable to test that model. Apple also claims the iPhone 14 Pro has a longer battery life than the iPhone 15, but again, Apple would rather you forget that phone exists.
