The iPhone 15 marks a significant leap forward for Apple’s standard iPhone lineup, bringing much-needed upgrades that set it apart from its predecessors. This year, Apple has decided to bridge the gap between the standard iPhone models and the Pro series, offering features that were previously exclusive to the higher-end models. For those who have been holding onto their older iPhones, waiting for a compelling reason to upgrade, the iPhone 15 finally presents that opportunity, offering a compelling mix of power, performance, and innovative features. Let’s dive into the specifics and see why the iPhone 15 is a worthwhile upgrade.
Apple iPhone 15 Price in India
The iPhone 15 starts at the same price as its predecessor, the iPhone 14, at Rs. 79,900 for the 128GB variant. You can choose from 256GB and 512GB storage options, with each tier increasing the price by Rs. 10,000. Apple has introduced new pastel colors that are visually appealing, but unfortunately, there’s no Product RED variant this year. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 are still officially available from Apple, starting at Rs. 69,900 and Rs. 59,900 respectively. While the bundled accessories remain minimal, a welcome change is the inclusion of a color-matched braided USB Type-C cable instead of Lightning, reflecting the industry-wide shift away from Apple’s proprietary connector. We were sent the top-end blue variant, which costs Rs. 1,09,900 – a premium price tag for the number models from Apple. However, you’ll likely never have to pay the full retail price as there are always bank and credit card offers available when purchasing online.
Apple iPhone 15 Design
The iPhone 15 retains a design that is similar to the iPhone 14 and 13 from the back, but with subtle refinements. Its dimensions are almost identical to the iPhone 14, except for the height, which is slightly increased. It weighs in at 171g, making it a bit lighter than its predecessor. This regular-sized model boasts an excellent in-hand feel, thanks to the rounded edges and soft finish of the frame and glass back. The overall feel is soothing and comfortable. Compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the iPhone 15 initially felt "toy-like" due to its smaller size and weight but we soon appreciated its more manageable form factor.
The iPhone 15 still features a 6.1-inch OLED display, but it has now adopted the Dynamic Island from the iPhone 14 Pro series. This feature significantly enhances the modernity of the iPhone 15, aligning its look and feel with Apple’s more expensive phones. Unfortunately, ProMotion is not included in the iPhone 15, meaning the display remains at 60Hz and not 120Hz. The always-on display feature is also reserved for the Pro models. However, the iPhone 15’s display is now brighter than the iPhone 14, offering 1,000 nits of typical brightness and up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness when used outdoors under sunlight.
Apple iPhone 15 Specifications and Software
One of the most exciting additions to the iPhone 15 is the inclusion of the A16 Bionic SoC, which had previously been exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro models. This chip features the same number of CPU and GPU cores as last year’s iPhone 14, but it’s manufactured using a 4nm process (compared to 5nm), resulting in a billion more transistors packed into the same surface area. Despite the powerful chip, the iPhone 15 retains the same amount of RAM (6GB). Other notable features include stereo speakers, an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, a second-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip, and a TrueDepth camera integrated into the display for Face ID.
The iPhone 15 ships with iOS 17 and is expected to receive software updates for at least the next five years. iOS 17 is also compatible with many older iPhone models, providing a largely similar experience across the board. Some of the new features include personalized Contact Posters for your phonebook entries, the ability to record and send messages via FaceTime if the recipient doesn’t answer, and many others. Apple has even released sub-version updates for iOS to address known overheating issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models, and more recently, introduced new features for AirDrop and general bug fixes.
Apple iPhone 15 Performance and Battery Life
The iPhone 15 delivers an exceptional daily performance experience. Apps launch quickly, the display is vibrant and rich, and there’s no sense of power shortage. The Dynamic Island offers a visually engaging way to interact with notifications. The device typically runs cool, although it can get warm when using wireless CarPlay. Games look fantastic and run smoothly, especially those from Apple Arcade.
HDR videos are rendered beautifully, particularly those shot with Dolby Vision. The stereo speakers are surprisingly loud and provide an enjoyable listening experience. Benchmark scores are impressive, consistently higher than most Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Android phones. The iPhone 15 achieved 13,77,284 points in AnTuTu and 2,500 and 6,209 points in Geekbench 6’s single and multicore CPU tests, respectively.
iPhones are renowned for their excellent battery life, and the iPhone 15 continues this trend. Apple promises up to 20 hours of video playback, and our HD video test came close to that, lasting for 16.5 hours. In typical use scenarios, we readily achieved a full day’s runtime on a single charge, with even more battery life available on lighter use days. Fast charging is supported, although you’ll need to purchase the charger separately. Apple claims the iPhone 15 can achieve 50 percent charge in half an hour with the optional 20W power adapter. Wireless charging is also supported.
Apple iPhone 15 Cameras
While the iPhone 15 lacks a telephoto camera and the ultra-wide lens still falls short of macro photo and video capabilities, these features being reserved for the Pro models, the main camera receives a notable upgrade with a 48-megapixel sensor borrowed from the iPhone 14 Pro. The camera retains sensor-shift stabilization, and the higher resolution allows for a 2X zoom level that delivers "optical" quality magnification due to its use of a smaller crop from the sensor. The ultra-wide lens remains a 12-megapixel sensor, as does the front-facing 12-megapixel camera. All cameras are capable of recording up to 4K 60fps videos in Dolby Vision, and a new Smart HDR 5 photo processing engine improves the balance between shadows and highlights.
By default, the iPhone 15 captures 24-megapixel pixel-binned photos, but you can switch to 12-megapixels through the Settings app, a common feature in Android phones with 48-megapixel cameras. To shoot at the full 48 megapixels, you need to enable a toggle in Settings, which will activate a "JPEG Max" option in the viewfinder. However, shooting at the native resolution introduces shutter lag, making rapid shooting less effective.
The image quality in daylight is exceptional. You get an abundance of detail, and colours are well-balanced, even in harsh sunlight. The ultra-wide camera also performs well under good lighting, providing decent detail with minimal barrel distortion. The camera app can now identify animals such as dogs and cats. It will automatically suggest enabling background blur within the app. The Photos app detects previously captured images of pets and provides options to convert them to portrait shots.
Images captured in low light with the main camera are impressive. Noise is effectively handled, details are plentiful, and colours appear natural. However, magnifying the image beyond 2X results in a significant decrease in image quality. The ultra-wide lens offers decent performance in low light, but details are weaker compared to the main camera. The selfie camera delivers excellent results in both daylight and low light.
iPhones have long been the gold standard for video recording. The iPhone 15 captures exceptionally stable footage in good lighting, lacking any visible jitter and boasting outstanding detail. There’s a slight amount of jitter when shooting under artificial lighting at night, but only noticeable when walking during recording.
Verdict
The primary drawback of the iPhone 15 in India is its pricing. At almost Rs. 80,000 for the base model, it’s quite expensive. Even when factoring in bank offers, we’re still looking at a price above Rs. 70,000, as most people would opt for the 256GB variant. However, if you’re willing to invest this amount, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.
Unlike the iPhone 14, which offered minimal improvements over the iPhone 13, the iPhone 15 takes a more significant leap forward by incorporating many of the advanced features found in the iPhone 14 Pro models. While a high refresh rate and a telephoto camera are features I personally hope to see on the standard models in future iterations, the iPhone 15 represents a compelling upgrade for those seeking some of the "Pro" experience without the premium price tag. Despite Apple’s discontinuation of the previous year’s Pro models, they remain exorbitantly priced in India.
If you’re looking to trade in your iPhone 12 (or older) for something worthy of an upgrade, the iPhone 15 is a solid choice. However, if you simply need an iPhone and don’t care about the new features of the iPhone 15, festive sales periods offer an excellent opportunity to purchase the iPhone 13 at a heavily discounted price.
