iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14: Big Differences and Upgrades You Should Know About

Apple first announced the original iPhone in 2007, kicking off over a decade of annual updates and new models. Each year brings improvements to performance, camera quality, battery life, and more.

 

 

The iPhone 15 was unveiled in September 2022 during Apple’s annual keynote event. This latest generation brings several changes over the iPhone 14, including a new A16 processor, upgraded front and rear camera systems, satellite connectivity for emergency use, and more.

Some of the key new features and upgrades in the iPhone 15 include:

• Faster A16 chip for better performance
• 48MP main rear camera for crisper, more detailed photos
• Emergency satellite connectivity to allow SMS texts in remote areas.
• Improved battery life with up to 1.5 hours longer usage than iPhone 14
• New front-facing autofocus camera with faster aperture for selfies.
• Brighter display with up to 2000 nits peak HDR brightness outdoors

The iPhone 15 represents an incremental but meaningful step forward for Apple’s smartphone lineup. While retaining the same overall physical design as the iPhone 14, the under-the-hood improvements and camera upgrades aim to keep Apple competitive in the premium smartphone space.

 

iPhone 15 Design

The iPhone 15 features an all-new design compared to previous iPhone models. Apple has switched things up from the curved edges of the iPhone 14 Pro to a new industrial design with flat sides similar to the iPhone 4.

The phone has a stainless steel frame that gives it a premium feel. The back is made of textured matte glass that resists fingerprints.

For the first time ever, the iPhone 15 comes in a range of fresh new colors like mint green, light blue, and product red, moving beyond just silver, gold, and space gray.

The iPhone 15 is slightly taller than the iPhone 14 Pro Max but has rounded corners that make it feel better in the hand. It is available in two sizes – 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches.

The phone has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, so it can withstand being submerged in water up to 6 meters deep for 30 minutes.

Overall, the iPhone 15 represents a major overhaul to the design identity of the iPhone line, with bold new colors, premium materials, and revamped industrial styling cues. Fans will definitely notice and appreciate the change.

Display

The iPhone 15 features a 6.7-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2800×1292 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. This is the largest screen Apple has put on an iPhone yet, making it ideal for watching videos, gaming, and productivity tasks.

Compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the screen size remains the same at 6.7 inches. However, Apple has increased the resolution, taking it from 2778×1284 pixels to 2800×1292 pixels. This results in even sharper images and text on the iPhone 15 display.

The refresh rate is also improved from 60Hz on older iPhone models and even the 120Hz on the iPhone 14 Pro models. The iPhone 15 boosts this up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and animations. The higher refresh rate also enables a more responsive feel when gaming or using Apple Pencil.

Overall, the upgrades to the display size, resolution, and refresh rate make the iPhone 15 screen one of the very best on any smartphone today. It provides an immersive viewing experience whether you’re watching movies, playing games, browsing the web, or simply swiping through apps.

Camera

The iPhone 15 comes with major camera upgrades compared to previous iPhone models. On the rear, it has a triple camera setup with the following specs:

• Main: 48MP wide camera with f/1.8 aperture
• Ultra Wide: 12MP camera with f/2.2 aperture and 120° field of view
• Telephoto: 12MP camera with f/2.0 aperture and 3x optical zoom

For selfies, the iPhone 15 has a 12MP TrueDepth front camera with f/1.9 aperture.

The rear cameras support sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 6x optical zoom range, Night mode, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, and 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps. The front camera also supports Night mode and 4K video recording at up to 60 fps.

With the new 48MP main camera, the iPhone 15 introduces a new 2x mode that allows you to take full 48MP photos. This provides much more detail for cropping and zooming compared to 12MP photos.

Overall, the iPhone 15 brings impactful upgrades like the higher resolution main camera, improved low-light performance, and more stabilized video recording, making it a top choice for mobile photography and videography. The front camera also gets a boost with added resolution and video capabilities.

Performance

The iPhone 15 features Apple’s latest A17 Bionic chip, which brings significant performance improvements over previous iPhone models. Apple says the A17 delivers up to 30% faster CPU performance and up to 50% faster GPU performance compared to the A15 chip in iPhone 14 models.

The iPhone 15 will come equipped with 6GB of RAM across all models, which is the most RAM ever offered in an iPhone. More RAM allows you to keep more apps and browser tabs open without slowdowns or reloading. The base iPhone 15 model starts with 128GB of storage, and storage options go up to 1TB for the first time ever on an iPhone.

The combination of the blazing fast A17 chip, ample RAM, and storage capacity means the iPhone 15 absolutely screams in terms of performance. It can handle demanding tasks like editing 4K videos, playing graphics-intensive games, and using multiple apps smoothly without any hiccups. Even under heavy usage, the iPhone 15 doesn’t miss a beat thanks to its incredible processing power.

Battery Life

The iPhone 15 comes equipped with a sizable 3,200 mAh lithium-ion battery, which is expected to provide all-day battery life on a single charge for most users.

According to Apple, the iPhone 15 offers up to 20 hours of video playback, up to 80 hours of audio playback, and up to 15 hours of streamed video playback. These battery life estimates are similar to the iPhone 14.

One of the most notable improvements with the iPhone 15 battery is the faster charging capability. The iPhone 15 supports 20W fast charging with a USB-C to Lightning cable, which can charge the iPhone 15 up to 50% in just 30 minutes. This is a major upgrade from previous iPhone models that were limited to 12W or 15W fast charging speeds. The faster 20W charging will help iPhone 15 owners spend less time plugged into a charger.

Overall, the combination of a large battery capacity plus much faster charging gives the iPhone 15 excellent battery life and reduced charging times compared to earlier iPhone generations. Most users should have no problem getting through a full day on a charge with the iPhone 15.

Software

The iPhone 15 comes pre-installed with iOS 17, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. iOS 17 brings several enhancements over previous versions:

• Improved multitasking with new split-screen capabilities and picture-in-picture video playback. Users can now run multiple apps simultaneously on the same screen.

• Enhanced Siri voice assistant with more natural language processing and proactive suggestions. Siri can now handle more advanced voice commands.

• Upgraded Apple Maps with more detailed maps data, Look Around street view, and improved public transit directions.

• New first-party apps like Fitness+ for workout videos and Apple News+ for magazine/newspaper subscriptions.

• Augmented reality upgrades that enable more immersive AR apps and games. The rear camera can now map environments in 3D for placing virtual objects.

• Faster unlocking with Face ID that works from wider angles. Face ID now works even when laying flat on a table.

• Dark mode for system-wide dark color schemes to avoid bright white interfaces. Easy on the eyes in low light.

• Screen Time usage monitoring and parental controls to manage digital habits.

The iPhone 15 comes with a suite of pre-installed apps like Photos, Camera, Messages, Mail, Safari, Music, Maps, etc. Overall, iOS 17 provides an improved user experience compared to previous versions.

Connectivity

The iPhone 15 comes with the latest wireless connectivity options. It is one of the first iPhones to support the new 5G cellular networks, allowing for incredibly fast download and upload speeds when connected to a 5G network.

The iPhone 15 has WiFi 6 for fast wireless internet connectivity. This latest WiFi standard provides improved speed, range, and network capacity. The iPhone 15 can download content and media at a max speed of 1.2 Gbps on WiFi 6.

For short range wireless connectivity, the iPhone 15 supports Bluetooth 5.3. This provides extended range Bluetooth connections to headphones, speakers and other accessories. Bluetooth 5.3 enables new capabilities like connecting to multiple devices simultaneously.

The iPhone 15 is at the cutting edge of wireless connectivity standards, with 5G, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. These latest wireless technologies enable the iPhone 15 to provide the best connectivity experience when using cellular data networks, WiFi hotspots or connecting with wireless headphones and speakers. The fast speeds allow you to seamlessly stream high-quality audio and video content.

iPhone 15 Pricing and Availability

The iPhone 15 will be available in several models, with pricing starting at $799 for the base iPhone 15 model with 128GB of storage. The iPhone 15 Pro will start at $1099 for 128GB storage, while the top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Ultra is expected to start at $1199.

The iPhone 15 lineup is set to be released on September 15, 2023. The phones will be available for pre-order starting September 8.

As with previous iPhone releases, the best places to buy the iPhone 15 will be directly from Apple, either through their online store or at Apple retail locations. The phones will also be available from all major carriers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, as well as retailers like Best Buy.

Pre-ordering is recommended to ensure you can get an iPhone 15 model on launch day. Devices will likely sell out quickly, so plan ahead if you want one as soon as it’s available.

iPhone 15 Comparison to Other Models

The iPhone 15 introduces several new features and improvements compared to previous iPhone models. Here’s a look at how it stacks up:

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14

• Display: The iPhone 15 has a new 6.7-inch OLED display compared to the 6.1-inch OLED on iPhone 14. The 15 offers higher resolution, brightness, and 120Hz refresh rate.

• Cameras: The iPhone 15 adds a new 48MP main camera, up from 12MP on the 14. The front camera increases to 12MP over 7MP.

• Performance: The A16 chip in the iPhone 15 is faster and more power efficient versus the A15 in the iPhone 14.

• Battery life: Apple claims the iPhone 15 lasts 1.5 hours longer than the already great battery life of iPhone 14.

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 13

• The changes from iPhone 14 also apply when comparing to iPhone 13. In addition, the iPhone 15 has a nearly 20% larger battery capacity.

• The iPhone 15 design is more durable with titanium alloy sides versus aluminum on iPhone 13.

• 5G connectivity is faster on iPhone 15 utilizing the latest Qualcomm modem.

Overall, the iPhone 15 represents a substantial upgrade over previous models with improvements to the display, cameras, performance, battery life, and design. It brings the latest technology and features iPhone users have come to expect with each new generation. Comparing it to the iPhone 14 or 13 showcases the advancements Apple has made.