This year's iPhone 15 Plus is a much more compelling buy compared to last year's iPhone 14 Plus, thanks to significant upgrades that cater directly to iPhone users, such as Dynamic Island, USB-C port, slimmer screen bezels, and the A16 Bionic chip.The upgrades Apple has bestowed upon the iPhone 15 Plus are precisely what users have been asking for since the previous generation iPhone 14 Plus, making it anything but dull. The iPhone 15 Plus featured in this article is the VN/A model officially available in the Vietnamese market.Lightweight design, stunning color but slippery to hold
Three major design shifts in the iPhone 15 Plus compared to the iPhone 14 Plus include the USB-C port, Dynamic Island, and color-infused glass. The USB-C simplifies charging with MacBook and iPad, offers USB 2 data transfer (pending further testing), Dynamic Island eliminates the notch for a slimmer bezel and a Pro-like experience. The color-infused glass, though a novel touch, isn't entirely new.
Apple has also rounded the metal edges and the screen's bezel, while the matte glass back remains flat. This matte finish effectively resists sweat and fingerprints, a highly appreciated feature.
Lacks an Action button, featuring a traditional vibration switch. Apple differentiates its regular iPhone with an aluminum frame, hinting that an Action button might eventually be introduced.
Equipped with a 48MP camera and a portrait mode at 2x zoom.
The dual-lens camera setup minimally protrudes, with a main lens resolution of 48MP. It supports automatic portrait detection and aperture adjustments. The camera marks a significant upgrade from the iPhone 14 Plus, offering a default focal length of 26mm. Standard shots are captured at 24MP, while the sensor can crop 48MP images to 12MP at 52mm (2x zoom) with an f/1.6 aperture.
The ultra-wide camera remains with a 12MP resolution, f/2.4 aperture, and a wide 120-degree angle. The iPhone 15 Plus surpasses the iPhone 14 Pro Max with its Smart HDR 5. I prefer the main sensor's focal length to be between 28-35mm for beauty, finding the 24mm on the iPhone 15 Pro a bit too wide, while 26mm closely matches the iPhone 13 Pro.
Holding it feels friendly; its rounded edges don’t dig in, offering a solid yet slippery grip, caution advised. The camera bump is less pronounced compared to the Pro models, shifting to a 48MP sensor marks a significant upgrade from the conventional 12MP, bidding farewell to it.
Dynamic Island makes the screen look more spacious
Placing the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Plus side by side, it's hard to tell them apart at first glance. The iPhone 15 Pro is slightly thinner, but the iPhone 15 Plus appears more spacious thanks to its Dynamic Island, offering a more open screen experience compared to the iPhone 14 Plus.
The iPhone 15 Plus boasts an outdoor peak brightness of 2000 nits, 1600 nits indoors, and 1000 nits under normal conditions, surpassing the 11-inch iPad Pro M2 I'm currently using.
The edges of the screen are slightly curved, enhancing swipe and touch interactions on the iPhone. This is a direct comparison with the edges of the iPhone 15 Pro, with the iPhone 15 Plus on the right and the iPhone 15 Pro on the left.
Apple's Latest Powerhouse: A16 Bionic, Equipped with 6GB RAM
In the realm of smartphones, the trend is clear - not just Apple but numerous Android manufacturers are opting for last year's flagship chipset. Distinguishing performance disparities between consecutive chip generations has become increasingly challenging. Only under heavy, resource-intensive tasks can one truly put the A16 Bionic to the test, as it remains the apex chip from Apple's previous lineup.
Performance metrics in smartphones haven't been a concern for me in quite some time. If it's a flagship, it's a given that it's powered by the latest and greatest chipset available.The iPhone 15 Plus potentially reigns as Apple's battery life champion, mirroring last year's iPhone 14 Plus endurance. Apple's specs suggest the iPhone 15 Pro Max leads with up to 29 hours of video playback, and the iPhone 15 Plus follows closely at 26 hours.
Like its Pro sibling, the iPhone 15 Plus features battery cycle count tracking. Charging capabilities include a 20W wired standard, 15W via MagSafe, and 7.5W for Qi wireless charging, without distinguishing between regular and Pro models.This year's iPhone 15 Plus introduces significant updates, making it a worthy consideration.
The iPhone 15 Plus presents a worthwhile upgrade over both the iPhone 14 Plus and even the iPhone 14 Pro Max from certain perspectives. Opting for the iPhone 15 Plus over the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a no-brainer due to its lighter weight, comfortable grip, diverse color options, inclusion of Dynamic Island, at the expense of slight compromises in screen and telephoto camera quality.
Both iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 14 Plus cater to a specific audience who prefer a larger, yet lightweight and durable battery iPhone. While those desiring high performance naturally gravitate towards the iPhone 14 Pro Max, despite its heavier weight and less comfortable grip, the iPhone 15 Plus stands out this year for its value, thanks to the enhancements Apple has introduced with the iPhone 15 series.The iPhone 15 Plus features a fabric-wrapped USB-C cable, eliminating the distinction between Pro and standard models.
Inside, there's only this much documentation; the box was already handled by Cuhiep with the 640i.
For now, that's the situation. I'll share more detailed experiences with the team as I gather more insights.