iPhone 15 Pro review: smaller, but still mighty

Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup has proven to beryllium 1 of nan astir important refreshes successful rather immoderate time. There are immoderate subtle creation changes each astir and a full batch to love.

Though this year’s biggest improvements are recovered successful nan iPhone 15 Pro Max, not everyone wants to usage nan biggest telephone location is. Fortunately, nan regular iPhone 15 Pro is still rather tin successful its ain right.

About our iPhone 15 Pro review

Our iPhone 15 Pro reappraisal was primitively published connected October 9, 2023, pursuing a small complete a week of testing. It was updated by Christine Romero-Chan connected October 30, 2023, to see nan “one period later” section.

iPhone 15 Pro: 1 period later

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

I’ve been utilizing nan iPhone 15 Pro arsenic my regular driver for complete a period now. For nan astir part, nan kinks I had during nan first week aliases so, specified arsenic nan overheating, person subsided by this point. It still gets occasionally warm, particularly erstwhile fast-charging aliases playing games, but thing retired of nan ordinary.

Overall, a period later, I’m still enjoying nan iPhone 15 Pro rather a bit. I cognize that it’s been said aggregate times, but nan move complete to titanium has been 1 of nan champion choices Apple has made successful immoderate time. This is my superior phone, and nan lightweight worldly really does make a quality successful usability, arsenic it is easier for maine to usage for prolonged periods, dissimilar its predecessor, nan iPhone 14 Pro. Though I usage my instrumentality pinch a case, I emotion that Apple made nan edges much curved and not sharp, truthful they don’t excavation into your thenar erstwhile you spell case-less. The titanium creation has been awesome for making nan iPhone much ergonomic.

The Action fastener remains 1 of my favourite caller hardware features. I americium nan benignant of personification who puts their telephone connected mute, and it stays that measurement indefinitely, truthful nan silent/ringer toggle was ne'er really utilized by me. I admit having nan Action fastener because I tin get much retired of it now. I still person it group to motorboat nan Camera app because nan fastener surface shortcut is not ever reliable, particularly erstwhile I request to seizure a infinitesimal pinch my daughter. I usage it aggregate times a time and dream Apple brings it to nan guidelines models eventually, too. However, I deliberation Apple really should amended nan Action fastener by giving it nan expertise to person much than 1 action assigned to it via double press, triple press, etc.

Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

Speaking of cameras, I’m thoroughly pleased pinch nan results that travel retired of my iPhone 15 Pro. Whereas I felt for illustration nan iPhone 14 Pro had a problem pinch oversharpening and overprocessing pinch harsh colors, nan iPhone 15 Pro has been faring overmuch amended pinch Smart HDR 5. I’ve taken a batch of photos complete nan past period pinch nan iPhone 15 Pro, and for nan astir part, they’ve been looking much natural, realistic, and meticulous successful position of coloring. Skies don’t look arsenic washed-out arsenic before, and tegument tones are much spot-on. Plus, nan Auto Portrait characteristic is 1 I usage beautiful frequently, particularly pinch my daughter.

Though I’m still disappointed that Apple did not amended charging speeds pinch USB-C, nan move from Lightning has been awesome for me. I person measurement much USB-C cables lying astir nan location than Lightning, truthful it’s awesome to beryllium capable to conscionable prime up nan nearest USB-C cablegram I person and plug successful my iPhone.

Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

As my most-used gadget, nan iPhone 15 Pro has wide been serving maine well. I usage it perpetually passim nan time to enactment successful interaction pinch my friends and family done iMessage, cheque individual and activity email, nonstop Teams messages for work, cheque retired societal media (Threads, Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon), walk measurement excessively overmuch clip successful Disney Emoji Blitz, usage nan Disneyland app erstwhile I’m astatine nan parks, and more. Everything useful without a hitch acknowledgment to nan powerfulness of nan A17 Pro and 8GB RAM.

A month later, I’m still enjoying nan iPhone 15 Pro rather a bit.

My artillery life has been somewhat improved complete what I was getting successful nan first fewer days, though I wish it was still better. I scope astir 30% by 6 to 7 p.m., astatine which constituent I person an automation that enables Low Power Mode automatically. This is, of course, pinch dense usage — if I person much mean usage, past I would astir apt get to 20% to 30% by 8 aliases 9 p.m.

TL;DR, nan iPhone 15 Pro remains an fantabulous smartphone aft a period of regular use.

iPhone 15 Pro: design

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On nan surface, nan iPhone 15 Pro looks a batch for illustration past year’s iPhone 14 Pro … which looked for illustration nan 2 generations earlier it. Apple has kept nan aforesaid creation since nan iPhone 12 Pro, pinch nan triple-lens camera system, frosted matte backmost glass, and stainless alloy frame. But nan stainless alloy besides made nan Pro models dense – to nan constituent wherever it became uncomfortable to usage for extended periods of time.

Yes, titanium does make a important difference.

That each changes pinch nan iPhone 15 Pro. Apple has replaced nan stainless alloy framework pinch brushed titanium, and yes, it does make a important difference. The iPhone 14 Pro weighed 7.27 ounces (206 grams), while nan iPhone 15 Pro is 6.60 ounces (187 grams). I held some my aged iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro broadside by broadside successful each hand, and nan iPhone 15 Pro decidedly feels overmuch much lightweight. Even successful a case, nan iPhone 15 Pro has ne'er felt excessively dense to hold.

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

The titanium framework besides has much rounded edges that meet nan beforehand and backmost solid seamlessly. The consequence is simply a overmuch much comfortable feel, arsenic location are nary longer immoderate crisp edges that excavation into your fingers aft prolonged use. Though I still for illustration to support my iPhone 15 Pro successful a lawsuit owed to my ain inclination to person butterfingers, nan wide caller creation has made it truthful overmuch much comfortable to use, moreover without a case.

I was decidedly excited to perceive that Apple was utilizing titanium for nan iPhone frame, but I didn’t recognize really bully it would beryllium until I unboxed my iPhone 15 Pro. I really dream that Apple continues to usage titanium for early iPhone designs because it really does make a world of difference.

iPhone 15 Pro: Action button

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

Another immense alteration pinch nan iPhone 15 Pro lineup this twelvemonth is nan Action button. Ever since nan original iPhone successful 2007, there’s ever been a ring/silent move supra nan measurement buttons. But pinch nan iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, that has been eliminated successful favour of an all-new, customizable Action button.

The default mounting for nan Action fastener is simply a press-and-hold usability to alteration aliases disable silent mode. Doing this shows a mini pop-up successful nan Dynamic Island, letting you cognize that it’s connected aliases off, and you get nan aforesaid haptics. But leaving it connected nan default ring/silent action is boring since you tin now entree that from nan Control Center and usage nan Action fastener for thing else.

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

To alteration what nan Action fastener does, spell to nan Settings app, prime Action Button from nan menu, and prime what you want to do pinch it. The different actions, too enabling silent mode, include:

• Turn connected a Focus mode
• Open nan Camera app
• Turn connected nan flashlight
• Start a Voice Memo recording
• Enable nan Magnifier
• Run a Shortcut
• Launch an Accessibility feature
• No Action (disable nan Action button)

The personification interface for nan Action fastener customization is perfectly gorgeous and 1 of nan champion UI interactions I’ve seen from Apple successful a while. Some of nan actions besides person much options to take from — specified arsenic picking a circumstantial Focus mode aliases launching nan Camera into a normal photo, selfie, video, Portrait mode, aliases Portrait selfie status.

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

Personally, I’ve been utilizing my Action fastener for conscionable launching nan Camera app into a normal photo. Especially pinch nan Auto Portrait characteristic of nan full iPhone 15 lineup, I consciousness it’s a small repetitive to spell into Portrait mode successful general, but I suppose it useful if you want nan 2x aliases 3x zoomed-in portrait.

But if you really want to spell nuts pinch nan Action button, you tin pinch Shortcuts. I haven’t dug excessively overmuch into these conscionable yet since I really conscionable wanted a faster measurement to motorboat nan Camera app, but I’ve seen immoderate awesome Shortcuts that really fto you make nan astir of nan button. Some users person moreover created civilization shortcuts that bring up aggregate paper options aliases tin moreover execute a different action if definite criteria are met.

My only complaint pinch nan Action fastener is that it is still constricted to conscionable a press-and-hold gesture. I was hoping that Apple would fto america delegate different actions to, say, a double property aliases triple press, arsenic it would fto america get much usage retired of it. Maybe this is thing that tin hap successful nan early done a package update, because it really doesn’t make consciousness to limit it to conscionable a azygous action.

iPhone 15 Pro: display

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

The show connected nan iPhone 15 Pro is conscionable arsenic gorgeous arsenic ever. Apple did not make immoderate important changes to it from past year’s iPhone 14 Pro, however, truthful location isn’t excessively overmuch to really opportunity astir it, arsenic it’s beautiful overmuch identical to its predecessor.

On nan iPhone 15 Pro, you still person a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED show pinch a 2556 x 1179 pixel solution astatine 460 pixels per inch (ppi) density. It’s a ProMotion screen, which intends you get adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz and an always-on display. Brightness levels scope 1,000 nits connected average, 1,600 nits for HDR content, and 2,000 nits for highest outdoor brightness.

Viewing contented connected nan iPhone 15 Pro surface is fantastic. Colors are realistic and nicely saturated without being complete nan apical for illustration connected Samsung phones. Text is crisp and sharp. Scrolling is ace soft pinch nan 120Hz refresh rate, and each animations are seamless.

The Dynamic Island is besides back, and this clip moreover connected nan guidelines exemplary iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. I still don’t make arsenic overmuch usage of retired if arsenic I would like, but it is still amended than nan notch.

iPhone 15 Pro: package and performance

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

I’ve been utilizing nan caller Pro exemplary each year, and capacity has ne'er been an issue. This year, though, Apple kicked things up a notch pinch nan A17 Pro spot for nan iPhone 15 Pro (and Pro Max), which uses a 3nm creation alternatively of 4nm.

Yes, you still person six CPU cores, 2 for capacity and 4 ratio cores, arsenic good arsenic a 16-core Neural Engine. But nan A17 Pro spot now has a six-core GPU alternatively of nan 5 from past year, nan Neural Engine tin execute doubly arsenic galore operations per second, and RAM has accrued to 8GB from 6GB.

Combined pinch iOS 17, nan iPhone 15 Pro has been blazing accelerated successful my day-to-day use, and I’ve ne'er had an issue. I ne'er erstwhile knowledgeable immoderate lag aliases stuttering — moreover erstwhile I’m browsing Safari pinch hundreds of tabs open, endlessly scrolling done Instagram and Facebook, browsing Threads, checking successful connected Mastodon, playing a ton of rounds of Disney Emoji Blitz, streaming Apple Music and Disney+, responding to activity emails and messages, getting turn-by-turn directions successful Apple Maps, and connecting to my Nexar dashcam.

Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

While iOS 17 hasn’t really changed nan measurement I usage my iPhone since it’s much of an iterative update pinch immoderate quality-of-life improvements, location are immoderate bully features. those see StandBy mode, which turns your always-on show into a mini smart show erstwhile it’s charging connected a MagSafe stand. Interactive widgets are besides thing I’ve been wanting for years, and it’s bully to yet person them. You tin cheque tasks disconnected successful your Reminders app without having to unfastened it up, aliases conscionable commencement playing euphony without going into nan Music app.

I ne'er erstwhile knowledgeable immoderate lag aliases stuttering.

During nan Wonderlust event, Apple did show disconnected what nan A17 Pro spot is tin of, and heavy relates to gaming. With nan A17 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro tin tally existent console games for illustration Resident Evil Village, Death Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage. I’m not a large gamer myself, truthful I can’t opportunity that I’m ace excited astir these titles, which won’t moreover beryllium disposable until later successful nan twelvemonth anyway. But nan powerfulness that this small spot gives nan iPhone 15 Pro is surely awesome nonetheless.

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

However, successful nan first fewer days pinch my iPhone 15 Pro, I person knowledgeable a spot of nan overheating problem that’s been reposrted. I assumed that was because I was restoring 300GB-plus of information from iCloud, and nan telephone had to scale everything. Of course, nan overheating point blew up into a wide problem, but Apple has since commented that it is owed to immoderate third-party apps and is much software-related alternatively than being owed to nan phone’s design.

After astir a week of use, my iPhone 15 Pro seems to not really person nan overheating problem anymore. The iOS 17.0.3 update besides addressed nan issue, and I updated to it arsenic soon arsenic it was available. But overall, it seems that nan iPhone 15 Pro’s somesthesia has regulated itself aft a week. I’m not worried anymore.

I do want to adhd 1 much point here. I was extracurricular successful astir 90-degree upwind successful nan evening (Southern California upwind is ever summer) pinch my iPhone 15 Pro sans lawsuit for photos for this very review, I noticed nan telephone was starting to get a small lukewarm successful my hand. I wasn’t moreover doing thing very assets intensive either — conscionable opening up immoderate apps to person displayed connected nan surface successful a photo. When I put my lawsuit backmost connected nan phone, it instantly felt cool capable to clasp again.

iPhone 15 Pro: cameras

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

The astir important camera upgrades this twelvemonth are only disposable if you take nan bigger iPhone 15 Pro Max, unfortunately. And that important upgrade involves nan tetraprism telephoto lens that grants 5x optical zoom. The logic for this is owed to nan size of nan lens, which wouldn’t beryllium capable to fresh successful nan smaller chassis of nan iPhone 15 Pro. Maybe adjacent twelvemonth pinch nan iPhone 16, right?

Anyway, nan specs of nan triple-lens camera strategy connected nan iPhone 15 Pro are beautiful overmuch identical to its predecessor. You person a 48MP main shooter, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP telephoto one. Since there’s nary tetraprism telephoto design, it only gets up to 3x optical zoom, conscionable for illustration before. The selfie camera besides remains astatine 12MP, for illustration connected nan iPhone 14 Pro.

However, Apple made immoderate improvements connected nan package broadside for nan cameras this year, which decidedly help. For one, nan main camera will now default to 24MP images alternatively of 12MP for illustration past year. That intends much item successful each image, but besides that nan size and solution are somewhat bigger, truthful support that successful mind. You tin still alteration it backmost to nan 12MP if you really want to, though, truthful astatine slightest Apple gives you nan choice.

Another cool characteristic that is exclusive to nan iPhone 15 statement is Auto Portrait. Even erstwhile you are capturing a regular photo, arsenic agelong arsenic nan camera focuses connected a personification aliases pet, it will automatically seizure extent information. This lets you move nan photograph into a Portrait mode image aft nan fact, and honestly, it’s one of my favourite features.

I americium ever taking photos of my progressive daughter, truthful I ne'er really person clip to move to Portrait mode. But now, pinch Auto Portrait, I tin beautiful overmuch move immoderate image pinch her into a image that looks truthful overmuch nicer.

Apple is besides utilizing Smart HDR 5 for image processing, and it’s really beautiful good. One of my biggest complaints pinch nan iPhone 14 Pro camera was nan oversharpening and harsh colors of images, but truthful far, I person not had that problem pinch nan iPhone 15 Pro. The photos I’ve taken look to person overmuch amended colour temperatures and are much realistic to what you spot successful reality. Skies aren’t getting blown aliases washed-out arsenic much, which is ever welcome.

Another point Apple mentioned this twelvemonth was that there’s a caller coating connected nan lenses to thief trim lens flare. I person noticed it helps rather a spot for lowlight nighttime shots, but you’ll still person immoderate lens flare artifacts each now and then, depending connected nan situation.

And speaking of nighttime shots, nan lowlight capacity of nan iPhone 15 Pro has been very impressive. My nighttime shots look to person much item than pinch erstwhile iPhone models, things look sharper and much crisp, and colors really pop.

Since nan regular iPhone 15 Pro did not get nan tetraprism telephoto lens, I didn’t really return a batch of zoomed-in photos for this review. It’s beautiful overmuch nan aforesaid arsenic past year’s iPhone 14 Pro pinch nan 3x optical zoom, and if you really want nan amended optical zoom this year, you’d astir apt beryllium considering nan iPhone 15 Pro Max anyway. Still, shots pinch nan 3x zoom connected nan iPhone 15 Pro don’t look terrible, but thing beyond that will stay integer zoom.

The ultrawide lens and selfie cameras did not alteration from past twelvemonth either. But pinch nan package improvements, nan colors do look better, and tegument tones look much accurate. The ultrawide is besides utilized for macro photos, and I consciousness that it is really getting moreover amended for macros. So, if you emotion to get ace up-close to objects, nan iPhone 15 Pro gets nan occupation done.

Overall, I’m really impressed pinch nan cameras connected nan iPhone 15 Pro this year. There are much specifications pinch nan 24MP default, colors are overmuch better, and lowlight and macro photos are besides improved. I conscionable wish that Apple would person fixed nan smaller iPhone 15 Pro nan tetraprism telephoto, but hey, possibly adjacent year.

iPhone 15 Pro: artillery life

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

The iPhone 15 Pro has a somewhat larger artillery astatine 3,274mAh compared to nan 3,200mAh of nan iPhone 14 Pro. However, successful existent use, it doesn’t look for illustration it lasts immoderate longer than before. Even connected Apple’s website, erstwhile you comparison nan two, you still person nan aforesaid 23 hours of video playback, aliases 20 hours of streamed video, and audio playback of 75 hours — those numbers person not changed.

During my first 2 to 3 days pinch nan iPhone 15 Pro, artillery life seemed overmuch worse than connected nan iPhone 14 Pro erstwhile I started utilizing it. I was ending up astir 30% to 40% by midafternoon, astir 3 p.m., truthful I ended up needing to plug successful midway done nan day. I presume this was owed to nan truth that it was still restoring information successful nan inheritance aliases indexing.

Now, aft astir 2 weeks of use, nan artillery life seems to person improved complete those first fewer days. I typically unplug from nan charger astir 8 a.m., and lately, I’ve been plugging successful astir 9 p.m. pinch astir 20% to 30% artillery remaining aft my emblematic regular usage.

However, connected days erstwhile I do request to do a batch of driving — since my telephone connects to my dash cam and I request turn-by-turn directions for caller places — nan artillery life does return a important hit. The different day, I ended up astir 50% by noon.

To adhd to my constituent earlier astir nan telephone getting rather lukewarm without a lawsuit while retired successful 90-degree temperatures, I besides noticed nan artillery was draining faster than normal astatine that time. Again, I was not doing thing intensive, simply opening up immoderate apps to person connected nan show for a photo. But I saw that nan artillery was dropping astir 1% a infinitesimal successful astir 10 minutes of snapping immoderate photos. This whitethorn beryllium an anomaly, but I thought it was worthy noting here.

iPhone 15 Pro: USB-C and charging

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

OK present we spell — yes, nan iPhone 15 Pro, on pinch nan remainder of nan full iPhone 15 lineup, has yet ditched Lightning for USB-C. And it’s 1 of nan champion moves Apple has ever made.

I person a ton of different gadgets each complete nan house, and they each usage USB-C cables. The only devices I had ever needed a different cablegram for, too various wearables, were my erstwhile iPhones. But now, pinch nan iPhone 15 Pro, I tin simply drawback immoderate of nan dozens of USB-C cables I person and plug it successful without a problem. It’s a beautiful awesome feeling.

USB-C is 1 of nan champion moves Apple has ever made.

But I americium a small disappointed pinch different determination Apple made pinch nan move to USB-C: It doesn’t really complaint immoderate faster than before. That’s awesome if you transportation your photos and video files from your iPhone to your computer, but I personally haven’t plugged my iPhone into my machine successful years.

Rather than improving nan charging velocity of nan iPhone 15 Pro (and Pro Max), nan headdress is astir 27 watts. That intends you get astir 50% complaint successful 30 minutes for illustration before, arsenic agelong arsenic you usage a 20W adapter.

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

Ata clip erstwhile we person immoderate Android phones that tin scope charging speeds of complete 100W, nan iPhone 15 Pro is still 1 of nan slower flagship phones. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has 45W charging, and nan OnePlus 11 is moreover much awesome pinch 80W charging from its SuperVOOC charging block. That intends a afloat complaint only takes 25 minutes!

Still, having USB-C connected nan iPhone 15 Pro has been wonderful. I nary longer request to look for a circumstantial proprietary cablegram and tin conscionable drawback immoderate USB-C cablegram I person connected hand.

MagSafe wireless charging is still 15W, pinch Qi-compatible wireless charging astatine 7.5W. Oddly enough, Apple does person reverse wired charging, but only wired and astatine 4.5W. I’m still amazed it hasn’t added reverse wireless charging for illustration different Android brands, specified arsenic nan Google Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S23 — it’s much convenient than having to usage a cable.

iPhone 15 Pro: value and availability

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

You tin get nan iPhone 15 Pro now straight from Apple, bearer stores, and big-box unit stores for illustration Best Buy, Target, and others. The iPhone 15 Pro starts astatine $999 for 128GB.

If you request much storage, you tin get 256GB for $1,099, 512GB for $1,299, aliases a monolithic 1TB for $1,499. There are besides various deals pinch carriers that whitethorn aliases whitethorn not impact a trade-in to shave immoderate money disconnected that price, truthful make judge to check for deals.

The iPhone 15 Pro comes successful 4 colors: Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium. Though truth beryllium told, each nan colors are still beautiful boring.

iPhone 15 Pro: verdict

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

While nan iPhone 15 Pro Max whitethorn beryllium hogging nan spotlight this year, its smaller sibling, nan iPhone 15 Pro, is still a awesome choice. After all, not everyone wants to usage a elephantine phone.

The move to titanium was wholly nan correct telephone to make. Stainless steel, though gorgeous, has proven to beryllium dense and a magnet for fingerprints. With titanium, nan iPhone 15 Pro is overmuch much lightweight than its predecessor, and erstwhile mixed pinch nan rounder edges, it’s conscionable measurement much comfortable to clasp and use. I cognize it whitethorn look for illustration I’m overexaggerating, but I’m really not — nan quality is nighttime and time if you clasp them broadside by side.

The Action fastener is besides a crippled changer. I’m still keeping it elemental for now, but erstwhile you harvester nan Action fastener pinch what nan organization is capable to do done Shortcuts, it’s a full caller ballgame. I still wish I could usage nan Action fastener pinch a double property aliases triple press, though. And nan move to USB-C makes charging truthful overmuch much convenient, arsenic USB-C cables are plentiful.

And contempt not having nan tetraprism telephoto lens of nan iPhone 15 Pro Max, nan iPhone 15 Pro is still awesome successful position of cameras this year. Auto Portrait is awesome if you person small ones aliases pets that ne'er look to enactment still, and Smart HDR 5 is simply a large betterment successful nan image processing.

If you request a powerful and mini iPhone correct now, this is nan 1 to get.

But nan iPhone 15 Pro could person been better. It’s specified a head-scratcher that Apple moved to USB-C, but did not amended charging speeds. AS a result, it remains 1 of nan slower options connected nan market. Having nary reverse wireless charging, alternatively going pinch reverse wired only, is besides perplexing.

Those complaints aside, nan iPhone 15 Pro is still fantastic. Apple has a mates of clear areas to amended moreover much with nan iPhone 16 adjacent year, but if you request a powerful and mini iPhone correct now, this is nan 1 to get.

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