Geek Review: Apple iPhone 15 Plus

Upgrading your iPhone is never an easy decision – aside from the cost of an upgrade, there are the considerations of if the upgrades are worth making the switch to a newer iPhone.

What makes the choice of upgrade a lot easier is that since using the iPhone 5c back in 2013, the choice of the next iPhone has never been about getting the next flagship to flex. From the iPhone 6, 12, 13 and 14, the path towards every replacement iPhone has always been on getting what needs the new device can meet, and never the desire to get the one with the highest specifications. 

For the iPhone 15 though, the one upgrade that needed to happen this year was a larger display, from 6.1-inch, to the 6.7-inch. The reason? Let’s just say most of you will find out when you get older. The upgrades on the Pro are great but not many of us need to drive a fancy sports car all the time. In fact, there was a question if the shift from iPhone 13 should have been to the iPhone 14 Plus, which marked the debut of a larger dimension base model of the iPhone 14 range. 

The major difference between the Plus and Pro Max models, which are the same 6.7-inch in size, are the processor and camera. It uses last year’s A16 Bionic chip, which powered last year’s iPhone 14 Pro models, and offers two rear cameras instead of three – a 48MP 26mm f/1.6 main, a 12MP 13mm f/2.4 ultra wide and a 12MP 52mm f/1.6 telephoto. 

Having used the standard iPhone 14 model, and the base iPhone models for the last decade, upgrading to the iPhone 15 Plus has been life-changing in many ways. From pure aesthetics to upgraded features, the Plus is a great upgrade if you’re looking for a step up from the standard, but without going straight into the deep end for the premium Pro and Pro Max models. 

The iPhone 15 Plus’ 6.7-inch all-screen OLED Super Retina XDR display comes with a resolution of 2769 x 1290 pixels, and 460 ppi (pixels per inch). Whether you’re catching up on your favourite TV shows, catching a newly released film via streaming service or learning a new skill from YouTube, the larger screen provides an immersive experience. The satisfaction of seeing something so big and clear on the screen extends beyond just consumption of visual content on the internet, but on native apps like FaceTime too.

FaceTime calls with friends now feels more personable, because you can see the person you’re talking to a lot more clearly. We also appreciate that we can check ourselves out on the FaceTime window down the bottom corner of the screen. Bigger screen, bigger window, and hence, so much easier to see. 

The size is something one has to learn to get used to though. A phone that once snugly fits in your palm is now swapped for one that is either the same size or bigger than your palm, which means one-handed use needs to be recalibrated. Your thumb will need to stretch out a little bit more than usual when scrolling with one hand, and you will need both hands to hold the phone to effectively type a message. But just like riding a bike, it becomes second nature after a few weeks, and once you get used to a bigger phone, there’s hardly much incentive to go back. 

What’s new in the iPhone 15 Plus is Dynamic Island, introduced last year to the Pro range and now available across the iPhone 15 series. This is the pill-shaped alert hub located at the top of the screen that easily informs you of incoming calls or tracks playing on Apple Music, but slowly, you’ll find that it will prove immensely helpful in alerting you of many other things, including Apple Pay transaction confirmations, Airdrop file transfers, AirPods connection status, battery life, low battery alerts, silent mode turned on or off, Apple Watch unlocking, incoming phone call and call duration, voice memo recordings, personal hotspot connection – the list goes on like the larger display, the thought of never ever having it makes you wonder where this simple feature has been all this while. 

Of course, the next question is how this notification plays into the battery life, especially with the larger display. Well, the iPhone 14 ran about 10 hours on average, and the 15 Plus can last a good 19 hours, which is impressive. The battery life in the 15 Plus does impress us, especially since it doesn’t drain quickly, making it reliable for long usage in and out of the country.

As part of a battery life test, we left Singapore and crossed over into Malaysia with only 57 per cent of battery life. Across the border, we used the 15 Plus for Maps, communications with folks back home via apps Telegram and WhatsApp, including sharing photos, as well scrolling through several social media platforms, because what else can you do when you’re stuck in a two-and-a-half-hour jam?

Throughout the six-hour journey around Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and back to the East in Singapore, there was never a worry that the phone was going to die on us, and by the time we got home, there was still 17 per cent left on the device, which means another two hours of decompressing in bed and doomscrolling before reaching for the USB-C cable. 

For those who critique the comparison of a fresh battery on a new device to that of an older model, Apple has introduced a new feature that should help you manage your battery life, as long as you look after it.  New to the iPhone 15 line-up is a charging limit that can charge the battery up to 80%. Over the years, Apple has introduced smarter charging options that detect your use habits, to charge it slowly when it knows the device is not in use, such as during the night, to not tax the battery. 

Now this doesn’t mean that the battery will never charge beyond 80 per cent as your phone can do so occasionally, to maintain its state of charge capacity. This is just one method in which Apple aims to reduce wear on the battery and improve its lifespan, and with it on, battery life becomes something we’re more aware of. 

And for the first time, the 15 Plus finally receives a massive upgrade in the camera department, with a 48MP main camera over last year’s 12MP main. The colours are much more natural looking and vibrant, but not too saturated. Blacks are definitely deeper, delivering a stronger contrast. Something that does happen with photographs taken by any iPhone model though, is that the image does tend to lean a little bit more yellow. 

The improved camera also means the photos you take are much more detailed and clear. Where it truly has an impact is in its night photography and ability to zoom in to take photos of items in the sky – be it an airplane or a full moon. Selfies also receive the same treatment so makeup users will want to make sure that their makeup isn’t crusty because it will show in the pictures you take. 

Of course, there are some factors to consider when thinking about purchasing the iPhone 15 Plus. Where its size is one of the biggest upgrades from the standard phones, the 15 Plus will not fit in the pockets of a woman’s jeans, and in a woman’s petite handbag. Again, we reckon these are first-world problems that can be easily solved one way or another. 

Starting from S$1,449, it is a premium for a flagship but the 15 Plus sits in the middle of the new lineup. The standard 6.1-inch 15 starts at S$1,299 and the 6.7-inch 15 Pro Max from S$1,999. When you weigh the specs, the size, its price, and whether or not the phone meets your needs, the 15 Plus comes off as the perfect middle ground for many consumers.

The 15 Plus provides a larger screen space, is equipped with the premium features of the 14 lineup (that are still considered new!), and boasts some premium features that are available in the 15 Pro range too. Its strong battery life and great camera capabilities are factors worth investing in, especially if you want a powerful device that will be able to stand by you for the next few years.