Should I upgrade to the iPhone 15?

Every year when Apple launch a new iPhone model people ask "should I upgrade?". Let's compare the old iPhone 14 models to the new iPhone 15 models and see if we can answer that question then, shall we?

Before we delve into the technical specs of the iPhone 15 it's well worth pointing out the one big change that should matter to everyone - the charging port. Apple have abandoned the Apple-only Lightning port for the more standard USB-C port, which means you can charge the 15 with a standard USB-C cable and USB plug instead of having to pay well over the odds for Apple's charging products.

That right there is a strong case for upgrading on its own. But what extra does the iPhone 15 bring over earlier models?

Speed

First of all, it should be quicker than the iPhone 14 models. The standard iPhone 15 boasts the A16 bionic chip with a 5 core GPU, whilst the Pro versions have the A17 Pro chip with a 6 core GPU. How much quicker and whether you should care or not are different questions.

9to5mac.com have published a really good comparison that will help you out if you care about such things. If not, then you likely won't really notice the performance boost.

Aside from the iPhone 14 Pro, the new models come with Apple's Dynamic Island - "a magical way to interact with iPhone". From everything I've read, though, you won't find this much use at all, at least not until the app builders have taken full advantage of what it could offer. I wouldn't be making upgrade decisions based on this right now.

Cameras

Cameras DO matter, however, and in this regard the iPhone 15 provides a serious upgrade.

The iPhone 14 had a 12MP dual camera system; the iPhone 15 has a 48Mp dual cameral system providing super high resolution photos. THAT is significant. The Pro models give you Telephoto functionality too. Optical zoom has been doubled from X2 to X4 with the iPhone 15 and a whopping X10 on the Pro models.

In short, the iPhone 15 camera is much, much better than that found on the iPhone 14 and that, for me, is a damn good reason to upgrade all by itself.

Battery

Battery life isn't that much different, though the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max offer up to 29 hours video playback compared to the iPhone 15's 20 hours, which is comparable with the iPhone 14. Will it do that in "real life"? Maybe, to a certain extent, but with the USB-C charging port you're going to find charging your phone a lot less hassle anyway.

Design

Whether we like (or admit) it or not, an iPhone is a status symbol for many. So what it looks like matters.

The iPhone 15 (6.1" display) and 15 Plus (6.7") are aluminium with a colour infused glass back, available in five surprisingly simply named blue, pink, yellow, green and black. All but the black are pastel shades and if I'm honest, I'm not a fan. I would opt for the black all day long.

The iPhone 15 Pro (6.1") and Pro Max (6.7"), however, are beautiful.

Crafted from titanium with a textured matt glass back, the colour range is much better. You have Natural Titanium which is a sort of sandy/dull gold colour, Blue Titanium which is quite metallic and possibly my favourite, White Titanium which is, well, white and nothing to shout about and, of course, Black Titanium which is sleek and understated.

Overall

Getting back to the original question - should I upgrade to the iPhone 15? - the answer would be a resounding yes, though I would definitely go for the Pro over the standard iPhone 15 for the performance bump. That said, with USB-C charging and the much better camera, the standard iPhone 15 is still worth looking at, especially if price is an issue.

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