On the surface, Apple iPhone 15 Pro was an evolution not a revolution but having used it for almost two months I would suggest that all the improvements add up to make this a truly special smartphone.
Key new iPhone 15 Pro features
At launch, the headlines were grabbed by the new USB-C charging port and the Action Button. It took me a few weeks to stop searching for and trying to insert a Lightning cable to recharge my iPhone 15 Pro (out of years of habit), while the Action Button, although welcome, has not made that much of a difference to my everyday smartphone experience.
I have mine assigned to a menu of Siri Shortcuts, incidentally. It’s a shame it can do only one thing – double press or long press options would make it more versatile.
That USB-C port, however, has made its presence felt. I can now enjoy Lossless and HiRes audio from Apple Music using a DAC and wired headphones without needing an adapter. I can now connect my Sony mirrorless camera to my iPhone to view my photos. And I can now easily connect my iPhone to an SSD for backing up my photos and ProRes video files. I can also record 4K 60 frames per second (fps) ProRes video directly onto that SSD.
If I use a dock with a HDMI out port, I can easily view my iPhone 4K video footage on my 55in 4K TV screen. You could also connect to monitors or projectors easily which is great news for gamers, productivity hounds and content creators.
The USB-C port also enables reverse wired charging of other devices such as phones, earbuds and smartwatches.
The bundled USB cable is only USB 2.0, incidentally, so if you want to take advantage of the fast transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps you need to buy a USB 3.0 cable.
Elsewhere, Apple has added a second-gen Ultra-Wideband chip that enables Precision Finding for Friends. Users can locate friends within a 60-metre range using on-screen directions and distance information. It’s great for busy locations such as festivals or concerts.
iPhone 15 Pro camera system
Apple says new lens coatings have helped to reduce the lens flare problem, but it’s still noticeable when there are light sources visible in your frame.
Camera hardware specs are otherwise the same as the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max but there are noticeable improvements in the software, so you’ll enjoy superior portraits photos, night photos and macro photos especially. And the main camera now saves 24MP resolution images instead of 12MP (but thankfully does not use double the storage space), which results in more rich detail in all your still images.
You no longer need to enable portrait mode as you can now turn any photo into a portrait after the fact, which is incredible.
You can now tap the 1x button in the camera app to toggle between the digital equivalent of popular focal lengths 24mm (1x), 28mm (1.2x) and 35mm (1.5x). You also have the option to choose which of these is your default shooting mode. You can also disable either of the 28mm and 35mm modes (or both) if you wish.
The overall everyday point and shoot camera experience is the best on any smartphone, thanks to the camera app’s ease of use and the reliable consistency, speed and accuracy of the autofocus system.
You can deep dive into the Settings app and enable RAW mode for photos and ProRes for videos. You can even shoot video in the Log format (for higher dynamic range) and, as mentioned above, you can use a USB-C cable to hook your iPhone up to an external SSD and record 4K 60fps video footage directly to it.
Sadly, the firm’s first ever 5x periscope lens is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max so I have been unable to test it. Other reviewers have given the new zoom the thumbs up, however, and I can’t see why anyone would not welcome the extra optical reach. For me, it’s a case of what I haven’t had on an iPhone so far, I haven’t missed.
The DXOMark labs test cameras in a much more scientific manner than I do, and they score iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max as the best smartphone camera systems you can buy outside of China. (DXOMark ranks both Apple devices as joint number three, incidentally, behind the China-only Huawei Mate 60 Pro+ and Huawei P60 Pro devices.)
iPhone 15 Pro performance
Apple’s new A17 Pro SoC (system on a chip) surpasses everything else currently available – even Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will find it hard to match its power and speed. I’m making this assertion based on both benchmark test scores and everyday use.
The GPU is capable enough to do real time ray tracing, incidentally, which means you will effectively be able to play PlayStation equivalent games on your iPhone.
Essentially, the A17 Pro is way more power than any smartphone currently needs, but the headroom is part of the reason why Apple can give such long-term support to its phones. The headroom will come into play in a few years from now.
I had no issues with overheating on this device, even during marathon sessions of ridiculously heavy testing. Software updates since launch seem to have remedied the issue that some other reviewers reported in the early days of the phone’s life cycle.
iPhone 15 Pro design, build and display
I’ve used a 6.7in iPhone Pro Max for the last number of years, and the 6.1in iPhone 15 Pro feels much lighter and smaller in the hand - it is 53g lighter than last year’s Pro Max.
The new titanium frame means both the Pro and Pro Max are lighter this year, by the way. The frame is stronger but still prone to scratch marks. My review model is the Midnight (dark blue) colour which looks classy.
I’ve housed the unit in an Apple Fine Woven case currently, but I’m tempted to ditch it and show off the gorgeous iPhone 15 Pro design as intended.
The display glass has enhanced protection from what Apple calls Ceramic Shield, a material that contains ceramic crystals.
The iPhone 15 Pro’s screen curves ever so slightly at the edges whereas the iPhone 14 Pro Max screen was completely flat. The bezels are symmetrical all the way around – only a handful of smartphones pay this much attention to detail and I love it.
The 2556x1179 pixel resolution (with a 460 pixels per inch pixel density) display is stunning, with vibrant, accurate colours and excellent viewing angles. Brightness levels have been boosted to 2000 nits and the screen is easy to see on even the sunniest of days.
Nits, by the way, is a measurement used for the brightness level of screens such as phones and watches. The higher the number of nits, the brighter the screen, basically.
In short, this super sharp display is ideal for consuming media and everyday use, and perfect for most users. But I regularly have instances in which I miss and wished I had the extra screen real estate of the larger-screen Pro Max model.
iPhone 15 Pro battery life
I have found the battery stamina on iPhone 15 Pro consistently pleasing. Most days from a 7am start I have more than 10 percent in the tank after 11pm.
Recharging is still capped at 20W which is even slower than Google and Samsung flagships, but as slower charging is better for your long-term battery health it’s not an issue that we can complain about too much. And while a reviewer like me who tests a lot of phones would miss the convenience of being to fully charge a phone in less than 30 minutes as you can do with some Android flagships, most iPhone users will not be missing what they have never had.
Your iPhone 15 Pro can also be charged wirelessly at up to 15W using a MagSafe charger, or 7.5W with a Qi charger.
Other iPhone 15 Pro features
The haptics are as excellent as ever, and the handset has WiFi 6E, Gigabit LTE, Thread networking, NFC, 5G and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.
And you get the second-gen UWB chip mentioned above. You also get the crash detection and satellite connectivity introduced last year.
Dynamic Island, while not changed, is super useful, displaying information such as live score updates, timer countdowns, music or podcast thumbnails and the duration of phone calls.
A new voice isolation feature impressively removes background noise from video and phone calls.
iPhone 15 Pro verdict
Not many smartphones are flawless; but it’s the most apt description for iPhone 15 Pro.
You get a vastly superior camera experience that adds up to more than the sum of its parts; a better, brighter 6.1in display with slimmer, more symmetrical bezels; a blazing fast A17 Pro chip and WiFi 6E support; all housed in a body that is noticeably lighter than its predecessor because of the use of a titanium frame instead of stainless steel.
I’d recommend the 6.7in iPhone 15 Pro Max to anyone who prefers larger displays or wants the added 5x optical zoom but even without those features the iPhone 15 Pro is a perfect smartphone.
iPhone 15 Pro pricing and availability
Apple iPhone 15 Pro costs from €1239 (for 128GB storage) from Apple.com. It has €10 off currently at Currys. And it's only €1165.47 at Amazon currently.
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