Verdict
The iPhone 15 Plus has carved out its recess with a discounted price in the UK along with several antecedently Pro - exclusive features like Dynamic Island tech , a new 48MP camera and impressively strong stamp battery lifetime that make it a tantalising option to the top - end iPhone 15 Pro Max – it ’s just a shame about the 60Hz refresh charge per unit .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The iPhone 15 Plus is here to fixate the wrongs of the iPhone 14 Plus , a telephone that did n’t really sit well in Apple ’s line - up .
However , with the iPhone 15 Plus getting serious upgrades in the course of Dynamic Island tech , a new 48MP snapper and a slightly cheaper price point in the UK , it represents a more tempting choice for anyone looking for a big - screen iPhone that does n’t desire to pay top dollar for theiPhone 15 Pro Max .
Sure , there are still compromises to be had – you miss out on a telephoto detector , the A17 Pro chipset and a Ti chassis – but these are n’t enormous omission for the everyday iPhone user .
That enounce , the screen is still locked to a torpid 60Hz when evensub-£200 Android smartphonesoffer a smooth 120Hz refresh charge per unit , and despite being just a year old , the phone does n’t stand the GenAI - poweredApple Intelligencein iOS 18 . The latter is kind of a big great deal .
Design
You might be severely - pressed to tell the difference between the iPhone 15 Plus and its precursor , theiPhone 14 Plus . It ’s still very much a distinctive iPhone with no huge redesign on offer , though picking up the unexampled model , you ’ll notice insidious difference .
That ’s because the aluminium frame has done away with the signature tune sharp bound of previous iPhones , this time opting for a more or less rounded liaison that instantly makes the big 6.7 - inch sound experience more comfortable in the palm of the hand . I never really mind the more angular edges of former model at the clock time , but after handling the iPhone 15 Plus , I do n’t really want to go back .
That ’s accompany by a nice new lustrelessness coating on the meth tail end that helps get free of those pestering fingerprints , and the satin - like feel bring home the bacon a adorable hotshot for the fingertip too . That ’s accompanied by the twofold camera bump in the top - left , though like the underframe , the box of the cutout are somewhat diffused and more sloped this time around .
The iPhone 15 Plus is more or less lighter than its predecessor at 201 M , though only by three grams . The bigger exercising weight difference of opinion come with theiPhone 15 ProandiPhone 15 Pro Max , which swapped out the weighty stainless steel frame for a more lightweight atomic number 22 one .
While on the subject of Pro comparisons , the one instantly noticeable divergence between the iPhone 15 Plus and its Pro Max sib is the lack of anAction Button . The new push supplant the mass switch present on former models , but this is very much a Pro - level upgrade with both theiPhone 15and 15 Plus offering the same traditional transposition .
If that does appeal to you , the newer iPhone 16 Plus may be the iPhone to opt for . Not only does it include the Action Button but a new Camera Control button , with the latter provide a unexampled way to take photos , complete with a touch modality - sore surface that have you swipe between television camera control and even control zoom without touching the screen .
If you come after the aluminium frame to the bottom of the iPhone , you ’ll acknowledge another deviation : a USB - degree Celsius port , in place of the Lightning embrasure Apple has used since 2012 . It ’s likely a change that ’ll rive opinion , especially if you have a large ecosystem of Lightning cables and accessories , but I sleep together the power to utilise one USB - C cable to charge my MacBook , iPad Pro and iPhone .
Elsewhere , the iPhone 15 Plus isIP68dust- and water - insubordinate to protect it from unexpected dunks , and it comes in a range of attractive – if slightly dull – colours including black , white , blue , green , yellow and pink .
Apple has to be spat for its approach to environmental drill too , with the iPhone 15 Plus ’ chassis made from 75 % recycled material , while the stamp battery include 100 % recycled cobalt . The promotional material is also completely reusable , with no single - use plastics in vision .
by from the new Action and Camera Control buttons and a new vertically - aligned television camera caparison on the rear , the iPhone 16 Plus await remarkably similar to the iPhone 15 Plus , so you might not mark a huge difference by choose for the newer example .
Screen
The large 6.7 - inch OLED display is the independent understanding to opt for the iPhone 15 Plus over the cheap iPhone 15 . It ’s a high - caliber jury with a pixel - packed 1290 x 2796 resolution that delivers rafts of point , whether you ’re scroll through Instagram or play detailed 3D game like Genshin Impact .
While it ’s for the most part the same as last year ’s iPhone 14 Plus , the plus of the previously Pro - exclusive Dynamic Island technical school make for an exciting variety . The pill - mould cutout replaces the iconic notch cutout , obliterate both the selfie camera and Face ID tech within , as well as work out with iOS to make it a core part of the experience .
This is done in several agency , from provide a mini player to control music playback to always displaying a currently run timer , and some third - party apps have built specific active Island functionality into their apps , allowing you to get live delivery updates or football scores without delving into the app in question .
It ’s a cool feature that has been pretty underutilised by developer up until now , but with more iPhones now using the tech , we could see an explosion in Dynamic Island integration in the come months .
The panel can also reach a much higher peak brightness at an impressive 2000nits which makes watching HDR depicted object a real treat , specially when combined with the vibrant colours and inky-black total darkness of the OLED gore .
There is n’t much to be disappointed about with the iPhone 15 Plus display , then – aside from the refresh pace . The iPhone 15 Plus continue Apple ’s ( quite unbelievable ) stance of keeping the regular models lock away to a rather slow 60Hz , leaving the ProMotion120Hzdisplay tech exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max .
Compared to practically every otherAndroid smartphone , even budget options like the £ 349Honor Magic 5 Litethat offer a 120Hz refresh pace , the iPhone feels comparatively slow and sulky . People like to argue that nobody even notices the difference , and while that may be true for those who have n’t used a 120Hz showing over a farseeing period , it ’s certainly noteworthy for those of us who have .
Besides , the only reason most iPhone substance abuser are yet to experience it is that Apple has been gate - keeping the tech for its top - conclusion smartphones forwaytoo long . It ’s meter to demand more from what is , by all agency , a flagship smartphone , even without the Pro moniker .
significantly , the screen remains near - identical on the newer iPhone 16 Plus , with most of the screen upgrades instead going to the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max , so you could save a pretty penny by opting for the one-time model .
Cameras
While a glance at the rear of the iPhone 15 Plus will reveal the same treble - tv camera blueprint as its herald , it holds a secret within . That secret ? A shining new 48MP elemental snapper , replacing the 12MP tv camera Apple has used forquitesome time .
Of of course , the megapixel count does n’t always have a direct effect on image timbre – something Apple has proved meter and metre again – but it does grant the steady iPhone pixel - bin technology that delivers a massive improvement in overall light and detail , especially in low - light scenario .
Low light is one region where the iPhone 15 Plus has view a considerable improvement year - on - yr , delivering dig notthatfar off what you ’ll get from the iPhone 15 Pro . It was chop-chop capable to capture simulacrum in even super dim situations , like a moonlit lawn , though it can sometimes look a littletooorange .
In more general use , the iPhone 15 Plus ’ elementary sensor is an downright treat , capable of appropriate bright , detailed and vibrant images with a perfectly balanced active range that is perfect for share on societal medium .
An update to the tv camera tech also allows you to transform any photo into a Portrait - style photo , with drug user able to pluck both the focus and the bokeh of the look-alike in the Photos app at any point . You ’re able to tweak focussing and bokeh post - capture on some Android phones , but not many ( if any at all ) can win over steady image to Portrait shots with such truth .
The new 2x digital zoom selection provided by the high - res 48MP sensor is also a handy addition , allowing you to get a little closer to the subject ( for Portrait scene , for exemplar ) without having to get physically closer , and without any veridical illustrious downgrade to overall image timber . It also provides a slightly narrower field of view than the elemental and ultra - broad lense .
talk of , there has been small in the way of improvement to the accompanying 12MP ultrawide lens system . That is to say that it still takes a bully photo with plentitude of detail and a uniform colour palette compare to the primary lens , but you wo n’t retrieve any fancy pixel - binning technical school here to further enhance the more small contingent of image taken .
It also means it ’s still not the well when it come to dark mode , with notably darker , muddier shots than the accompanying lens .
Video remains one of the strongest points for getting an iPhone over practically any Android on the market , with wholesale cinema - trend stabilisation that looks great . There ’s also the ability to register at up to 4K@60fps with stabilisation , along with Cinematic Mode ( that dynamically blur the background ) at 4K@30fps .
The latter is a little dumb than the 4K@60fps of the Pro models , and you wo n’t discover ProRes or Log capture , but for all but pro - flat video recording editor program , that does n’t weigh too much .
The newfangled iPhone 16 Plus again baffle with the same combination of a 48MP main and 12MP ultrawide , although Apple claims that the newer 48MP ‘ nuclear fusion ’ television camera is better at 2x telephotograph performance than premature iPhones . Still , whether that ’s enough rationality to plummet for the newer model is largely down to personal orientation . It for certain sounds like a rather small update .
Performance
At the heart of the iPhone 15 Plus you ’ll find the4 nm A16 Bionicchipset – and if that chipset sounds familiar , it ’s because it should . It ’s the same chipset that was previously sole to the iPhone 14 Pro , but do n’t get that put you off .
Even when combined with less RAM ( 6 GB ) than the Pro fashion model , the A16 Bionic is a performant chipset that can still bring the fight to flagship Android competition a twelvemonth after release – something backed up by our rooms of benchmark tests , showcasing just how capable the iPhone 15 Plus is .
Sure , it ’s a way off the3 nm A17 Proof this year ’s Pro solicitation , but you wo n’t be able-bodied to order a remainder in day - to - day tasks . The iPhone 15 Plus feels just as speedy as any other flagship smartphone , handling both scrolling through spiritualist - clayey apps and high - death games like Call of Duty Mobile with high graphics enabled without as much as a hint of stutter .
There is a massive downside to using the A16 Bionic in property of the A17 Pro , however – something I ’ll address in the software section in short . It ’s also worth observe that the iPhone 16 Plus offers a two - gen bump , up to the Apple A18 chipset , with the companionship claiming a 30 % rise in the CPU section and 40 % in the GPU section that allows it to play the same AAA game as the Pro example .
One of the only elements take hold things back is the aforesaid 60Hz refresh pace , which is n’t quite as smooth as the 120Hz panel ascertain in most of the competition . It ’s just as fast , but liquid displays can feel more responsive in everyday use .
When it fall to connectivity , expect the standard slating include Bluetooth 5.3 , NFC for Apple Pay and Wi - Fi 6 ( 6E is exclusive to the Pro models ) . It ’s also eSIM only in the US , as with last year ’s assembling , though that has n’t become more widespread with the release of the iPhone 15 as some had expected .
Software
One of the biggest reasons to get an iPhone is to get access to iOS , Apple ’s home - grow operating system for its fluid collection . More specifically , the iPhone 15 Plus sports the latest iteration in the form ofiOS 17 , bringing with it a wrapping of new features that amend the iPhone experience on fling .
That includes bighearted headline new features likeStandby Modewhich essentially turns the iPhone 15 Plus ’ sizeable 6.7 - inch display into a saucy display when either connected byMagSafeor USB - C in a landscape painting orientation , to more minor , yet still vital , additions like synergistic widgets on the home projection screen and lock screen .
The iPhone 15 Plus will also get the iOS 18 update very shortly , and any keen Apple rooter will know that means one thing ; Apple Intelligence is on the agency . It sounds like a monumental upgrade to the iOS experience with a quicker , smarter Siri , young photo redaction tools and a range of GenAI - powered feature film like custom - made emoji in the form of Genmoji . There ’s even integration for third - party Master of Laws like ChatGPT to further expand what you may do with your iPhone .
It ’s basically the entire focus of iOS 18 , which make the fact that the year - honest-to-goodness iPhone 15 Plus does n’t get admission to Apple Intelligence all the more frustrative . It comes down to the said A16 Bionic chipset , with Apple deeming it not powerful enough to deliver the GenAI experience .
Instead , it ’s only the iPhone 15 Pro models , and the intact iPhone 16 collection , that can get to the functionality . That ’s a massive slap in the side for iPhone 15 Plus users and a monolithic reason to choose for the iPhone 16 Plus rather .
Of of course , it ’s not just the iPhone 15 mountain chain that gets access to iOS 18 . Even theiPhone Xr , a earpiece first released in 2018 , will get the upgrade . Sans - Apple Intelligence , of course of action .
By that metric , I expect the iPhone 15 Plus to continue to get software updates until iOS 24 , meaning the leading computer software experience will keep to ameliorate over time .
Battery life
Battery animation is one area where the iPhone 15 Plus excels compare to most of theiPhone 15 chain of mountains , and that includes the top - end Pro Max . That ’s for the most part down to the combination of a motionless 60Hz display and a very big battery , both of which equal to excellent battery life story that , depending on usage , could see you well into a second 24-hour interval of function .
Apple does n’t wish to comment on battery particular but third - company teardowns have revealed the utilisation of a 4,383mAh cell , a meagre improvement on last year ’s 4,325mAh cubicle . However , conflate with the 4 nm A16 Bionic , I find the iPhone 15 Plus would simply keep on going – and that ’s even during 18 + hour days at a recent smartphone league I was look .
In fact , on one sidereal day of the league , the iPhone was used for around 18 hours with a combination of 6 and a one-half hours of screen - on prison term and another 2 hours of CRT screen - off usage listening to medicine , and I still had 34 % left in the tank when I went to plug it in at around midnight .
Considering batch of Android phones falter at around the 5 - hour mark , it sure as shooting relieve my barrage fire anxiousness and allow me to leave my chunky power banking concern in my hotel room .
However , despite the move to USB - C , the iPhone 15 Plus charges at the same rate as its Lightning - enabled counterparts from 2022 , and it ’s a like story with information transfer of training too .
That mean the iPhone 15 Plus took 27 min to score the 50 % mark and 93 proceedings to progress to a full charge via the ( nicely braided and colour - matching ) USB - deoxycytidine monophosphate cable provided in the boxful – though as with all other recent iPhone releases , you ’ll have to source your own charging brick to juice it up .
Qi and MagSafe also make a return at the same 7.5W and 15W severally , offering a more convenient , if not slightly slower , way to charge your iPhone . The iPhone 16 Plus does offer quick 25W MagSafe charging , however .
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Should you buy it?
The sizing of the 6.7 - inch display of the iPhone 15 Plus perfectly matches theiPhone 15 Pro Max , ease up you the core magnanimous - screen experience without swash out for the top - end model .
Apple Intelligence is a vast part of the iOS 18 update , but due to the A16 Bionic chipset , the iPhone 15 Plus does n’t patronize it .
Final Thoughts
The iPhone 15 Plus relieve oneself more sense in Apple ’s line - up compared to the iPhone 14 Plus , partly because of a price drop in the UK that more well separates it from the top - endiPhone 15 ProandiPhone 15 Pro Maxwithouta monolithic downgrade in full term of features and functionality .
Sure , you ’re not getting a telephoto lens or the fastest Apple chipset , but the iPhone 15 Plus has a circumstances go for it , from the new Dynamic Island tech to the new 48MP primary television camera that hand over unfeigned year - on - year addition when it comes to taking photos and capturing picture .
It also still deliver the best battery life ofany iPhone , with even hardcore habit not fully draining the barrage over a day .
The only frustration is that , despite being just a twelvemonth old , the iPhone 15 Plus does n’t substantiate the GenAI - power Apple Intelligence in iOS 18 , making it quite a spot less tempting than it should be .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every roving phone we review soundly . We use industry - standard tests to compare feature properly and we use the phone as our main machine over the review period . We ’ll always tell you what we find and we never , ever , take money to survey a product .
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FAQs
You ’ll get a USB - C to USB - C cable television in the box , but no charging brick . You ’ll have to source your own one by one to take advantage of the fastest charging speeds possible .
With an IP68 military rating , the iPhone 15 Plus is both dust- and water system - resistant .
Test Data
Full Specs
