iPhone 15 vs iPhone 14: Last year’s Pro in disguise?

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Apple hasn’t made any crazy design changes in a while and it’s no different with the iPhone 15. Unlike the Pro models, there haven’t been many leaks regarding the iPhone 15’s dimensions, but we expect them to be more or less the same as that of the iPhone 14. The jury is still out on whether you could fit the same cases and screen protectors.

Rumors say the overall look of the entry-level iPhone 2023 will be the same as last year’s model, including the glass back, aluminum frame and buttons. Fortunately, one of the main new attractions that debuted with the iPhone 14 Pro is coming to the 15: the Dynamic Island. We’re finally saying goodbye to the notch that’s lived on iPhones since the iPhone X.

The Dynamic Island is one of the two major design changes on the iPhone 15 that sets it apart from the iPhone 14, the other being the move to USB-C. Yes, there is a very good possibility that we will finally see it Apple uses the universal charging port that all other phones have been using for years. Don’t get too excited though, as mentioned, this won’t result in faster charging speeds compared to the iPhone 14.

In terms of protection from the elements, the iPhone 15 is said to have an IP68 water and dust protection rating, just like its future predecessor.

What about the colors? They are always a big part of a new iPhone launch. Unfortunately, unlike the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, we still have no idea about the color options of the iPhone 15. So stay tuned and check back here in the near future, like them if there are leaks before the announcement.

Finally, we expect the iPhone 15’s boxing experience to be largely identical to that of the iPhone 14, meaning the device itself, a charging cable (now USB-C to USB-C), and not a charging brick. Yes, you’d think that changing the charging port this late in the game might mean Apple adding a charger in the box just this once, but no, highly doubtful.

The iPhone 14 already comes with a great screen. It gets very bright, contrast levels are fantastic thanks to the OLED panel and the color calibration is one of the best in the game (if not the best), meaning you get accurate colors across all content. That said, it lacks one important aspect that many Android phones have: a high refresh rate.

Unfortunately, the iPhone 15 is not claimed to have a higher refresh rate than the normal 60 Hz. This is perhaps the biggest disappointment about the phone. Even a 90Hz (Pro models have 120Hz) would have been a nice upgrade to see here, but it seems Apple thinks it would bridge the gap between the Pro and non-Pro models too much. Besides the camera system, a higher refresh rate of the screen is probably one of the main reasons why users still opt for the more expensive models.

However, there’s a possibility that the iPhone 15 would have a higher peak brightness compared to the iPhone 14, so there’s that.

As mentioned earlier when we talked about the design of the phone, the notch is expected to finally leave its long-standing reign and be replaced by the Dynamic Island that first appeared with the iPhone 14 Pro. This is one of the main differences between the iPhone 15 and 14.

This might initially sound like a total disappointment as we’re still used to getting the latest processors with flagship phones, but there may be a blessing in disguise here. You see, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will very likely ship with the A17 Bionic, which is the first chipset built on the 3nm process (extremely compact, more energy efficient and more powerful). However, that upgrade is also the main culprit for the rumored $100 price hike the new Pro models are expected to receive.

Given that the A16 is already a perfectly powerful chipset even by today’s standards, it might not be too bad that the regular iPhone 15 keeps it at the same price as the iPhone 14 in 2022.

In terms of RAM, the iPhone 15 would retain the same 6GB as the iPhone 14, albeit with the more capable LPDDR5 (iPhone 14 has LPDDR4X).

Software-wise, there’s not much to say that would be considered new or an upgrade, aside from all the extra UI functionality and features that come with the Dynamic Island, which the iPhone 14 simply doesn’t have. There’s also the fact that the iPhone 15 gets one more year of major OS updates and security patches as it’s one year newer by comparison. Otherwise, both phones will be practically the same when it comes to user experience.

The iPhone 14 comes with a 12MP main camera which does a pretty good job, but the iPhone 15 is said to use the 48MP camera that came with the iPhone 14 Pro (the first jump from 12MP on an iPhone in years). What does this mean?

Well, it could mean a 65% larger sensor, which offers excellent image quality and allows the phone to take much better photos shot at 2x zoom, as it’s achieved by cutting in on the main sensor.

However, there is some sad news that Apple probably won’t give iPhone 15 users the option to take 48MP ProRAW photos, despite having the bigger and much better image sensor. That feature has always been exclusive to the more premium models, and the chances of it trickling down to the base version are pretty slim.

Fortunately, there are third-party apps that allow you to shoot in RAW format and thereby show more detail in the image file, which can result in a much better quality image. The only drawback of the RAW format is the significantly larger file size.

Besides the main camera, the ultra-wide and selfie shooters on the iPhone 15 are expected to remain the same as those on the iPhone 14.

Apple’s iPhones are known for having some of the best speakers you’ll find on a phone. That claim holds true for the iPhone 14, and so should the iPhone 15, as it’s expected to come with the same pair of speakers: one that shoots out of the bottom of the phone’s frame, and one that’s in the earpiece. embedded. can expect a balanced audio audio signature with clarity and a respectable amount of bass since we are talking about phone speakers.

As far as haptics are concerned, nothing has been reported so far that points to any surprises. The Taptic Engine that Apple has used in its phones for years has always been top-notch, so there’s not much to expect here, and both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 should offer the same experience in that regard.

The battery size of the iPhone 15 should remain the same as that of the iPhone 14, namely 3,279 mAh. Despite the new A16 chipset there shouldn’t be much of a difference in terms of power consumption as it doesn’t differ much on that front compared to the A15.

And yes, a USB-C charging port is expected on the iPhone 15, but charging speeds will most likely remain the same as those on the iPhone 14. The 15W MagSafe wireless charging is also predicted to remain the same.

So at the end of the day, comparing the iPhone 14 to the iPhone 15 feels like comparing it to the iPhone 14 Pro. Most of the improvements to the iPhone 15 are taken directly from the Pro models Apple launched last year. In fact, it’s actually a bit worse, because you don’t get the 120Hz refresh rate or the telephoto camera on the back.

Taking a bird’s-eye view of this comparison, the only really new thing is the USB-C charging port, which, mind you, would very likely offer no real benefits in the case of the iPhone 15.

So the question is why not buy an iPhone 14 Pro? If you find it with a hot offer or even use it, it’s almost certainly the better option. Then again, we can never know for sure until Apple makes the announcement on stage or in a pre-recorded Hollywood-level video, so there’s always room for surprises.