Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 smartphone is one of the best to release this year. But with a high price tag and visible crease on the larger display may leave many potential buyers looking elsewhere.  

Specs

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 – Overview

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is a seamless device with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back. However, the foldable market might make a significant jump from the little move taken by the Fold range.

The gap-free body of the Galaxy Z Fold5 finally matches the competition and solves one of the lineup’s biggest problems: the ugly and unusable V-shaped gap when folded shut. With its IPX8 certification, it is still only equaled by the Huawei Mate X3, whose Armor metal frame and Victus glass exterior are the most reliable on the market.

For the Galaxy model, the processor has been improved to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with faster CPU and GPU speeds, and storage has been increased to UFS 4.0.

The remainder is copied and pasted from Fold4. The 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOELD 2X screen with 373ppi, 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, and HDR10+ is still a foldable AMOLED panel. It supports S-Pen input and includes a sophisticated 4MP camera hidden behind the display to prevent disruptions. Despite not being a component of the phone itself, the new, smaller S-Pen cover may be one of the most significant enhancements we receive this year.

The same 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ is available externally. While there is no S-Pen support, there is a punch hole here.

Another feature that was directly copied from the Fold4 is the back camera configuration. The new Snapdragon chipset will be hoped to assist the 50MP OIS main, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP OIS 3x telephoto combination in enhancing image quality with its processing power.

Battery life is another area that can only be improved by the new chipset as the Fold5 has a 4,440mAh battery with 25W wired and 15W wireless charging capability. 

It was undoubtedly written on the wall in the Fold5 R&D labs, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Although the unsightly gap is gone, the Fold5 still appears to be a makeover rather than a completely new design. Imagine a Galaxy Fold 4s.

Could there possibly be more to this new phone than first appears? Has Samsung concentrated on internal changes that enhance the user experience but don’t appear on the specifications sheet? Let’s investigate by taking a look inside the box.

Design

The design of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is clearly the result of iterative development. It shares a lot of similarities with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 at first appearance, but there are also significant and, in my opinion, positive distinctions.

With a weight reduction of about 11 grams over the previous generation, the Z Fold 5 is much lighter. Additionally, it weighs 30 grams less (252 g) than the substantial but superb Google Pixel Fold (402 grams).

More significantly, the glass-covered frame made of polished aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 can now be folded flat. When folded, the smartphone is substantially lighter and slimmer thanks to it and the millimeter of body thickness. It also feels good in your hands.

Samsung redesigned the hinge and the way the flexible display is bent inside it when you close the phone. However, the sweeping technology that was added to the hinge mechanism a few years ago to keep out crumbs and dust is still present.

The flexible display crease seems to have become significantly less obvious thanks to its improved hinge. Although it’s still visible and perceptible, it seems a little less obvious.

Most button and port locations are the same. On the top and bottom edges of the phone, there are speaker grills that are marginally smaller than those on the Z Fold 4. On the bottom, near to a microphone connector, is a USB-C port.

A single air vent and two microphones are located on the top. If the phone is open and the main screen is facing you, the physical SIM slot is on the left edge, while the power/fingerprint reader and volume rocker controls are on the right.

The fingerprint reader is one of two reliable biometric security choices, by the way. You may use the fingerprint reader or register your face to unlock. It’s simple to setup the security features with your face or pin code, and unlocks your phone quite quickly.

The hardware of the cameras, all five of them, has not changed from the Z Fold 4, however the back camera array has undergone a minor aesthetic adjustment. Samsung appears to have removed some metal from the aluminum island that encloses the three back lenses. The LED flash has also been relocated from the island and put close to the lens array.

Otherwise, nothing has changed. In comparison to the Fold 3, I loved the previous design and was pleased to see that Samsung was able to significantly widen the cover screen without expanding the phone chassis.

As soon as I open the Z Fold 5, I can clearly see the edge-to-edge screen, and it appears to be bigger. Samsung’s primary camera is cunningly concealed behind the primary foldable display and only becomes visible as a cutout when in use.

The way the hinge works is strong and slick. Despite hundreds of instances of opening and closing, the phone still felt secure when I first used it and still does. This Android phone is wonderfully made. In reality, I can attest from personal experience that Samsung is thorough and does not tolerate flaws in its Galaxy devices.

Without a doubt, the Z Fold 5 smartphone is beautiful from an aesthetic standpoint, with its polished, color-coordinated frame reminding one of a fancy bag or briefcase’s clasp. My favorite and the Fold 5’s distinctive color is Icy Blue. Other colors are available, such as Phantom Black, Cream (exclusive from Samsung.com), Gray, and Blue.

You can see sandwiched, polished aluminum, colorful glass on the back, and a big cover screen when it is folded shut. Despite having more thickness than a typical candy bar smartphone, it feels sturdy without being heavy and fits well in virtually any pocket.

One of the most robust foldables, it can withstand being submerged in water for 30 minutes thanks to its IPX8 certification. But that only applies to fresh water, not the salt water found at beaches. If you do take it to the beach, try not to drop it in the sand because it isn’t especially dust-resistant and the moving components won’t like it.

I ran my Galaxy Z Fold 5 under the faucet, but I didn’t entirely immerse the phone. It was fully undamaged after I dried it off. The overall design of the Z Fold 5 is not anything new, but it does have better features. 

Display

The 6.2-inch AMOLED (2316 x 904) outside display has a selfie camera with a punch-hole. It is responsive, bright, and angular. This cover screen has a customizable refresh rate of 48-120Hz, much like its predecessor.

The stated screen size can be a little deceiving. Yes, it is wider than the 6.12-inch display on my iPhone 14 Pro, measuring 6.2 inches diagonally, but it is also smaller. My iPhone 14 Pro and the Pixel Fold are both noticeably (almost half an inch) bigger.

Because of the tiny cover screen, this phone is still easy to carry even when it is folded to be twice as thick as the normal iPhone. But when compared to other smartphones, particularly the roomy Google Pixel Fold cover screen, it frequently feels constrained in usage.

Although the Pixel Fold showed me what was possible, I can no longer live with thumb typing on the too-narrow display of the Z Fold 5’s cover screen. And this is significant because, despite the fact that this is a dual-screen gadget with lots of productive potential, I spent a lot of time on the road with it folded shut.

The cover screen should be just as functional as the main screen, as it is on the Pixel Fold, but it isn’t, at least not in comparison.

When you unfold the phone, a stunning 7.6-inch small tablet display is revealed. Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, 2176 x 1812 resolution (374ppi), and 1-120Hz adjustable refresh rate are its perfect specifications and resolution. Having said that, this is an excellent display for browsing websites, checking email, and perusing social media.

While utilizing the display to play games, watch Netflix, shoot photographs (using it as your big-screen viewfinder), and manage numerous applications at once, you won’t notice the flexible screen crease (even if it appears a little less obvious).

Even though it has a slightly lesser resolution and pixel density (the Pixel Fold has a 2208×1840 OLED at 380ppi), this screen is more than comparable to the Pixel Fold’s. I like how the Z Fold 5’s screen extends all the way to the edge and how Samsung chose to conceal the internal front-facing camera behind a sparse patch of pixels that it can switch off when not in use rather than utilizing a larger bezel.

I don’t understand why Samsung chose to stick with the 4MP camera rather than switching to a better resolution sensor (like what you’ll find on the Pixel Fold), but at least the 7.6-inch foldable display is excellent.

The display’s advertised 1,750nit peak brightness (our lab testing hit 1,350nits in HDR mode), which I frequently used outside, was more than adequate of blocking out direct sunlight.

The phone’s displays are both touchscreens, of course, but the folding display has the advantage of accepting pen input via Samsung’s S Pen stylus. Samsung provided the new $99 / £99 Galaxy Z Fold 5 Slim S Pen cover, which is itself a pretty interesting feat of engineering, as the phone doesn’t come with one. Just above the stylus, there is a tiny S Pen release. I just depress the button to release it, and the S Pen emerges from the casing.

If I’m being really honest, I don’t like how thin the newest S Pen is. Having saying that, I liked using it on the primary display. With applications like Sketchbook, it’s fantastic for taking notes quickly and even sketching. There isn’t a better option, in my opinion, if you’re considering purchasing a case for your new Z Fold 5, than one that also contains this pen.

On the huge primary display, everything appears to be in fantastic condition. It’s ideal for my passion with Asphalt 9: Legends and for viewing movies on the train. Its flexibility also makes it versatile.

With a screen the size of a tablet, multitasking is an option. I had no issue dragging and dropping up to three applications into place to launch them. I can press the ellipsis in the middle of my trio of applications to switch between the three places.

You might wish you could open more applications at once, but I believe three is sufficient for readability and functionality. Drag and drop operations between these two displays are similarly simple. In this case, having one app on the left and another on the right makes sense (for example, mail on the left and photos you want to drop in on the right).

Soon after receiving my review sample from Samsung, I made the decision to rely only on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 to direct me as I walked from a restaurant back to my hotel in Seoul. I launched Google Maps on the 7.6-inch display after unfolding the phone and started looking for my accommodation.

Maps located it and could pinpoint my location and travel direction with a small blue dot. Because Maps couldn’t produce walking instructions in South Korea, that was useful. I only needed to stroll while keeping an eye on my blue dot on the large screen. I was back in my hotel room in fifteen minutes.

I can sit the phone on the table, fold the screen 90 degrees, and watch movies on one side of the screen while scrolling through my photographs and videos or use Flex Mode to shoot shots by waving at the screen. The Z Fold 5 also functions as a tripod by itself.

I would set it down on a chair, table, or other flat surface, point the back cameras at my subject (people, the sky, the stars), and then use the settings on the screen to snap the picture either right away or, if I didn’t want to take the chance of moving the phone, on a timer. Hyperlapses of stars moving over the night sky and groups of people passing by are both fantastic subjects for this kind of video.

There isn’t a “Tent Mode” on this device as there is on the Pixel Fold, which would allow you to half unfold the phone and play content horizontally on the Cover screen. Given how little that monitor is, this is definitely reasonable.

Camera

I can see the plan with the Z Fold 5 even though it’s rare for a phone maker like Samsung to keep all of its cameras the same from one model to the next. Few individuals own foldable phones or have purchased the Z Fold 4. Do you see many individuals sporting them at the park or on the train as you look around? Exactly.

Samsung has a point when it says that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (or its sexier sibling, the Galaxy Z Flip 5) may be customers’ introduction to foldable phones. With one exception, the Z Fold 4’s camera collection was pretty strong. It’s doubtful that you won’t like what Samsung has to offer in this area.

Given the fact that options for foldable phones are expanding at an exponential rate, there is obviously a concern. Don’t even get me started on the abundance of folding alternatives available to customers in the UK and Europe (entry from Oppo, Honor, and Huawei come to mind); it’s been a while since I evaluated the Z Fold 4. Google introduced the Pixel Fold since I last reviewed the Z Fold 4, and it does, in some respects, surpass the Z Fold 5’s photographic capabilities.

With a 5x optical zoom compared to Samsung’s 3x magnification, Google excels above Samsung in this specific area. Although Samsung may brag about its remarkable 30x spatial zoom capabilities, images shot with that digitally enhanced feature don’t hold up all that well when compared to other cameras. Additionally, part of the graphics combines actual images with what AI knows about your subject. That, in my opinion, is not true photography.

Nevertheless, I had a great time utilizing the Z Fold 5’s cameras. In certain circumstances, the images and portrait mode photographs are amazing. The tendency of Samsung to intensify the colors largely works in its advantage. I do enjoy a sky that is even more spectacularly blue and more purple flowers. Although authenticity may not be Samsung’s strong te, I believe everyone will like your Galaxy Z Fold 5 pictures.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 delivers superior picture processing, which I saw on exhibit in the great low-light night photography, despite the fact that Samsung didn’t alter the sensors. The pictures are pretty good, whether they were taken in a restaurant where a 20-course Korean meal was being served or of the lovely Seoul cityscape.

Even when taking pictures in portrait mode, the camera is quick. I photographed several people who were learning to juggle, and I was astounded by the primary 50MP camera’s ability to not only capture the jugglers in action but also to recognize the balls in flight and bring them into focus alongside my subject.

My argument is that, if you have a decent lens and sensor, sometimes all you need to do to improve speed and image processing is upgrade the silicon. I took the majority of my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 photos with the phone closed, utilizing one of the three rear cameras as my viewfinder and the cover screen as a flash.

The main screen is accessible if I open the phone, but it’s a little cumbersome. I could utilize the greatest cameras on the phone, the 10MP cover display camera (recommended), the 4MP folding display camera (not recommended but fine for video conferencing), or both for a selfie.

I did this by unfolding the phone and choosing the “Cover Preview Screen” icon in the camera app’s upper right-hand corner. Due to the back camera array facing me, I was able to utilize the cover screen as my viewfinder. By moving the lock icon on the cover screen to the left or right, I could even have complete control over all photographic functions.

This is because, whether you’re shooting conventional photos or selfies, you can shoot using the phone’s greatest camera system. Although it’s a good feature, I didn’t like photographing with my phone unfurled in general since I was afraid of dropping it.

I also recorded some video, up to 8K 30fps, and was happy to see that there was no stuttering while recording or playback. However, I do believe that the playback of the 4K 60fps video is a little bit more buttery smooth. In either case, this phone can record some excellent films.

The auteurs among us have the option of shooting in Pro video mode, which offers them full control over the camera’s settings, including focal point, speed, and microphone (omnidirectional rather than simply front or rear, or even an external microphone).

Even while Samsung sometimes tucks away useful features inside the “More” menu, its Camera app is generally richer than Apple’s. You may select “Pro” (under More) for manual control. Additionally, you may capture 12MP stills (by merging four pixels at a time) or 50MP raw pictures with the free Samsung Expert Raw program.

You can adjust every manual option on your camera with it as well. Although it’s still a mystery to me why these phones don’t come with Expert Raw pre-installed, at least it’s available.

Compared to Apple, Samsung often provides you more control over camera functions. Similar to Apple’s Timelapse, Hyperlapse has six settings and explains how to utilize each one (300x is ideal for observing the stars, for instance).

Performance

Samsung may not have made many changes to the cameras or other parts of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but it changed the important parts. There is the still-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 ‘for Galaxy’ SoC, which is now also included in the complete Galaxy S23 series. This slightly overclocked version of the CPU.

Twelve gigabytes of (LPDDR5X) RAM support that. Together, they contributed to a simple and enjoyable user experience.

According to the results of our Geekbench 6 testing, Qualcomm’s silicon outperforms the Tensor G2 CPU in the Google Pixel Fold in terms of single-core performance (2050 vs. 1179) and multi-core (5302 for the Z Fold 5 vs. 3759 for the Pixel Fold). The Z Fold 5 fared nearly twice as well as the Pixel Fold in one of our OpenGL tests that measures graphics performance.

The majority of top-tier mobile chipsets, however, are more than quick enough for almost everything you might imagine doing with a smartphone. In other words, while most common and more demanding video and picture editing operations seemed similarly quick on the Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold, it is in prolonged usage that the extra overhead provided by the Samsung device shows out.

I raced around San Francisco in Asphalt 9: Legends while playing Call of Duty Warzone Mobile at the maximum visual quality and framerate possible without any tearing or stuttering. I also used PowerDirector to simultaneously edit multiple 4K video streams (I notice that most mobile video editors are unable to edit the 8K footage). This portable is equipped to handle almost everything.

This is a 5G phone, so it goes without saying that I experienced strong connections and quick downloads in areas with decent coverage. Both an eSIM and a conventional SIM are supported. Excellent performance in the workplace and at home as well as decent future-proofing were made possible with Wi-Fi 6e support.

Battery Life

Samsung didn’t adjust the battery size between the Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 5. The Pixel Fold has a battery capacity of 4,727mAh and weighs 30 grams more than the Z Fold 5; this means that 4,400mAh is less than the Pixel Fold. 

Samsung claims its devices would have all-day battery life, and I regularly experienced this. On most days, it was used for at least 15 hours.

The phone is compatible with Samsung’s version of “Super Fast charging,” which recharges 50% in 30 minutes. In our experiments, a 65W power adaptor allowed us to recharge to 56% capacity in 30 minutes.

However, just the USB-C cable is included in the package, so if you want to charge your device as quickly as possible, you’ll need to purchase one of those appropriate 65W or 45W adapters.

On several Qi wireless chargers, I was also successful in charging my device. When activated in Settings, the phone also enables wireless PowerShare, allowing you to stack Samsung phones on top of one another to transfer battery power between them (or to earphones or a compatible timepiece).

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a significant improvement to the Z Fold 4, giving the foldable smartphone formula a flatter and lighter design. It has sufficient power, adaptability, and premium parts and materials.

However, the identical features to the older model, the Z Fold 4, such as the battery, chipset, the camera system and the little cover screen fall short when compared to the considerably broader competitor, such as the Google Pixel Fold. At least it’s better than the older Z Fold 4. 

Should you buy it? Yes you should, if you can afford it. Although the Z Fold 5 is coming at a high price, it tick all the right boxes. So if you work in corporate, then this your ideal smartphone.

Any comments are welcome here below. If you also have questions then, leave them also below and I’ve get back to you soonest. If you want to find out more about this amazing smartphone, click here. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is an amazing phone for those seeking a compact 6.7-inch smartphone that maximizes space efficiency. It’s also perfect for anyone in search of an entertaining and distinctive device.

SPECS

Overview of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the smallest phone in Samsung’s foldable series, which also includes the larger Galaxy Z Fold 5 . While the Z Fold 5 turns a regular-sized phone into a tablet, the Z Flip 5 focuses on making a big screen smaller, more enjoyable, and easier to fit in your pocket.

The Fold is designed for power users and opens like a book, while the Flip bends at the waist and is designed for casual users who want a sleek, powerful phone that can be flipped closed for maximum mobility.

The Flip 5 is slightly better than the Z Flip 4, with some minor spec improvements and the ability to fold completely flat (just like the $999.99 Motorola Razr+). The new hardware is not only stunning but also durable, with an IPX8 rating and Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Samsung claims that the new hinge is even more robust than before.

One notable upgrade is the increased size of the exterior display, which enhances its usefulness. Samsung and Motorola have different approaches to utilizing their front screens, and this is what sets these phones apart the most. Depending on what you’re looking for in a modern flip phone, either the Z Flip 5 or the Razr+ will meet your needs.

So, if you’re after a compact and stylish phone that can easily fit in your pocket, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a great choice. It offers a fantastic folding experience and some impressive features. However, if you prefer a different design and user experience, the Motorola Razr+ is also worth considering. Ultimately, it all comes down to your personal preferences and priorities.

Improvements to the Design

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a stunning and sophisticated device that exudes durability, all while weighing a mere 6.6 ounces. This puts it in the same weight range as the Motorola Razr+, which weighs between 6.5 and 6.7 ounces (depending on the model), and significantly lighter than the 8.9-ounce Galaxy Z Fold 5.

While the Flip 5 boasts a smooth exterior that can sometimes feel slippery, the Razr+ offers a back panel with either a matte surface or vegan leather, both of which enhance grip.

When closed, the Z Flip 5 measures 3.4 by 2.8 by 0.6 inches (HWD), making it taller yet thinner than its predecessor, the Z Flip 4 (which measures 3.3 by 2.8 by 0.7 inches). On the other hand, the Fold 5 is substantially larger, with dimensions of 6.1 by 2.6 by 0.5 inches. The Z Flip 4 features a slightly wedged design due to the space between its halves, measuring 0.63 inches at its narrowest point. In contrast, the Flip 5 collapses flat without a wedge, showcasing its incredibly slim and sleek design.

The two parts of the phone are securely connected by Samsung’s new hinge, which can sometimes require a bit of effort to open due to its tight fit. The Z Flip 5 also has a small depression between its two sections, which can cause fingers to occasionally slip on the exterior metal frame when attempting to separate them.

On the other hand, the Razr+ has more rounded corners that make it easier to open, as they provide a firmer grip on either side.

Unless you possess exceptional dexterity, I would not recommend attempting to open either phone with just one hand. The redesigned hinge not only makes the phone more compact but also enhances its ergonomics, making it more comfortable to.

The hinge on the phone is a crucial component, and it’s important to find the right balance. If the angle is too low or too high, the hinge might automatically open or close the phone. However, we’ve discovered that the phone can still function even when opened less than 75 degrees.

On the flip side, if the angle falls below 45 degrees, the phone will shut on its own. To address this, the hinge has been redesigned and is now rated for 200,000 folds, just like the Z Flip 4.

The Z Fold 5 has also undergone similar changes to its hinge. Now, when the phone is shut, there is no longer a wedge-shaped gap between the two parts. It’s a small but significant improvement. When you open the phone, the two halves of the metal band come together seamlessly, providing a satisfying tactile experience. Samsung states that the standard angle when fully opened is approximately 178.5 to 181.5 degrees.

This means that the Z Flip 5 may or may not be completely flat when opened, but that’s perfectly normal. In everyday use, the Z Flip 5 resembles a traditional candy bar phone from most angles, similar to the Razr+. On the other hand, the Fold 5 has a more square, tablet-like shape.

When folded, the Flip 5 measures 6.5 by 2.3 by 0.3 inches. The inner screen is 6.7 inches and has a resolution of 2,640 by 1,080 pixels, a pixel density of 426ppi, and a refresh rate of 120Hz. Unfortunately, there are no improvements over the Z Flip 4 in terms of screen specifications. If you look closely, you can spot the folding crease, although it’s not very noticeable in most situations.

When you’re checking out photos, videos, and text on this device, you probably won’t even notice the curved section of the screen. It’s just like using a regular flat phone. Oh, and by the way, you can still see a 10MP camera at the top of the screen, but it’s not super obvious or anything.

Both displays on the Z Flip 5 are super bright and offer excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. The inner screen has a peak brightness of 1,200 nits, while the outer screen goes up to a maximum of 1,600 nits (more on that later). On the other hand, the Fold 5 boasts a large 6.1-inch exterior display and a spacious 7.6-inch inside display.

When it comes to durability, the Z Flip 5 has the same IP rating as its predecessor, the Z Flip 4. That means it’s completely waterproof, but not officially dustproof. The front and rear panels are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which should survive falls of up to 6.5 feet on surfaces like asphalt. However, the Gorilla Glass Victus+ panels used in the previous Flip version are slightly less sturdy.

On the left side of the phone, you’ll find the SIM slot, while the volume rocker and power button/fingerprint sensor are located on the right. The combination button is a bit recessed, which makes it easier to place your finger on the sensor, but it’s not exactly ideal. When you hold the closed Z Flip 5, be careful as accidental touches can easily trigger the sensor.

If you fail to unlock the device five times in a row, the sensor will be disabled for 30 seconds, and you’ll need to enter your PIN or password to regain access. Luckily, there’s a nifty option in the settings that allows you to require a press instead of a touch to activate the fingerprint sensor (go to options > Fingerprint Always On).

This feature helps prevent the problem of unintentional sensor triggers. So, with its sleek design, the Z Flip 5 is a solid choice for those seeking a reliable and stylish smartphone.

The Gorgeous Displays

The Flip 5’s outside display (also known as the cover screen) is 3.4 inches across and has a resolution of 748 by 720 pixels, which is a significant improvement over the Flip 4’s 1.9-inch, 512-by-260-pixel display. It has an acceptable refresh rate of 60Hz, albeit I would have like it to match the inner screen’s 120Hz rate.

When you close the Flip, Samsung believes you’re done with your phone and closes whatever app you’re using. The always-on display is usually visible through the cover; you must unlock the phone to interact with it again.

The cover screen has interactive widgets by default, but no applications. To enable applications on the screen, navigate to Settings > Advanced Features > Labs and turn on “Apps allowed on cover screen.” When the toggle is turned on, you may press the text to choose from a selection of only six applications that will appear in the cover screen apps widget.

The displays in these apps have some (but not much) continuity. For example, if you open a text string on the cover screen and then open the phone, you’ll be immediately placed in the same thread. If you then navigate to another text string on the inner screen and then to the outer screen, the phone quits the program and you must reload it, but you will resume where you left off.

If you’re viewing a YouTube video on the outer screen, it will play on the inner screen as well. If you’re viewing a video from the inner screen and then close the phone, you’ll have to reload YouTube from the cover screen.

However, if you’re only exploring a piece of YouTube on the outer screen, that state appears to vanish when you open the phone—you’ll still receive YouTube, but a new instance of the app will be launched.

Then there’s Samsung’s Good Lock, which allows you to install any program under the Good Lock widget. Based on the number of steps required, this does not appear to be something Samsung wants everyone to complete.

Download Good Lock from the Galaxy App Store, then press the Life Up option at the bottom, install MultiStar, open MultiStar, select I Galaxy Foldable, and then pick Launcher Widget. You may then insert any app into that widget.

Some apps, however, may not operate on the cover screen and may prompt you to open the phone instead. Reading applications like Kindle, Comixology, and Scribd, as well as Chrome, Instagram, and X (aka Twitter), performed admirably on the front screen. MultiStar also contains a game widget, which gives you access to a library of 12 games that work nicely on the small screen.

In this size factor, Motorola’s cover/inner screen software continuity on the Razr+ is the gold standard. The quantity of things you can do on the Razr+’s front screen makes utilizing the inner screen feel like a luxury. It is optional to open the Razr+, not required.

In contrast, the Z Fold 5 has a fully working cover screen. The Fold 5’s exterior display is as powerful as any conventional Android smartphone, despite its large aspect ratio. Furthermore, the Fold 5’s continuity features vastly outperform those of the Flip 5.

Many programs smoothly move from the outside screen to the inside display and back again. Given the Fold 5’s enhanced continuity features, the Flip 5’s restrictions are all the more annoying.

Fast Performance

The Z Flip 5’s standard model comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but you can pay more to double the latter. Both models are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, which debuted in the Galaxy S23 range earlier this year. The Fold 5 features the same chipset but more RAM (12GB) and a 1TB storage capacity.

The Flip 5 comes with Android 13 and is expected to receive four years of OS upgrades and five years of security fixes. It uses Samsung’s One UI 5.1, so it doesn’t deliver the same stock Android experience as Google’s Pixel smartphones, but it comes close.

Apps loaded swiftly in testing, response was snappy, and there was no perceptible lag while running a large number of apps at the same time. The Flip 5 had a single-core Geekbench 6 score of 1,940 and a multi-core score of 4,895. In comparison, the Razr+, which is powered with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 CPU, scored 917 and 2,916 in the single- and multi-core tests, respectively. It should be noted that Geekbench only measures the CPU.

The Flip 5 scored 14,377 on the PCMark Work 3.0 test, which measures general mobile workloads, which is extremely excellent but falls short of the Razr+’s 15,416. Genshin Impact performed admirably on medium settings at 60 frames per second. The Flip 5 handled many characters on the screen at the same time with ease, however we did notice intermittent slowdowns while traveling from one land to another.

When the settings were set to high, a warning message appeared that read, “Current performance load is too high, which can lead to overheating and serious lagging.” The Flip 5 became moderately warm to the touch after a short gaming session, but not uncomfortably so.

The processor-friendly Alto’s Odyssey ran well; there were no frame dips, and the phone remained cool. We anticipate that the Fold 5 will deliver comparable performance, however the additional RAM allocation may make a minor impact in specific use cases, such as multitasking.

Better Battery Life

The Z Flip 5 features a 3,700mAh battery with the same capacity and 25W wired charging speed as its predecessor. In our battery testing, which included streaming HD video at full brightness over Wi-Fi, the Z Flip 5 lasted roughly 10 hours and 5 minutes, falling short of the Razr+’s 14 hours (with a 3,800mAh battery) but improving by about 40 minutes over last year’s model.

The Flip 5 does not come with a charging brick, but with a strong charger, it can charge from 0 to 100% in 1 hour and 45 minutes. In testing, a short 15-minute charge brought the phone up to 19%. The Z Fold 5 has a bigger 4,400mAh battery, but it is powering significantly larger screens, and its battery performance has yet to be properly evaluated.

The Flip 5 supports 15W Qi-based wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging. Because of the minor angle generated by the camera bumps, I discovered that if the Z Flip 5 is closed on a level surface, a smooth item, such as the charging case of the Galaxy Buds Live, can slowly slip off the charging coil and the phone itself. To avoid this, open the Z Flip 5 and set it face down, or locate a case that will balance the phone when closed.

Other Features

The phone has Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 radios, both of which are small improvements over the previous generation. It also supports mmWave and sub-6 5G, as well as the desired C-band spectrum, and has one nano SIM and one eSIM. Peak download speeds on the Flip reached 492Mbps while connected to a Wi-Fi 6 access point in testing, with uploads topping out at 16.4Mbps (the sluggish upload speed is due to the ISP rather than the phone).

When tested at the same location, the Razr+ achieved 459Mbps down and 20.4Mbps up. When I moved the Flip 5 as far away from the access point in my flat as feasible, the speeds plummeted to 39.5Mbps down and 8.91Mbps up, while the Razr+ achieved 23.4Mbps down and 13.8Mbps up.

The Flip 5 achieved exceptional speeds of 780Mbps down and 86.4Mbps up on T-Mobile’s network in New York. When tested in the same location, the Razr+ achieved 721Mbps down and 62.2Mbps up. In other words, the Flip 5 is a strong 5G performer, and we anticipate similar outcomes from the Fold 5.

The phone uses a downward-firing speaker and an earpiece speaker to provide stereo audio. When holding the smartphone in landscape mode, it is easy to cover up the down-facing speaker by accident, but it is more difficult to do so with the earpiece unless you want to do so. The speakers don’t go very loud, but the music is clear regardless of level. We discovered a lack of bass when testing the speakers with the music “Silent Shout” by The Knife.

When the speakers were switched to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” they achieved a maximum level of 94.8dB. Even at maximum volume, the highs remain clean and free of distortion. A unique feature of the design is that when you play music on the Z Flip 5, you can feel the vibrations through the cover screen. If you wish to hear the sounds from the Z Flip 5, we recommend utilizing Bluetooth headphones.

In testing, call quality was fairly high, with the earpiece speaker reaching 85.9dB, making it easy to hear the caller even in noisy environments. During conversations, the highest output of the downward-facing speakerphone was 72.8dB, which is still rather loud.

Excellent Camera Quality

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 has three cameras in total. The exterior display holds two cameras: a 12MP ultra-wide sensor with a 123-degree field of view and a 12MP wide-angle shooter with optical image stabilization and a smaller field of view. The cameras are the same as those found in the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.

The rear cameras can record video in 4K quality at 60 frames per second. The camera on the inner screen includes a 10MP sensor and can record video at up to 4K quality at 30 frames per second. The Fold 5 retains its cameras, however the main shooter has a 50MP sensor and a 10MP telephoto camera is added to the mix.

Outdoor images taken with the rear cameras on a sunny day looked nice, with details like foliage retaining crisp in testing. Colors were, however, oversaturated by default (as is customary for Samsung cameras), resulting in an artificial shine. Color images taken with the Razr+’s 12MP primary camera and 13MP ultrawide camera were more accurate.

The Z Flip 5’s ultrawide camera has a bigger field of vision (123 degrees) than the Razr+’s (108 degrees), so you can see more of the world in your shots. It handled both dark and bright regions effectively, retaining detail in both. Apart from saturation, the cameras on the Moto Razr+ and Z Flip 5 yielded identical results.

The interior camera provided photographs with more realistic color and detail than the rear shooters. When compared to other cameras, images shot in portrait mode produced a more realistic blur around the subject. When utilizing the primary rear camera, portrait mode was a little more harsh with the background blur, but portrait photographs can be changed in the Gallery app after you snap them.

Because Samsung promotes the Z Flip 5 as a phone for creators, we examined its video quality. Recording 4K60 footage while walking at a moderate pace resulted in some visual bounce. Lowering the frame rate to 30 frames per second resulted in better stable video. The bounce was decreased even more at 1080p/60fps.

Color reproduction appeared more lifelike in movies than in stills. The microphones captured audio nicely. Also, because the Z Flip 5 can display the camera’s viewpoint on the cover screen, we discovered that when individuals could see themselves ahead of each shoot, they seemed to smile wider and become more lively.

Low-light photography at 1x worked well in a very gloomy environment. Colors were visible in the picture testing. Images shot at 0.5x in low light, on the other hand, were completely black, with nothing visible. The Z Flip 5 outperforms its major opponent, although any of the normal Galaxy S23 variants or Pixel 7 phones capture superior photos overall.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a wonderful phone for anyone searching for a 6.7-inch smartphone that takes up as little room as possible, as well as anyone looking for something entertaining and unique. The Flip 5’s hardware is elegant and gorgeous, and the two displays are of exceptional quality, yet Motorola’s Razr+ offers significantly more capability on the outer screen.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5, on the other hand, has a more durable design and a quicker CPU, perhaps making it a better pick for someone who wants to keep their phone for at least a couple of years.

Finally, both of these foldables are simple to suggest alongside more traditional favorites such as the $999.99 Galaxy S23+ and the $899 Google Pixel 7 Pro. While we’re still evaluating it, the larger and more costly Z Fold 5 appears to be your best pick if you’re looking for a phone that combines the power of a high-end flagship with the productivity abilities of a tablet.

Apple iPhone 15 Plus

The display, battery life, performance, primary camera, and charging of the iPhone 15 Plus are all significantly better than its predecessor. 

Specs

Overview

Since announcing the four models in the iPhone series, beginning with the launch of the 2020 iPhone 12 mini, Apple has struggled to make that fourth model popular with consumers in the same way as its siblings.

The sales of each batch of iPhones over the past three years have consistently been led by the Minis and Pluses. The new iPhone 15 Plus, like last year’s iPhone 14 Plus, offers a well-rounded experience combined with a lengthy battery life. 

The iPhone 15 Plus receives a few tweaks that make it appear more like a member of the club than its predecessor did. It includes enhancements that also make it more alluring to potential purchasers of big-screen smartphones. The iPhone 15 Plus launches with the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

All models in the iPhone 15 series, including the 15 Plus, now feature softer, more rounded edges, although maintaining the flat sides of the previous few iPhone generations.

This may be crucial for the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus as the previous models have been difficult to operate with one hand and this minor design change has a significant effect on the hand-feel, comfort, and usability.

You still get a 6.7-inch 60Hz OLED display with the iPhone 15 Plus, but it now has the Dynamic Island that was only available on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max last year, in place of a notch.

The phone is powered by the more formidable A16 Bionic processor produced by Apple, while the A17 Pro chipset was upgraded for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Also, say goodbye to Lightning; the iPhone now charges using USB-C, much like Galaxys, Pixels, and pretty much all other phones.

Regarding the crucial camera setup, there are still two lenses in a diagonal layout, but the main sensor has increased from 12MP to 48MP.

This change results in better still image quality in a variety of situations, including low light, when zooming in, and when taking portrait shots.

Although the image sensor on the iPhone 15 Plus (and iPhone 15) isn’t exactly the same as the one found in the Pro variants, it does support the majority of the cool new photo features seen on its more costly stablemates.

This features a boost in base output image resolution to 24MP and the capability to turn practically any photo into a Portrait shot.

The iPhone 15 Plus is available in 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB variants due to Apple’s decision to discontinue a 64GB storage option a few generations back. The new color-infused glass backs on all five iPhone 15 hues are available.

This, in my opinion, makes the green Plus (and the black iPhone 15) one of the most attractive iPhone finishes in recent memory.

The iPhone 15 Plus comes pre-installed with iOS 17, giving it all the advantages we’ve been hoping to try out for months (ever since Apple first demoed the feature at WWDC 2023 in June).

Longtime iPhone fans will value the quality-of-life improvements on the iPhone 15 Plus, like Contact Posters, Interactive Widgets, and even StandBy (formerly thought to be a feature reserved to iPhones with always-on displays, which the Plus currently lacks).

Fortunately, despite all the additional features, Apple has kept prices mostly unchanged in the US this year. In contrast, prices have decreased substantially in the UK and increased somewhat in Australia. As of Friday, September 22, the iPhone 15 Plus is accessible.

Design

The iPhone 15 Plus appears to be extremely similar to the iPhone 14 Plus at first glance. A closer look reveals a freshly designed metal frame, however, which softly buffs away the jagged edges and makes it considerably more comfortable to grip than the 14 Plus.

Additionally, it is three grams lighter (201g) than before.

This year’s iPhone 15 Plus (and iPhone 15) color options include five finishes (black, blue, green, yellow, and a truly stunning pink), all of which highlight new color-infused glass, with the camera bump effortlessly rising out of the back panel.

If you prefer pastels, you might appreciate these options. It has a nice appearance and is arguably the most elegant iPhone finish ever.

You should be able to charge with only one cable if you already own a contemporary MacBook and/or iPad, as the latter finally did away with Lightning on its base iPad 10.9 (2022) model last year.

Additionally, that aluminum frame now houses a USB-C port where there was once a Lightning port.

You’ll notice that it lacks the useful new Action button if you choose this non-Pro iPhone 15 variant. No, the ring/silent switch is still present on the 15 Plus and iPhone 15.

I don’t have anything against this aging component, but it’s clearly not as handy as an Action button (you can use accessibility tricks like Back Tap to mimic this behavior, though).

A diagonal dual camera system is still housed on the back of the phone, despite changes to the materials and colors. Where the notch formerly was on the front, you’ll now discover a Dynamic Island that resembles the iPhone 14 Pro, shielded by Apple’s Ceramic Shield.

Apple still provides some of the greatest IP-rated protection available, citing numbers that just barely outperform its IP68 certification for resistance to dust ingress and guaranteed water resistance.

The phone is also made entirely of recycled components, from the battery’s 100% recycled cobalt to the 75% recycled aluminum frame. Although the iPhone 15 Plus is a first step in this direction, Apple has plans to make all of its phones carbon-neutral as well.

Long-time iPhone users will also notice the port is slightly different from how they may be used to it; it is a larger pill-shape with a center strip of contacts. Finally, an iPhone has USB-C instead of a Lightning port.

Although it is commonly known that Apple made this decision before the European Union began to enforce it, that doesn’t make it any less innovative.

It was a minor joy the first time I was able to use the 3.5mm to USB-C converter, which had previously only been used with the Android phones I was testing at the time, to connect the aux cord in my car.

It’s exhilarating to be able to charge your MacBook, iPad, and iPhone with only one connection, especially if you travel frequently.

Display

Even though the bezels are not as narrow as they are on the slimmer 15 Pro and Pro Max, I find the larger 6.7-inch screen on the iPhone 15 Plus to be rather appealing and expansive.

But despite boasting a superb Super Retina XDR OLED screen, the iPhone 15 Plus (and iPhone 15) are still constrained to a 60Hz refresh rate, in contrast to the Pro models’ slick 120Hz ProMotion panels.

It’s now a nearly absurd feature of Apple’s most current non-Pro iPhones. Every generation, I think to myself, “surely, this’ll be the year they move past 60Hz,” but the business keeps defying my dreams and expectations.

For instance, Google’s normal Pixels have featured 90Hz displays since 2019; this year’s Pixel 8 joins its Pro sibling, with a 120Hz display. Samsung’s comparably priced non-Ultra flagships made the switch to 120Hz starting with 2020’s Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus.

Even though 60Hz at a phone of this price is far slower than the industry norm, Apple continues to hold non-Pro iPhones to this level.

Maybe existing iPhone owners who upgraded from earlier non-Pro iPhones don’t realize what they’re missing; you don’t question 60Hz unless you see and experience high refresh rates for yourself.

The Always-On Display feature is another Pro-only feature that is present on the majority of competitors; nevertheless, in my opinion, Apple’s execution is the finest (for a more detailed explanation, see my review of the iPhone 15 Pro). The Plus’s absence is at least mitigated by the device’s carefully honed tap-to-wake and raise-to-wake behaviors.

It’s difficult to disagree with the existing hardware, even though I still believe that this expensive handset deserves display improvements like a faster refresh rate and always-on capabilities.

Even if competitors have crisper displays, I haven’t argued about the iPhone’s resolution in years, and the 460 ppi pixel density is the same as it was before. Additionally, with a substantially higher ceiling this year — a 1,200-nit peak has increased to 2,000 nits — the business has now pushed brightness to be among the best on the market.

You will not miss the notch, and the ordinary iPhone 15 models also get the Dynamic Island from the 14 Pro range. Although it technically extends further into the display than the fourth notch, it is a more useful feature, even though I believe Apple could have done more with it in between generations.

The iPhone 15 Plus can now do everything the Dynamic Island could (keep track of directions, music, and your Uber), and iOS 17 should eventually add more features as well.

Camera

The iPhone 15 Plus’ camera configuration has a huge secret, even though it shares the same design as the iPhone 14 and 13 series before it.

The primary camera, which has previously clocked in at 12MP, is upgrading to a 48MP sensor with sensor-shift OIS (optical image stabilization), borrowing a page from the iPhone 14 Pro’s playbook.

The regular iPhone’s photographic recipe now includes pixel binning for the first time, coupled with superior shooting in all lighting conditions, including low light, and better quality 2x zoomed and portrait photos. Not to mention improved video and stills stabilization.

More significantly, the iPhone 15 Plus (and iPhone 15) now automatically record 24MP photographs. The best 12MP of information is combined with the full detail of the new 48MP sensor to achieve this (this tends to result in image file sizes from the main camera being substantially greater than previous-generation.

Additionally, you receive an effective 2x optical zoom, which is not a zoom lens but rather extracts the center portion of the entire 48MP sensor, just like the 14 Pro’s camera did.

Although the front-facing camera is now hidden behind the Dynamic Island, the iPhone 15 Plus’ ultra-wide sensor and front-facing camera both retain their previous megapixel counts of 12MP, so you’re shooting with capable sensors everywhere.

Performance

With the iPhone 14 series, Apple widened the gap between its base models, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, and its higher-end models, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, which had exclusive access to the A16 Bionic, which was more potent and power-efficient.

The two-tier CPU tradition will continue in 2023 with the iPhone 15 Plus (and iPhone 15) being able to use the A16 Bionic chip from last year’s 14 Pro models while the 15 Pro models this year use the even more powerful A17 Pro.

There was little evidence to suggest that the iPhone 14 Pro’s incorporation into the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus would do anything to lessen its potency since it was still absolutely flying and outperforming numerous current-generation Android flagships in fake benchmarks.

That is especially true when using a modest 60Hz display to power (as opposed to the adaptive 120Hz panel used in the Pro series), and sure enough, that is the case. During my time with the 15 Plus, the A16 Bionic demonstrated that it could handle just about anything.

There is also plenty of headroom that assures this phone will age gracefully, making it excellent for anyone looking for a long-term smartphone.

In terms of gaming, the large, bright display and the A16’s powerful graphics make for a capable pair that can handle even the most demanding games. Games, like Genshin Impact, runs smoothly at default settings (high) at 60 frames per second with only minor warming on the Plus’ back.

Concerning heat, as of this writing, a number of independent publications have expressed worries about a more serious heat build-up issue that appears to affect the entire iPhone 15 line.

While I didn’t have this problem while testing the Plus, I did when I was testing the iPhone 15 Pro for my review. It doesn’t seem to be related to carrying out high-performance jobs. Fortunately, this problem appears to be temporary because Apple has promised to fix it through software upgrades without affecting speed.

Storage options are the same as they were last year. It starts at 128GB, going up to 256GB, and ends at a high of 512GB. The Pro models start at 128GB, and the Pro Max model starting at 256GB.

The only significant reason for worry, as noted in the camera section, is the increase in picture resolution and the resulting rise in file size. A small modification like this might build up, even though a few more MBs on a single image might not seem like much.

Battery Life

We have a new battery champion, so blow the trumpets and throw some confetti! Last year’s iPhone 14 Plus dazzled with its battery life, but the iPhone 15 Plus takes things to new heights.

With a record (by our own testing) screen-on time of 10.25 hours, it surpasses devices like the Motorola Edge 40 Pro / Edge Plus 2023 (5.25 hours of screen-on time) and even Apple’s own iPhone 15 Pro (5.5 hours of screen-on time).

This translates to up to two days of use per charge, though I’d advise consumers to expect a day’s use with confidence and without checking the battery level.

Despite being the first Plus to include USB-C charging in favor of Lightning, there has disappointingly been no improvement in charging speed compared to the previous model.

Apple continues to claim that a device will reach 50% charge in 30 minutes with the same 15W and 7.5W wireless charging speeds for Qi and MagSafe, respectively.

However, during testing, the Plus charged at a high 20W and reached 53% in 30 minutes before reaching 100% in 1:53 using Apple’s 30W USB-C charger (available separately).

Verdict

Overall, the display, battery life, performance, primary camera, and charging of the iPhone 15 Plus are all significantly better than those of its predecessor. 

This year’s chipset, the optical zoom camera, the autofocus on the ultra-wide camera, the 120Hz high-refresh-rate screen that comes with Always-On Display, or the new programmable Action key are all features that are still absent from the Pro series.

The absence of some of these can be a deal-breaker for you depending on your preferences.

But more crucially, by positioning the 15 Plus in a precarious position where it has the feature set of the entry-level iPhone but is priced dangerously close to the Pro-tier iPhones, Apple may have hurt the 15 Plus’s chances of succeeding in the market, just as it did with the 14 Plus.

The iPhone 15 Plus has no intrinsic flaws; if it were used alone, we’d be pleased to give it our entire endorsement. But regardless of whether you are comparing it to current or previous-gen iPhones or Android devices, market realities indicate that it will be difficult to sell at its present pricing.

This places this particular device in a difficult situation and gives us reason to be pessimistic about the Plus portfolio as a whole.

Apple iPhone 15

The USB-C charger is just one of many advancements over the iPhone 14 that make the iPhone 15 a genuine update even if it isn’t sufficiently distinctive to shock the world.

SPECS

Overview

After using the new Apple iPhone 15 for a while, I can state that Apple should have switched to a USB-C charger years ago.

Not having to continually carry separate chargers for the iPhone and whatever other devices I’m carrying around has been a tremendous improvement, even though it’s not the largest feature on offer here given the incredibly outstanding cameras, great performance, and lovely hues.

Because of this, the iPhone 15 is now among the best smartphones available, especially if you’ve been waiting for Apple to do away with its ten-year-old Lightning cord. The iPhone 15 makes switching to iOS easier than ever before if you’ve been using one of the greatest Android smartphones.

Design

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus initially resemble the iPhone 14 almost exactly, right down to the aesthetic profile of the camera. But if you look a little closer, you can see differences.

The most significant of these is that, in its place of the inferior Dynamic Island that was only available on the iPhone 14 Pro in the previous generation, you now have the far better Dynamic Island.

This is essentially a tiny island in the display that is always completely black, though some notifications and statuses may display a small icon. These gadgets, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, can use a selfie camera underneath the display without interfering with your image.

This island also houses your front-facing cameras. Although it appears that Apple may be moving in this direction as well, the Dynamic Island is a far better option for storing the front-facing cameras while the firm works out how to accomplish it to its own standards.

The iPhone 15 has varied glass all around its back. This time, Apple was able to permanently incorporate the color into the glass. Realistically, most people won’t care much about this, but it should stop any stains from developing over time as dirt and grime become trapped behind the glass.

Naturally, in practice, this means that the new iPhone looks fantastic without a case, but Apple’s cellphones have always been like this.

Of course, the new USB-C port at the phone’s bottom is the greatest difference. The iPhone 15 is limited to USB-C 2.0, which is significantly slower than pretty much every other phone currently on the market, while the iPhone 15 Pro receives USB-C 3.0, a technology that has been available for 15 years.

It makes little sense to equip the iPhone 15 with such an antiquated USB spec in 2023, but I realize that consumers who transfer a lot of data to and from their phones will choose the iPhone 15 Pro anyway.

Even so, all USB-C 3.0 devices are backwards compatible, so using an older standard won’t have any impact other than on speed, but it’s still a mistake I wouldn’t have imagined from Apple.

Regarding the camera upgrade, the iPhone 14 still has a two-lens setup, but both lenses have undergone major improvements. You’ll still have to put up with a camera bump, which seems inevitable these days, but I like that Apple was able to enhance the camera’s capabilities without altering their design.

Other Features

I received a green iPhone 15 Plus and a pink iPhone 15, but there are actually many other color options available, including blue, yellow, and black in addition to pink and green.

Although the colors on both of the phones I tried are exquisite, they are weirdly muted this time around, with the pink hue frequently appearing white. Bright hues must be in opposition to Apple’s sense of style. How silly.

The last safety feature that Apple has included is very handy if you either live in a remote region or frequently go hiking. Nowadays, you can request assistance via satellite, whether you need roadside assistance or something more urgent.

This implies that you can still call for assistance in an emergency even if you don’t have cell service. You don’t need to upgrade if you already own an iPhone 14 because Apple discreetly supports the functionality for you as well.

You can discover the program in your settings by simply selecting Emergency SOS, as Apple explains in a help page. Additionally, a demo is available so you can test it out before a potentially fatal circumstance arises.

Camera

When it comes to the camera, the iPhone 14 was sort of screwed. Even though Apple’s normally superb image-boosting algorithms helped its 12MP primary sensor perform well, it lagged considerably behind the iPhone 14 Pro.

Even though the iPhone 15 Pro still has a great camera, the iPhone 15 is in a much better position this time around. A 48MP main camera and a 12MP telephoto lens are combined in the iPhone 15’s two-camera array on the back of the device to produce very amazing photographs.

The front camera is a 12MP TrueDepth one, which is effectively the same as the selfie camera in the iPhone 14. It’s adequate for taking beautiful selfies, and portrait mode is still the best feature of any iPhone camera, of course.

So it’s wonderful that the iPhone 15 automatically switches to Portrait mode whenever the camera detects a human or animal in the frame. This is made possible by the depth sensors in the camera array, which can determine whether or not you are taking a picture of a person instantly.

The phone does assume that you prefer portrait orientation by default out of the box, but I struggle to think of a reason why you wouldn’t. But what surprises people is how quick it is in actuality. Opening the camera app and getting a shootable image happen simultaneously and without any hiccups.

Performance and Gaming

With it pursuing AAA console games like Resident Evil Village, the iPhone 15 Pro appears to be going all out to be the de-facto gaming phone these days. The new Apple iPhone 15 is still a covert choice for mobile gamers, however.

The A16 Bionic is a capable processor despite not having the A17 Pro’s 6-core GPU. A 6-core CPU with 2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores, and a 5-core GPU is what we’re talking about. It might not officially support the high-end games coming to the Pro, but given how impressive the performance is, I wouldn’t be surprised if support was on the way.

The iPhone 15 can seamlessly switch between them in the mobile games I frequently play, such as Marvel Snap, Diablo Immortal, and Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes. What’s more striking is how little effect gaming appears to have on battery life.

Even though I frequently play games on my phone, I have only needed to charge the iPhone 15 three or four times in the past week or so of use. Almost regardless of what you’re doing, you can typically anticipate that the phone will last all day.

The USB-C 2.0 connection, however, prevents your phone from charging as quickly as some of its Android competitors. To play games, however, you can do a lot with that USB-C connection.

These days, the majority of controllers not only accept USB-C, but there are also a ton of controller adapters for smartphones, like the Razer Kishi. I use that particular gadget to play games on the phone, and since it is a USB-C model, you won’t have to switch to a separate controller attachment if your phone type changes in the future.

Even if it’s a tiny gesture, refusing to spend an additional $100 on something you already own says a lot. However, you might want to get the Plus if you know you’ll be playing a lot of games on your phone.

In comparison to the other two phones, the iPhone 15’s larger 6.7-inch display makes it much simpler to understand what is actually happening. The A16 Bionic chip is the same regardless of the model; nevertheless, the additional half-inch of display space makes a significant difference.

Display

Speaking of displays, Apple has once again outdone themselves. With a resolution of 2,556 x 1,179 for the iPhone 15, it may not appear to be the most stunning on paper, but Apple has once again calibrated the display to be incredibly bright and color correct.

Let’s be clear: There are smartphones with better resolutions and phones with crazily high refresh rates, but Apple has somehow figured out how to make a display look faultless.

Even though I frequently use devices with larger displays, I frequently reach for my phone to watch YouTube videos or read comic books since the iPhone 15’s display is so excellent.

Blacks are incredibly dark thanks to the mind-blowing 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, while brighter parts of any movie literally jump off the screen with to the peak brightness of 2000 nits outside.

Many things have been said about HDR and how it can genuinely change the content you watch, but when you have a screen that displays HDR video as well as the iPhone 15, it actually stands out in a class of its own.

Battery Life

The iPhone 15’s battery capacity is 3349 mAh. That’s a little bit more than the 3279 mAh battery found in the standard iPhone 14 and the 3200 mAh battery found in the iPhone 14 Pro model from the previous year. Since last year, Apple has reportedly added to its optimization efforts for both hardware and software.

The new Apple iPhone 15 performs admirably throughout, with a 21 hour battery life on moderate use. Given that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 Pro both feature identical A16 Bionic chipsets and extremely similar batteries, that makes the latter significantly superior than the former.

In the offline video playback test, the new iPhone 15 performed noticeably better. In order to corroborate our conclusions, we had to repeat the test a few times. Maybe Apple’s new display this year is much more effective. This would also account for the extra hour or two that the iPhone 15 was able to use Wi-Fi for web browsing.

The iPhone 15 does not charge exceptionally quick. The stock iPhone 15 can charge using a standard 20W power charger, just like earlier iPhone models. As a result, the phone goes from 0 to 32% in 15 minutes and from there to 58% in 30 minutes. The battery may be charged to 85% capacity in about one hour. That’s really not all that bad.

However, wattage begins to quickly drop down after that in the charging cycle. following a 95% charge. The iPhone 15 uses only about 4W of electricity, which accounts for why it takes 1 hour and 50 minutes to fully charge. That’s a little slower than the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13, but it’s still within striking distance.

The iPhone 15 is compatible with both conventional Qi wireless charging and MagSafe wireless charging at up to 15W. Additionally, the new Type-C connection supports reverse-wired charging at a maximum power of 4.5W.

 Verdict

The new Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus resemble the iPhone 14 almost exactly. However, this similarity conceals actual advancements in the phone’s cameras, display, and even back glass.

Additionally, the introduction of USB-C for the iPhone cannot be overstated because it greatly reduces the number of connections you’ll need to bring about every day, especially if you use several different devices.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

The new Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has most of the best features to be the best smartphone of 2023. 

Specs

Overview

Introducing the all new Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple’s top-tier smartphone of 2023. It has all the top features, the best performance, the best camera, the best display and the best battery life.   

When compared to the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max, holding the iPhone 15 Pro Max is a noticeably different feeling because it is lighter and has a slightly warmer titanium finish. However, Apple has also made a modest, yet noticeable alteration to the frame, eliminating just enough metal to provide curved edges all around.

It’s not just the titanium. One of the simplest yet most significant design adjustments I’ve ever noticed a smartphone maker make completely alters how the device feels in the hand.

One of the most gratifying and practical developments is Apple’s decision to remove the silence/ring button from its products. It converts a plain, one-use analog feature into a modern, reversible button that can be practically anything you want it to be.

The adoption of the USB-C port in favor of the Lightning port, however, will be the biggest change for some iPhone enthusiasts. I’m aware that the shift has caused some annoyance (all those now-useless wires in your house, workplace, and car), but it has no effect on how the phone works, and at least Apple provides you with a woven USB-C-to-USB-C connection. The old port will be missed, but I think we’ll all soon forget about it.

With Apple’s brand-new A17 Pro silicon chip, this phone is substantially more powerful than the iPhone 14 Pro Max and, for the first time ever, offers console-quality gaming to the iPhone range. Even Apple’s high-definition Super Retina XDR OLED panel, which has a 6.7-inch display, wasn’t built for console games like Resident Evil: Village, but at least that display now has the tiniest iPhone bezels I’ve ever seen.

The triple-camera system on the iPhone 15 Pro Max appears to be identical to that on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but appearances can be deceiving because the phone has undergone both internal and external improvements that contribute to one of the best photographic experiences you’ll find on any phone.

Apple essentially redesigned its image processing pipeline even though it appears to have used the same 48MP primary camera sensor as in last year’s Pro Max. A new 24MP default image size cleverly combines 12MP of pixel-binned image data with 48MP of full-sensor information to produce pictures that are, for the most part, impressive. 

However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max would let you down if you were looking for a 10x optical zoom on an iPhone. Since the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a fantastic 10x optical zoom in addition to the crazy, AI-assisted 100x Space Zoom, I was disappointed when Apple announced that it had only increased the maximum optical zoom on its largest smartphone to 5x.

Due in large part to the fact that the image quality at that expanded focal length is just fantastic, rivaling and occasionally surpassing Samsung’s greatest camera, Apple does a remarkable job of competing with just half that zoom range.

Although your experience will depend on how you use the iPhone, the combination of its innovative 3nm chipset, a display that can stop down to a power-sipping 1Hz, and clever power management may account for exceptional full-day or longer battery life.

Overall, this is my favorite iPhone of all time. It’s lighter and smaller than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which combined with the new curved edges makes it feel comfortable in my hand. Normally, I don’t like Apple’s largest iPhone, but you can be sure that this phone will be at the top of our list of the best phones when you combine it with its amazing photography, quick performance, and virtually limitless potential.

Premium Well-Designed

If you didn’t know, the brushed titanium frame of Apple’s new iPhone Pro & Pro Max has replaced the device’s former beautiful stainless steel frame. It’s resilient to corrosion. It’s strong and it’s lighter and somewhat smaller so it fits well inside your pocket. 

Beyond updating the exterior metalwork, Apple did make a few additional tweaks that offer the phone a fresh look and feel. The new contoured edges come first. Although this iPhone may initially appear to be nearly identical to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, closer examination reveals that the sides have been rounded.

It gives the device a softer appearance and making it considerably more comfortable to hold, especially given its size. Additionally, a substantially thinner bezel gives the Super Retina XDR display (and the Dynamic Island) the appearance of being larger.

Due to the differences in size and weight, the new iPhone 15 Pro Max feels different. It measures 76.7 x 159.9 x 8.25mm in comparison to the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 77.6 x 160.7 x 7.85mm dimensions. That indicates that it’s slightly smaller than the previous generation.

I even tried taking my older cover from my iPhone 14 Pro Max, to cover the new iPhone 15 Pro Max, only to find out that it was loose inside. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max weighs 19 grams less than the iPhone 14 Pro Max (221g vs. 240g) thanks to the titanium body. 

The new USB-C port is a significant architectural modification that also serves a practical purpose. It’s a little bit bigger than the old Lighting connector, but if you have the correct cable, you can transfer data at up to 10Gbps speeds. Sadly, the cable that comes with the iPhone is not a high-speed cable one.

Apple describes the front and rear panels of the body as being covered in “tough glass-based materials,” and the front of the device also has their Ceramic Shield, which is intended to shield the glass from harm. I don’t regularly drop my phones, so I couldn’t really test its durability.

However, I did submerge the phone in a bowl of water. There were no problems with the phone thanks to its IP68 rating. Although it was only for a brief period, the phone is capable of withstanding 30 minutes of swimming in fresh water up to six feet deep. Just keep in mind that you can’t charge your phone again until it is 100 percent dry after submerging it in water.

The power/sleep/Siri button and the two volume buttons were not altered by Apple, but directly above them is the new Action button, which is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro.

The long-lasting silence/ring switch is replaced by this small little button. The Action button is programmable using one of Apple’s best-designed utility interfaces ever, replacing the single-function switch.

Instead of a switch, the Action button’s default setting of ring/silent control requires a lengthy press in order to toggle between the two states. Many individuals could decide that everything is fine as it is in this case, but they would be losing out on all the hidden benefit.

The Action button can activate a preferred Focus Mode, turn on and off the flashlight, start voice memos, transform your phone into a digital magnifier, run your favorite Shortcut, provide quick access to accessibility features, start the camera, or even disable all Action button features.

If you don’t have the new Control Center, you may still locate the ring/silent control there. I quickly changed the Action button to operate the camera after testing it out in default mode. From there, I could quickly press to take a picture and then long-press to rapidly open the camera.

The one drawback to this new button is that if you frequently take screenshots by hitting the power and volume up keys at the same time, you can unintentionally touch the new Action button instead as it is now the top button on the left side of the phone. “When you press Action instead of Volume Up” will probably become an iPhone 15 Pro Max meme.

Overall, the iPhone 15 Pro Max design, which has a lighter chassis, smoother lines, a larger screen, and more functional buttons and connectors, in my opinion preserves the best features of the previous model while also bringing the familiar into the future.

Great & Larger Display

If you enjoyed the 6.7-inch screen on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you’ll probably enjoy it even more on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. In order to make the Super Retina XDR OLED screen appear larger, Apple removed a few millimeters from the black bezel around it (doing so also makes the Dynamic Island appear smaller). In combination with the newly-curved edges, it appears as though the screen completely encircles the phone.

In order to make the Super Retina XDR OLED screen appear larger, Apple removed a few millimeters from the black bezel around it. In combination with the newly-curved edges, it appears as though the screen completely encircles the phone.

With a maximum brightness of 2000 nits, the screen looks lovely and bright. I had no issues using it outside in direct sunlight. On this display, it’s enjoyable to view anything from images to videos to games, apps, websites, and more.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is capable of managing web page scrolling just as well as videos and games thanks to ProMotion support. Every movement seems fluid. Additionally, the phone can slow down to 1Hz when necessary, consuming less power while still giving you information—perfect for always-on functionality.

I placed the iPhone 15 Pro Max on the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless charge stand with MagSafe, which immediately activates the new Standby mode in iOS 17, and then I placed the device on my bedside. The Always-On display was just bright enough during the night so that I could glance at it and see the time.

The display on this phone is still amazing, but I have to question why Apple can’t finally support the Apple Pencil on its biggest and best phone given that Samsung’s flagship has an integrated pen and allows stylus input in addition to touch input.

However, I am aware that not everyone requires or desires pen input, and it’s possible that Apple is aware of this as well. What you have essentially is Apple’s amazing screen technology that has been somewhat enlarged and is now complemented by some fantastic new iOS 17 capability.

Top Performance & Gaming

With system-on-chips (SoCs) in laptops, desktops, and mobile that challenge and frequently beat the competition, and sometimes even take generational leaps, Apple has been pushing the envelope of what is possible, ever since it released Apple silicon.

The A16 Bionic in the iPhone 14 Pro Max was, in my opinion, a reasonable comparison to the A17 Pro. With a CPU that is 10% quicker and a six-core GPU that is not just 20% faster than the A16 Bionic but also supports on-hardware Ray Tracing, the A17 Pro should be more efficient than the A16 Bionic. It is constructed using an even smaller 3nm technology.

From CPU test done, the new A17 Pro chipset, powering the iPhone 15 Pro Max, runs at 3.78GHz clock speeds, which is more than the previous A16 Bionic (3.46GHz) present in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (3.36GHz) chipset, which runs the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. This means that the A17 Pro is currently the fastest performing processor to date. 

Naturally, numbers only provide a partial picture of performance. What I can do with the iPhone 15 Pro Max is what matters to me. Playing native console-quality games is one of the promised experiences. Console gaming is different from mobile gaming, and the two will never collide—that is, until the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

I’m a gamer and console gaming is my go-to for gaming. Seeing the gaming demo on Resident Evil from a recent iPhone 15 show, the visuals look spectacular on the 6.7-inch display. The cut scenes look surprisingly good from the small screen but the Dynamic Island on the side does spoil the view. 

Never did the visuals stutter or tear. Early on in the game, I only saw one area with pixelation, when a shadow on the snow wasn’t entirely stable. I wonder whether it’s more about the game’s transition from console to mobile than the A17 Pro since this was a repeating experience.

Other than that, the game was snappy, and the sound was great. I was confronted with a wonderfully engaging and immersive experience when I inserted my AirPods Pro, and it was excellent enough for me to declare that console-quality gaming has finally made it to mobile devices.    

Outside of games, the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s responsiveness was exactly what I wanted and anticipated it to be. I used iMovie to edit several 4K 60fps clips, and neither the program nor the output had any problems. The latter’s speed on the A17 Pro wasn’t any faster than it was on the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s A16 Bionic.

Other Features

The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max supports 5G. The calls are in great quality. If you have a Wi-Fi 6E router in your house or place of business, the fact that this is Apple’s first Wi-Fi 6E iPhone is good news for you. The iPhone 15 Pro Max routinely outperforms the iPhone 14 Pro (also WiFi 6) and the iPhone 15 that supported WiFi 6.

Additionally, a new Ultra Wide-band chip could aid in precisely locating not just your Apple items but also your pals who are also holding iPhones. Apple is also extending the free (for two years) roadside assistance offered by its integrated satellite services beyond Emergency SOS. The idea is that the system can direct you to connect with an orbiting satellite and then message adjacent road services in places where cell connection is spotty or nonexistent.

Excellent Camera

Let’s check out the camera of the new Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. It differs from the one that debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro Max or the newest iPhone 15. It is bigger and was produced by Sony. Additionally, Apple is utilizing this sensor in novel ways.

Every image taken with the iPhone 15 Pro Max by default is produced at a resolution of 24MP. Yes, that is a new resolution for iPhones. Apple achieves this resolution by first pixel binning 48 megapixels’ worth of data into the best 12-megapixel image, and then fusing that with all of the 48MP sensor’s detail.

The main drawback is that 24MP photos will be roughly a megabyte bigger than 12MP stills. By automatically storing images in HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) format, Apple helps to reduce the cost of storage a little. You may also take photos in 48MP RAW format for uncompressed, editable images.

The end result is a collection of stunning pictures. The colors are brighter, with striking clarity, and the most realistic I have ever seen on a smartphone. The iPhone 15 Pro Max triumphed even in direct contrast to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. The data I obtained with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max is superior to what I have in my macros. Skin tones are accurate. Whatever the skin tone, the iPhone 15 Pro Max recognized it and accurately duplicated it. 

More professional photographic tools than ever before are available on this iPhone thanks to Apple. You may now select between physical camera-like digital lenses with focal lengths ranging from 13mm to 24mm, 28mm to 35mm, 48mm, and 120mm for the 5x zoom. Holding down on one of the primary magnification settings in the camera app will display these measurements. In the settings, you may also make one of the lenses the default.

I find Apple’s choice to just use a 5x optical zoom to be frustrating, but I can’t really contest the outcome. Beautiful images are captured by the lens, which employs an uncommon tetra prism (four turns of light between the lens and the image sensor). Therefore, even if this is a far cry from 10x optical zoom, I believe Apple aficionados will still be happy with the outcome. Digital zoom allows for far greater magnification, but these images never hold up to close inspection.

The new 3D sensor shift optical image stabilization works in tandem with that zoom and does a considerably better job of maintaining photos steady, especially on digitally zoomed footage. When I was recording a video, I was impressed with the steadiness.

In essence, the entire iPhone 15 line improves portraiture. There is still a certain mode, but you are not need to employ it to achieve the same outcome. You may post-process practically any image, even if it was only taken with the main camera, into a portrait shot as long as the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s cameras can record depth information.

A small “Portrait f” will appear in the top right corner if the camera detects any depth while you are shooting. To check how the image would seem in portrait mode, tap on it and choose Portrait (On or Off). It doesn’t always work because you can’t switch a shot to portrait mode if the camera doesn’t “see” something, such a person or a pet or doesn’t record any useful depth information; in my experience, most photos were convertible, though.

You can adjust the depth of field just as with standard Portrait Mode photos, but now you can also tap on various subjects to switch the focus point. This delivers on its promise and elevates you to the status of a portrait photography deity.

With access to Apple’s Photonic Engine, portrait photography—including that taken with the front-facing True Depth camera—got a significant bump. Now, portrait photography simply looks more authentic and less computational than before.

In terms of low-light and night photography, Apple has made some strides. The image signal processors (ISPs) of the iPhone 15 Pro Max gather more light and utilize it more effectively in all lighting conditions. Although it isn’t noticeably superior to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, I believe Apple has achieved parity. Even better night time photography exists.

Great Video Capture

The iPhone is still a fantastic video capture device because to its many lens choices, ‘Action’ mode for capturing action moments without judder, and ‘Cinematic’ mode for creating videos of auteur-level quality.

The final option, by the way, functions just like portrait mode photography in that you can quickly switch the focus from one subject to another while recording video.

The focus point of the movie may be changed after it has been shot, something you cannot accomplish with conventional film or the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It’s more than just a cool trick, and it can come in handy if you overlook the proper topic during the initial shoot.

Good Battery life

Since Apple never discloses the battery capacity, we can only presume that the battery in the iPhone 15 Pro Max is slightly bigger than the one in the iPhone 14 Pro Max. But battery size is just one aspect of the story. Milliampere-hours (mAhs), processor effectiveness, and onboard intelligence, all work together to manage battery life.

I’d say the iPhone 15 Pro Max handles all of this admirably with a 28 hour battery life on moderate use. With an optional 20W USB-C adaptor, Apple claims the iPhone 15 Pro Max can recharge to 50% in 30 minutes. When I charged it, I managed to get a little more, with a battery at 53% after 30 mins. But it took 2 hours for the smartphone to fully charge. This is a drawback and its some Apple needs to work on.

You will utilize the new USB-C connector and the supplied USB-C cable to charge the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I was astonished to learn that the cable is now weaved rather than having the traditional protective jacket made of plastic or rubber. Because of that the cable will last longer than the older ones. Additionally, the phone supports MagSafe charging (and accessories) and Qi.

Verdict

The new Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max sets yet another bar not only for the iPhone family specifically, but for all smartphones as well. Apple’s new large flagship meets your smartphone needs in almost every way, from the newer and lighter materials to some of the greatest smartphone cameras we’ve ever seen.

Due to its high price than the previous generation, the absence of better fast charging, and Apple’s aggravating insistence on portraying 5x optical zoom as the pinnacle of smartphone telephoto technology, it falls just short of being flawless. However, these end up being minor gripes for an all-around fantastic iPhone experience.

Should you buy it? In terms of value its expensive but you get what you paying for. Design wise, the titanium material makes it feel lighter and the rounds feel pleasant to hold. The displays feels bigger and brighter, which overall makes it look better.

The new Apple iPhone 15 Pro smartphone is a major improvement over its predecessor, thanks to even more pro-level camera features, powerful gaming hardware, and the long-overdue removal of the proprietary Lightning cords.

SPECS

Overview of the new Apple iPhone 15 Pro

Hey, guess what? Apple just showed off their brand-new iPhone 15 series smartphones, and it was pretty much what everyone was expecting. But they also surprised us with some cool stuff for all you gamers and photography lovers out there.

They made a big deal about gaming on-the-go and even brought some awesome games like Resident Evil: Village, Resident Evil 4, Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage to use on these fancy smartphones. And get this, these phones are so powerful that the GPU supports Ray-tracing. How cool is that?

But hey, let me tell you something cool about the new Apple iPhone 15 Pro! Usually, the new iPhones don’t look all that different from the previous ones, and upgrading every year doesn’t really make a big difference. It’s like, why bother, right? But this year is totally different! And you know why? It’s because it includes USB-C.

You see, Android phones have been using it’s own inputs since 2015, and now Apple finally decided to join the party. It’s like they finally realized that the iPhone should be able to work with any device or charger you want to use. And let me tell you, that’s a big deal! It’s like they set the iPhone free. It’s one of the coolest decisions Apple has ever made!

Lightweight Design

The new Apple iPhone 15 Pro was not significantly different from the iPhone 14 Pro, which was not significantly different from the iPhone 12 Pro. Similarly, if you didn’t look too closely, the iPhone 15 Pro might be mistaken from any of its recent predecessors.

Taking the new iPhone out in public during our testing period drew no interesting glances, and that lack of glitz will be magnified once you put a case on it and hide up practically every visible difference.

Using a case, which no one in their right mind should do, is a shame because the new titanium chassis on the iPhone 15 Pro is stunning. The iPhone 14 Pro features glossy steel sides that attract fingerprints, but the iPhone 15 Pro’s new titanium sides repel them admirably.

The rear panel has a frosted glass finish that resists fingerprints nicely. It covers any scratches that may occur, and overall feels incredibly pleasant in the hand. It’s smooth without being slippery. Apple also managed to cut the size and weight of the iPhone 15 Pro without decreasing their respective 6.1 and 6.7-inch OLED panels. Both reductions are tiny, but I’ll take it.

They’re made from Apple’s Ceramic Shield glass, which was launched in the iPhone 12. It’s so robust that I haven’t used a screen protector in years and haven’t seen even a scratch. The main drawback is that, as with practically every year, the modifications are significant enough that you’ll need to purchase a new case. Not only is the camera module slightly different, but the physical size reduction will exacerbate the problem.

So let’s recap. The new Apple iPhone 15  Pro comes with a titanium casing that leaves no fingerprints. Its water resistant, and comes with a Ceramic Shield glass to improve its durability.

Excellent Display

Both use Apple’s ProMotion to dynamically adjust up to 120Hz, offering accurate colors, haptic touch, and support both HDR and Apple’s True Tone. All of this is similar to the iPhone 14 Pro, but the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are twice as bright, with up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness.

As someone who has never had a problem seeing the iPhone 14 Pro screen in the sun, it appears to be a solution to a problem that didn’t actually exist, but if it was an issue, it’s even less of one now.

The Dynamic Island, first seen on the iPhone 14 Pro, returns to the iPhone 15 Pro, as does the always-on display, which can be turned off if desired. Apple also provides twice the storage capacity on its phones as it did last year – up to 1 terabyte. As well as a much increased iCloud service that can carry up to 12TB more (for $60/month).

If the outside design of the iPhone 15 Pro could be described as innovative it would be Apple’s choice to remove the switch on the side that has toggled between ring and silent/vibrate-only mode since the very first iPhone and replace it with what Apple calls the Action Button.

While you can make that button do the same thing as the previous switch, it can also be assigned to a variety of other tasks. These include: opening the camera, recording a voice memo, turning on the flashlight, activating the zoom function, or even a Shortcut of your choice. It may appear insignificant, yet it is a significant improvement in quality of life.

Other Features

It’s time to talk about the iPhone’s coolest new feature: it finally uses USB-C. I can’t believe we’ve been trapped with this limited, slow cable since the iPhone 5 debuted 11 years ago. It makes no difference whether Apple wanted to give us USB-C or whether new European Union legislation forced its action; the end result is the same. If you plug in your phone or use accessories, this iPhone is far more useable than any before it.

The impact of this single aspect on quality of life cannot be emphasized. I no longer need two cables on my desk to charge my PlayStation 5 controller and my iPhone. When I travel, I can drastically minimize the amount of wires I bring with me. The exact SSDs and microphones that I use on my full-size cameras are now compatible with the iPhone without the need for adapters.

Heck, I can plug my iPhone into my friend’s Google Pixel Fold and they’ll charge each other. However, it does come with a caveat that you won’t see on many current Android phones that use the same port. While the iPhone 15 Pro include USB-C, they lack what most people call fast charging. Apple claims that the Pro Max can charge up to 50% in 35 minutes with a 20W charger or higher.

With the same adaptor, the Pro can be charged to 50% in 30 minutes. That’s reasonably fast, but not as fast as many would anticipate from an Android device. It’s faster than what Google provides but slower than almost everyone else, including Samsung, OnePlus, and Motorola, which all provide between 45W and 150W. Other phones, such as those from Vivo, can reach up to 200W.

Just because it supports USB-C doesn’t imply it’s your only option. Apple reintroduces MagSafe, which debuted in the iPhone 12, enabling wireless charging at 15W (Qi is 7.5W). It also supports a variety of accessories, including a Belkin stand that charges it and transforms it into a bedside or desktop clock when docked. A great merging of hardware and software.

The iPhone 15 Pro also support Wi-Fi 6E and employ a second-generation Ultra Wideband Chip, which Apple claims allows it to connect to other devices with the same chip, such as other iPhone 15 handsets and Airtag trackers, for three times the range.

It also supports what Apple calls Precision Finding, which allows you to discover an iPhone 15-owning friend down to their specific position if they allow it. Importantly, this is simple to disable for privacy reasons. It’s worth noting that Apple intends to be the first smartphone to use Thread radio, allowing it to connect to Thread-enabled devices without the use of a hub.

Finally, the iPhone 15 Pro offers voice-isolation functionality for calls, which makes it easier for the person you’re calling to hear you if you’re in a noisy environment. It works reasonably well and is useful when attempting to hold a conversation while washing dishes or in a crowded market.

Excellent Performance

So much affort and time was spent talking about the gaming capabilities of the iPhone 15 Pro that it felt like Apple was now ready to compete with handheld gaming devices like the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck.

Apple promised that not only would its new A17 Pro chip bring AAA games like Resident Evil: Village, but also Assassin’s Creed Mirage as well. The GPU is so advanced that it will have enough power left over to enable Ray-tracing lighting effects.

Apple even went so far as to say in an interview with IGN, “It’s going to be the best game console.” I’m not sure we’re there yet after utilizing it, but that’s not a strange thing to say either. We’ll have to wait and see how developers exploit what Apple claims the A17 Pro can achieve. I hope that becomes the norm, but it will most likely take some time.

While I wasn’t able to push the iPhone 15 Pro to its capabilities during my review time, I was able to play Honkai Star Rail and Genshin Impact, both of which played really well with visual settings and framerates set to the maximum. Because of the compromises developers have had to make to get console-style games running on pocket-sized technology.

Playing both titles on the iPhone 15 Pro felt just like playing on my PlayStation 5 – especially after I connected a Bluetooth controller. Despite using the highest settings, I did not notice any dropped frames or graphical glitches.

Apple’s OLED display shines as well. It’s not surprising that the new Apple iPhone 15 Pro gets warm because they’re capable gaming devices. They don’t usually overheat, but if you’re playing a hard game, it won’t be long before you can physically feel it getting almost unbearably hot in your hand if you’re not using a case. However, it didn’t become as hot as the iPhone 14 Pro did when I tried to play Star Rail with the same settings.

In other words, the new A17 pro chip included not only helps with daily phone functions but as a gaming device as well. The GPU comes with Ray-tracing, and supports AAA games similar to the PS5.

Good Battery Life

A 3274mAh battery is included with the new Apple iPhone 15 Pro. We’d hardly call it an improvement with a huge 74mAh greater capacity than the iPhone 14 Pro. Perhaps that’s simply what the engineers were able to fit in the available space this time. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the preferable choice for optimal lifespan because it has a substantially bigger 4,441mAh capacity.

However, this does not imply that the iPhone 15 Pro is mediocre in this area. When it comes to voice call time, it sort of is because iPhones often do poorly in the test, and the iPhone 15 Pro’s 18-hour battery life is what we’d anticipate. Onscreen testing, however, show that it performs well, about on line with the model from the previous year.

As has been the case with iPhone 12, the new Apple iPhone 15 Pro retails without a phone charger. The claims for charging speed are listed as “with 20W adapter or higher” on the specifications pages of the phones, suggesting that anything more powerful wouldn’t affect the speed.

Upon testing with a 20W Apple adaptor, a full charge on the iPhone 15 Pro took about 1 hour and 33 minutes. Apparently, that’s much quicker than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and a marginal improvement over the prior version. The new Apple iPhone 15 Pro supports wireless charging with up to 7.5W with Qi-compliant charging pads. There are no listings for numbered iPhone models after the 11.

Overall, the new Apple iPhone 15 Pro has a bigger battery, with more than 90mins until full charge, up to 18 hours of battery life of moderate use, and support fast, wireless and reverse wireless charging.

Great Camera System

The image quality from its 12-megapixel camera is about as expected. Because the design does not allow in as much light as the main camera, I recommend using this lens only in strong light. The telephoto lens on the iPhone 15 Pro is the same as last year, with the exception of new coatings on all three lenses that reduce flare significantly, but most casual users are unlikely to detect the difference.

The main camera shoots 48-megapixel photographs, with 12-megapixel telephotos, and 12-megapixel ultrawide photos. When I take photos, I was impressed with the main camera on the iPhone 14 Pro’s ability to produce photographs that don’t appear like they were taken on a smartphone. The resolution jump to 48 megapixels without sacrificing dynamic range in the iPhone 15 Pro gets my approval.

To be honest, most users will not find themselves using smartphone images in such a way that 48 megapixels will revolutionize their lives, but anyone who intends to edit and otherwise distribute these photos will almost always be satisfied with a greater resolution. At the very least, it allows you to crop in closer without sacrificing quality.

Apple has also made portrait mode the default mode. If the camera detects a person or animal in the picture, it automatically collects a depth map, allowing you to add the depth effect later if desired.

If desired, the depth map also lets you to shift the focus point between two subjects in post-production. I like this adjustment because I don’t always think to utilize portrait mode when taking a photo and then curse myself afterward for not at least attempting it. That is no longer an issue.

Excellent High Quality Video

The iPhone 15 Pro also provide a slew of professional-level video capabilities. Most of them that are noticeable, are all software upgrades allowed by iOS 17. First, the iPhone 15 Pro can now shoot in ProRes Log encoding. This gives video editors more color grading and post-production options. That’s a big benefit for those who want to make the greatest quality video possible on their smartphone.

Second, the iPhone 15 Pro is the world’s first phone-based camera to support the Academy Color Encoding System, or ACES. It’s a global color processing standard, that in summary, makes it easier than ever to match footage from several cameras.

The iPhone 15 Pro can also record in 4K at 60p. This is a function that was implemented primarily because of the speed afforded by the previously mentioned USB-C port. While all other resolutions and framerates can be recorded straight to the iPhone’s internal storage, 4K at 60p necessitates the use of an external SSD.

The good news is that all photos and videos can be easily transferred to and from the external drive at USB-3.0 speeds. This is a significant improvement over previous iPhones, which required either the pitifully slow Lightning connection or the slightly faster AirDrop – provided the recipient is an Apple device.

In short, the new Apple iPhone 15 Pro includes an excellent camera system. With an abundance of software upgrades and improved camera lens, it will makes sure that you take high quality photos and high quality 4K videos every time.

Verdict

Apple’s annual smartphone upgrades have felt notably incremental. The new Apple iPhone 15 Pro looks to have followed suit. Its appealing titanium design, the helpful and customizable Action Button, are relatively inconspicuous to the eye and are the first items to be covered up by a case.

That is, however, misleading. Apple has changed a lot internally to make this year’s phone the most appealing upgrade since the iPhone 11, especially if you’re into photography or video. While the worldwide connectivity and transfer rates of USB-C are the most noticeable upgrades, the enhanced gaming-ready processor, improved camera software, and titanium chassis are all noteworthy. Therefore, I recommend the new Apple iPhone 15 Pro. Its many upgrades may appear marginal but its one of the best smartphones to come out this year.

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