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iPhone 15 Pro: Two-minute preview
Apple's latest harvest of iPhones carnivore acquainted titles, but for the archetypal time, its newest Pro and Pro Max devices are separated by much than conscionable show size.
By lacking the 5x optical zoom telephoto camera of its larger sibling (3x optical zoom remains), the iPhone 15 Pro whitethorn beryllium amended described arsenic Apple's semi-flagship iPhone of 2023 – but that doesn't mean this premium powerhouse is wanting for different flagship specs.
Indeed, the spread betwixt the iPhone 15 Pro and the modular iPhone 15 remains significant. Every exemplary successful this year's iPhone lineup has benefited from a plan refresh that splits the quality betwixt the curvy iPhone 11 and past year's iPhone 14 Pro, but the iPhone 15 Pro gets a titanium framework that's lighter and much durable than the stainless alloy you'll find connected different iPhone 15 models (and each iPhone that's travel before).
USB-C ports diagnostic crossed the board, too, and Apple's newest Pro models besides boast an Apple Watch Ultra-style Action fastener successful spot of the accepted mute power (a elemental but amazingly utile substitution). This caller toggle tin trigger assorted actions done a bid of abbreviated and agelong presses, offering a accelerated mode to entree your favourite apps and tools without swiping done location screens and menus.
Other upgrades to the iPhone 15 Pro see an breathtaking A17 Pro chipset, USB-C, a thinner surface bezel, and the caller Action button, which should guarantee that Apple's latest 6.1-inch wonderment dethrones its predecessor connected our database of the best phones wealth tin buy. We'll request to walk much clip with the instrumentality earlier coming to a afloat verdict, though.
Hands-on iPhone 15 Pro review: Price and availability
The iPhone 15 Pro was officially unveiled alongside the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and iPhone 15 Pro Max astatine Apple’s September 2023 Event connected Tuesday, September 12. Pre-orders commence Friday, September 15, with shipping dates acceptable to travel a week later, connected September 22.
The iPhone 15 Pro is disposable successful 4 retention variants – 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. No different iPhone 15 has this overmuch retention variety. Even the Pro Max dropped the 128GB option, which made that exemplary astir $100 much costly to start.
In the US, the iPhone 15 Pro starts astatine $999 (for the 128BG version), $1,099 for the 256GB option, $1,299 for the 512GB physique and $1,499 for the apical 1TB capableness model.
After a achy terms hike past year, UK pricing has dropped backmost down slightly, mirroring the US prices numerically, with the 4 retention variants costing £999, £1,099, £1,299 and £1,499 respectively. Australian pricing is, unfortunatley a small higher this year, astatine AU$1,849, AU$2,049, AU$2,399 and AU$2,749.
For context, the 256GB exemplary of the iPhone 14 Pro retailed for $1,099 / £1,209 / AU$1,899 astatine launch, portion the basal 128GB mentation retailed for $999 / £1,099 / AU$1,749.
Hands-on iPhone 15 Pro review: Specs
Check retired the iPhone 15 Pro's afloat specs below:
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| Dimensions: | 146.6 mm x 70.6 mm x 8.25 mm |
| Weight: | 187g |
| OS: | iOS 17 |
| Screen size: | 6.1 inches |
| Resolution: | 2556 x 1179 pixels |
| Chipset: | A17 Pro |
| RAM | 8GB (according to the Xcode 15 Release Candidate via MacRumors) |
| Storage: | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Rear Cameras: | 48MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto w/ 3x optical zoom |
| Front Camera: | 12MP |
Hands-on iPhone 15 Pro review: Design
Aesthetically speaking, the iPhone 14 Pro was a near-replica of the iPhone 13 Pro, but Apple has opted to reinvent the iPhone plan connection erstwhile again with the iPhone 15 Pro – for reasons successful and retired of its control.
Chief among the ocular changes is the burnishing distant of each those edges connected the caller frame. The iPhone 15 Pro (and each others successful the iPhone 15 lineup) inactive has level sides which wrapper astir the phone, but the crisp edges are each gone. More importantly, the Pro enactment features a caller titanium framework that makes the iPhone 15 Pro stronger and lighter than its stainless alloy predecessor (Apple’s latest flagship weighs 187g, whereas the iPhone 14 Pro clocks successful astatine 206g).
In my little clip with the caller phone, I tin corroborate that it feels lighter and, situation I say, kinder successful the hand. For those who person complained to maine astir the iPhone 14 Pro edges, you're successful for a treat.
Another large alteration is connected the all-important Super Retina XDR OLED screen. The 2556 x 1179 solution is unchanged from the iPhone 14 Pro, but Apple has managed to shrink the achromatic bezel astir the screen. In my view, it appears astatine slightest fractional arsenic heavy and is present becoming virtually unnoticeable. Apple’s imagination of a bezel-less iPhone is dilatory becoming real.
Both the Dynamic Island and brushed solid rear sheet instrumentality from past year’s device, and the second is erstwhile again protected by Apple’s Ceramic Shield, a transparent worldly containing ceramic crystals for other protection.
Beyond these chiefly visual, arguably superficial plan upgrades, Apple has besides introduced a fistful of updates that dramatically change the functionality of the iPhone 15 Pro versus its predecessor.
The archetypal is an Apple Watch Ultra-style Action button, which arrives successful spot of the traditional, carnal mute power connected the iPhone 15 Pro (and iPhone 15 Pro Max). This customizable fastener lets you trigger up to 9 antithetic actions. First of all, adjacent though it's replacing the venerable silence/ring switch, the Action fastener looks perfectly astatine location connected the iPhone 15 Pro.
I got a accidental to effort retired the fastener and was instantly smitten. It takes a speedy property to spot which mode it's successful – yes, adjacent to spot if you're successful soundless oregon ringing mode – and a agelong property to alteration modes to activate, say, the camera, and past different agelong property to instrumentality the photo, oregon possibly to activate, for instance, the flash. You tin adjacent delegate customized Shortcuts to the Action button.
The 2nd is simply a USB-C port, which replaces Apple’s proprietary Lightning larboard connected each exemplary successful the iPhone 15 lineup. USB-C is the latest cosmopolitan modular for the wired transportation of astute devices. If you bargain a astute instrumentality successful 2023 – beryllium it 1 of the best Android phones, best laptops, oregon best astute speakers – it’ll apt diagnostic a pill-shaped larboard to enactment USB-C charging and information transportation and Apple has opted to adorn its latest harvest of iPhones with these ports following a caller EU regulation.
As for however this modulation from Lightning to USB-C affects the functionality of the iPhone 15 Pro, it doesn't interaction complaint velocity but does alteration USB 3, 10GBps information transportation speeds. Imagine connecting the iPhone 15 Pro straight to your MacBook Pro, taking ProRes photos, and having them look astir instantly connected your Mac.
Hands-on iPhone 15 Pro review: Display
The iPhone 15 Pro retains its predecessor’s fantabulous 6.1-inch Super XDR OLED screen, with Apple’s ProMotion exertion – which varies the refresh complaint betwixt 10Hz and 120Hz, depending connected the contented displayed – returning, too.
As mentioned, the Dynamic Island integer cutout besides returns – though this notch is present a diagnostic of each exemplary successful the lineup – and the iPhone 15 Pro’s bezels are mostly non-existent.
It is inactive a gorgeous and responsive surface (also bright, reaching a max 2,000 nits). The tinier bezel instantly makes it a much immersive show and I would accidental it lone suffers erstwhile placed adjacent to the larger and arsenic beauteous iPhone 15 Pro Max's 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display.
Put simply, this is the benignant of show you’d expect to find strapped to 1 of the best phones connected the market, and Apple hasn’t messed with a winning look present and really improved it conscionable a tiny bit.
Hands-on iPhone 15 Pro review: Cameras
On the taxable of cameras, the iPhone 15 Pro doesn’t stray excessively acold from its predecessor’s (admittedly excellent) triple-sensor setup. The telephone boasts the pursuing 3 lenses: a 48MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP 3x telephoto.
By reserving the 5x optical zoom telephoto camera for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple has, for the archetypal time, created a sizeable technological spread betwixt its latest Pro and Pro Max iPhones – but that doesn’t mean the iPhone 15 Pro isn’t 1 of the best camera phones around.
On the front, the iPhone 15 Pro boasts the aforesaid 12MP TrueDepth camera arsenic the iPhone 14 Pro.
I didn't get overmuch clip to effort retired this camera array, but I expect show that is astatine slightest successful enactment with what I recovered with iPhone 14 Pro. However, determination are immoderate absorbing caller representation processing tricks – including the new, default 24MP shooting mode that uses a operation of the champion fused 12MP and the afloat 48MP of the main camera to adhd what appears to beryllium awesome item and representation information (true environment, fabric, and tegument tones). In addition, the iPhone 15 Pro volition present admit representation extent connected immoderate photograph and fto you person it to Portrait Mode. You tin adjacent rapidly power the constituent of absorption from 1 taxable to another. Not definite wherefore anyone would sprout straight successful Portrait Mode anymore.
I person to wonder, though, however the deficiency of the much almighty 5x optical zoom I saw (and tried) connected the iPhone 15 Pro Max volition interaction the iPhone 15 Pro's appeal. It's conscionable a shame that Apple couldn't person dispersed that much-needed tech conscionable a small down the line.
Hands-on iPhone 15 Pro review: Performance and software
Under the hood, the iPhone 15 Pro is powered by the latest mentation of Apple’s silicon – the A17 Pro – which makes it 1 of the fastest phones (if not the fastest phone) wealth tin bargain close now.
The A17 Pro is much than a elemental upgrade (and upgraded timepiece speed) of the A16 Bionic (still almighty and present nonmigratory connected the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus). Inside the A17 Pro is simply a caller CPU, caller GPU, and a caller 2x-faster Neural Engine.
We don't person benchmarks yet, but I expect them to beryllium surprising, particularly erstwhile it comes to graphics scores. Apple demonstrated however the spot is susceptible of moving console-quality games connected the iPhone 15 Pro's 6.1-inch show astatine a creaseless 30FPS. Titles similar Resident Evil: Village and the remastered Resident Evil 4 are seemingly ported straight implicit to the iOS level to tally connected A17 Pro-equipped iPhones.
I didn't person overmuch clip to play with the telephone but everything I did spot indicates that the iPhone 15 Pro volition beryllium a show winner.
The iPhone 15 Pro besides ships with iOS 17 installed arsenic standard.
Hands-on iPhone 15 Pro review: Battery life
Apple hasn’t publically revealed the iPhone 15 Pro’s artillery capacity, but the institution has quoted 23 hours of video playback for the device, which puts it successful enactment with the iPhone 14 Pro
Obviously, the iPhone 15 Pro inactive supports MagSafe wireless and Qi charging. Its accelerated charging is unchanged from the erstwhile model, which is to accidental that it's slower than what you tin get with a comparable Android flagship.
As I mentioned earlier, USB-C doesn't bring immoderate complaint velocity improvements.
Hands-on iPhone 15 Pro review: Early verdict
The iPhone 15 Pro present sits successful the unenviable presumption of being conscionable 1 measurement down its large brother, the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Sure, that telephone ever had the bigger show but that was usually the grade of the differences. The deficiency of a refreshed and much almighty zoom lens volition mean thing to immoderate users.
The bully quality is that this telephone does person Apple's newest and, I assume, astir powerful-ever silicon successful the A17 Pro chip. For those who don't similar their phones large and hefty-ish but privation the freshness of ultra-hard titanium with smoother curves, USB-C, flagship-class performance, and that truly utile Action button, the iPhone 15 Pro volition beryllium a invited and desirable update from the iPhone 14 Pro.
First tested August 2023
English (US) · 