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Intro
The iPhone 15 Plus is the second iteration of the resurrected "Plus" model officially unveiled at the 2023 iPhone event. It's Apple's take on the big-screen iPhone without the big price tag.
What has changed since the reintroduction of the Plus with the iPhone 14 Plus? How do these two iPhone Plus generations stack up against each other? Read on to find out! We've put these two device through their paces in a series of meticulous tests. From real-life battery tests, through detailed display measurements, to synthetic and real scenarios performance tests, we've done it all!
This is our detailed comparison between the recently launched iPhone 15 Plus and its older sibling, the iPhone 14 Plus.
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Looking for the bigger-sized iPhone 15 model? In that case, we suggest you consider the iPhone 15 Plus. The Apple store offers up to $650 off as a trade-in credit on a new iPhone 15 Plus.
There are no major changes between these two when it comes to design. The big ones, obviously, are the pill-shaped camera cutout and Dynamic Island software feature, both these features have come to the iPhone 15 Plus, retiring the notch forever.
The other design change that's been in the pipeline for quite some time now and is sort of out of Apple's hands is the switch from Lightning to USB-C. The new standard will make things a bit easer when it comes to cables but the faster transfer and charging speeds are reserved for the Pro models.
When it comes to materials, the iPhone 15 Plus features the same glass and aluminum sandwich design as its predecessor, leaving the fancy titanium option for the Pro and Pro Max models. However, the glass back now has a textured matte finish, as opposed to the shiny glass on the iPhone 14 Plus, and there are new colors available on the new model.
iPhone 15 Plus Colors:
Black
Green
Pink
Blue
Yellow
iPhone 14 Plus Colors:
Midnight
Starlight
(PRODUCT)RED
Purple
Blue
Yellow
In terms of pure user experience, when it comes to day-to-day usage, both phones offer exactly the same experience. In our real-life tests, which include handling, continuous use, one-hand operation, tests with and without a case, we found both phones identical. This shouldn't come as a surprise, from the outside, these two are nearly identical.
Display Differences
New pill-shaped cutout
(Image credit - PhoneArena)
There are no major changes in display size and resolution from the iPhone 14 Plus to the new model. The iPhone 15 Plus comes equipped with the same 6.7-inch OLED display clocked at the traditional 60 Hz refresh rate we know from the previous model. Both phones sport the same resolution - 2796x1290 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 460 PPI (pixels per inch).
Both phones seem to have virtually identical display with one huge difference - the notch! Or rather the lack of it in the iPhone 15 Plus. The phone borrows the pill-shaped cutout from the Pro models of last year, along with the Dynamic Island functionality. There's a slight bump in brightness as well, the iPhone 15 Plus can go up to 1,600 nits peak HDR, and up to 2,000 nits peak outdoor brightness.
The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set(area)of colors that a display can reproduce,with the sRGB colorspace(the highlighted triangle)serving as reference.The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x:CIE31' and 'y:CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.
The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display's measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.
The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance(balance between red,green and blue)across different levels of grey(from dark to bright).The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones,the better.
Sadly, as already mentioned above, no ProMotion on the iPhone 15 Plus, just the regular 60 Hz refresh rate. This also means that there won't be an Always-on mode on the iPhone 15 Plus as Apple relies on ProMotion to manage battery life using that particular display feature.
Performance and Software
A step up but still a step behind
The iPhone 15 Plus is equipped with the A16 chipset from last year's Pro and Pro Max models, which means it technically has more processing power than the iPhone 14 Plus. The traditional tic-tock cycle continues, and this year's model ramps up the performance and takes it to the aforementioned Pro and Pro Max levels from last year.
The switch to the A16 brings some efficiency gains for the iPhone 15 Plus over its predecessor, as this chipset is built using a 4nm manufacturing process compared to the 5nm of the iPhone 14 Plus and the A15.
Both the iPhone 14 Plus and the iPhone 15 Plus sport the same 6GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and the storage options remain the same between both models. When it comes to software, both phones run on iOS 17 with cool new stuff, including Phone, iMessage, and FaceTime updates, as well as the new NameDrop (what a cool name) feature. We have a dedicated iOS 17 review, so you can check it out as well, if you need the deep dive.
Emergency SOS via satellite is coming to the iPhone 15 Plus, along with a new feature relying on satellite communication - roadside assistance by satellite. As the name suggests, it uses satellite to send a message to AAA Roadside Assistance and get you out of trouble if there's no network signal present.
Apple recently rolled out iOS 17.2, bringing the promised AirDrop over the internet feature, along with improvements to StandBy mode, bug fixes, and also some new stuff in Apple Music. You can check out our article for a full rundown of everything that's new.
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Camera
Same old, but with more pixels
(Image credit - PhoneArena)
The main sensor from the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max has been transferred to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. Therefore, the iPhone 15 Plus has a clear pixel count advantages over its predecessor. The 14 Plus uses a 12 megapixel main camera with sensor-shift optical image stabilization, while the iPhone 15 Plus now has a 48-megapixel main sensor.
There some magic going on with the resulting images, they default at 24MP, apparently taking 12MP pixel-binned shots and adding additional detail to make them 24MP. The bigger sensors and resolution also allows for something that Apple calls Optical-quality 2x telephoto.
In practice it's a 2x crop from the main 48MP sensor, resulting in a 12MP image with twice the focal length, or in layman's terms 2x. The new iPhone 15 Plus features improved image processing algorithms, especially in the Portrait department.
The new Optical-quality 2x telephoto mode on the iPhone 15 Plus does help with zoom shots but interestingly, the effect is much more noticeable at 5X zoom than in 2X. There are more details in the iPhone 15 Plus samples at that zoom range, and even though the new model performs better at 2X as well, the difference is less prominent.
The new 2X Portrait mode on the iPhone 15 Plus is definitely an improvement over the previous model, and can help you with framing if for some reason you can't get close enough to the object. It's a nice option to have, especially if you're into portrait photography.
The ultrawide camera has been carried over from the previous generation, so there's no difference between the two phones in that regard. We're looking at a 12-megapixel, 120-degree field of view camera on both the iPhone 14 Plus and the iPhone 15 Plus.
The selfie camera is also identical between the two models, namely the 12-megapixel shooter on the iPhone 14 Plus. You can check out some selfie samples below.
Do you see any significant differences in video quality between these two?
Audio Quality and Haptics
Again, no big changes in audio quality between the iPhone 14 Plus and the iPhone 15 Plus. We haven't tear down the iPhone 15 Plus yet, but we're pretty sure it uses the same loudspeaker, earpiece, and haptic motor from the previous model. Which isn't a bad thing.
We already know that the big size of the 14 Plus gives enough space for a decent speaker, and the results are very pleasing - defined, with a good bass, and almost no distortion at louder volumes. The same stereo speaker sits inside the iPhone 15 Plus, alongside the tight and responsive haptic motor.
During our audio and haptics tests we found that both phones performed almost identical, namely - excellent! You won't miss a call due to lack of volume or slow haptics, and watching Netflix or just checking out a YouTube video are both pure joy audio-wise.
Battery Life and Charging
No change in battery size but efficiency has been improved
The iPhone 15 Plus bumps up the battery capacity ever so slightly compared to its predecessor, the cell inside is now 4,383 mAh (in comparison to the 4,323 mAh battery inside the iPhone 14 Plus). The new model is also equipped with the A16 chip, built on a more efficient 4nm manufacturing process, but keep the same 60Hz refresh rate on the display. How all this impacts battery life? Take a look at our battery benchmarks below.
Now, the charging situation remains more or less the same, despite the newly acquired USB-C port on the iPhone 15 Plus. The iPhone 14 Plus supports up to 20W wired via the Lightning port, and that's enough to charge 50% of the battery in 30 minutes. Apple cites the same charging speeds for the iPhone 15 Plus with 20W charger, so sadly no change in charging speed (or transfer speeds for that matter, USB 3.0 speeds are reserved for the Pro models). You'll find the charging profiles for both phones below.
We have summarized all of the major specifications highlights of the two models right below:
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 14 Plus
Size, weight
160.8 x 77.8 x 7.8 mm, 201 grams
160.8 x 78.1 x 7.8 mm, 203 grams
Screen
6.7" OLED 60Hz
6.7" OLED 60Hz
Processor
A16 Bionic 4nm
A15 Bionic 5nm
RAM, Storage
6/128GB 6/256GB 6/512GB -
LPDDR5
6/128GB 6/256GB 6/512GB -
LPDDR5
Cameras
48MP main 12MP ultra -
12MP front
12MP main 12MP ultra -
12MP front
Battery
4383 mAh
4325 mAh
Charging
USB-C 20W wired MagSafe
Lightning 20W wired MagSafe
Summary and Final Verdict
The iPhone 15 Plus is an evolution, rather than revolution. Clearly, it adds some nice features over its predecessor, such as the pill-shaped cutout for the front camera, accompanied by the Dynamic Island feature, a bigger 48MP main camera, and a better chipset.
Other than that, we're looking at two very similar phones, with nearly identical size, battery, display, hardware and software capabilities. The price of the iPhone 15 Plus is also identical to the price at launch of its predecessor, starting at $899. Should you upgrade to the 15 Plus if you already have the iPhone 14 Plus? Probably not. But if you're coming from an older iPhone, and like big screens, solid battery life, and the convenience of a long support cycle, the iPhone 15 Plus is definitely a viable option.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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