Why I Love My iPhone 15 Plus An Honest Review
For a little over a year, I made the switch from the iPhone 13 Pro Max to the Pixel 6A. Despite the differences, I really enjoyed my time with the Pixel 6A. What a phone! However, this past Christmas, I decided to get the iPhone 15 Plus, and here's why: I wanted a bigger phone with a great display, excellent battery life, and a fantastic camera (even though I still prefer the Pixel's look). Most importantly, I wanted my life to be easier since my laptop is a MacBook Air M1, I have an iPad Air, and we use an Apple TV at home. It just made sense to get an iPhone because everything works so seamlessly together—like copying from my MacBook Air and pasting on my iPhone or using AirDrop. That's the strength of Apple's ecosystem—it simply works. I didn't go for the Pro because the Pro Max was too expensive, and I believe the iPhone 15 Plus's processor, which is the same as last year's Pro Max, is perfectly fine. So, let me share my personal experience with the iPhone 15 Plus and why you should consider getting one if you're in the market for a new phone.
Design
Let's dive into the design of the iPhone 15 Plus first. As someone who appreciates great tech design, I gravitate towards a minimalist and industrial aesthetic. If you guessed I was a big fan of Nokia and Sony design, you'd be right. I have to say, the iPhone 15 Plus is a joy from a design standpoint. It feels lighter than my iPhone 13 Pro Max, slimmer, and way easier to hold. I went with the matte black, and it's simply a beautiful design.
The flat display is stunning, and the quality of this display is just amazing. While people often praise Samsung displays, I think Apple deserves more credit for their color accuracy. The brightness is also a strong point of the iPhone 15 Plus, and the speakers, as always, are fantastic for a smartphone. Overall, the design of the iPhone 15 Plus is minimalist at its best—industrial and a great piece of machinery.
Performance
One of the major advantages of Apple producing both hardware and software is that everything is perfectly optimized and works seamlessly. And that’s definitely the case with the iPhone 15 Plus. It's a fast phone, easy to use, and when you pair it with an Apple laptop, iPad, and Apple TV, you truly realize the incredible power of this ecosystem.
Yes, Apple has faced criticism for their closed ecosystem, and with new app stores popping up in Europe, the debate continues. But the truth is, people love Apple for its ecosystem, and they’re happy to stay within it. Personally, I don't care about other app stores because I appreciate the convenience Apple offers. Whether it’s the App Store, iCloud, or Apple Pay, Apple handles everything smoothly. This convenience is what technology should be: convenient and easy to use. That’s why Apple remains so popular and why users are generally satisfied with their experience.
Sure, iOS has its quirks, and there are times when I wish the experience was more like using a Google Pixel. But we have to be fair—iOS is evolving, and it's getting better over time. And that’s the most important thing.
Camera
A great camera is extremely important to me. I love taking pictures, and it's one of my favorite hobbies. I never liked the look of Samsung photos, and while I think the Pixel is amazing most of the time, the iPhone 15 Plus truly stands out with its camera capabilities.
The iPhone 15 Plus has an outstanding camera that produces beautiful, crisp images. I've set the photography style to "Rich Contrast," which closely matches the Pixel look that I love. The main camera, with its 48MP sensor, is really impressive, but I particularly enjoy shooting with the telephoto lens. Photos taken with this lens look great, though I’ve noticed that when the lighting conditions aren’t perfect, the quality noticeably drops. It's disappointing because the iPhone 15 Plus's processor is capable of better photos in low-light conditions.
iPhone 15 Plus Telephoto Camera. I love this lens!
Video recording, as always with iPhones, is exceptional and very smooth. I often use the Hohem iSteady M6 Gimbal for added stability, but like with photos, the video quality also suffers in poor lighting. However, since I take most of my pictures during the day, this isn't a deal-breaker for me.
Sharing photos is incredibly fast and easy with AirDrop, whether it's to my laptop, iPad, or with friends and family who also use iPhones. This convenience is a major strength of Apple's ecosystem. Overall, I am very happy with the camera, and I believe the iPhone 15 Plus offers more than enough for my photography needs.
Apps
It's 2024, and apps are still as crucial as they were during the Windows Phones and Blackberry 10 battles against the iPhone. We all know how that turned out: nothing beats the App Store. Apps on iOS are smoother, more polished, and generally work better.
While Android might have an edge with Google Assistant over Siri, I find that Siri meets my needs quite well. Siri understands me when I ask basic questions, and in the car with CarPlay, Siri is incredibly useful.
But let's be honest here—the quality of apps is undeniably better on iOS than on Android. The user experience is consistently superior on iPhones, with developers often prioritizing iOS for updates and new features. This makes using apps on the iPhone 15 Plus a delight, reinforcing why Apple's ecosystem remains so strong and why people continue to choose iPhones.
My iPhone 15 Plus and the STM Chargetree Go.
Conclusions
Ok, so yes, I love my iPhone 15 Plus. Sometimes, I wish Google had the same cohesive ecosystem because I love the Pixel's concepts and find their devices incredible. But for me, my life, my job, and my needs—like millions of others—iPhones and Apple simply work better.
I love the fact that I can seamlessly switch between my iPad, MacBook Air, and iPhone 15 Plus to finish a task. The design, the display, and, most importantly, the incredible battery life make this phone my favorite iPhone to date.
So, there you have it—my take on the iPhone 15 Plus. If you’re considering a new phone and want something that just works, integrates flawlessly with other devices, and looks and feels great, the iPhone 15 Plus is definitely worth considering.
Jerome
The accessories you should consider:
Pitaka MagEZ case. The one I use everyday!
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