OPINION: It’s been almost a year since the iPhone 15 series launched and I’ve been using the Pro Max version of it for much of that period. So how has it held up, and is it still worth buying with the iPhone 16 on the horizon?
If you’re on the lookout for a phone upgrade, this time of year is a tricky one to navigate. Do you take the plunge now if you spot a strong deal or wait to see what Apple has in store with the inevitable iPhone 16?
I’ve had the iPhone 15 Pro Max in my pocket since the September 2023 launch, and below I will delve into how the device has held up and whether the rumoured features coming with the iPhone 16 would tempt me away.
(Additional reporting, coverage and thoughts from Cam Bunton)
What are we expecting from the iPhone 16 Pro?
Before answering whether or not you should still buy an iPhone 15 Pro (or any of the other versions), it’s worth looking at what we’re expecting from the next series of Pro-model iPhones.
Rumours have suggested that Apple is increasing the screen size on the Pro and Pro Max, so the smaller Pro version is going up from 6.1-inches to 6.3-inches, and that’ll mean a slight bump in height and width, but the thickness is staying the same, and the bezel around the display is going to be even slimmer.
It’s claimed the bezels will be slimmer at just 1.2mm and that display itself is reported to be an upgraded OLED panel that’s brighter than the current one. Considering how bright the display is currently, this would be impressive.
Otherwise, the design should be very similar. There’s a rumour we’ll see a new capture button on the side, and leaks suggest some new colours, but otherwise it’s looking identical.
That capture button is said to be multi-purpose, and able to respond to being simply touched and swiped, or pressed firmly or gently, allowing you to zoom in and out with a gesture, focus with a soft press, or capture photos with a firm press.
Internal improvements will include the jump to an A18 processor, and there are suggestions Apple will also improve the thermal dissipation, to keep the phone cooler under heavy load. So if you like to hammer intense games, or do a lot of pro-level video recording and editing on your phone, that could help.
As for cameras, rumours are we’re going to see the tetra-prism zoom camera on the smaller Pro this year, so it could be the same 5x zoom length as the current iPhone 15 Pro Max (one of the best camera phones we’ve reviewed). The ultrawide sensor is said to get upgraded to a new 48MP sensor, too.
How has the iPhone 15 Pro held up?
Although the iPhone 16 Pro is certainly going to be an upgrade if the above rumblings turn out to be true, it’ll unlikely be a revolution for the series.
The thing that’s impressed me over the past 11 months or so of using the iPhone 15 Pro every day, is the durability of it. It doesn’t seem that long ago that iPhone displays would scratch easily, or that they’d bend if you sat on them accidentally.
For most of the time I’ve had this phone, it’s not been in a case and I’ve not used a screen protector for any of the period. And yet, after nearly a year there are no marks, no scratches on the display. At least none that I can easily spot.
I’ve been especially precious with it, but as someone who uses a lot of phones, I am generally very careful. I wouldn’t put phones in the same pocket as my keys, for example.
It’s also clear that the switch to the titanium frame looks to have been the right choice. The metal around the sides is free of dents and dings, and it doesn’t show fingerprints at all. It’s got that more nimble, lightweight feel compared to the stainless steel models we had before.
It might not be the headline feature of any phone, but the fact it still looks pretty much brand new after so long using it is seriously impressive.
Moving onto battery life, and this really depends on how you use your phone. I am a heavy user – it comes with the job – and in the 11 months I have been using this phone I have depleted it, according to the phone’s cycle count, 316 times. The maximum capacity of the cell has taken a hit as a result, with it now having a maximum capacity of 89%.
However, our video host and producer Cam Bunton – who has been a part of this testing process – is a much lighter user, and his battery health looks a lot rosier.
According to the cycle count, Cam has drained the cell 166 times in the past 11 months – roughly once every two days. And the battery health is still 100%.
According to Cam, his most battery-intensive days are usually when travelling down to London for work, which means taking it off charge earlier than normal, listening to music the entire journey, constantly switching between cellular masts while chatting on WhatsApp or Slack and using navigation to unfamiliar places in London.
Power and Performance
Every time a new iPhone comes out, Apple introduces a faster processor. It happened with the A17 processor in the iPhone 15 Pro, and it’ll happen again with the iPhone 16 Pro. It’s always worth remembering that just because there’s a new one, it doesn’t mean the previous one is suddenly rubbish.
Benchmark this iPhone 15 Pro and it’ll score higher than just about all of the best phones. It’s fast, and it can cope with even the most demanding games without any trouble. You can see the benchmarks for the iPhone 15 Pro below.
What’s it like with iOS 18?
I usually feel that getting a new software update for an iPhone is like getting a new phone. Or at least, it is when there are major changes to the user interface and the design.
It is worth noting that when the iPhone 16 series does launch it’ll be running the same software as the iPhone 15 Pro because this phone is getting the full version of iOS 18 as soon as it’s available. This software is available in public beta now, so you can get a taste of the action already.
iOS 18 on the iPhone 15 Pro will also include the Apple Intelligence AI features – when they eventually land. So it’s unlikely you’re going to see any huge differences in what this phone and the 16 Pro are likely to use.
I’ve been using the software since the first public beta came out, and there have been some bugs and slowdowns – although this is very much to be expected with any software that isn’t final.
However, iOS 18 does feel like a notable upgrade. Especially around the Home Screen customisation which includes the ability to move icons anywhere, or theme icons and widgets so that they all match. Whether that’s adopting a light or dark theme, or colour tinting them to a shade of your preference.
What makes a bigger difference to your every day quick interactions with various functions is the ability to customise and reorganise the Control Centre and the shortcut controls on the Lock Screen.
Should you wait?
Like most phones in the run-up to being replaced there’s no real downside to waiting for the next model to be released, even if you then decide to buy this current one anyway, because usually you will find it discounted, especially if you get it through your carrier.
But if you’re worried about missing out on new features or abilities, it seems like it’s only really that new rumoured zoom camera that would leave you feeling a little envious of the iPhone 16 Pro.
