Apple’s iPhones often offer a combination of top-tier hardware and software, which makes them popular not just in the United States but also around the world. However, the premium build makes them heavy on our pockets. If you’re not sure about shelling out for the latest and greatest, another model strikes the right balance between usability and affordability: the iPhone 15.

The iPhone 15’s Dynamic Island Doesn’t Look Outdated

Gone are the days when smartphone manufacturers changed the look of their flagship phones every year. Whether it’s Google, Samsung, or Apple, all these companies have developed signature design languages.

For Google, it’s the horizontal camera visor, while for Samsung, it’s the protruding camera sensors with a clean back panel. For iPhones, it is the triangular placement of the camera lenses on the Pro models.

Baseline iPhones, on the other hand, shipped with a diagonal camera array for two years — from the iPhone 13 (2021) to the iPhone 15 (2023) — before Apple returned to a vertical camera arrangement with the iPhone 16 (2024).

As a result, a vast majority of baseline iPhones in the market still have a diagonal camera setup, which doesn’t make the iPhone 15 look or feel outdated. Call it a boon or a curse, but Apple’s insistence on carrying forward the same design with minor tweaks works in favor of the iPhone 15.

The Dynamic Island is another factor that saves the iPhone 15 from looking dated in 2025. Apple uses the same pill-shaped interactive notch on its latest iPhones; therefore, the front profile of the iPhone 15 looks identical to that of the iPhone 16.

Yes, there are two new buttons on the iPhone 16—the Action Button and the Camera Control button—but they don’t significantly change the phone’s design. Whether they’re useful or not depends on how familiar you are with the new buttons.

Regarding colors, I’ve met and heard enough people compliment the iPhone 15’s minimal colors as opposed to the iPhone 16’s deeper hues. However, I understand that color preference is highly subjective, so that’s up to you.

The iPhone 15’s Screen Is Just as Bright as the iPhone 16

The lack of innovation on the iPhone 16’s screen also works in favor of the iPhone 15. Apart from the one-nit minimum brightness, there’s no tangible difference between the phones’ displays.

The iPhone 15 features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen with a resolution of 2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi) and a peak brightness of 2,000 nits (1,600 nits in HDR mode). The Dynamic Island at the top of the screen lets you interact with notifications and live updates from apps running in the background.

In addition, the handset also covers the wide color gamut (P3), supports Apple’s True Tone technology, and provides Haptic Touch. In other words, the iPhone 15 offers a similar screen and, therefore, a similar viewing experience to its predecessor, but at a relatively affordable price.

Apple’s A16 Bionic Chipset Offers Exceptional Performance

First released with the iPhone 14 Pro in September 2022, the A16 Bionic chip features a six-core CPU (two performance and four efficiency cores), a five-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine.

Later, Apple decided to equip the baseline iPhone 15 with the same chipset, giving it exceptional processing power for smooth multitasking, demanding video games, or editing videos on the go.

Like other Apple chips, the A16 Bionic was ahead of its time. It was only with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, released in October 2023, that Qualcomm was able to catch up to the A16’s multi-core performance. Even today, the iPhone 15’s chipset stands 10th on Nanoreview’s smartphone processors ranking list.

Yes, some smartphones offer similar performance at the same or even a lower price, but the lack of raw performance isn’t something that should deter you from getting an iPhone 15. However, the absence of Apple Intelligence features might make you think twice.

While Android smartphone manufacturers have equipped their one- or two-year-old flagships with several AI-based features, Apple has a more stringent cutoff. Only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models can run the GenAI features, which include Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, Visual Intelligence, and Siri integrated with ChatGPT.

The only question you should ask yourself is whether you need those features. I rarely use the Apple Intelligence features on my iPhone 16; they’re not a part of the apps or features I use daily. If you’re fine without the Apple Intelligence features, you can’t go wrong with the iPhone 15.

You’ll Get Another Three to Four Years of iOS Updates

Although Apple doesn’t explicitly promise a specific number of years for operating system updates, iPhones typically receive new iOS versions (and security patches) for around five years or more.

For now, the iPhone 15 runs iOS 18, which offers improved home screen customization, a revamped Control Center, improvements to system apps like Photos, Messages, Notes, Safari, and the ability to lock and hide apps.

Given the iPhone’s previous track record, the iPhone 15 should receive another three to four years of iOS updates before Apple adds it to the list of incompatible iPhone models.

48MP + 12MP Cameras Offer Excellent Results

The iPhone 15 has the same cameras as the iPhone 16. On the back, the phone features a 48MP (f/1.6) primary sensor and a 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide sensor. The cameras can record 4K Dolby Vision videos at 60 fps, 4K Cinematic videos at 30 fps, and 2.8K Action Mode ultra-stabilized videos at 60 fps. To capture selfies, you get a 12MP (f/1.9) with Retina Flash and autofocus.

So, what are the compromises? Well, Apple equips the iPhone 16’s cameras with some exclusive features, like the ability to capture macro photos (via the ultrawide sensor), latest-generation Photographic Styles (which let you control the tone and color), Spatial Video recording at 1080p (30 fps), wind noise reduction, and Audio Mix.

In retrospect, while some of these features are entirely new, others are a mere improvement over the existing abilities.

IPhone 15 Easily Lasts a Day on a Charge

Apple claims up to 20 hours of video playback on the iPhone 15. The device’s battery can easily last an entire day of typical usage, averaging around six to eight hours of screen-on time, which is acceptable for a handset of this size.

Like the iPhone 16, the iPhone 15 also supports Qi2 and Qi wireless charging. You can use a 20W adapter or higher to charge the phone to 50% in 30 minutes via the USB-C port. The 2023 baseline iPhone also offers MagSafe charging, but it’s limited to 15W.

Moreover, the battery capacity, how long the iPhone 15 lasts between charges, and its charging speed are similar to those of the iPhone 16. There are a few compromises, but the $100 lower price makes it worthwhile.

Who Should Upgrade to the iPhone 15?

Considering all aspects, the $699 iPhone 15 (128GB) is one of the best, no-nonsense smartphones of 2025, especially in the $600 to $700 price range. In fact, you can get the $256 variant for $799. Consider it as a flagship that’s available at a discounted price. You have to compromise on a few things, but if you can look past that, the iPhone has a lot to offer.

It offers a contemporary design, a bright screen, a powerful chipset (with enough headroom for the years to come), a dual-rear camera, fast 5G connectivity (both mmWave and sub-6 GHz), and a battery that lasts all day; I’ll pick this combination any day.

If you’re using an iPhone X or iPhone 11 in 2025 and facing issues related to poor battery life, lagging performance, or a broken screen or back glass, and you’re willing to purchase a new phone, consider upgrading to the iPhone 15.

The iPhone 15 is the perfect handset for a first-time buyer, especially someone who is willing to switch to the Apple ecosystem. If you’re using the Galaxy S20, Pixel 6, or any mid-range smartphone in 2025, the iPhone 15 is a significant upgrade.

What About a Refurbished iPhone 15 Pro?

If you’re open to getting a refurbished smartphone, the iPhone 15 Pro offers several advantages over the standard iPhone 15.

To begin with, the iPhone 15 Pro has a titanium frame with a matte glass back, a ProMotion screen with an adaptive refresh rate (including an always-on display), and the A17 Pro chipset, which unlocks Apple Intelligence.

Regarding optics, the iPhone 15 Pro can capture macro photos, features an additional sensor paired with a 3x optical zoom lens, and includes a LiDAR scanner. In addition to the standard video formats, the Pro model can record 4K ProRes videos at 60 fps (connected to a supported external storage drive) and log.

Thanks to the ProMotion screen and a more efficient chipset, the iPhone 15 Pro offers a better battery life than the regular iPhone 15. However, since Apple discontinued the model in 2024, your only options are to purchase a new handset from a reputable third-party seller or get a refurbished unit.

With some digging, I found the iPhone 15 Pro (128GB) on Best Buy for $899.99, in brand-new condition. If you don’t want to spend that kind of money, consider the pre-owned iPhone 15 Pro (256GB) at Walmart for $699.

Of course, if you know someone who owns an iPhone 15 Pro and has kept it in good condition, you may be able to negotiate a price and get a good deal.

Before you go ahead and get a used iPhone, check out all the things you need to know first and all the differences between the iPhone 16 and new budget iPhone 16e. Want to move to the Apple ecosystem? Here’s how much it costs in 2025.