What can the iPhone 15 (Plus) do? The most important features at a glance

What inspires us and what is missing

👍 Bright OLED display: Super Retina XDR with Dynamic Island for a modern user experience.

👍 Good camera: Improved main camera for sharper photos and more flexibility.

👍 USB-C port: Finally a universal standard, compatible with many devices.

👎 No 120 Hz display: At only 60 Hz, the display appears less fluid – many competing models already offer higher refresh rates.

👎 Battery life: While the Plus model is durable, the regular iPhone 15 might reach its limits for power users.

👎 No ProMotion or Always-On Display: Smoother animations and an always-on display are only available on the Pro models.

How long will the iPhone 15 (Plus) receive software updates?

Apple offers long software support, and the iPhone 15 (Plus) is expected to receive iOS updates until at least 2029. iPhones typically receive new iOS versions and security updates for around 5-6 years. Even after the last major update, Apple continues to provide many models with important security patches for some time.

➡ The iPhone 15 (Plus) will remain relevant for a long time to come – a solid choice for anyone who values ​​longevity.

Powercheck: What can the iPhone 15 (Plus) do?

The iPhone 15 (Plus) uses the A16 Bionic chip and delivers strong performance for everyday use. Even in 2025, apps, games and multitasking will run smoothly, without stuttering or waiting times. The chip ensures fast loading times, stable performance and efficient battery use. The device can even handle computationally intensive tasks such as photo editing or 4K video recording without any problems.

➡ If you're looking for a powerful iPhone without the Pro price tag, this is the right place.

These values ​​come from Geekbench 6, a popular benchmark tool for measuring processor performance. The scores provide an initial orientation to the raw performance of a chip, but do not always reflect everyday performance - factors such as software optimization, battery status and background processes influence the result.

📌 You can learn more about the significance of Geekbench scores in our blog article.

How good is the iPhone 15's camera?

Tech YouTuber Steven Divish tested the iPhone 15's camera and compared it with the iPhone 16. His conclusion: The iPhone 15 still delivers strong photo and video quality - the difference to its successor is smaller than expected. Here are the most important findings:

📸 main camera: 48 MP with f/1.6 aperture – sharp, detailed images, especially in daylight. The quality will remain at a high level even in 2025.

🔍 ultra-wide angle: 12 MP with 120° field of view – solid performance, but without the macro mode that the iPhone 16 offers.

🔭 telephoto: Not a true telephoto lens – the 2x zoom uses a crop from the 48MP camera, but still delivers good results.

🎥 video recordings: 4K with up to 60 FPS on all cameras – hardly any differences to the iPhone 16. The new “Audio Mix” function is reserved for the iPhone 16.

🎛 Photo Filters & Tones: The iPhone 16 has new controls for undertones and saturation – but the iPhone 15 has similar adjustment options, just a bit hidden in the settings.

⚡ Ssoftware vs. hardware: The cameras of the iPhone 15 and 16 are almost identical – the main differences are in the software and small convenience features.

➡ The camera of the iPhone 15 is still top in 2025 and hardly differs from the iPhone 16If you can do without macro photos or better audio control in videos, you can get almost the same quality here – often for less money.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awCqni1iUHc&t=188s

How long does the battery last?

The iPhone 15 holds in intensive usage test by Tech Rider lasted around 8 hours and 15 minutes, which puts it ahead of its predecessors. There is hardly any difference to the iPhone 16 - it only lasts 15 minutes longer.In comparison, the iPhone 14 lasts about 35 minutes less, while the iPhone 13 lasts over an hour. In another test It turned out that the iPhone 15 Plus performs slightly better than the standard iPhone 15 at around 9 hours and 13 minutes, making it an attractive alternative for anyone looking for a long battery life.

➡ The iPhone 15 will get you through the day without any problems - even with intensive use such as streaming, navigation or social media. If you're eyeing the iPhone 16, you should know that the difference in battery life is hardly noticeable.

📱 Created by Ella: “A strong upgrade or too many compromises?”

Tech YouTuber Created by Ella has tested the iPhone 15 extensively and comes to a mixed conclusion: a great design, an impressive main camera and solid battery life - but also clear weaknesses that make the purchase difficult.

What convinces:

✔ High-quality design – Matte glass back, rounded edges and low weight ensure a pleasant hand feel

✔ 48 MP main camera – Impressive image quality, almost on par with the iPhone 15 Pro

✔ Bright display – With up to 2,000 nits, very easy to read, even in sunlight

✔ A16 Bionic chip – strong performance for everyday use and efficient battery use

✔ Dynamic Island – Convenient for multitasking and notifications

Where it is weak:

❌ Only 60 Hz display – Seems jerky and less fluid compared to Android alternatives

❌ No telephoto lens – 2x zoom via crop does not come close to real telephoto cameras

❌ USB 2.0 instead of 3.0 – Slow data transfer despite USB-C connection

❌ No always-on display – standby mode switches off quickly because the display is not dynamically controlled

➡ The iPhone 15 impresses with its design, a strong main camera and good battery life. However, the lack of a 120 Hz display, slow USB-C and the lack of a telephoto lens make it difficult to justify the price of €800.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu9krITz6NQ&t=2s

Our conclusion: Is the iPhone 15 (Plus) still worth it?

The iPhone 15 (Plus) offers many useful improvements: a bright display, a strong 48 MP main camera and a solid battery life. In everyday use, it delivers smooth performance and benefits from Apple's long software support. However, it lags behind the Pro models - mainly because of the 60 Hz display, the lack of a telephoto lens and the slow USB-C data transfer.

➡ If you are looking for a stylish, powerful iPhone without the Pro price tag, this is a good choice. However, if you want more – like 120 Hz or a better camera – you should take a look at the iPhone 15 Pro or cheaper Android alternatives.