iPhone 15 Pro Review: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly!

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iPhone 15 Pro: Incremental Changes There is a misconception about needing to upgrade every year to the newest phone model. The iPhone 15 Pro demonstrates how small improvements over time can lead to significant changes. While using it, some improvements have been noticed along with potential problems arising, particularly focusing on four new features: build quality, chip performance, camera enhancements and Action Button functionality.

Apple updated the iPhone build with softened corners, a gentle curve on the front glass edges, and slightly slimmer bezels. The phone is now noticeably lighter due to coated titanium rails. New color options are available, with natural titanium being preferred for its resistance to fingerprints and scratches.

The new USB type C port at the bottom of the phone allows for one charger to work with multiple gadgets, making it convenient for users who have other devices like computers, headphones, and keyboards. However, Apple's use of this port seems limited despite its potential.

The A17 Pro chip is the new powerhouse in the iPhone 15s, boasting impressive performance with a three nanometer design. It outperforms its predecessor by 10 to 20% on both CPU and GPU tasks, making it ideal for high-performance applications like gaming. Additionally, specific features of the chip enhance photography capabilities and enable faster data transfer speeds.

The main concerns are battery life and overheating issues with the new phone. Despite having slightly bigger batteries and a new three nanometer chip, there have been mixed results in testing. Some days show good performance, while others drain the battery quickly without any clear pattern. The A17 Pro chip may be draining power more quickly than before in high-intensity settings like gaming.

iPhone 15 Pro Camera Hardware The iPhone 15 Pro features a new, larger 48-megapixel main camera with improved ultra-wide and telephoto capabilities. The image processing pipeline combines full sensor shots for detail and light information to produce hybrid 24-megapixel images. While the difference between the new and previous cameras is not noticeable when zoomed out, pixel peeping reveals slightly better contrast and sharpness in the iPhone 15 Pro's photos.

Improved Macro Mode and Autofocus The improved macro mode allows natural background blur without needing Portrait Mode, while autofocus is exceptionally fast especially when detecting faces. The bigger sensor shows its benefits at night with longer handheld captures. However, there's minimal difference between the new camera's performance compared to last year's model unless you're pixel peeping or using digital zoom presets from dedicated lenses.

Video Capabilities of iPhone 15 Pro The video capabilities of the iPhone are far ahead of other smartphones but lack support for shooting in higher resolutions like 8K despite having a capable camera. It now offers Log shooting mode buried deep within settings that provides more dynamic range during post-processing grading. Although it excels in most aspects such as auto focus, depth perception, stabilization etc., it still struggles with haloing from point light sources which remains an unresolved challenge due to tiny optics.

The new Pro iPhone features an Action Button designed for customization, replacing the least used button from previous models. It can be mapped to various functions such as mute switch, camera launch, voice recorder, and Siri Shortcuts. While it offers great functionality and strong haptics feedback, its placement may make it less accessible for some users.

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The new Pro iPhone of 2023 is essentially the same as last year's model with some minor upgrades: USB, faster chip, brighter screen, thinner bezels, and better cameras. The most important change might be the addition of USB despite Apple's hopes.