Robert Triggs / Android Authority
$1,199 for the newest iPhone 15 Professional Max is undoubtedly costly. The truth is, it’s Apple’s priciest iPhone ever, however at the very least you’re buying and selling that money in for the model’s newest and best cellular expertise. On the different finish of the portfolio lies the poor, uncared for iPhone 15. Whereas rather more reasonably priced at $799, it lacks the cutting-edge enchantment of Apple’s Professional vary, usually left ready for older options to trickle down.
That trickle has slowed to a drip. As such, the common iPhone 15 compares fairly poorly on a spec-by-spec foundation in opposition to the greatest Android telephones in the identical worth bracket. Whereas the Professional Max may be costly, it’s the iPhone 15 that’s truly overpriced for what it affords.
iPhone 15 specs are effectively off the tempo
To get our bearings, let’s rapidly evaluate the staple options you’ll discover throughout Android flagships within the $799 worth bracket.
Beginning with the show, high-refresh-rate 120Hz OLED panels are the norm (more and more within the mid-tier too), and variable refresh charges to avoid wasting on battery life are additionally more and more widespread. The iPhone 15 is caught with a dated 60Hz fastened refresh fee that appears and feels comparatively sluggish when scrolling via your favourite web sites. When you’ve sampled 120Hz, going again to 60Hz feels decidedly price range.
Likewise, Apple reserves its All the time-on Show (AOD) characteristic for its Professional mannequin, whereas a number of Android producers, together with Google and Samsung, supply it on their extra reasonably priced telephones. Apple is admittedly shortchanging its prospects on the subject of show expertise.
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Flip the newest iPhone over, and also you’ll spot one other space that Apple is scrimping on. Sure, the iPhone 15 now boasts a bigger, high-resolution 48MP rear digicam (lastly closing an outdated hole with the greatest digicam telephones). Nonetheless, the mannequin is caught with an outdated ultrawide lens and nonetheless lacks any optical zoom capabilities. And no, Apple’s 2x telephoto fancy crop isn’t actual competitors for a devoted 2x or 3x lens.
Android is flush with crisper digicam choices at this worth, from the OnePlus 11’s 2x lens, the Galaxy S23 3x telephoto taking pictures possibility, or the three.2x optical capabilities of the Xiaomi 13. Tangentially, the $899 dual-camera iPhone 15 Plus isn’t any match for the pliability of the $849 Pixel 7 Professional’s zoom setup both.
Whereas a lesser offense, Apple’s selection to make use of older silicon can also be a step down from its opponents. The A16 Bionic is definitely no slouch after only a 12 months, however equally reasonably priced Android flagships usually tout the newest and best Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Moreover, subsequent 12 months’s rival flagships are set for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 improve, full with graphics chops that’ll blow Apple’s last-gen chip out of the water.
A sluggish show, older chip, and fewer versatile digicam {hardware} would not stand as much as the competitors.
Equally, battery life has by no means been notably stellar with the smaller iPhone, and the 15 mannequin doesn’t appear to be any bigger than its predecessor. Maybe worse, final 12 months’s iPhone fashions have been criticized for shedding peak capability faster than different manufacturers, suggesting that Apple is cheaping out on inferior cells. However there’s a first rate number of compact smartphones that provide strong all-day battery life and typically much more.
Even what’s new is commonly outdated with Apple. The price range iPhone 15s don’t even help quick knowledge switch speeds, regardless of the lengthy overdue transfer to USB-C. They’re caught with the outdated USB 2.0 protocol, which is way slower than you’ll see in trendy Android telephones.
Between the show, battery, USB-C tech, and middling digicam setup, the Apple iPhone 15 has plenty of drawbacks and only a few {hardware} wins to lord over opponents in its worth bracket.
The most effective Android alternate options to the iPhone 15
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
To Apple’s credit score, different key design elements examine effectively in opposition to its Android rivals. NFC, Extremely-wideband, an IP68 ranking, Bluetooth 5.3, and long-term replace help are accounted for. Nonetheless, you’ll nonetheless discover Android alternate options with quicker charging, the newest Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, and fan favorites like a headphone jack. Maybe these are much less necessary to basic prospects, however it goes to indicate that there are many opponents value taking a look at.
Samsung’s Galaxy S23 ($799 at Amazon) is the Apple iPhone 15’s most direct competitor. It has a slicker, 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED show with AOD, an extra digicam for distant zoom, quicker wired charging, and quicker USB 3.2 knowledge speeds, for precisely the identical worth as the newest iPhone.
Android is not in need of extra highly effective {hardware} combos for iPhone 15 cash.
Spend only a fraction extra, and the superb Google Pixel 7 Professional ($589.98 at Amazon) nets you quicker wi-fi charging, a 10-120Hz LTPO show, 5x long-range zoom images, and an enormous 5,000mAh battery. In Europe, the Xiaomi 13 ($790.99 at eBay) is identical worth and comes with an enormous battery, good digicam setup with optical zoom, 120Hz show, 8K video recording, blazing quick wired charging, Wi-Fi 7 help, and twice the storage of its opponents.
After all, the iPhone 15 has an enchantment that transcends {hardware} options, equivalent to the brand new satellite-powered Roadside Help. These embedded in Apple’s software program ecosystem would possibly want extra convincing to modify sides, however these in search of strong worth for cash ought to take into account an alternative choice to the overpriced iPhone 15.