Apple iPhone 15 review

An all-new 48MP main camera

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus still stick to the same number of main cameras as last year's models - two shooters on the rear and one on the front. However, this year, there is a whole new 48MP, 26mm, f/1.6 main camera.

Apple is not really in the habit of sharing much about its camera sensor hardware. We've managed to gather that the 48MP camera on the vanilla iPhone 15 and the Plus models does not use the same Sony IMX803 sensor as found on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro models. It is a different Sony sensor instead, likely a custom-order one, with a stacked design, which is supposed to help with readout speeds and low-light performance.

Other than that, we know that the main camera has 1.0µm pixels with a Quad-Bayer arrangement. Although, Apple is doing some computational and stacking magic to end up with 24MP stills by default. The main cam also has 100% focus pixels and PDAF. There is also sensor-shift OIS for stability and EIS on top of that for video capture. The camera sits behind an f/1.6 lens.

We don't really know a lot about the other camera hardware either. The iPhone 15 has a 12MP ultrawide that sits behind an f/2.4 lens. It lacks any fancy features like autofocus. That is only present on the Pro models, allowing the ultrawide to double as a macro shooter. On the other hand, the 12 MP, f/1.9 selfie camera does have PDAF. Not only that, but it can also leverage some depth data from the front-facing SL 3D sensor for better portraits.

Camera app and features

The viewfinder has stayed mostly intact since iOS 16. You can see outside of the viewfinder thanks to the precise calibration of the three cameras, allowing you to see what will be left outside the frame in real-time.

Apple's image processing includes all legacy features - Smart HDR, Night Mode, and Deep Fusion - and last year's Photonic Engine.

All enhancements but Night Mode are out of the users' control. The Night Mode icon pops up automatically when a low-light scene presents itself, and you will see the seconds suggested next to the Night Mode icon. You can choose longer exposure or altogether disable the Night Mode.

As usual, all cameras talk to each other, so they already know the correct exposure and tone mapping settings when you switch between them. This applies to both stills and videos. Since there is no autofocus on the selfie cam on the iPhone 15, there is no dedicated macro mode.

The camera interface has 0.5x, 1x and 2x toggles. You swipe between modes and have a couple of settings you can uncover with an upward swipe - flash, night mode, live photo, photo aspect, exposure compensation, and filters. In video mode, you can change the resolution and frame rate from the viewfinder.

Camera app UI

Portrait mode is available on the main and selfie cameras. RAW capture is not a thing on the non-Pro iPhones, though. However, what you can choose this year is to deviate from the new standard 24MP resolution of the main camera and capture in either 12MP or 48MP. The former is done through the camera app settings, while the latter is accessible via a JPEG Max toggle through the camera UI. We have samples of the different resolution modes below.

There is this feature called Photographic Styles, which automatically edits a photo, one element at a time (applying different corrections to the subject and background, for example). You can choose between Standard, Rich Contrast, Vibrant, Warm, and Cool. You can tune each of these modes to your liking and set your preferred one as default. It's like filters but more permanent.

Camera options

Cinematic mode is also present and carried forward from previous iPhone generations. It does automatic rack focus, but the phone records a depth map alongside the video, so you can change the focus point manually after the fact. Editing such videos is possible in iMovie and Clips apps.

Action mode is available on all iPhone 15 models and is carried forward from last year. It is an enhanced video stabilization mode meant for dynamic and action-filled scenes and situations.

Daylight photo quality

Straight off the bat, it is worth noting that in typical Apple fashion, the cameras on the iPhone 15 are extremely consistent in their output. There is so little shot-to-shot difference that we honestly had to double-check if we were looking at different files from time to time.

Also, it is hardly surprising that the main camera performs exceptionally well in good lighting conditions. Detail in the new default 24MP resolution is notably better than what you got from last year's 12MP iPhone 14 shots. In fact, detail is even more impressive compared to some Android flagships. Sharpness is also excellent, and so is dynamic range. Contrast is quite accurate.

iPhone 15: 24MP main camera samples

Most of what we don't personally like all that much about the iPhone 15 camera is largely subjective, like the color science. While colors are mostly true to life, they are a bit muted for our taste. That's not exactly new for Apple cameras, though. The sky and clouds came out looking a bit darker than they actually are, and the same goes for most shadows, resulting in a grittier overall look.

Here's how the main camera compares to the competition in our vast photo compare database.

iPhone 15 against the iPhone 14 and the Samsung Galaxy S23 in our Photo compare tool

The new main camera also offers quite a bit of resolution flexibility. While we don't appreciate the seemingly random location of the two different resolution modes - one in the camera UI and the other in settings, we can't fault the results that 48MP mode provides. Detail is still better than the 24MP stills, though at the cost of sharpness and some additional noise in shadows. That being said, dynamic range and color rendition look to be identical, which is an impressive achievement.

iPhone 15: 48MP main camera samples

Even though it is buried in the camera section within settings, Apple does offer the more traditional 4-way binning mode of the 48MP sensor that results in 12MP shots. These shots tend to have the exact same rendition as the 24MP ones, which is again impressive in its own right, but you do get notably less fine detail. It is especially noticeable in things like foliage.

iPhone 15: 12MP main camera samples

Unless you are really after some storage savings, we really see no point in opting for 12MP shots instead of the new optimized 24MP ones.

Apple stuck to a two-rear camera configuration with the non-Pro models for yet another year. That means that you don't get a dedicated telephoto on the iPhone 15. However, the new 48MP main camera has more than enough resolution to pull off 2x zoom shots, and it does so masterfully. You get plenty of fine detail from these 2x shots, though it does get somewhat hampered by Apple's decision to save these shots in 12MP resolution. Certain things like foliage can still look a bit fuzzy, but it's hardly a major complaint.

iPhone 15: 12MP main camera 2x zoom samples

These 2x zoom shots are also just a tiny bit noisier than the regular 1x photos. Other than that, however, the overall rendition is nearly identical to 1x shots, which is impressive.

The iPhone 15 can shoot portraits with its main camera at both 1x and 2x. There is now a new portrait feature called Automatic portraits. Basically, if the camera detects a scene suitable for a portrait shot, it pops up an "F" symbol in the corner, which can be used to quickly toggle a portrait effect right then and there from the camera UI.

The really clever bit, however, is that even when you don't actively press the "F" toggle, the iPhone 15 still captures a depth map and all of the necessary data to create a portrait after the fact. Then, you can simply go into the Photos app, edit the photo and decide to "convert" it into a portrait after the fact by choosing where the focus is and the intensity of the background blur. It is a really clever little system that works great in practice.

iPhone 15: main camera samples

1x portraits look great, with subjects very rarely appearing out of focus and almost always looking sharp. Skin texture and tones are excellent. Subject detection and separation are also great, even in the absence of the TOF 3D LiDAR scanner that the Pro models get. That remains true even with busier backgrounds and in dimmer lighting conditions.

You get a wide choice of portrait effects to choose from as well to really make your shots "artsy".

iPhone 15: 24MP/12MP main camera portrait samples

At 2x zoom, portraits look a bit worse than at 1x. Subjects tend to be out of focus more frequently, and faces come out looking just a bit softer. At least they don't get softer in dimmer environments. It is also worth noting that just like regular 2x shots, 2x portraits also get saved in 12MP resolution.

iPhone 15: 12MP main camera 2x portrait samples

Non-human subjects work surprisingly well for portrait shots. Particularly animals, which Apple seems to have paid special attention to in its detection algorithms.

iPhone 15: main camera non-human portrait samples

The 12MP ultrawide camera on the iPhone 15 is frankly rather disappointing. Stills come out looking a bit soft, lacking fine detail and with noise in some uniform or darker areas. Graininess can be spotted on occasion as well.

iPhone 15: 12MP ultrawide camera samples

Frankly, we expect more from a phone at this price point. At least, on a more positive note, Apple has done a great job matching the overall processing of the ultrawide to the main camera. That means that contrast and dynamic range are really not half bad. Also, we appreciate the extra-wide 120-degree field of view.

The selfie camera is solid. It captures sharp photos with pleasant skin features and tones. There is an abundance of detail, great contrast and dynamic range. Including PDAF on the selfie also goes a long way in ensuring everything stays focused.

Apple's processing once again shows its true self as some facial features come out a bit too pronounced by sharpening and micro-contrast enhancement. While we are not fans of the skin-smoothing algorithms used by other brands, Apple seems to be on the exact opposite side of the spectrum, which is not very likeable either.

iPhone 15: 12MP selfie camera samples

You can choose whether you want the full size of the selfie camera or a cropped-down version of your selfies at around 7MP resolution.

iPhone 15: 7MP selfie camera samples

Selfie portraits look really great with superb subject detection and separation and the same excellent and believable background blur effect.

And just like with the regular photos, you can add the Portrait effect after the photo has been taken.

iPhone 15: 12MP selfie camera portrait samples

Video quality

The iPhone 15 can capture video at up to 4K resolution on all of its cameras—60fps on the main and selfie and 30fps on the ultrawide. You also get Apple's Cinematic mode at 4K@30fps on both the main and selfie cams and HDR video capture. Action mode video is carried forward from last year as well. It is still captured from the ultrawide camera in around 2.8K resolution. That's a pretty rich feature set, but there are still some notable omissions compared to the iPhone 15 Pro models, namely ProRes and 3D (spatial) video. You can't do either on a vanilla iPhone.

In terms of format, the iPhone captures 4K video in a standard h.264 (AVC) video format at around 45 Mbps with a 48 kHz stereo AAC audio stream wrapped inside a MOV container. That last bit is an Apple-specific choice, but it is similar in terms of compatibility compared to MP4. Alternatively, you can save some space at the expense of playback compatibility in h.265 (HEVC).

It should hardly be surprising that 4K video from the main camera looks great. It is rich in fine detail and very clean, with no noticeable noise or shimmering. Dynamic range is nice and wide. Colors, while not as punchy as some popular Android devices out there, look great in their own right.

The tiniest bit of focus hunting is observable, but that is due to the extra-windy conditions we were having.

Our extensive video compare database shows how the main camera stacks up against competitors.

iPhone 15 against the iPhone 14 and the Samsung Galaxy S23 in our Video compare tool

At 2x zoom, 4K video remains looking consistently great. There is a bit of shimmering in very fine detail in motion, like leaves on trees, but that is to be expected. The same goes for the slight softness on some surfaces. Nothing too dramatic, though.

The ultrawide camera holds its own pretty well in video capture. Naturally, its footage is not nearly as detailed as the main cam's, but it is surprisingly clean, with little to no noise and shimmering. Colors look good and are pretty well-matched to those of the main camera.

There is a bit of corner softness, but that is to be expected from this caliber of camera.

4K footage from the selfie camera looks great, with a lot of fine detail and an awesome rendition of skin texture and skin tones. There is no noticeable focus-hunting, even while walking and shooting. Colors are well-matched to the rear cameras, and the dynamic range is quite decent, and so is the contrast.

For stabilization, the main cam has sensor-shift OIS, but additional EIS is available across all cameras for video capture. It works great and at full resolution, effectively smoothing out any major bumps and shakes without any obvious artifacts.

There is an Enhanced stabilization toggle in camera settings, which promises to improve stabilization further. It is on by default, and we saw no reason to disable it at any point in time.

Low-light camera quality

The main camera remains incredibly consistent shot-to-shot in low-light conditions. These shots can have some noise creep in darker scenes and areas. But other than that, they look excellent with great detail and sharpness, a pretty wide dynamic range and good contrast. The color rendition is nice and natural, although, just like with regular photos, shadows do tend to be a bit darker, which is not necessarily a bad look. On the other hand, highlights are handled masterfully without blowing up light sources or applying too much sharpness.

iPhone 15: 24MP/12MP main camera low-light samples

As has traditionally been the case, the iPhone 15 has automatic Night mode. You do get a hint when it triggers from a small indicator on the camera UI, and once it does, you can adjust the capture time manually or opt out of Night mode altogether.

That's all fine and dandy, but there is no way to manually force Night mode On; you can merely toggle it Off. And we did not like how the iPhone 15 handles its automatic Night mode detection and triggering. It is incredibly inconsistent and too conservative as to when it kicks in. We were honestly unable to identify a pattern of behavior here. In some cases, just a couple of lamps in the background were enough for the software to favor the standard Photo mode and in others, with plenty of light sources in the foreground, the camera app triggered the Night mode.

The best we can do in this circumstance is offer you a few shot-to-shot comparisons of the main camera with and without Night mode actually triggering. The actual Night mode shots from the main camera are easily recognizable since they are always saved in 12MP resolution.

iPhone 15: Night mode OFF • Night mode ON

Night mode cleans up most of the noise in shadows and generally sharpens up the images slightly, without going overboard. The same goes for shadows; they are brought up slightly, and there is a bit more detail in there, but without negatively affecting the overall still natural look of the photos. When there's a big enough tonal contrast in the scene, that's when the Night mode usually kicks in to balance out the highlights and shadows by fixing the clipped highlights and lighting up the darker areas of the image.

Low light 2x shots are quite impressive. They almost look as good as stills from a dedicated telephoto camera. Of course, there is a noticeable disparity in sharpness and detail compared to daylight 2x photos, especially 1x ones, but it is still not that drastic. Even so, it is understandable that Apple's camera algorithms tend to favor and toggle Night mode a lot more often on 2x shots compared to other camera modes.

iPhone 15: 12MP main camera 2x low-light samples

Just like for 1x shots, Night mode brightens up the entire frame in 2x mode, particularly bringing up the exposure in darker areas and salvaging more detail by applying finely-tuned sharpening. Light sources get handled slightly better, too, and certain surfaces have less noise.

iPhone 15: 2x Night mode OFF • 2x Night Mode ON

The ultrawide camera struggles quite badly at night. There are no two ways about it. Its shots are very noisy and grainy, with blown-out highlights and light sources. This is the first time we saw a major discrepancy in color rendition, too, with the ultrawide going for noticeably warmer colors at night.

iPhone 15: 12MP ultrawide low-light samples

Night mode does not seem to help much either, and that's if you even manage to get it to trigger since the iPhone 15 is particularly reluctant to do so for the ultrawide, which arguably needs it the most. Night mode does somewhat clean up noise and brighten the exposure, but that's about it. It does apply noticeable sharpening to the frame, a bit too aggressively, resulting in an overprocessed look which we don't appreciate.

iPhone 15: Ultrawide Night mode OFF • Ultrawide Night Mode ON

The main camera captures some excellent low-light videos. These look very crisp, with great amounts of detail and practically no noise to speak of. Colors look very natural.

Shadows are handled competently, though some darker surfaces are understandably a bit softer. Light sources are handled well and only slightly blown out.

Zooming in and capturing 2x videos from the main cam results in surprisingly little loss in overall quality. There is still plenty of detail and just a bit more noise than in 1x videos. Colors and light sources look practically identical, which is to say very competent.

4K low-light footage from the ultrawide camera is a bit lacking in comparison. Not unusably so, mind you, but it is noticeably softer and darker with plenty of noise and far less detail. Colors are a bit off and noticeably warmer compared to the main camera, particularly the light sources. Both dynamic range and contrast hold up surprisingly well, though.