Comparing iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 14 Plus: are the upgrades worth it?

iPhone 15 Plus brings some very notable improvements like the USB Type-C port, Dynamic Island, and a new 48MP camera.

• By Sai Krishna -
Published On: September 16, 2023

Apple has finally unveiled the iPhone 15 series at an event on Tuesday. The biggest change this year is the USB Type-C port inclusion, which puts the phones in line with every flagship these days. The Dynamic Island, which is seen on previous generation Pro iPhone models, is now passed on to vanilla models. Like last year, the iPhone 15 series also includes four models. In this article, we compare the iPhone 15 Plus with the iPhone 14 Plus to see the upgrades and changes. Read along.

iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 14 Plus: Design

The iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 14 Plus share an almost similar design with some tweaks. The biggest change to this year's iPhones is the inclusion of the USB Type-C port, a huge shift from the good-old Lighting port.

Another design change is the Dynamic Island on the front. Apple introduced the Dynamic Island design on the iPhone 14 Pro models last year. This has been moved on to non-Pro models this year. Dynamic Island is an interactive pil-shaped cutout that changes share based on the notification/alert. 

Apple says for the first time, colour is infused throughout the back glass panel of the phone and this is strengthened with an optimised dual-ion exchange process before polishing with nanocrystalline particles and etched to create a textured matte finish.

iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 14 Plus: specs at a glance

iPhone 14 Plus vs iPhone 15 Plus: Price in India

• The Apple iPhone 15 Plus 128GB variant is priced at Rs 89,900, Rs 99,900 for the 256GB model and Rs 119,900 for the 512GB model. The handset will be on sale in India from September 22nd. The iPhone 15 Plus comes in Black, Pink, Yellow, Green, and Blue colours. 
• The Apple iPhone 14 Plus costs Rs 89,900 for the 128GB model, Rs 99,900 for the 256GB model and Rs 119,900 for the 512GB model.

iPhone 14 Plus vs iPhone 15 Plus: Display

• The iPhone 15 Plus sports a 6.7-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with 2796×1290 pixels resolution, 460ppi, up to 2000 nits peak outdoor brightness, HDR, and Ceramic Shield protection.
• The iPhone 14 Plus has a 6.7-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with 2778×1284 pixels resolution, 458ppi, up to 1200 nits brightness, HDR, and Ceramic Shield protection.

iPhone 14 Plus vs iPhone 15 Plus: Processor

• The iPhone 15 Plus is powered by Apple A16 Bionic 4nm chip with 64-bit architecture, 5‑core GPU and 16‑core Neural Engine.
• The iPhone 14 Plus ships with A15 Bionic 5nm chip with 64-bit architecture, 5‑core GPU, and 16‑core Neural Engine.

iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 14 Plus: Camera

• The iPhone 15 Plus features dual cameras on the back, with a 48MP wide-angle primary camera with f/1.78 aperture, second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilisation, 2x Telephoto, and HDR video recording with Dolby Vision. There is a 12MP secondary lens with 120-degree FoV. The iPhone 15 Plus has a 12MP front camera with autofocus.
• The iPhone 14 Plus has a 12MP wide-angle camera with a 7P lens, sensor-shift optical image stabilisation for video, and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens. There is a 12MP front camera for selfies and video chats. 

iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 14 Plus: Connectivity, features

• 5G, Gigabit-class LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness, NFC, GPS with GLONASS, and a USB Type-C port.
• 5G, Gigabit-class LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness, NFC, GPS with GLONASS, and Lightning port.
• Both models are IP68-rated for water and dust resistance, iOS 17, FaceID facial recognition, and Stereo speakers.

Key takeaways

The iPhone 15 Plus is a significant upgrade over the previous generation. While we are disappointed with the lack of a 120Hz ProMotion display on the vanilla models, the upgrades it brings are impressive. Firstly, the inclusion of a USB Type-C port is a big boon for users who carry around multiple phones with them. Next, the 48MP camera on the last year's iPhone 14 Pro is now present on the iPhone 15 Plus and this is a big improvement over the dated 12MP sensor on the iPhone 14 Plus.

Then we have the Dynamic Island design change on the front. This is a major design change from the very old notch on the front. This interactive pill-shaped cutout on the front makes the iPhones more modern, although not a competition to the tiny punch-hole cutouts on Android phones. 

Most importantly, Apple has retained the same price tag as the iPhone 14 Plus when it launched last year.