I had the 14PM and bought the 15PM with the intention to return.
I probably won’t recommend those with 12, 13 or 14 to upgrade.
USB-C for file transfer: This is great for those who transfer huge video files. If you don’t shoot Prores, the slow AirDrop transfer still works alright.
USB-C for video recording: You can now attach a USB-C mic, when when playback to check, audio will output from speakers. Previous with lightning to 3.5mm, you have to plug out the cable to hear audio from speaker. Huge utility improvement for video recorders.
ACTION button: It’s just a shortcut button. What’s the big deal?
5X camera: Image quality seems similar to 3X. If you’ve always wish for a 5X zoom while using your phone, go for it. I find 3X which is easier to control. Action mode can be enabled during video recording for extra zoom in. 5x is not a better focal length than 3x. Saying 5x is better is like saying 2x is better than 1x, and 1x is better than 0.5x.
2x cinematic mode: This addition to the usual 1x cinematic mode is really useful for video. There’s no cinematic mode with 3X so even a 2X is extremely welcome.
Dynamic island: It’s a useless gimmick that exists only to let Android users know you have an iPhone.
Battery life: For video recording when screen is max brightness outdoors, phone can last maybe one morning. Charging or battery pack is needed for morning and afternoon recording. For iPhone 15 Pro which has smaller battery capacity, you can just add a portable battery. Charge the phone while having lunch.
Display dimming: I record video with 4K 25FPS on a cloudy day (30 degrees celsius) and there were times the phone will overheat and dim the display, make it impossible to see if you are recording at the correct exposure. This is the same problem with iPhone 12PM, and the reason why I upgraded to 14PM is so that I won’t have display dimming problem. Display dimming with a hot phone is back with 15PM sad to say.
Speakers: Audio is good. Many people say it sounds better than 14PM. Maybe. Unless you have other iphones to compare, you probably can’t tell.
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Conclusion: iPhone 15PM is an incredible phone, but it’s only worth upgrading to (in my opinion) if you’re using iPhone 11 or older.
I will be returning mine without missing it. Two main issues are the display dimming when hot and 3x is sufficient for me for the type of videos I make.
Just two things
Iphone can record at 25FPS and very few Android phones can.
iCloud will backup EVERYTHING.