In 2011, my trusty companion was the iPhone 4, a sleek piece of technology that felt cutting-edge at the time. But in 2014, the call for a bigger screen, a superior camera, and a faster processor lured me towards the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. It was a choice made for practicality, and it served me well.
Fast forward to 2022, I was eyeing the iPhone 14, adding it to my ever-growing wish list. However, by the time the iPhone 15 graced the market, patience was no longer a virtue. What held me back, you ask? The “Action” mode. It irked me that it still recorded in 2.8K instead of 4K. Yet, the iPhone 15 was not one to be underestimated, continuously punching above its weight.
My alternative companion during this tech journey was the Huawei P20 Pro since 2018, chosen for its remarkable camera prowess. It was hailed as a photography marvel upon release. But when it came to video, it faltered, especially in low light conditions. The all-around sharpness felt like it belonged to another era – the distant past of 2018.
Now, in 2023, I’ve resolved to step up my mobile phone game. The photos I capture are often washed out when dealing with varying contrasts and sometimes unnaturally saturated. The iPhone has been making remarkable strides in computational photography, introducing features like macro shots, zoom, and a plethora of “lenses” that are as versatile for photography as they are for videography. Low-light performance has improved, although it’s still not quite on par with a full-frame camera.
My choice? The iPhone 15 Pro Max, adorned with 512GB of storage coming in the natural titanium hue. I figure that’s more than enough space for me, as I’ve learned the hard way not to keep precious photos exclusively on my phone. After my Huawei P20 Pro had a microphone issue, I sent it in for warranty service, naïvely thinking only the mic needed fixing. To my dismay, they replaced the whole board, and I lost most of my photos from August and September from 2018. So, these days, when I return home daily, my ritual involves transferring the day’s photos to my trusty hard drive, ensuring I never make the same mistake again.
In the words of my friend Zahidi, the iPhone 15 can be aptly described as a “compact yet potent fusion of a supercomputer and a top-tier camera, all wrapped up in one sleek package.”
One minor hiccup I’ve encountered in my tech journey is the file system. Android offers a user-friendly, navigable file system that lets you effortlessly copy or move files around. What I miss most is the ease of transferring my photos and any other files to the hard drive on my server via LAN. It’s not just about photos; it’s about the flexibility to manage and organise all types of files seamlessly.
After 3 weeks? I’ve really grown to adore it. While the photos are decent, it’s the videos that have truly won me over. They’re remarkably stable, and the colours are nothing short of stunning.
After 3 months? I’m pleased with my new phone and its camera capabilities. However, I’ve noticed that the photos and videos produced by the native app tend to be overly sharp. Fortunately, the BlackMagic app allows recording in Apple Log, enabling colour-grading. Similar to GoPro, this iPhone excels well in well-lit environments. Upon comparing videos from the native app and the BlackMagic app, the sharpened results are less appealing than those produced by the latter.
Dec-2023, 24mm 1/2 sec. f/1.8 ISO 4000
Dec-2023, 120mm 1/830 sec. f/2.8 ISO 50
CAMERA SPECIFICATIONS
| Sensor Size | Pixel Size | Focal Length | Remarks | |
| Primary | 48 MP 1/1.28″ 9.8⨉7. 3mm | 1.22µm pixels Sony IMX-803 | 24mm f/1.78 | Dual Pixel AF, OIS |
| Ultra-wide | 13.4 MP 1/2.55″ | 1.4µm pixels Sony IMX-714 | 13mm f/2.2 | 120º FOV Dual Pixel AF, OIS |
| Tele | 12.7 MP 1/2.55″ 4.5⨉3.4mm | 1.12µm pixels | 120mm f/2.8 | Dual Pixel AF, 3D sensor-shift OIS |
| Front | 12 MP 1/3.6″ | 23mm f/1.9 | TrueDepth, OIS |