OPINION: So, there we have it – another Apple Event in the history books and another round of iPhone updates to either entice people to upgrade or incense them on social media.
While I would often say tech events, particularly those from Samsung and Google, drag and outstay their welcome, I thought Apple sped through the release of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro and its new duo of watches. Almost to the point where I would have preferred a little more detail in certain areas.
I’ve seen lots of online chatter about these being minor updates, but I would disagree. The iPhone 15 looks to be a big upgrade over the iPhone 14, with a new camera, Dynamic Island, USB-C and far nicer colours. The Watch 9 and Ultra 2 picked up a new chip which is finally more capable and should unlock some clever features down the line. And then there’s the iPhone 15 Pro.
Reading back through my review of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, it looks like Apple has fixed the majority of the biggest issues I had. USB-C replaces Lightning to allow us to finally charge an iPad, iPhone and MacBook with a single cable. The fingerprint-loving shiny aluminium sides have been ditched, as has the gaudy gold colour. Even the sides have been contoured slightly to make it more comfortable to hold.
My qualms about the poor zoom performance in the camera look to have been fixed too, at least on the iPhone 15 Pro Max which gets a new 5x telephoto camera I can’t wait to use.
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Where are the battery enhancements?
One area where Apple looks to have stood still is with the battery life. Endurance was barely mentioned during the event and all signs point to the new phones having the same battery life as the older models.
Apple might say this is great; you get the same battery life but thanks to the switch to a titanium body, the phones are both lighter and slightly smaller than before. My response to that would be that instead of making them lighter, use the saved weight to offset the inclusion of a bigger battery.
Having a lighter phone is great when you first pick it up, but I don’t think it’s something that makes a difference when you’re used to it. It just becomes natural. Whereas having a longer-lasting battery is far more beneficial, at least for me.
The addition of faster charging could have offset limited battery upgrades, but even though Apple switched to USB-C it looks like charge time and speed will be the same as before. It’ll still max out around 20w and take around 90 minutes for a full charge – that’s a bit of a shame, especially when many rumours ahead of the launch had suggested much faster charging was a given.
I appreciate having a lighter phone is great for marketing – but maybe next time let’s focus on the battery life.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
