DUST off those wallets because there’s a tempting new iPhone upgrade that I reckon is worth the money.
I’ve been secretly testing the new iPhone 15 and 15 Plus since they launched last week.
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The California tech giant unleashed four new iPhone models, and the 15 and 15 Plus are the cheaper of the quartet at $799/£799 and $899/£899 respectively.
There are plenty of changes to attract Apple fans, including a controversial tweak that I’m all for.
I’m talking about the new (and much-debated) USB-C port on the bottom of the iPhone.
It’s a great move that you’ll grow to love in the coming years, if you’re not obsessed already.
Gone is the Lightning charger, which has been a mainstay on iPhone since 2012.
You’ll now plug in using USB-C cables, which you might already have at home.
USB-C came out in 2014 and is now widely popular on Android phones, inside cars, and on consumer electronics in general.
Apple is already using USB-C on iPad and MacBook, and now the iPhone 15 has followed suit.
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USB-C has the potential to deliver more power and transfer data faster.
But the really big perk sit hat you’ll be able to use the same cable across most of your gadgets in the future.
So while your old Lightning cables might soon fade into redundancy, USB-C will make your life much easier.
If you’ve been waiting for a reason to upgrade, the USB-C just might be it.
I’ve only had the new iPhone for about a week and I’ve found it extremely useful to just have one cable for all of my devices.
LOOKING GOOD
Keen-eyed Apple fans might also notice that the top of the iPhone has changed too.
The old “notch” that stuck out into the display to house the selfie cam and Face ID is gone.
Apple’s Dynamic Island has “trickled down” from last year’s Pro models onto the regular iPhone 15 line-up.
It’s a bit like the notch but it “floats” on the display instead.
And it’s interactive too, morphing depending on what you’re doing.
For instance, you might have ordered an Uber and that’ll be signalled on the Dynamic Island – while holding your finger on it will bring up info about your ride’s progress.
Similarly you’ll see the album art for the music you’re playing, while a short press brings up a quick-action media player to control the tracks,.
It looks better than the notch and it’s far more useful. What’s not to like?
There are five colours available this time around, but the one making the most waves is the pink version.
I’ve mostly been using the more traditional black model, but I’ve tried the pink Plus model and it’s very pretty.
They’ve all got a matte finish this year that looks great.
You can choose from Black, Pink, Yellow, Green and Blue.
Battery life is spectacular. I haven’t managed to run the device down in a single day yet.
The official measure from Apple is about 26 hours of video playback for the Plus and 20 on the regular iPhone 15. I can believe it.
Contributing to this performance is the A16 Bionic chip that powers the device.
It’s a custom Apple processor that fans will remember from last year’s iPhone 14 Pro range.
Apple has shifted to debuting its new chips on Pro models before unleashing them on the regular line-up a year later.
It’s a powerful chip that offers buttery-smooth performance, impressive graphics for gaming, and gives a boost to battery life too.
SHOOT, SCORE
Apple has upgraded the camera too.
There’s an all-new 48-megapixel camera that’s capable of taking stunningly detailed shots.
And you’ll also be able to make use of a 2x telephoto lens to zoom in on those slightly-far-away shots.
It’s increasingly difficult to take a bad photo on an iPhone, and the iPhone 15 camera is incredibly capable for the price,.
Low-light photography and general light-handling have markedly improved.
And video (which can be captured in 4K) is extremely impressive. In general, iPhone video doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
Probably the only other big change to note is the new Roadside Assistance via Satellite with the AAA.
It lets your iPhone hook up to a satellite connection and call for motoring help if you haven’t got regular cell signal.
I haven’t had a chance to test this out yet because it’s only supposed to be used if your vehicle is actually stranded – and only in the USA.
Needless to say the regular Emergency SOS via Satellite has proved popular (and life-saving), so there’s no reason why this bonus perk won’t help car-troubled iPhone owners out.
Finally, don’t forget that the iPhone 15 runs on iOS 17.
The new software update isn’t exclusive to iPhone 15, and is coming to years-old models.
It’s packed with features, including Live Voicemail transcription, swipe-to-reply in Messages, custom Contact Posters that appear when you call someone, auto-deletion for one-time SMS log-in codes, and back-to-back requests on Siri.
You can also now save offline maps on Apple Maps, and quickly swap contact details using an AirDrop-style feature called NameDrop.
I-LIKE!
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are true delights.
You almost certainly don’t need to upgrade if you have an iPhone 14 (unless you’re rightly desperate for USB-C), and an iPhone 13 will likely still be getting on fine too.
But there are some mammoth upgrades for people using older iPhone models.
In my view, the 6.7-inch Plus is the model to have as the extra screen real estate is too good to miss.
But plenty of people get on far better with smaller phones, and buying the regular 6.1-inch iPhone 15 will save you $100/£100 with no other real differences.
Three reasons to upgrade: the new USB-C port (and a generally stunning design) an impressive camera, and brilliant performance for a reasonable price that has stayed level in the US and dropped in the UK.
The Sun says: The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are a spectacular pair of handsets that easily justify their prices – and the switch to USB-C is a delight. 5/5
The iPhone 15 ($799 / £799) and iPhone 15 Plus ($899 / £899) are available for pre-order now, and go on sale on Friday, September 22.
All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.
Always do your own research before making any purchase.
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