The biggest news when the iPhone 15 series was announced was that the phones charge using a USB-C cable. Innovations in the smartphone market are no longer as exciting as they used to be. Again: The iPhone 15 (Pro) is one of the best phones, but it’s a bit boring as an upgrade.
Als het aan Europa ligt (en dat ligt het) dan laden we vanaf eind volgend jaar al onze telefoons, tablets en laptops op met één soort kabel: USB-C. Apple sorteert daar met de nieuwe iPhones alvast op voor en ruilt daarvoor de eigen Lightning-kabel in. Beter laat dan nooit.
In de praktijk maakt het ook niet zoveel uit dat je nu een ander kabeltje nodig hebt, al zijn de Lightning-kabels die je nog had liggen ineens niet meer bruikbaar voor de nieuwste iPhones. Verder wordt het er overzichtelijker op: elke USB-C-kabel kun je gebruiken om een iPhone op te laden. Met dezelfde kabel laad je ook een iPad en (sommige) MacBooks op. Of allerlei andere gadgets van andere merken.
New look and action button
The iPhone 15 Pro models look a little different this year. They have a matte color and a titanium cover. This makes it slightly lighter and stronger than the iPhone 14 Pro. The edges are more rounded, which makes them nicer than the sharp angles of last year’s models.
Additionally, the 15 Pro phones no longer have a slider above the volume buttons to turn the sound on and off. There is now an action button that you can adjust to your taste. You can choose to open the camera with the button, set a timer, or make an audio recording.
For specific, frequently used functions, this can be a very useful shortcut. You can also set the button for your favorite app on your phone via the Apple Shortcuts app. If you often look at NU.nl, you can open the application immediately by pressing the button.
I don’t really like having seven lenses
Pro devices often have an advantage thanks to their camera lenses. And with iPhone 15 Pro, you can take beautiful photos with complete ease. However, improvements this year are limited. Images capture more detail and contrast. Helpfully, the camera automatically records depth data on people and animals. This way you can turn on the depth of field afterwards and take a portrait of it.
By tapping 1x on the camera, you can switch between different focal lengths: 24, 28 and 35mm. This goes up to 1x, 1.2x and 1.5x magnification. “It’s like having seven professional lenses in your pocket,” Apple wrote. In practical terms, this is primarily a powerful example of marketing. Incidentally, the large iPhone 15 Pro Max can zoom up to five times, while the regular Pro is limited to three times. According to Apple, this has to do with the limited space in the device to accommodate the larger lens.
Photos taken with iPhone 15 Pro
The battery is very disappointing
The biggest drawback by far is the iPhone 15 Pro’s battery. For a week of testing, it was not possible to complete the day on a single charge. This means that it performs less well than the iPhone 14 Pro after a year. Other people online are also complaining about the battery performance and there are reports that the phone sometimes heats up quickly, which is not good for the battery either.
In tests The iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max are much better. The regular iPhone 15 also lasts longer than the Pro model.
The iPhone 15 is still an attractive option to buy
It’s a good thing new iPhones haven’t gotten more expensive this year. The iPhone 15 Pro is 100 euros cheaper than the iPhone 14 Pro at launch. The regular iPhone 15 is also cheaper than last year’s iPhone 14: 969 euros instead of 1,019 euros.
The iPhone 15 is an attractive purchase in any case. The phone gets almost all the Pro features of last year’s iPhone 14 Pro, such as the Dynamic Island (the notch in the display), the 48-megapixel main camera and the fast A16 Bionic chip.
As for the iPhone 15 Pro; It’s hard to recommend this year. If you’ve already bought a Pro model within the past two or three years, it’s best to wait another year. If you have an older model, there have been enough innovations over the years to justify the purchase.
But the times are definitely over when it was tempting to buy a new iPhone every year or every couple of years due to major updates.
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