Just before the new iPhone 15 series arrives in Israel (in October, if there are no delays), and against the background of growing claims in recent days about a variety of critical problems in the devices, we received the iPhone 15 Pro for 24 hours of experience and initial impressions and came back with some important conclusions.
iPhone 15 Pro. What's in the package, photo: Daniella Ginzburg
Old-new charging socket
After many years in which Apple insisted on continuing to use the Lightning port in its iPhones and differentiating itself from the industry standard, this year the European Union put an end to the story and announced that if the American company wants to continue selling iPhones in EU territory, it must change the port on the devices to standard USB C.
Indeed, the iPhone 15 series comes with a USB C charging port that allows you to charge the device from any suitable charger and also faster data transfer (iPhone Pro series only). We tested the charging speed with both our random USB C cable and the Apple cable (which comes without a wall adapter). We got the impression that what mainly affected the charging rate was the 65W adapter we had and not one cable or another.
iPhone 15 Pro. We finally got a USB C port, Photo: Daniella Ginzburg
Titanium frame rather than aluminum
Apple boasted at the launch event about the new material that entered the design of Pro devices this year – titanium instead of aluminum. Thanks to the fact that titanium is stronger and lighter than aluminum, you can quite clearly feel the fact that the iPhone 15 Pro is lighter than its predecessor, certainly compared to the iPhone 13 Pro. We also liked the edges that were rounded even more in the new generation compared to the previous one. Overall the device feels very pleasant in the hand, although we doubt how relevant this is given that most of us go with shields.
The big minus of the new aluminum frame that we noticed and reported online in recent days, is the fact that the frame is a fingerprint magnet. Although this time it's a brushed titanium frame (compared to the iPhone 13 Pro's shiny aluminum frame, for example), fingerprints and dirt can still be seen on it. From our impressions, you can clearly see fingerprints on the frame and even the back of the device. Disappointing.
iPhone 15 Pro. The brushed titanium frame and the back of the device are beautiful, but the fingerprints that stick are pretty devastating, Photo: Daniella Ginzburg
Power button instead of mute
One of the surprising changes for us on the iPhone 15 was the transition from the iPhone's famous mute/vibration button to an adaptive action button. Now, you can choose between several options and choose what you want the button to do.
You can still choose to have the button mute or cancel it altogether, but you can also use it to turn on the flashlight, record, turn on the camera, activate shortcuts, and more. We liked the change and look forward to seeing more options coming forward.
iPhone 15 Pro. The mute button has been replaced by an adaptive power button, photo: Daniella Ginzburg
Powerful processor and camera with upgrade
Two other changes, light to imperceptible from our initial impressions, are the new processor and the photography array of the iPhone 15 Pro. In terms of processor, this time we got the Pro series with the powerful A17 processor, which ensures faster and smoother performance, even when running "heavy" games. In this respect, the device we tested does respond quickly and runs smoothly, although it should be noted that this is currently a completely new device that requires long-term testing.
In terms of camera, the iPhone 15 Pro received a 3x telephoto lens and an improvement in the sensor, with the main upgrade being in the device's software rather than the hardware (which remained the same). From our testing, we got the impression that the zoom really improved and the close-up images were definitely sharper. In terms of colors, we also noticed a change, with the colors on the iPhone 15 Pro camera being "warmer".
Another feature we liked was the fact that the iPhone 15 Pro can charge other devices. Although it's hard for us to see a situation where we'll have two smartphones and no mobile charger, it can still charge another iPhone as well, which is nice. Of course, this feature is more relevant to charging ancillary devices like AirPods.
iPhone 15 Pro loads iPhone 13 Pro. Nice and useful feature, photo: Daniella Ginzburg
Reviews float: the device is hot and fragile
Alongside the enthusiasm recorded with the launch of the iPhone 15 series, in recent days there have been growing testimonies from disappointed users about a wide range of problems discovered in the Pro and Pro Max devices. While some of the issues will probably be resolved with the software updates that Apple has already started, other issues are directly related to the device's hardware. The two main ones: the iPhone heats up to an unbearable level and breaks easily.
Among those problems reported, you can find the fact that the device overheats. While some users reported that this happens while playing "heavy" games, others have reported that it also happens when shooting 4K video and even while charging the smartphone. Some even claimed that the device heats up to a level that it is impossible to hold it in the hand or near the ear when talking. We note that this problem is likely to be resolved with the release of software updates to the device.
iPhone 15 Pro. Apple's operating system is expected to receive upgrades to address the problem of warming, Photo: Daniella Ginzburg
A second problem that the network has been tumultuous about in recent days is the lack of durability and fragility of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max compared to previous models. In a video that went viral, YouTuber JerryRigEverything showed how his iPhone 15 Pro Max shattered easily after he bent it slightly and squeezed it with his hands.
Furthermore, Sam Kohl of AppleTrack revealed that the iPhone 15 Pro was completely unusable after a series of drop tests.
Kohl argued that the new titanium frame may not be solely to blame for the story and that he suspects that the curved edges of the new smartphone contributed to the creation of its weak chassis. In this case, it's a design issue with the device that, of course, won't be solved by a software update. Take this into account.
Price: 999 USD in the US. The price in Israel will probably be around 5,700 NIS (tentative).
The device was delivered to us courtesy of iStore
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