The New Apple Phones: The Performance Differences between the Lower-End Models and the Prominence of a Moveable Pill-shaped Cutout
The new phone lineup from Apple has a new Dynamic Island feature which makes it possible for you to hold your phone in both hands. Meanwhile, the more premium phones — specifically the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max — come equipped with the new A17 Pro chip, an Action Button, and 10Gbps transfer speeds.
Unfortunately, Apple didn’t announce an improvement in charging speeds, even though it could have. The charging speed is limited to 20 watt.
When it comes to the Lightning port, Apple has been collecting licensing fees which may be why the iPhone is the longest holdout. Last year the European Union ruled that new phones, cameras, and tablets must have ausb-C by the end of the 21st century.
Now let’s talk about the display. The Dynamic Island has a different notch than the lower-end iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. Once reserved only for the premium iPhone 14 models, the feature essentially acts as a moveable pill-shaped cutout, one that displays real-time notifications, alerts, and activities.
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty details, we should probably address one of the more significant differences between the various models: the price. The 6.1-inch iPhone 14 has dropped to $699, while the iPhone 15 starts at $799. The iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 15 Plus go for $799 and $899, respectively, both of which come with a larger 6.7-inch display.
In terms of performance, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus use the two-year-old A15 Bionic chipset, which we found fast enough in our testing. However, it’s likely less snappy than the A16 found in the entry-level iPhone 15 models and probably more noticeably so when compared to the premium phones. The new A17 Pro chip that Apple claims is some of the fastest are in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
The entry-level models do not have the triple camera array found in the premium models. In the Pro models you can use multiple focal lengths, such as 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm. It is the longest focal length Apple has ever offered with the 3X 77mm iPhone 15 Pro and it has a 5xprism zoom lens as well.
Some notable design differences are to be aware of. The titanium body of the Apple phones should make them stronger and lighter. They’re also the only Apple phones to feature the Action Button, which essentially takes the place of the ringer button and can be customized to create shortcuts, launch the camera, and carry out a range of other tasks.
In terms of battery life, both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 max out at 20 hours, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max should last the longest at up to 29 hours. Both of the Plus models has up to 26 hours of video playback, but the iPhones 15 Pro maxes out at 23 hours.
There are also notable improvements when it comes to video recording. The cinema mode on all of the phones can record at 30 and 24 frames per second in 4K resolution. However, the 15 Pro models will also be able to capture “spatial video” later this year, which are essentially 3D videos that can be viewed with Apple’s forthcoming Vision Pro headset. They will also allow you to shoot 4K60 ProRes video and, thanks to their support for USB-C, let you record video to external storage devices.
Apple says the new smartphones are well-suited for demanding tasks, including gaming. We played some games with the iPhone 15 Pro and it seems like it works okay, but we will have to try it out for ourselves.
The second-gen ultra wideband chip in the new Apple Watch Series 9 is similar to the one in the iPhone 15. As a result, it is more convenient to locate friends and loved ones who are both using an iPhone 15 when using the updated component of the Find My network. It also should improve connectivity to other devices with the same chip that are further away.
The iPhone 15 lineup ships with the latest version of the software. So far, that seems like a minor update that brings fun features like Live Voicemail and a new Journal app. While your phone is charging, it becomes a smart display, one that remains visible even when it’s in landscape mode. You will be able to play with the features on the two new phones, no matter which one you buy, because you’ll be able to download them on the iPhone 14 and 15 Plus when it launches.
