By now, we all know what an iPhone looks like and what it should do. So when Apple revealed the latest addition to its smartphone lineup — the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max — it wasn’t surprising that the next-gen phones would offer a variety of new features and tech. Regular quality-of-life upgrades are a given at this point, and there’s not much left to improve on an already excellent build. There is, however, one element Apple has failed to upgrade with its latest round of updates: the iPhone’s appearance.
Before we get to that, let’s talk specs. The iPhone 15 is built with some features that you might recognize, and they’ve gotten some substantial upgrades. The 15 maintains the 14’s 6.1-inch display size and storage options (128GB, 256GB, or 512GB), albeit with a moderately better CPU.
Apple’s “Dynamic Island” is no longer limited to the iPhone 14 Pro — every iPhone 15 model boasts the notchless design, which displays background activities like timers and Uber rides right below the front-facing camera.
The camera is the star of the show, boosting the iPhone 14's 12 megapixel main camera to a ridiculously powerful 48MP. I expect those quadrupled megapixels to do a lot more heavy lifting for landscapes, portraits, and ‘fit pics. Even the 15’s front camera has upgraded from a humble 12MP to a staggering 48MP. Who needs a compact mirror anymore? I can see my pores from my iPhone now.
Offering photographers even more functionality, the iPhone 15 Pro boasts extra focal lengths (24mm, 28mm, and 35mm) to shoot with — plus some hardware tweaks improve the look of nighttime shots.
If that doesn’t satisfy you (read: you want to shoot high-quality cinema out of your pocket), try the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the only model to feature a "tetra prism" telephoto lens with 5x zoom and 120mm focal length.
For folks like myself who just want to take cute photos of pets and people, one of the most exciting new camera features is in Portrait Mode. Previously, you'd have to swipe to access background-blurring, skin-smoothing magic. Now, the iPhone 15 automatically recognizes photo subjects and captures depth information, allowing you to see what a portrait would look like after it's taken. This also means you can also shift the focus in the Photos app if there's more than one subject in a photo.
Perhaps the most welcome addition is the USB-C charger, breaking the iPhone's proprietary charger hot streak. To be fair, this decision was most likely influenced by Europe's newest law mandating all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras have the same USB-C charger.
It's still an uphill battle, but the iPhone 15's USB-C proves that Apple is looking to comply, even if reports show that charging speeds remain limited to USB 2.0 speeds. It's still unconfirmed if Apple will limit charging speeds for unauthorized charging cables.
Apple has set the benchmark for what a streamlined, minimalist smartphone should be. Home buttons came and went; the original iPhone's rounded edges were sliced to reveal flat, crisp sides; screens expanded; dynamic islands were introduced; and camera lenses multiplied. Apple has reached equilibrium with its design, but that doesn't mean the phones have to look boring.
The precedent of the cheaper phones being more colorful began in 2013 when the iPhone 5c was introduced as an affordable alternative to the iPhone 5 with a vibrant polycarbonate housing, coming in blue, green, pink, yellow, and white. It was discontinued by 2015.
After swapping its classic day-glo finishes for sleek, colored titanium in 2021, Apple's iPhone 14 tried to scratch that itch with color options that included Apple's classic red, a sunny yellow, and a delicate lavender.
Unfortunately, the palette of the iPhone 15's palette is even more subdued. Red is gone entirely: In addition to black, the non-Pro model now comes in powdery shades of blue, green, yellow, and pink. The iPhone 15 Pro is even more disappointing from a color perspective (or lack thereof).
It boasts a super-powered camera capable of filming cinematic masterpieces, and its crisp Super Retina display offers color accuracy that rivals the human eye. It makes no sense that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, models that offer unrivaled features for creatives, are only offered in four colors: natural titanium, blue, white, and black.
The iPhone's two biggest competitors, the Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy, both offer vibrant color options that don't deserve to be hidden underneath a case. Even Samsung's newest offering, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, is a stunning upgrade to the classic Y2K flip phone.
Our phones have become extra appendages, and a new generation of young creatives are using them as an extension of their personalities.
Apple reintroducing the delightfully cluttered customization abilities for widgets on the home screen brought back the art of digital maximalism. With a click of a button, my YouTube icon could be a photo of Young Thug instead. I could even browse Etsy and find image packs of "aesthetic" wallpapers and icon packs to fit into the "live, laugh, love" fantasy of my dreams.
But the ability to swap out app icons and change the clock display font are no match for the wave of customization across the smartphone space with other models.
A quick YouTube search for "Galaxy Z Flip customization" leads down a rabbit hole of the beauty of human creativity. Interactive wallpapers, widgets, and more tie into physical accessories such as phone cases and charms, creating an ecosystem of creativity that caters to almost every -core.
In the description for one of the more popular Galaxy customization videos — currently sitting at over 600k views — YouTuber MK V writes, "I decided to get the Flip phone instead of the iPhone 14 Pro Max because it's flippable and has a retro vibe. I will buy a new iPhone if Apple makes a huge physical change."
The iPhone 15 deserves a bit more color, don't you think?
