Hands-On: What the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Will Look Like

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Sorry for the question, is that really your cable and how did it become so frayed ?

Don’t be sorry!

Yes, it is really mine. I took this photo yesterday after the article was posted. I use it daily on my backup iPhone 13 Pro Max. I’m not sure how it became so frayed. I do pull the cable gently (grabbing by the head first but the wire itself). I also don’t have any pets. Lastly, it was never caught under a table or table wheels. Honestly, it’s just the quality of the cable Apple makes. Maybe they want us to keep buying them frequently. I will say it does work just fine.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

switching to usb-c is one big environmental disaster.

thanks eu

That's like saying we should have all kept our old incandescent lightbulbs and not switch to LED because people threw out their old bulbs and a lot of older lamps and other products that could only work with older bulb types, like many dimmable switches, etc.

If we take two 10 year scenarios for iPhone:

Scenario #1, where Apple gets to do Lightning or any other number of new proprietary b.s. ports and cables while the rest of the industry keep all doing USB-C ports and cables

vs.

Scenario #2, our current reality, where Apple is prohibited from doing proprietary b.s. and every iPhone owner throws out their outdated Lightning cables and uses USB-C instead

What's the long-term outcome?

I'm pretty sure scenario #2 leads to either equally as much e-waste as scenario #1 or scenario #2 leads to less total e-waste long term.

Why

10 more years of iPhone owners needing Lightning cables for their iPhones and USB-C cables for everything else has to lead to more total e-waste compared to 10 years of all new iPhone purchases in the next 10 years not requiring you to buy a new cable, or being able to use one from another USB-C product when your Lightning cable eventually tears apart.

Since Apple and manufactures making Apple and iPhone accessories are the only ones doing Lightning, basically all consumers will already own at least one USB-C cable and chargers and thus not have to buy any new cables.

Even consumers who have never owned anything but Apple products will most likely also own either an USB-C cable and/or an USB-C charger as these have shipped with both newer iPhones and most Macs and iPads in the last 8-10 years or so.

I really don't understand this opposition to USB-C -Apple has had at least one full decade to outsmart the archaic USB-C lobby and present a new port/connector standard that's superior to the port/cable/connector form factor we get with USB-C.

But even Apple opted for USB-C and Thunderbolt(USB-C) on its Macs and iPads instead of coming up with something new, innovative and superior.

Time is up and now the EU is forcing Apple to commit to a decision they've already made, pushing them to finally streamline ports/connectors/cables across their product line-ups.

Enforcing USB-C is a win-win situation for all consumers even if it might not lead to less e-waste in the short term.

 

[darngooddesign]

Don’t be sorry!

Yes, it is really mine. I took this photo yesterday after the article was posted. I use it daily on my backup iPhone 13 Pro Max. I’m not sure how it became so frayed. I do pull the cable gently (grabbing by the head first but the wire itself). I also don’t have any pets. Lastly, it was never caught under a table or table wheels. Honestly, it’s just the quality of the cable Apple makes. Maybe they want us to keep buying them frequently. I will say it does work just fine.

It’s the quality of the cable sheathing more than anything else. It hardens and becomes less pliant/more brittle sooner which causes it to crack/tear, and once that happens the metal cable inside frays and fails. This happened all the time with their MagSafe-1 and 2 cables, which would tear/fray at both ends, but my braided MagSafe-3 cable seems to be a lot more durable.

The USB-C charger for my work Lenovo is really durable with thick sheathing and a very good reinforcement where the cable exits the port. I’ve been using that for the past two years with both my laptop and iPad Pro, subjecting it to the same bending forces which my Apple cables get, and it has zero indication of any kind of sheeting failure.

TL DR - Apple Lightning cables fail because Apple uses sub-par sheathing material to cut costs. Apple non-Thunderbolt USB-C cables will fail for the same reason, they want you to buy replacements.

 

[bradman83]

They should copy Samsung and have the number the year the phone comes out. One issue I see with this is the time Apple releases the phones. The phone will appear to be the previous years in just a few months time.

Car manufacturers often release the next year's model year in the Fall of the preceding year, so Apple could always call this the iPhone '24.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Anyone feels like iPhone 15 should have implemented iPhone 5c design?

 

[bradman83]

Some 3rd party Lightning cables are much more durable so the failure has nothing to do with the port type and everything to do with the low quality cables that Apple makes. I doubt Apple is going to stop cheaping-out on their included cables just because they are USB-C.

Apple switched to braided sheathing on the USB-C cables shipping with the most recent generation of iPad Pros (as well as the MagSafe 3 cables on the M-series MBPs/MBAs). Braided sheathing is much more durable and resistant to fraying than solid PVC sheathing, so Apple already stopped cheaping out in that regard.

 

[iCyprus]

okay see you next year.

 

[darngooddesign]

Apple switched to braided sheathing on the USB-C cables shipping with the most recent generation of iPad Pros (as well as the MagSafe 3 cables on the M-series MBPs/MBAs). Braided sheathing is much more durable and resistant to fraying than solid PVC sheathing, so Apple already stopped cheaping out in that regard.

Since they are still using PVC cables on the iPad Air cable, Apple can still cheap-out on the iPhone cable. Of course Apple might switch over to braided on the M2 Air and iPhone 15 Pros or just the 15 Pro Max.

 

[alphaswift]

I still have an X and not seeing a real compelling reason to update.

 

[azkendrick]

So the 15 is going to look like 14, 13, and the 12 which are all like the 11 but with flat sides

 

[drzen]

Pixel hardware hasn’t changed much. It’s the software that had. Android 14 beta is fantastic

The Pixel hardware has changed too. The evolution of the camera bar from the Pixel 6 to the 7 has been a really nice visual change. The Galaxy S23 has visually changed the camera layout as well. iPhone is the only model making these micro-visual changes year over year. Those flat edges aren't even ergonomic - my father's Pixel 7 feels so much more comfortable in hand compared to my iPhone.

 

[TVreporter]

Tim must love these articles - the crackdown on leaks has been a success.

I might wait for a discount on a 14Pro rather than grab a 15 - something tells me another price hike is coming to make up for the loss of lightning cord buys!

 

[BorisDG]

And again 2nd post/tweet saying the same.

iPhone 15 Pro Max
M12 Panel(Same as 14PM)
imx803(Same as 14PM)
3nm A17 Bionic
LPDDR5 8GB

https://twitter.com/x/status/1662282218012835841

 

[TVreporter]

Anyone feels like iPhone 15 should have implemented iPhone 5c design?

View attachment 2208370

I would love a revamped 5S model with today’s tech. Loved my 5s - still use it for Apple Music for my kids’ rooms. Handy at bedtime!

 

[Graham Caracas]

So the big story is that these phones will look like all the other phones.

 

[Populus]

But, wasn’t the 15 Pro expected to be a bit smaller than the regular 15?

 

[Torty]

I still have an X and not seeing a real compelling reason to update.

Live text is great. But you don’t need the 15 for it.

 

[Torty]

That's like saying we should have all kept our old incandescent lightbulbs and not switch to LED because people threw out their old bulbs and a lot of older lamps and other products that could only work with older bulb types, like many dimmable switches, etc.

sorry bad comparison. It would be if you were forced to change your light bulbs to other light bulbs with a different socket.

 

[Torty]

No way! Not a big disaster. I'm tired of lightning port ending up like this. Daily struggle 😢

View attachment 2208083

Nothing to do with the lightning connector. It’s bad cable quality by apple. Not good to bend. Got one from “unbreakcable” which works for me for years now.

 

[BobSc]

Agreed! But I think a cable failure is part of the port failure. They interconnect. ♾️

That is completely illogical.

 

[BobSc]

I’m not sure how it became so frayed. I do pull the cable gently (grabbing by the head first but the wire itself). I also don’t have any pets. Honestly, it’s just the quality of the cable Apple makes. Maybe they want us to keep buying them frequently. I will say it does work just fine.

You admit to pulling the cable and you wonder how it got frayed? You should never pull on the cable. Use the connector to unplug a cable. I've used Lightning and other Apple cables since they first appeared and never had a problem with any of them.

 

[chelsel]

Looks like I'm skipping this model also. I can't stand the hard rectangular edges. Glad I got the new battery for my iPhone 11 Pro before they upped the prices on battery replacement. See ya next year, maybe!

 

[rippley5150]

Don’t be sorry!

Yes, it is really mine. I took this photo yesterday after the article was posted. I use it daily on my backup iPhone 13 Pro Max. I’m not sure how it became so frayed. I do pull the cable gently (grabbing by the head first but the wire itself). I also don’t have any pets. Lastly, it was never caught under a table or table wheels. Honestly, it’s just the quality of the cable Apple makes. Maybe they want us to keep buying them frequently. I will say it does work just fine.

Quality control is sort of lacking lol

 

[814MB]

So the 15 is going to look like 14, 13, and the 12 which are all like the 11 but with flat sides

iPhone 15 is shaping up to be an iPhone 12SSS more or less.

 

[AppleIsEveryWhere]

I can't believe that until I see iPhone 15 in September If Apple has finally landed on the line on USB-c so it is gonna be exciting to see if Apple will or not limit USB-C speed!