The iPhone 15 Series: A Paradigm Shift in Smartphone Technology
Apple is expected to keep the iPhone 15 series pretty similar in terms of design to last year’s model. That includes a flat edge aesthetic and a dynamic island.
However, the Pro models could get a titanium back that makes it look a bit more premium. And rumor has it the frosted glass is a feature that may make its way to the standard models.
Widgets
Last year, Apple gave widgets a major overhaul by breaking them free from the confines of Today view and letting them stand on your home screen alongside your favorite apps. This fall, iOS 15 refines the process by adding new widgets and tweaking the Smart Stack feature that combines multiple widgets.
To add a widget to your iPhone, long-press anywhere on the Home screen until the apps and icons start jiggling, then tap Edit. This brings up a list of available options, including widgets for all the built-in apps as well as third-party apps you have installed on your phone. When you select a widget, you’ll see different sizes that you can swipe left and right through.
You can also create a Smart Stack from a group of your most frequently used apps, then swipe through them by swiping up on the Home screen. This is great for keeping up with the weather or your upcoming events, for instance. And you can even customize the look of the widgets on your home screen by moving them around and changing their size.
Expanded Smart HDR
Apple’s Smart HDR feature has been expanded in the iPhone 15 series. It now supposedly uses machine learning to optimize color and contrast. It can even tweak photos with up to four people, and it’s reportedly better at bringing out accurate skin tones for each one.
The feature works on both still and video. It’s enabled by default and is supposed to be more intelligent about when to apply it. It also supposedly improves image quality, especially in low light situations.
Another improvement is the ability to record in HDR while using Face ID. This could help with low-light selfies, as it would reduce the need for a flash.
Some other notable changes with the iPhone 15 series include a USB-C port and the Dynamic Island display on the Pro models. This is supposed to be a larger version of the notch that’s on the XS and XR. Apple is also rumored to be adding MagSafe wireless charging support, as well as a titanium frame for the Pro models. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also cited that two of the iPhone 15 models will feature solid-state buttons that use extra Taptic Engine vibration motors to provide button feedback via haptics. This would make them less likely to wear out over time and might allow for a thinner body as the buttons don’t have to move.
Face ID
Apple’s Face ID is the most sophisticated biometric security system available on a smartphone. It’s fast, effective and secure. But it does come with a cost: the cut-out in the display that houses the camera system, otherwise known as the notch.
When the iPhone X arrived in 2017, it ditched the notch for a Dynamic Island, and this gave the phone a bigger percentage of screen real estate. It also pushed Apple toward its goal of having a single slab of glass on the front of iphone 15 128gb the phone, a vision Jony Ive talked about at the launch event.
It’s possible that 2023’s iPhone 15 series will see a similar departure from the notch. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Samsung will be readying new displays that allow the cameras and sensors to be placed under the display, allowing Apple to remove the notch or even the Dynamic Island completely.
But that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. Many Android phones have both Touch ID and Face ID built into their buttons, and a fingerprint sensor under the display could modernize the iPhone experience while still giving users the choice of which to use. Plus, Apple’s recent updates have squashed many of the issues that plagued the iPhone X and its predecessors.