On September 22nd, 2023, at Apple’s September event, Apple released the highly anticipated iPhone 15 and 15 Pro. After months of theories and rumors, the phones have hit the stores, not just having slightly improved cameras, but also the new USB-C charging plug. 

The iPhones have slightly improved features including two cameras with better camera quality of portrait performance, both made out of titanium. They also come in new colors, like pink, yellow, green, blue, and black all with a matte finish. This iPhone will have an all-day battery life and is water and dust-resistant, with a ceramic shield on the Phone.

The biggest change is the USB-C charging port for both models. Apple added a USB-C charging port so finding a new charging port for the iPhone will become easier, since the charger will be universal to every device. Apple also made their AirPods Pro include a USB-C port, trying to make it easier by making all of their devices with this charging port. However, there is no promise Apple is going to keep up with this new change. 

Apple released the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro at the same time, but are the differences small? What’s the difference between the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro? Instead of having two cameras, the Pro has three and it comes in four colors: black, white, blue, and natural. Both models of this phone offer night mode but only the Pro lets you take night mode photos in portrait mode. 

Price-wise, Apple is charging an extra $200 for the Pro like it has been in the past years with Apple’s releases. Apple has added a new button to the iPhone 15 Pro called the Action Button, which not only silences the phone but also can be used in many different ways for shortcuts on the iPhone. For example, if you hold down the action button for a long period you can mute or unmute your phone. Another big update is the Pro offers an always-on-display that keeps the phone on and dimmed so you can use something new Apple is introducing to this phone called StandBy mode. This is a new and improved alarm clock or a timer that presents the time or timer on the screen of the phone. Though Apple is improving its phones, Samsung is still growing its products. 

Compared to Samsung, is Apple really worth it? Overall, Apple sells more phones in the U.S. with 52% of the smartphone market share and Samsung is the second largest seller with a 27% share of the market. However, quantity does not equal quality. Samsung’s phones offer more customization to the phone compared to the iPhone. One of Samsung’s specific phones called One UI 4 gives more choice and versatility although the iPhone provides a simpler and smoother approach to their phone with less customization like Samsung’s phones. In May 2023, Samsung surpassed Apple in smartphone shipments by 1%, and as of August, iPhone revenue is down by 2% and Mac revenue is down by 7%.

If they are purchasing a Samsung phone, buyers will get better hardware for the price. However, compared to the iPhone, Samsung’s phones depreciate in value. Samsung is more affordable than Apple but there could be potential setbacks

Paige Encin ’25, with an iPhone 11, said that is not worth getting an iPhone 15 because “all the other phones get the same updates as the other phone. It’s all the same–your iPhone 13 is getting the same updates as the iPhone 15. The only difference is the camera and the USB charger.” 

With the new release of Apple’s iPhone, the new changes aren’t major. Even though they may be stunning to some people, others may prefer to stick to their current phones.