Amid all the OpenAI drama, the team has still been doing some work, it seems! The company’s newly-reinstated co-founder Greg Brockman has just tweeted that ChatGPT Voice is rolling out to everyone, not just paying subscribers …
OpenAI has announced that it is releasing a dedicated iPhone app for its ChatGPT service. The app, which is available via the App Store, gives users the ability to use ChatGPT through a native app on their iPhone. The app is free to download and includes no ads. It’s currently only available in the United States, but OpenAI says availability will expand “in the coming weeks” […]
The app will also sync your ChatGPT history across all your devices, including the web. It also includes support for Whisper, OpenAI’s open-source speech-recognition system. This integration with Whisper enables voice input for the ChatGPT app on iPhone. The ChatGPT app is also completely ad-free.
At that time, you could use voice to ask questions, though there wasn’t any real benefit in doing so over using the iPhone’s built-in keyboard dictation feature, and answers could only be displayed on-screen.
Shortcuts and Siri support was added in July.
ChatGPT Voice
Two-way voice interaction was later launched, but only for paying subscribers. The company now says it is available to all, with Brockman urging people to try it.
ChatGPT Voice rolled out for all free users. Give it a try — totally changes the ChatGPT experience.
You can choose between five different voices.
ChatGPT Voice rolled out for all free users. Give it a try — totally changes the ChatGPT experience: https://t.co/DgzqLlDNYF
I found I had to delete the app and then re-install it from the App Store to get the update. Please be careful if you need to do the same, as there are many scam apps which come up in a search for ChatGPT.
It’s also worth noting that demand for the feature is apparently extremely high, as I’ve experienced long delays at the ‘connecting’ stage, and some failures.
For years, it’s been possible to share a playlist you’ve made on Apple Music with others. However, a new feature allows for shared, editable playlists in iOS 17.2. Here’s how to use Apple Music collaborative playlists.
Two new features come to Apple Music with iOS 17.2 (currently in beta) – collaborative playlists and a new automatic “Favorites” playlist.
To find the latter, you can head to Library > Playlists in Apple Music and swipe down to find the new auto-generated Favorites playlist.
While Spotify has often led Apple Music in terms of social features, it’s great to see collaborative playlists arrive with iOS 17.2, let’s dig into how they work.
How to use Apple Music collaborative playlists
iOS 17.2 is available now in beta – read more on how to install it for free on your device
Running the iOS 17.2 beta, open Apple Music on iPhone or iPad
Choose the Library tab at the bottom, then tap Playlists
Select a playlist that you’ve created (or create a new one – this does not work for now with Apple Music’s playlists that you’ve saved)
Tap the … icon in the top right corner
Now choose Collaborate (second from the top)
You can choose if collaborators need to be approved or not
Tap Start Collaboration to invite people
You can head back to the playlist and tap the … icon to get the Manage Collaboration option
Here’s how the process looks to use Apple Music collaborative playlists on iPhone:
Now you’ll see the new Collaborate option. Apple notes anyone you share a collaborative playlist link with will be able to edit and reorder songs and change the name and photo of the playlist.
It’s official: Apple will add support for the RCS messaging standard in iOS. This won’t happen until the end of next year, and we don’t have many details about how Apple will implement RCS. In the meantime, we can reflect on the impact this will have on Android and iPhone users – and honestly, I don’t think it will be as huge as people might think.
A look back at Apple’s history with RCS
RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is a communication protocol created in 2007. Still, it only gained traction recently when Google implemented RCS in Android’s native messaging app. It was designed to replace the old SMS standard, which is quite limited by today’s standards.
Compared to SMS, RCS supports messages with audio, video, and other file formats and is not limited to 160 characters. It also supports better group messaging, typing indicators, and read receipts.
iMessage users are probably already familiar with all these features. However, when iPhone users send messages to Android users using the system’s native messaging app, they’re limited to the basic features of the old SMS standard since the iPhone never had RCS support. At the same time, Apple has never been interested in making iMessage available on Android.
In the US, where the iPhone dominates the smartphone market share, many people use iMessage daily. This has resulted in Android users not being able to have a good messaging experience when chatting with iPhone users, and vice versa. This created the debate known as the “green bubbles vs. blue bubbles.”
Apple executives have already secretly admitted that they have no reason to make messaging between iPhones and Android more seamless because it would hurt iPhone sales. Some people buy an iPhone just because of iMessage, and there are even cases of teenagers being bullied at school for not being included in group chats because they have an Android phone.
Adding RCS to iOS would fill this gap, as communication would be similar to the experience that users have when chatting via iMessage. But again, that wouldn’t benefit Apple in any way.
So what happened?
With all this in mind, what has changed to make Apple finally adopt RCS? Is Apple being a good company that loves to support open industry standards? Well, not really.
Apple has been under scrutiny from regulators around the world in recent years because of its dominance and strict rules when it comes to iOS. The company is accused of using its power to undermine competition with the App Store and iMessage (built into the native iOS messaging app also used to send SMS).
With the approval of the Digital Market Acts antitrust law by the European Union, Apple would be forced to not only open iOS to sideloading but also make iMessage interoperable with other messaging apps. This would certainly hurt Apple in markets where iMessage has a large user base.
By adopting RCS, Apple can argue that it supports an open messaging standard, so there’s no need to bring iMessage to other platforms or make it compatible with third-party apps. It’s a painful way to avoid even more damage, which seems inevitable at this point. But will RCS change anything for most iPhone users?
RCS won’t have much impact on iPhone users
Apple adopting RCS on the iPhone is a huge thing. But at the same time, it won’t change anything for the vast majority of users, and here’s why.
The “green bubbles vs. blue bubbles” discussion is very niche to a few countries, especially the US. Again, because in those places, Apple dominates the market with the iPhone. But there’s more to it: in the US, people are already used to sending SMS, so many people have no idea they’re using iMessage when texting someone with an iPhone.
To be honest, I think the title should be “…but will it change anything for anyone outside North America?”
Data from multiple research firms, such as Similarweb and Sinch Engage, show that WhatsApp has become the most popular messaging app in the world. It is notably strong in some European and Latin American countries. In Brazil, WhatsApp is used by 96% of people who own a smartphone. In China, everyone uses WeChat.
In these places, smartphone users are not worried about iMessage or RCS. They already use third-party messaging apps and will probably continue to do so.
Even in countries where iMessage dominates, the impact may not be as significant as some people might think. That’s because we don’t know how Apple will implement RCS. Perhaps RCS will still have green bubbles. Maybe RCS group chats will be one thing, and iMessage group chats will be another.
It’s great to see Apple finally supporting another industry standard, especially when SMS is so outdated and extremely vulnerable to security breaches. But at the end of the day, things will be the same for a lot of people.
RCS messages will use green bubbles, Apple confirms
Last November 16,2023, Apple announced its plans to bring RCS support to the iPhone in 2024. Since I published my story on the news this morning, there’s one thing everyone wants to know: is the blue bubbles vs green bubbles debate coming to an end?
I’m happy to say I now have an official answer: nope. RCS will use green bubbles just like SMS.
More details on iPhone’s RCS features
RCS (Rich Communication Services) will bring a number of iMessage-style features to texts between Android and iPhone users. This includes things such as read receipts, typing indicators, and higher-quality images and videos.
The one thing that won’t be changing, however, is the color of the messaging bubbles.
Apple has confirmed to me that blue bubbles will still be used to represent iMessages, while green bubbles will represent RCS messages. The company uses blue bubbles to denote what it believes is the best and most secure way for iPhone users to communicate, which is iMessage.
The green vs blue bubbles debate has become a cultural staple over the years. Google and Samsung have both used the color of bubbles in advertising campaigns criticizing Apple for not supporting RCS.
This news shouldn’t come as a surprise. As I reported this morning, iMessage isn’t going anywhere. Apple is adding RCS as an upgrade to SMS and MMS, while iMessage will exist separately. Again, today’s news is not Apple opening up iMessage to other platforms.
On Android, SMS texts are denoted by a light blue color, while RCS messages are denoted by a dark blue. Based on what we know now, Apple’s implementation will be blue for iMessage and green for RCS and SMS.
For more details on Apple’s plans to bring RCS to the iPhone in 2024, check out our complete coverage from November 16,2023. Our friends over at 9to5Google also have new details on Google’s response to today’s news.
Nonetheless, the green bubbles vs blue bubbles debate is here to stay. Is this the right decision on Apple’s part? Let us know in the comments.
We got an early look at the iPhone 15 Pro Max cellular performance from Ookla in October with its Q3 report showing almost 100% faster 4G/5G speeds compared to iPhone 14 Pro Max. Now Ookla has shared a new 5G performance study and iPhone 15 lineup has dominated as the fastest 5G devices around the world.
Ookla shared the new report on its blog. Collecting data from 13 countries between September and October for iPhone (August to October for Samsung devices), the results show the iPhone 15 Pro Max or in some cases the iPhone 15 or 15 Plus are the fastest 5G smartphones by a good margin. And an iPhone was the fastest 5G device in all but just one of the 13 countries.
Ookla notes that there are a number of variables when it comes to 5G performance like “5G investments by governments and mobile operators, different 5G spectrum allocations, and mobile 5G plans.”
In the US, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was on top with 285.02 Mbps as the median 5G download speed. The rest of the iPhone 15 family took 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place, with the next closest device being the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 with 231.56 Mbps.
5G performance in Canada was lower overall with the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 217.35 Mbps. The 15 Plus and 15 Pro took 2nd and 3rd and the Galaxy Z Fold5 snuck into 4th place with 175.63 Mbps.
In the UK, the new iPhones dominated with the Galaxy Z Fold4 coming in 6th place roughly 20-30 Mbps slower than the modern iPhones’ median 5G download speed.
One interesting result was in Brazil – the iPhone 15 took the top spot over the 15 Pro and Pro Max with 533.32 Mbps. However, the 15 Pro and Pro Max were close being with 523 Mbps.
The only country on the list where an iPhone didn’t have the fastest 5G median download speed was the Philippines. The Galaxy Z Fold5 beat out the iPhone 15 Pro by just 1 Mbps.
In Australia, two out of four iPhone 15 models showed median 5G download speeds that were significantly faster than their iPhone 14 equivalents during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period. Speedtest Intelligence reveals the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max both had a 14% better download speed than their prior year counterparts. There was no statistical winner for the iPhone standard model or the iPhone Plus in Australia during this period.
The Galaxy Z Flip5 had a 30% better download speed than the Galaxy Z Flip4 during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period in Australia, while there was no statistical winner for the Galaxy Z Fold.
Recommendation: Depending on your model of choice, only half the devices surveyed merit an upgrade based on performance alone in Australia.
Other Countries are:
Check out the full Ookla report on iPhone 15 5G performance against other devices for more details.
Apple today announced it is extending the free usage period for Emergency SOS satellite features for iPhone 14 users. Previously, Apple gave iPhone 14 customers two free years after device activation, which would have began expiring this time next year.
But now, all current iPhone 14 users will be able to use the service for free for another two years. Apple has not revealed how much it will charge for Emergency SOS via satellite when the free period is up, and today’s announcement means the company can defer any decision making on that further into the future.
The free period for iPhone 15 customers has not been extended. That means iPhone 15 users still currently are working on a two free years model, which will begin to elapse in September 2024.
This means iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 customers will see their free periods expire at roughly the same time, beginning September 2025. It gives Apple more time to decide on pricing plans for these features.
Emergency SOS via satellite allows compatible iPhone users to send short text messages to nearby emergency services even when outside of Wi-Fi or cellular signal range. It allows people to get help if they get into trouble in places where usually they would have no way to contact anyone else.
Users can also update their location in the Find My app using the satellite signal. With iPhone 15, Apple also extended the Emergency SOS feature to include contacting roadside assistance when your car breaks down.
Apple has been under pressure in the European Union as the Digital Markets Act antitrust legislation requires the company to allow users to sideload apps outside the App Store to increase competition. The iOS 17.2 beta code that the company is indeed moving towards enabling sideloading on iOS devices.
Update: Apple has published new documentation for the ManagedAppDistribution API on its website confirming that it is primarily intended as an MDM solution. As we suggested in our report, it could still be used for other purposes. You can read the original article below.
What is sideloading
For those unfamiliar, the sideloading process consists of installing apps obtained from third-party sources instead of an official source. When it comes to iOS, the official source (and the only one available to iPhone and iPad users) is the App Store. Apple has never allowed sideloading on iOS, as this would allow apps to bypass the App Store guidelines.
However, the European Union last year passed the Digital Markets Act, or DMA, a new piece of antitrust legislation aimed at big tech companies so that they don’t use their advantages to undermine competition. One of the requirements of the DMA is that users can install any apps they want from third-party sources.
Previous reports revealed that Apple had been doing under-the-hood work on iOS 17 to prepare the system for sideloading in Europe. With the iOS 17.2 beta, internal code suggests this is true.
iOS 17.2 seems ready to allow alternative app stores
iOS 17.2 has a new public framework called “Managed App Distribution.” While our first thought was that this API would be related to MDM solutions for installing enterprise apps (which is already possible on iOS), it seems that Apple has been working on something more significant than that.
By analyzing the new API, we’ve learned that it has an extension endpoint declared in the system, which means that other apps can create extensions of this type. Digging even further, we found a new, unused entitlement that will give third-party apps permission to install other apps. In other words, this would allow developers to create their own app stores.
The API has basic controls for downloading, installing, and even updating apps from external sources. It can also check whether an app is compatible with a specific device or iOS version, which the App Store already does. Again, this could easily be used to modernize MDM solutions, but here’s another thing.
We also found references to a region lock in this API, which suggests that Apple could restrict it to specific countries. This wouldn’t make sense for MDM solutions, but it does make sense for enabling sideloading in particular countries only when required by authorities – such as in the European Union.
When will this happen?
In theory, Apple is required to comply with DMA legislation by March 2024. The company has even admitted in a Form 10-K filing that it expects to make changes that will impact the App Store’s business model.
At the same time, Apple will also appeal to the European Union about including the App Store in the Digital Markets Act, which is no surprise. Apple will likely try everything to preserve the iOS App Store. But ultimately, iOS 17 will be ready for sideloading.
Apple has released iOS 17.1.1 for iPhone. The software update includes fixes for wireless charging and the recently discovered snow glitch. The update follows the iOS 17.1 update from October 25 which introduced new AirDrop and Apple Music features. Apple is also working on iOS 17.2 and the new Journal app for iPhone.
Release notes
This update provides bug fixes for your iPhone including:
In rare circumstances, Apple Pay and other NFC features may become unavailable on iPhone 15 models after wireless charging in certain cars
Weather Lock Screen widget may not correctly display snow
It’s not just you: Apple Weather widget is showing a file icon instead of snow
Apple released a watchOS update that fixed an annoying bug affecting the Weather app complication, which had been broken for months since the watchOS 10 beta. But it seems that Apple still has other bugs to fix in its Weather app, as some users have been seeing a random file icon in the Lock Screen widget instead of a representation of snow.
Apple Weather widget can’t handle snow
As noticed by many users on the web and also by the 9to5Mac staff, the Apple Weather Lock Screen widget has been showing a generic file icon. Interestingly, this only happens when the weather forecast for the set location is snow and doesn’t seem to affect any other weather conditions shown by the widget.
On X (formerly Twitter), iPhone users have been making jokes about the fact that the Apple Weather widget isn’t ready for snow. The “iPhone weather widget apparently can no longer handle snow (neither can I, but that’s a different story),” a user posted on the social network. “The snow image isn’t even loading on my weather widget. It’s too soon for this,” said another user.
The snow image isn’t even loading on my weather widget. It’s too soon for this. pic.twitter.com/BMWP7A2ls3
It is unclear whether the bug is caused by something that can be fixed remotely on the Apple Weather servers or if it’s a more serious glitch that will require an iOS update. Either way, Apple hasn’t had much luck when it comes to its Weather app.
Back in 2020, the company acquired the weather app Dark Sky and has since implemented some of its features right into the Apple Weather app. However, it’s been a while since users began complaining about its lack of accuracy when it comes to weather alerts and forecasts.
Apple’s proud boast that the entire Scary Fast event was shot on the iPhone 15 Pro Max has lead to a lot of discussion and debate about what that really means, and whether or not it’s a big deal.
There are those suggesting it really does mean the camera is something special, while other are suggesting that it’s at best meaningless, and at worst a cheat …
The Verge’s Jess Weatherbed was one of the naysayers.
Still images and a video reveal that (unsurprisingly) a great deal of fancy equipment — from drones, gimbals, dollies, industrial set lighting, and other recording accessories — is still required to make iPhone footage look this good […]
It’s a neat way to promote the recording quality of iPhone cameras, but it’s not like everyday folks can recreate these kinds of results at home unless they happen to own a shedload of ludicrously expensive equipment. The gear shown in the “Scary Fast” behind-the-scenes footage is fairly standard for big studio productions, but Apple’s implication with these so-called “shot on iPhone” promotions is that anyone can do it if only they buy the newest iPhone.
I saw a few folks mocking Apple for this on Mastodon and Threads, too. This is ridiculous. Do these people think that previous Apple keynote films were shot with just a single camera person wielding something like a $40K RED cinema camera and no crew, no lighting, no cranes? That the iPhone “needs help” that traditional cinema cameras do not? I mean, guess what, they used professional microphones too.
The whole point is that an iPhone 15 Pro camera is so good that it can fit right in on a high-budget commercial film shoot, and produce world-class results. There’s no implication that a casual user can get results like this by just hitting the shutter button in the iPhone Camera app.
Personally, I fall somewhere between the two views.
There’s one cheat Apple didn’t use
First, there is one cheat that is often used on ‘Shot on iPhone’ video footage, and that’s the use of high-end lenses.
You can buy adapters that allow you to use either DSLR or even full-on cinema lenses with iPhones. While those still have to go through the built-in lenses, of course, they do allow you to achieve things that simply cannot be achieved with the built-in lenses, like anamorphic perspectives and really shallow depth of field (DoF).
Since Apple showed us behind-the-scenes footage, and we saw no sign of external lenses, we can be reasonably confident that the company didn’t use that particular cheat.
But set control is a very good workaround
Very often, you want shallow DoF because there are distractions in the background. When you or I are filming on the street, or in a public area, there are other people around, trash cans, litter, all kinds of distracting elements.
A big-budget production, in contrast, has complete control of the set. You can either build the background you need, or simply take complete control of it.
Clear out all the people, ensure there’s nothing untidy to clutter up the scene, add a bit of dry ice, and voila: a setting in which everything being in focus is just fine.
Lighting is everything
When I introduced a friend to studio photography, he was amazed that camera settings were set-and-forget. Manual mode, ISO 100, f/11, 1/125th, done.
All the control is achieved with the lights. High-key, low-key, upbeat, moody, colorful, monochromatic, background visible, background invisible – lighting is the route to achieving the exact look you want.
The same is true with video. But more than this, studio or cinema lighting enables you to overcome weaknesses in a sensor. Almost any modern camera phone does just fine in bright light; it’s in low-light conditions that we see the difference between a high-end sensor and a mediocre one. Throw in the kind of lighting rigs we see in the BTS video and it’s no surprise that the iPhone sensor can cope.
Now, you might argue that this was a Halloween theme, and a lot of it was pretty dimly lit – and that’s true. But the presenters are very well-lit indeed, and it’s them we’re looking at. If we turn our attention to the low-lit background, that has nothing like the same clarity or sharpness. Those areas are as muddy and noisy as we’d expect from low-light filmed with a smartphone sensor (and bear in mind this is the result after professional editors have done their very best to clean it up):
Camera angles, movement, and transitions do a lot
The other factor to bear in mind is that a lot of heavy lifting was done by all the rest of the kit we got to see in the BTS videos. Dollies, jibs, gimbals, drones, you name it.
Plus some absolutely superb editing, with Apple’s trademark transitions.
The result was a lot of camera movement, a lot of angles, a lot of fast-paced transitions to capture our attention. So we don’t have much time to take in the wider framing and notice the noise and muddiness in the background areas.
Is Apple pulling a fast one?
The debate essentially comes down to whether Apple is trying to give the impression that the iPhone 15 Pro Max camera is so good that anyone can get these types of results.
There are those who say: No, of course not. The very fact that Apple chose to share the BTS video acknowledges that you need all the extra kit to get these results. You’d use exactly the same additional kit if you were shooting with Arri movie cameras.
That much is true. But … you could take your Alexa Mini into an ordinary room, partly lit by window light alone, without all those fancy lighting rigs, and still get very good results. The results from the iPhone wouldn’t even come close. And it’s that latter situation where most of us would find ourselves shooting.
So while Apple does acknowledge that it used movie-grade kit, at the same time the implied message is ‘See? The iPhone can get similar results to movie cameras’ – when that is, in most circumstances, very much not the case.
You decide
Ultimately, this comes down to opinion. What Apple did was real, and used exactly the same kit it has used with cinema cameras in the past. At the the same time, those are the least-challenging conditions for any camera – and there are a lot of weaknesses in the images that simply flashed past unnoticed.
Exit iPhone mini, enter iPhone Plus! Indeed, the rumors came true, and this year Apple launched a bigger non-Pro model instead of a mini one. We can only guess what Apple‘s plans are about the mini model, but today’s review is about Apple’s newest addition to the iPhone series – the iPhone 14 Plus.
We thought the iPhone 13 would go down in history as the most insignificant iPhone update ever, but the iPhone 14 snatched that title. See, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are based on the same Apple A15 Bionic chipset as the iPhone 13 models, and even the screen specs have stayed the same – OLEDs with about 460ppi, 800nits brightness and 60Hz refresh.
In fact, there are only four notable upgrades on the iPhone 14 when compared to the iPhone 13 – the new primary rear camera (lifted from iPhone 13 Pro), the updated selfie camera with the new lens and AF, 2GB more RAM, and the Emergency SOS via satellite feature.
The new iPhone 14 Plus adds a couple of extra ones – the larger screen and the larger battery. The Plus model brings a Max-sized screen to the regular series – even if it’s only 60Hz.
The selfie camera, while retaining its 12MP sensor, has a new brighter aperture lens with optical stabilization, and autofocus. We always wondered why Apple didn’t introduce AF capabilities sooner, as the Face ID tech is there to provide a massive assist to that, but alas, it is finally here.
The iPhone 14 Plus is as waterproofed as the rest of the recent iPhones – it can last for 30minbs in up to 6m deep clean water. And it should be a desirable smartphone for its large screen and yet thin and lightweight design. It is also touted as the iPhone with the best battery life, and we will surely test this out.
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Just like the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus has one glaring omission – high refresh rate support. And the size of the notch is an eyesore you need to put up for a few more years, apparently. At least, it looks subjectively smaller on this large screen.
We are glad the non-Pro iPhones are getting the new software features like Action Mode for the video camera, the improved Cinematic Mode, and the satellite connection, too.
Unboxing the iPhone 14 Plus
The eco-friendly iPhone box contains a USB-C-to-Lightning cable and the iPhone 14 Plus. There is also a SIM ejection pin, some paperwork, and an Apple sticker.
Apple was among the first manufacturers to ditch the headphones and the charger from its boxes.
If you have a 20W+ USB-PD power adapter with a USB-C port, you should be good.
Alternatives
The iPhone 14 Plus makes total sense in the grand Apple design – the maker has turned the SE model into a special mini edition iPhone, and that’s why the mini had to go from the flagship series. In fact, the vanilla iPhone 14 is so compact and lightweight that we can argue it has been the mini one all along.
Meanwhile, the absence of a larger iPhone for the masses has been quite obvious for the last couple of years, and it was only time for Apple to answer that call. And it did, in its own way.
The iPhone 14 Plus is essentially a supersized iPhone 14 and not much else. What you get is a Max-size display of non-Pro quality and better battery life thanks to the larger battery.
Now, all those Apple users who wanted a large iPhone that’s not overweight and ‘oh so premium’ can have the iPhone 14 Plus.
But, if you are still on the fence about this new Plus model, probably because of its €1,150 price tag, we can understand why you would want to explore more options.
For example, you can get the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which is pretty much the same phone but with an additional zoom camera, a better ultrawide shooter with AF, and a 120Hz ProMotion display. It can be purchased for €1,200 – which is quite an offer to consider. Yes, it is heavy because of the stainless-steel frame and the extra parts like LiDAR and the telephoto, but it’s a tradeoff many would take.
The iPhone 14, as we established, is the most compact current iPhone in circulation, and it’s quite the treat despite the 60Hz screen. It has the same specs as the Plus; it’s just smaller in size and incredibly pocketable. Oh, and it’s €150 cheaper.
Finally, Apple is also selling the older iPhone 12, which is basically an iPhone 13, and so on, starting at €800 for the 64GB model at Apple Store, or about €650 from third-party retailers. So, if you want the cheapest premium iPhone officially available, that’s the one.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max • Apple iPhone 14 • Apple iPhone 12
Of course, there are plenty of cheaper offers you can consider for their large screens outside Apple’s lineup. The €780 Xiaomi 12T Pro impressed us with its screen, charging speed, all-around performance and camera quality. The same goes for the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra – a phone with a 144Hz OLED screen, one of the first 200MP imagers, a 60MP selfie camera, and 125W fast charging. Finally, the Samsung Galaxy S22+ 5G has a large 120Hz OLED, one of the fastest Android chips, and an excellent trio of cameras on the back, including a zoom one.
The iPhone 14 Plus is one of the best iPhones Apple has ever made, as usual. It does exactly what it is supposed to do – offering the non-Pro experience on a larger display. A big bonus from the new size is the larger battery capacity and hence – the better battery life.
The iPhone 14 Plus is one of the lightest 6.7-inch smartphones around with a flagship-grade design, screen, speakers, battery life, performance and video quality. Meanwhile, its new cameras, including the AF-capable selfie one, are as controversial as usual – it’s like their quality hasn’t changed for generations because of the heavy processing and over-sharpening.
Still, this iPhone 14 Plus finds its way to the hearts and pockets of people despite the lack of a high refresh rate screen or zoom camera. A lot of users won’t mind this.
Its price tag may be too close to the 13 Pro Max for its own good, but last year’s flagship model has been officially discontinued, so you’d have to source it from an independent retailer but it’s definitely the better one between the two.
That doesn’t make the iPhone 14 Plus a bad smartphone and it’s well worth considering if you don’t need the extra features that the Pro models bring.
Pros
Sturdy design and sleek looks.
Excellent OLED, Dolby Vision, HDR10, high brightness.
Very good battery life.
Top-notch stereo speakers.
Flagship-grade performance even if not the latest chipset.c
Dependable photo quality from the main and selfie cameras.
Outstanding video quality and stabilization across the board, great action clips.
Every iPhone gets at least five years of iOS updates.
Cons
Wide feature gap with the 14 Pro family: no 120Hz refresh rate, A16 Bionic, zoom camera or AF on the ultrawide.
Priced too close to last year’s iPhone 13 Pro Max, which has most of the above.
No charger in the box, somewhat slow charging.
Apple’s iOS restrictions can be off-putting to newcomers to the ecosystem.
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are Apple’s latest non-pro smartphones that come with a number of new features. But are they worth the upgrade if you have an iPhone 13? Follow along for an in-depth look at the iPhone 13 vs 15 for everything that’s changed.
Screen sizes and design
The screen sizes between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 remain the same at 6.1 inches. However, the 15 Plus offers a 6.7-inch option that wasn’t available with the iPhone 13 lineup without stepping up to the 13 Pro Max.
New with the iPhone 15 displays is the Dynamic Island and an outdoor brightness of up to 2000 nits.
Here’s the full look at the display specs for iPhone 13 vs iPhone 15:
The bezels on the iPhone 15 are also slimmer than the 13, which is what allows the very slight increase in pixels.
Size, weight, design
Overall, the physical design of the iPhone 15 remains very similar to the 13, but Apple has given the 15 more rounded edges for a more comfortable feel.
And as mentioned above, you’ve now got the larger iPhone 15 Plus option.
For size, weight, and materials, here’s iPhone 13 vs 15:
Of course, the new iPhones also come in new colors.
Performance – A16 vs A15 Bionic
Here’s a breakdown of the iPhone 13 vs iPhone 15 chip specs:
Both the A15 and A16 Bionic are powerful enough for almost everyone. But GeekBench offers a look at the performance difference between the A15 and A16 Bionic.
16% faster single-core score
21% faster multi-core score
29% faster GPU
Battery life
When it comes to battery life, the iPhone 15 has one hour longer battery for video playback than the 13 and 5 hours longer for audio playback.
The iPhone 15 Plus offers 7 hours longer video use and 25 hours more audio than iPhone 13.
iPhone 13 vs 15 cameras
Rear cameras
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus come with a 48MP main rear camera, next-gen portrait with Focus and Depth Control, Smart HDR 5, and more.
The iPhone 15/Plus main camera also has more powerful sensors and supports shooting both 24 and 48MP “super-high-resolution photos.”
Video recording
The main new feature for video recording with the iPhone 15/Plus compared to iPhone 13 is Action mode.
The other new video features this year are reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Selfie camera
Apple’s TrueDepth front camera on the iPhone 15 gets a mix of upgrades found on the main rear camera.
iPhone 13 vs 15 I/O
The major change for iPhone 15 I/O is the switch from Lightning to USB-C.
Unfortunately, it’s only the 15 Pro and Pro Max that offer much faster transfer speeds with USB 3 support at up to 10Gbps. The 15 and 15 Plus have USB 2 speeds up to 480Mbps.
Two more differences between the iPhone 15 vs 13 include Bluetooth and UWB upgrades.
Whether the new iPhone 15 devices will support Qi2, Apple is saying yes but it’s a bit confusing.
So it’s also unclear if iPhone 13 will support Qi2.
Safety
iPhone 15 has two more advanced safety features than iPhone 13 Pro:
iPhone 15 colors
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus come in these five colors:
Black
Blue
Green
Yellow
Pink
Storage and pricing
iPhone 15/Plus comes in these storage options:
128GB – $799 / $899
256GB – $899 / $999
512GB – $1,099 / $1,199
What’s in the box?
iPhone 15/Plus comes with the iPhone and a USB-C cable in the box.
If you need a power adapter, go with at least a 20W so you get fast charging for your iPhone.
iPhone 13 vs 15: Is it worth upgrading?
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are fantastic smartphones, but whether upgrading from the 13 is worth it for you will depend on how you want to use your iPhone and what features you find important.
Reasons to consider upgrading to iPhone 15 or 15 Plus:
More powerful and capable cameras
Dynamic Island
USB-C
Faster chip and more powerful GPU for mobile gaming
Crash Detection and Roadside assistance via satellite
