I Upgraded My EcoSystem
Table of Contents
Affiliate Link Disclaimer: if you use one of the links in this article to make a purchase, we may receive a commission.Intro
Most people that know me have been very surprised when I shared that I am on an iPhone that's 3 years old (12 Pro). No, I haven't been sick for three years. No, I haven't been off grid most of the time. I just haven't upgraded for various reasons.
Three years ago I decided to move off the max and just go to the regular size. My routine working from home puts me at my Mac or with my iPad very close by and I found that most of what I would do on my phone, was great on my iPad mini. My Apple Watch has been steadily taking over the top gadget spot in my life even when I would run errands in town. So the only time I really needed my phone was when I was going to be out and about for long periods of time. So it didn't make sense to upgrade every year.
Last year I had every intention of upgrading. I even had this discussion with a colleague. But then when Apple announced the new hardware, it just didn't impress me. The release of the Apple Watch Ultra was much higher on my priority list so I set the phone aside and thought maybe after a few months (especially if they released a good color in the spring - nope) I would consider an upgrade. Once I got laid off, upgrading just didn't make sense.
So several months went by and we started the Gadgets for Families podcast- https://www.gdgts4fmls.com. Doing that podcast reminded me how much I enjoyed tech, especially when it was the latest and greates. As we launched the podcast and took a look at all the new features, I thought this was probably going to be the year.
Once the rumors started flowing, I was even more sure. All of the rumors, titanium, red color (nope), action button and new camera features sounded great. The camera was especially intriguing. I don't traditionally take a tone of photos or videos, but I do like to take pictures on my bike rides and I use my iPhone for pretty much all the video I do for the podcast. So the hope was that the new camera features would improve the product of both of those use cases.
Going into the September event, I was hoping that the new phone would be everything I wanted it to be, and on paper, or the digital screen, I wasn't disappointed. So what did I do? Well, let's find out.
My Purchases
So yes, I did make some purchases and I didn't stop with just a new phone. I decided that since I was upgrading the phone, I also wanted to upgrade my "ecosystem" around the phone. With magsafe, always on and the new standby feature, that meant new charging hardware to take advantage of all the features. Plus new phone meant figuring out how I was going to protect it both on a day to day basis and when I was riding or camping. Apple also refreshed their watch bands so that was something to consider.
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Size
I had already decided I was going to get the bigger phone, especially if there was any feature that was unique only to the pro max. Since the pro max was getting the additional camera features, that was enough to solidify my decision to stick with the big phone.
Side Note: I will say that while watching the event, I was impressed by the features of the non-pro models but I knew I would never be satisfied not having the best I could get.
So far, I have no regrets going bigger, and it is quite a bit bigger than what I'm used to. What really stands out with the size is the screen. It's just fantastic at that size and the improved quality over the 12 (pro motion, resolution, etc.). At one point I put on Fallen Kingdom with my new AirPods Pro's and while the screen is still a bit small for a movie, for me it felt like a theater quality experience. From a quality standpoint, I much prefer the experience on the new phone vs. my mini. So what I really need is this quality of a screen on my iPad - someday.
One thing I did have to do was rebuild muscle memory for one handed device usage. If you don’t know this, you can swipe down on the bottom of the screen and it pulls down the top half of the screen. Then once you interact, you swipe back up and it returns to full screen. I use this every day now, especially when I'm reading on the device.
Reading is one of the use cases I hoped to move from my iPad mini to the phone. I'm not convinced that is going to be the case all the time, but it's more of a possibility with the bigger phone and the higher quality screen.
Now the other thing that makes that a possibility is just how much I enjoy holding this phone. It's pretty amazing. The slightly rounded edges, the reduction in the weight (it feels way lighter compared to the 12 pro even though it shouldn't) and then just the overall quality make it fun to hold and use. It makes my old one fill like a metal brick. More on that in a bit.
There are two things that the size actually makes a bit difficult. First, the action button is quite a ways away based on how I hold the phone. I'm still using it and I'll talk about it later, but I'd like it to be in a more convenient location. The other is the massive camera bump, which I made even bigger by adding a protector. I've found a good use for it. When I set the phone down on it's back, it does keep it at an angle which makes the always on display easier to see and it means most of the back isn't touching the surface. I still would like a better design for the bump but for now, I'll take it.
Color
I went with the white color. The options were really boring across all models this year. I chose white so if I decided to put a skin on it for some personality it would match most anything. That being said, I actually really like the white and don't plan on putting a skin on it at this point. We will see if that changes as time goes on.
Storage
This was the biggest debate for me. Jason insists this is why I didn't get mine delivered on launch day and we have agreed to disagree on that. For context, I was and am still using around 150gb on my phones. I like to keep almost all of my music on my phone for when I'm out riding or camping and may not have service. That's about 96gb. Setting aside movies from the various services, the next largest data set is my photo library. It's around 87gb but I have never kept the entire library on my phone. I do that on my Mac. My debate was that I might want to do that or that the new camera would push my usage and between all of these things I would start coming very close to the limit.
Ultimately I decided that if I ran into that problem, I would make some changes to how I'm storing things or I would have to consider upgrading. That thought plus saving the $200 for the upgraded storage made that decision. Most likely my next upgrade will be to the 512 level.
Protecting My Investment
Over the last few months I have gone mostly caseless with my 12. I only put on a case for camping or biking. I wanted to do that same thing for the 15. But I also knew that if I got even minor scratches on it, they would drive me crazy. So I took a multilayer approach.
AppleCare +
First, I did buy AppleCare plus. I'm a fan of AppleCare plus on most devices but I haven't needed in on a phone in a very long time and I can't remember the last time I purchased it. But I don't live close to an Apple Store so the idea of being able to do express replacements was probably the second most important reason to get it. The first being in case I drop it and destroy the phone.
What I have found out in the intervening time is that the most likely instances where I would want express replacement aren't covered. If you break either the front or back, that's an in-store only replacement since they have the machines to do that in store. When they do express replacement, they send you a whole new or refurb device and you send your other one back.
This makes a lot of sense considering Apple's focus on the environment and being carbon neutral. But for me, that means if I shatter glass, I'm going to be making an appointment and driving over an hour each way to get it fixed. So, I'm not sure how long I'll keep it since I can cancel at anytime and get a pro-rated refund. That might depend on how long I stay caseless and as we see more info come out on their durability.
Front Screen Protector
So the other thing I have done to provide some protection but stay caseless is to add screen, camera and back protectors. You can sort of get a look at them in a video I dropped on our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@gdgts4fmls) I know that there are purists out there that say it's not the same. That's fine for them. For me, I have been putting screen protectors on my phones since they existed. And now that you can get tempered glass, I just don't see a reason not to use one. I generally go through two or three a year and I've learned to tolerate scratches on them (which I wouldn't on the phone screen itself).
For all my recent purchases, I have been using a brand called Aliun. I get them in a 3 pack (Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/46rJpek) and they are very cheap. This years is exactly what I expected them, even with an early release, to be with one positive exception, they cover the whole screen and don't have a cut out for the dynamic island. Previous models had a cutout in that area. They fit really well, the guide to install them aligned it perfectly and because of that, I don't have bubbles (which also drive me crazy). Be sure to follow the instructions to clean the screen, especially using the stickers to remove dust particles. The only thing I had to work on was a small bubble right over the camera on the front. But it went away and I'm good.
Camera Protector
This is the first year I have used one and I'm still not sure what I think of them. The camera bump is big and this protector makes it even more massive. Not sure how I feel about it. I was able to remove it and put it back on a couple of times with no issue. I talked above about the things that I thought it made better, but I'd still rather have a flat back but I don't know if Apple is really headed that direction and I'd rather have the camera features vs. no bump if those are my only choices.
Back Glass Protector
I also have installed a back glass protector. I decided to try a different brand because of something I caught in their description that I hadn't thought about. Shacoryze (Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3PK8ABI) changed their protectors to only have adhesive on the edge of the protector. Per them, they did that because of the subtle matte texture on the back of the phones and the potential bubbles and frosted (not a good frosted) look you could get if you use adhesive on the whole thing. That made sense to me so I decided to try it.
So far so good. This approach to the adhesive made it pretty easy to install. No worries about bubbles in weird places. The other thing it does is kind of put a border on the edge of the protector as you can see where the adhesive is. I kind of like the look. I'll be curious to see if over time the limited adhesive allows it to shift or peel. But even if it does, it was a two pack so I have a second one.
There is one minor negative and that's that the protector doesn't go clear to the edge of the glass. I don't know if that's because of the slightly rounded edges or if they had to do their best with pre-release measurements. My worry is that just the wrong hit could still scratch or even crack the back glass. It's a pretty small area not covered but it's there nonetheless.
Case
Now with all of that, you may still be asking yourself why I would have a case. Well, that's easy - camping and mountain biking (or any biking). There is just too much increased risk, especially when riding, of having a significant impact. So I get a reasonably priced case that provides moderate protection. I used to get the fully waterproof and extreme protection cases, but that's just not necessary for me anymore.
This year I got the Spigen Optik Armor MagFit Case (Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3PKbTJv). It was very reasonably priced (as of this writing it's over 50% off), was magsafe compatible and looked like it would provide some protection without being too bulky or hard to put on and take off. I was right (although I haven't tested the protection and won't be doing that on purpose). I also like the idea of having camera protection (especially if I decide I can't handle the camera protectors) and the sliding door seemed to be a cool feature. I have used it quite a bit so far and other than I have to remember to slide it open, it's great. I don't anticipate needing another outdoors case.
Accessories
I was really excited to go all in on MagSafe this year. My 12 had it but I just didn't see a need for it. But with always on and standby coming I wanted to go all in. That mean buying something for my desk and my nightstand and eventually the trailer.
I started with a 2 in 1 charger from Anker (Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3rBZnUd) for my desk. And then for my nightstand a 3 in 1 (Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3Q1wTN1) and I bought an Anker charging brick (Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3RLAgJo).
Now one of the first things you may notice with the stands is that they are not full fast charging. Why? Well, first, it tends to more than double the costs of the stands. Second, since I work from home, the phone is going to spend a lot of time, I'm talking 16 hours or more probably one on or other of the stands. So I just don't see the need for it right now. When I go to buy a stand for the trailer, I probably will get fast charging since it will not be on a stand all day.
All of these are pretty much exactly what I expected. The stands are super easy to use and I love just dropping the device on there and knowing it's aligned. It's great for standby as well. For the 3 in 1, you can see in this photo that I'm not taking advantage of the feature to hide my apple watch puck cable. That's because I want fast charging on the watch since it spends a minimal amount of time on the charger. The stand has a usb a plug for the puck but that won't fast charge. So I just let it sit there. I could probably drill a hole to feed it through but for now there is no need.
I am totally on the charging brick. This one replaced two bricks and it can power both my homepod mini and the 2 in 1 stand and I can have both the watch and airpods charging with no problem. It could probably do the watch and the stand for the 3 in 1 as well. I'll be going with these kinds of bricks going forward.
Returned
Now I did return 3 other accessories. I bought a partial bumper but then realized it used adhesive so I couldn't remove it as needed. I also got a magsafe wallet but it was just too bulky attached to my phone (it had an airtag holder) so I would just put them in separate pockets anyway. I'm also returning a magsafe tripod. Not because I don't like the idea but because this one was just not stable enough and didn't have the flexibility I wanted for filming. I'll be looking for a better one as well as a magsafe car mount.
Rounding Out the EcoSystem
Airpods Pro 2nd Gen
Once they announced the new adaptive audio features, I decided it was time for me to upgrade my AirPods Pro. After that, I realized that my 2 year AppleCare + had expired and then shortly after that, I started noticing the battery didn't last quite as long. So this was probably the easiest decision of the season. I knew I wanted to wait until they announced the switch to USBC.
I actually ordered these shortly after the event for arrival on launch day. There was a whole thing with shipping. I won't tell the story here (see Episode 18 of g4f: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/1f6a2d11-d9e4-4d32-936f-f7ddf03bd30f) but the short of it is that I ended up ordering a second set from Best Buy and returning the Apple ones.
I always get AppleCare + for headphones. Every pair I've purchased I have used it (except maybe the ones my wife has). That goes for me and both of my sons. Now, we do use them a lot. One son has two pair of beats buds and he can drain them both in a couple of days. This is where express replacement comes in handy. I recently had one of my beats fit pro that needed to be replaced and it was quick and only $29.
Just a pro tip here - I don't buy the AppleCare + through Best Buy. I wait until I get the devices and actually buy it straight from Apple. For some reason, when you buy from Best Buy, it's a whole thing to get it activated and your device covered. This year, I simply tapped on Get AppleCare + in the settings for the AirPods and followed the instructions. I used Apple Pay and I think it took me less than a minute.
For the airpods, I also got a case. I do this just because of all the outdoors stuff. This year, I decided to get a fun case from R-fun (Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/46AEXd3). They look like the case is wearing headphones. Works fine, compatible with wireless charging. I took off the lanyard and I have used the cleaning tool that came with them. That was great.
Watch Bands
Last but not least, I did purchase two new Apple Watch bands. I wasn't sure I would keep both but I am. The Nike Sequoia/Orange sport loop will be my new camping watch replacing a couple of pretty old ones that just aren't as nice anymore. Sport loop is my favorite style of band and these did not dissappoint. The only thing I don't like is the little tab that has the Nike swoosh on it. I don't like it sticking out and the way I like to wear the band puts it upside down. It's probably going to get cut off.
The other band is the first time in a very long time that I have bought a sport band. This one is the Nike Sandstone. I really like it and it's super comfortable. It has flecks of color which are supposed to be recycled band material and underneath is a different color. It's also pretty adjustable.
Originally I thought I would use it for workouts since the whole should in theory provide ventilation. Well, I'll try that again but the one bike ride I went on with it, the texture of the material allows it to slide down my wrist easier when it gets sweaty. When that happens, it's hard to adjust because unlike the velcro of the sport loop, it's not really infinitely adjustable. But I still really like the look and wear it often.
Ultra 2
Nope. I did not end up getting one even though right after the announcement I was contemplating it. I got the watch faces (Snoopy and Modular Ultra) I wanted. The double tap is not nearly as useful (so far) that they made it out to be and I prefer to use assistive touch (YouTube Tutorial: Using Assistive Touch #applewatch). That only left on device siri and I'm just not sure gen 1 of that will be good enough. So I'll wait for next year on the watch, even though this is the first year I have not upgraded my watch since it's release.
Wrap Up
Long article but it's been a pretty fun experience. I think I would sum it up by saying that I think I regained my love for the iPhone. It was gone for a while cause I just didn't use it as much. But going from a 12 to a 15 is just a giant leap, and not only in size. Screen, hardware quality, features, etc. all added up to an amazing experience. That would probably have been enough to make me say "yes well worth it." But when you add in the enhancements to the overall ecosystem around the phone, I'm pretty much all in.
P.S.
The article was really long so here is a quick list of items I didn't cover.
The titanium sides do collect fingerprints. Not horrible but noticeable.
The matte texture on the back was very subtle. In fact, now that I've been using a screen protector there, I don't even remember what it really felt like.
Lot's of talk about overheating. Mine stopped charging because of heat the first time I charged it. I was on an external battery back, actively using the phone, it was in a case and it was still doing setup stuff in the background. So I'm not totally surprised. Hasn't happened again.
Performance upgrade is noticeable. Apps launch quicker and I don't see to wait for anything.
Always on display is nice but I wish the wallpapers didn't wash out so much and that there was more flexibility and support for the widgets. I find myself putting it face down more than I expected. We will see on this one.
Standby is a mixed thing for me. I think it's more useful on my nightstand as an alarm clock vs. on my desk. I like the photo rotate feature on my desk but without more controls (how often it switches), it can be distracting. I'd like to use the widgets more but not enough apps have embraced them so it's pretty limited by that and the fact that only two show at once. Let me put a whole bunch of small ones on there.
Battery optimization is interesting and I haven't landed on what I'm going to do. I like the idea of optimization and used it on my 12 and my watch. The problem is that with my having it on a stand but pulling it on and off throughout the day, I'm not sure optimization is going to learn my habits. Maybe the alogrithm is that smart but I kind of doubt it. So I don't think it will learn enough to really optimize and have it charged at the right time. I'm currently using the 80% maximum mostly because it sits and trickle charges almost all day and if I drain 80% between the end of work and bed, that would be unusual. The caveat to this is weekends so I'm going to have to figure out how to have it charge to full then. I wish it was like the Apple Watch where you can tap charge icon and say charge to full now.
5g - is not good anywhere I go. Might be my area. But it doesn't seem to be any better on the 15 than the 12.
Action button - yes please. Make it more configurable. I'm using Multi-Button from Federico Viticci (https://www.macstories.net/ios/introducing-multibutton-assign-two-shortcuts-to-the-same-action-button-press-on-iphone-15-pro/) and that is cool. But as I mentioned above, put it in a better location and give me double, triple and long press.
USBC - it's fine. Now for my stuff (not my families) I can interchange cables. But I do like that I can now plug my podcasting microphone directly into the phone and use it for video and audio recordings.