Friday evening, I bought an iPhone 15. I considered the 16e but I felt that it was an experiment I didn't want to try.
The 60 Hz OLED display and the Apple modem seem okay, but for someone else to try.
Obviously, the iPhone 15 has been out for about 1.5 years and that's good. There won't be any surprises. Whichever device I bought, the inane gestures are part of the package. I've become so accustomed to using the Home button (since the iPhone 4S) that I will have some trouble switching.
Given that the iPhone 15 was only about US$1.50 more per month for 24 months than the iPhone 16e, it wasn't a difficult choice. It still has a newer SoC than the 2022 iPhone SE/iPhone 13 but it's only one generation newer. They only had black and pink phones and I chose a black 256 GB model. Immediately, they wanted US$99.99 upfront, plus $36 activation fee plus tax.
AppleCare+ will be quite a bit more expensive. I'm expecting it to be around $10 higher but it would also be higher for the 16e.
I ordered a Spigen Liquid Air case that I'd been watching for a few months. It's supposedly 50% off at US$14.99. I've used one on another phone and it was agreeable without being too heavy or bulky. It's not as strong as the Ballistic cases I used to buy, but I'm not sure they're in business any longer. I could throw the phone in those. I ordered through Amazon, but there aren't many ways to do this now, and without a car, I just can't go to multiple stores looking for a case.
I'm not sure about the phone-to-phone transfer but restoring the phone from my Mac at USB 2.0 speeds takes too long. I tried to do that for someone who got an iPhone 15 when iOS 17 was new and not stable and it did not work. I'll make a backup and try the WiFi transfer. I'm not completely sold on iOS 18, but I suspect I won't be able to replace it with iOS 17. I'm not ready to update my Mac to Sequoia, but that may happen, as well.
Wish me luck!
Update 2025.03.10: The phone arrived. I asked the UPS driver to wait because T-Mobile customers have been receiving empty boxes from UPS. After the problem I had recently with the local UPS location losing something else, I was concerned.
The Quick Start phone-to-phone transfer did not work. It managed to transfer my SIM contents to the eSIM but that's about it.
I backed up my phone Sunday evening and restored to the new phone on Monday afternoon. It was better than usual. I remember starting the restore and going to bed.
The phone is a bit bigger and definitely needs a case because the camera module sticks out. I wouldn't want to drop it on a table and damage it. The Liquid Air case has such an unusual feeling. It's grippy but smooth. The price was right, also. It took some time to get everything to where I can use it and shop. I can't seem to get away from using Face ID, but I'll be damned if I want it.
The phone is faster but I don't see that it's really fast. There is only a one generation difference between the SoC in the 2022 iPhone SE (A15) and the iPhone 15 (A16).
Update 2025.03.18: It's been a week. The iPhone 15 works well enough. It's not as huge as I thought it would be because of the smaller display of the iPhone SE. I don't like the pill-shaped opening, but it ill be okay.
I tried the Kishi V2 controller. It didn't work with the Nexus app, which is very different from Android. Then, I looked at the Razer website and they mention the iPhone 15. I suspect that they mean any USB type-C iPhone, but they only mentioned one as not working. Maybe, in a few years, they'll have the app working with this port and not the Lightning port. Oh, second try. The Kishi V2 works. The Kishi V2 Pro that comes with the Razer Edge does not. That's the one with Force Feedback.
I haven't played as much but I haven't seen any scrolling problems, so the OLED display must be quick enough.
Update 2025.04.06: I'm thinking that I chose at the correct time. The tariffs from the White House will have ruined the market for electronics and more. I noticed that a photographic lens has already risen in price on Amazon. Prices of Apple's phones may be as high as US$1000 more.
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