On June 28, 2007, the first iPhone was shipped to consumers. Sixteen years later at its annual September event, Apple announced the release of the iPhone 15.

The new iPhone, while still retaining the popular features of iMessage and FaceTime that dragged users into buying a new version every year, has made the most notable change: replacing the Lightning charging port for the universal USB-C.

Last year, the European Union, in an effort to reduce electronic waste, passed legislation requiring all electronics sold in the EU to utilize USB Type-C charging ports by 2024. Not wanting to lose a huge portion of their sales, Apple has been forced to change with the new legislation.

This charger change isn’t limited to the iPhone. Their new iPads and AirPods Pro (2nd generation) have been released with the new cable. Despite Apple’s marketing attempts to make the USB-C seem innovative, most Androids have used this charging cable for the last several years. Apple and Android users can finally share their charging cables with each other. 

Apple has also made claims about the iPhone 15 series as the most durable phone with its use of a titanium frame which has led to a lighter phone.

Despite these claims, people on social media have complained about the sides of the phone easily scratching, the glass breaking easier, and discoloration of the colored backs of iPhones when coming into contact with the oils from their hands. 

On the bright side, the iPhone 15 Pro is now equipped with a 48-megapixel main camera and 5x optical zoom—leading to better image quality—compared to the previous 12-MP, 3x optical zoom on the previous version.

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models now feature the Dynamic Island which allows the phone to be controlled from the top of the screen. Previously, this was only available for the Pro lineup of iPhones.

Apple also introduced two new Apple Watches, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. They both contain the new S9 SiP processor, brighter displays, better battery life, and a new “Double Tap” gesture that allows the watch to be controlled by touching your thumb and index finger together.

Even with the outrages over another huge change, the iPhone 15 has done better in sales.