iPhone 15 Pro with USB-C and Periscope zoom camera: The perfect iPhone to make Android users switch?

Android users, iOS 16 is now as customizable as ever

I'm aware that the concept of an iPhone with USB-C sounds shocking enough - for example, our chief editor still doesn't think it'll happen. However, there's something equally as shocking that's making its way on to iPhone 15, but also iPhone 14 (and all iPhones down to iPhone 8), and that's the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system - iOS 16!

A revamped lock screen with Lock Screen gallery, iCloud Shared Photo Library, Edit a message, Shared Safari Tab Groups, Passkeys (like a password but safer), and Live Text in photos and videos - those are just a tiny part of all new and exciting features coming to iOS 16.

Many call iOS 16 "one of the biggest software updates in iPhone history", and while this might be debatable, I think we can all come together around and say that iOS 16 is the biggest customization-focused upgrade we've seen come to Apple's iPhone.

For instance, for the first time ever, iPhone users will be able to fully customize their Lock Screen with iOS 16. Apple's added support for up to five widgets that are always there waiting for you. On top of that, despite being kept a secret, we already know that Apple's planning to introduce the long-anticipated Always-On display feature with iPhone 14 (some pretty solid-looking leaks have basically confirmed that).

Wallpapers on iPhone are now super-customizable too. There's a feature called Photo Shuffle, which allows iPhone to change its wallpaper automatically on a daily/hourly basis, or every time you wake the phone or tap on the lock screen. This one can make your iPhone feel fresh every time you unlock it. If it sounds familiar, that's because Huawei phones have been able to do this for years now.

Lock screen wallpapers on iOS 16 now also integrate a Portrait Mode-like effect, where if you have a picture with a standout subject (think: your face/pet/a building), your iPhone can automatically crop it and overlay it over the time/clock widget on your lock screen. It creates a depth effect that makes your subject and clock look somewhat more alive/3D. My early impressions are that the algorithm is surprisingly accurate (often to a point of perfection).

iPhone 15 Pro could (almost) be the perfect iPhone for me (Android and iPhone user), but it'll need a few more premium features to be "perfect"...

Sure, iPhone 15 Pro won't convince all Android users to throw away their phones and wake up next to a 7-inch iPhone Max. I made tech sound romantic - give me some points! But that's not quite the idea behind this story.

Well, actually, it is in a way, but this concerns just me… See, I had been using an iPhone 8 for a while now, and I just recently bought an iPhone 13 mini. I love the size, and I wouldn't trade it for another iPhone… for now.

That being said, the iPhone 13 mini is still missing a bunch of fantastic features that my Google Pixel 6 Pro has, like a USB-C port and a brilliant periscope zoom camera. That’s why I know I'm not switching to an iPhone 14 model...

Features that would make iPhone 15 Pro the iPhone that Android users might've been waiting for...

All that being said, it’s not like USB-C and a periscope camera will make iPhone 15 Pro the most feature-rich phone ever made. I'm secretly hoping for more. Here's my Three More Things wishlist, Tim Cook:

Reverse Wireless Charging on iPhone 15

RWC could very well be coming to iPhone 15 Pro (or even iPhone 14 Pro), but we still don't have any hints that this might end up happening. Anyway, I leave the house with a dead AirPods/FreeBuds Pro case every now and then, and if I want to listen to my podcast, the only option is to go back home and plug in my earbuds. This seemingly minor annoyance can be a mood-killer.

With my Pixel (for example, at the gym), I can simply pop my wireless charging-enabled earbuds case on the back of my phone and let the Pixel do the work, so I can use my earbuds for the next few hours before I can go home and give them a full charge. Reverse Wireless Charging is the kind of feature that you don't know you need and it’d be awesome to finally see it on iPhone.

Fast charging on iPhone 15

A full charge takes nearly 2h across the iPhone 13 lineup, and while the “50% in 30 min” that Apple's giving us are pretty satisfactory, I keep wish I had the extreme convenience of my Huawei P30 Pro, which would give me a full day of use after being plugged in for 30 min. Not much else to say here. You must try fast charging to appreciate it.

Apple, please give me my rounded iPhone back

This one's a pet peeve of mine, but I'd love my rounded corners back, Apple.

Thanks to the upcoming iPhone 14 Max, the average iPhone size in 2022 will hit a new peak. The thing is that the iPhone’s flat design simply doesn't go great with its increasing size. In fact, even the iPhone 13 mini digs into my hands when I use it for longer than a few minutes, and I'm not exaggerating.

I might be the minority here since everyone seems to love the new flat iPhones, but I tend to put functional design over aesthetics. Handling the iPhone 8 after having used the iPhone 13 mini for about a month, feels... amazing. That must mean something.

Will iPhone 15 Pro finally get diehard Android fans to make the big switch?

Now... If I have to consider the current trends in the smartphone market, then the answer to this question is probably… yes! Apple's smartphone market share is growing, and now more than ever, people choose to spend their money on flagship phones in particular, which is great news for Cupertino.

However, if I have to be reasonable, I must consider that by the time iPhone 15 Pro is out, Samsung, Google, Xiaomi & Co would probably have elevated Android phones to newer heights, which means it might be a bit more tricky for Apple to attract Android users.

Still, USB-C on iPhone will mean you'd be able to charge all of your Apple or non-Apple products with one cable, which could be enough to sway a good portion of non-iPhone users (but also iPhone users with older phones).

Needless to say, the camera is nowadays the focal point of all new flagship phones, so I could bet my bottom dollar that an iPhone 15 Pro with a periscope zoom lens will manage to blow many minds and get into many-er pockets. Especially those who've never had a phone with a periscope zoom camera.

The presence of features like Reverse Wireless Charging and proper Fast charging would be the cherry on top for the iPhone 15 Pro series. Still, their potential absence certainly doesn't sound like a dealbreaker tome, in case I decided to go full-time iPhone and retire my Pixel.