jdw

Somewhat embarrassing Apple's latest and greatest is even a tiny bit behind the likes of Huawei, but the main camera on the Huawei looks enormous!

https://www.dxomark.com/smartphones/Huawei/P60-Pro

kelly93 said:

My favorite case... Vaja.  Their grip case is crazy expensive, like $100, but it's basically perfect.  full wrap leather, no cheap exposed plastic sides, openings vs cutouts for buttons, raised lip for front protection, fit is great (as you would expect for the price).  Their 14 pro max grip case actually fits the 15 pro max, which is surprising based on the size differences.

Thanks for the tip.  I'd never heard of Vaja before, but their wallet case is nothing less than spectacular!

https://www.vajacases.com/products/wallet-iphone-15-pro-max-leather-case

However, the fundamental flaw that I see is that the connector side is totally open and unprotected.  I avoid all cases that do not cover all sides well, and I also prefer wallet cases, not because I put cash or cards in them (I don't), but because I want complete protection.  I have never, ever broken even cover glass, much less iPhone glass.  Do you know why?  Because unlike so many people out there who use iPhones with the front totally unprotected (for reasons I cannot understand), my wallet case has a flap that covers the screen.  I've dropped my on rocks before and it came out just fine because of that flap.  Makes zero sense to buy cover glass after cover glass only because you want the front of the phone open all the time!

Vaja cases are a bit too expensive for me anyway, but if they had the connector side covered, who knows, I might just buy one.

StrangeDays said:

jdw said:

Lastly...

Tim Cook, people shouldn't have to wait more than 1 month for a phone that costs well over $1,000.  Not everyone can or wants to buy from a wireless carrier, which were allowed to buy up most of the iPhones and who made everyone else wait as a result!  Fix that!

When demand is high, and there are only so many units made pre-sale by factories working 24x7, what more do you expect to happen? You can wait, such is life.

Of course people can wait, but that's utterly missing the point.

WIRELESS CARRIERS, not just a bunch of individual consumers, are buying up the phones in enormous batches, making it harder for individuals to buy them.  I ordered my iPhone 15 Pro Max shortly after the announcement here in Japan via Apple Japan and it won't ship until the very end of October or first part of November.  My daughter bought that exact sample model iPhone through T-mobile in California and she got it in less than a week.  This isn't the only story that proves what I am saying is true.  So no, it's not merely a case of "high demand" and "factories working 24x7."  Factories are working 24x7 to fill those carrier orders before consumer orders. Carriers are given the priority by Apple.  And who runs Apple?  Mr. Cook. So I have zero regrets about what I wrote in my previous post and stand firmly behind it.  And that is true even though "I can wait."  Indeed, I am waiting, and fairly patiently too.  (You cannot read my facial expressing when I type text, friend.  And the tone of my words isn't always telling either.)

And I'll top it off with this.  I absolutely LOVE Tim Cook.  When people say he's trash compared to Steve Jobs, I profoundly disagree with those uninformed people.  It's clear none of them have AAPL stock.  Every single person on this planet who owns AAPL should thank Tim Cook.  And I do.  But that doesn't mean I cannot call out the gentleman on letting carriers manipulate the market post-announcement.  Apple can and does regulate the distribution.

We need a reprieve from iPhone 16 talk.  Seriously. Most people are still playing the waiting game for the iPhone 15.

Now I know full well you news people need to make money by releasing new stories.  And Apple rumors unfortunately has become a major part of that because it feeds selfish human nature to want, want, want. But here's the crux.  Many people get disappointed with Apple product releases only because they read the tech media stories, learn pretty much everything about a new device BEFORE it is released, and then on the day of the announcement they come away not surprised at all and somewhat disappointed.  Had the stories and rumors not existed, people could finally be pleasantly surprised and overjoyed at the update announcements once again.  That's right, there once was a time when we actually were surprised by Apple and those really were the Good Old Days!

All the leakers and analysts who feed the rumor sites non-stop need to crawl back into their holes and stay there.

If I could wave my magic want and make all the iPhone 16 talk vanish worldwide for the next 6 months at least, I'd do it.  We need to focus on what we have, which is great, by the way.  There will always be something newer and better, but let's just slow down and enjoy what's before our very eyes.

Lastly...

Tim Cook, people shouldn't have to wait more than 1 month for a phone that costs well over $1,000.  Not everyone can or wants to buy from a wireless carrier, which were allowed to buy up most of the iPhones and who made everyone else wait as a result!  Fix that!

I appreciated this article.  Thank you, Mike. However, I always seem to have questions regarding accessories, and none of those articles allow comments, for reasons I've never been able to understand.  For example...

https://appleinsider.com/inside/iphone-15/best/best-iphone-15-accessories

That article recommends a very expensive Thunderbolt 4 cable even though the iPhone 15 Pro series cannot transfer at those speeds.  Sure, if somebody wants to pay all that money for a universal cable, it might be great, but even then, one needs to point out the fact that 240W cables have thicker wires that make them more stiff than even a 100W capable cable (which is probably more than enough for most people).

Another big issue I have when choosing a USB-C cable is the fact that you never know what it is after you've bought it!  Most are marked so poorly!  There needs to be a strict standard that demands all USB-C cables print the basic specs somewhere on the cable!  So frustrating!

That's why I think something like this cable (just something I spotted while browsing) is smart because it prints everything you need to know on the cable itself...

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B0BZ3L7KWK/

(Amazon Japan because I live in Japan.)

Consider the price is only about $10 equivalent, yet you get 100W charging AND USB 3.1 gen2 speeds AND all the specification info you need is printed at each connector end!  This is the kind of detail I'd love to see in future AppleInsider articles that present the best accessories.  USB-C cables that don't clearly show the end user the specs are insane!

Also, I want to know more about the Apple cable included with all the iPhone 15's.  Yes, yes...  I know its foolishly slow at USB2 speeds, as many silly charging cables are.  But the cable I just linked above proves that doesn't have to be so.  You CAN have high wattage charging AND fast data transfer speeds in a single cable. Nevertheless, I want to know the MAXIMUM WATTAGE the iPhone 15 supplied Apple cable offers.  Is it 60W rated?  100W rated?  Only 30W rated?  Where is the specification info on that cable?

Next...

We need better info about MagSafe CHARGING STANDS.  Amber's article only mentions a very expensive Nomad Stand One while leaving out the much more affordable TwelveSouth Forte:

https://www.twelvesouth.com/products/forte-for-iphone

Sure the Forte needs the Apple MagSafe puck.  Sure it is a super simple stand that isn't new.  But some people, including myself, want simple-yet-good, and with a  low price.  Many of us already have chargers.  So we don't need to keep buying stuff we already have.  And not all of us have AirPods or an Apple Watch and therefore don't need expensive 3-in-1 MagSafe stands.

Honestly, the only thing better than that Forte that I have found is this 2-in-1 stand with a built-in FAN!

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B09YH8HWXL/?coliid=I1YN7X9QPWGOAS&colid=3N7RYCMEW2ZCK&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

I've read a lot about MagSafe being bad versus a charging cable because apparently MagSafe can overheat without a fan and reduce charging to basically zero.  We need more info from AppleInsider about this. But again, based on what I have read elsewhere, it seems only logical that every MagSafe charging stand should have a fan.  It's common sense in light of the fact that heat can and does reducing MagSafe charging speeds!

Next...

I've heard that Apple's MagSafe puck will only charge at the full 15W when matched with an Apple 20W adapter, but is that really true?  If I have a 3rd party 45W charging adapter, will it not allow the Apple puck to charge an iPhone 15 Pro at the full 15W?  Again, we need an article from AppleInsider that tells us what is what.  So much bad info out there, and a lot is on YouTube.

Next...

We need to hear more about iPhone protective cases that offer full device protection, yet in a slim form factor.  Maybe I am just old at 52, but I've never understood all this OPEN FRONT madness.  Even with protective glass, when you have a case only on the back, your front is complete exposed.  That remains true even if the back case has a "lip" that is raised above the front glass all around.  One little rock on the ground can crack that glass if it falls UNLESS you have a case like this which protects the entire phone, including the ports:

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B0BC7HZ6DP/

Here's another full body case...

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B0CGRZYFQN/

Again, these are Amazon Japan only because I live in Japan.  But knowing the Amazon US equivalents would be best for most AppleInsider readers.

Lastly, we need AppleInsider to recommend the top protective glass options.  Here in Japan, it seems this brand is offering just about the best in terms of specifications that I can see....

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B0CBBW9QVQ/

Black edges are important.  I know because I have glass on my iPhone 7 right now with clear edges and light hits those edges and can be distracting.  

Also, knowing more about HARDNESS claims is important.  Some glass makers even mention 10H hardness, but I wonder if those are truth or lies.  And what is really the best THICKNESS for protective glass?  Moreover, having an easy way for anyone to apply the glass without bubbles (such as the one I just linked) is important too.  If it's the best glass in the world but you can't apply it without trouble, it's almost useless.

These are the kind of things and level of detail I want to see AppleInsider show us.  

And please allow comments under your recommended accessories articles so that people who actually have owned and used those items can chime in with their experiences.  

Most often when I come here to AppleInsider, I come for both the article and comments.  When there are no comments, my interest in the article is severely reduced.  It really irks me, to be honest.  AppleInsider may have its reasons for doing what it has always done, but I strongly ask that you please THINK DIFFERENT and give comments a try under those accessories articles.  That would certainly be helpful to me.  Yes, yes...  There are the complainers and haters who will speak badly no matter what.  But such is true of Amazon comments too.  You know that.  It's our job, as an educated reader to see past a few oddball comments and see what the majority has to say.  That's why I want to see comments allowed under your future articles where you recommend various accessories.

THANK YOU!