Delightful Display
The iPhone has never been a highlight of my time using Apple computers since my middle school iPhone 7. It always seemed to lag behind the Mac’s power-user freedom and the iPad’s use-case flexibility. However, it often seemed the most mature product line that got the most fun features. Kept around for podcast/music listening, text messaging, and mobile game chores, the iPhone never failed to assert a dependable, if uninspiring, presence in my life.
Beyond a Brick of Obligation
iPhone 15 Pro introduces a variety of pleasant design, software, and hardware improvements that make it a pure delight to use. Elevated beyond the basics, this iPhone shines brightly as a useful software experience and a compelling art object. This mix of practicality and whimsy is best encapsulated in its thoughtful display experience.
Coming from the notched screens of iPhone 13 and 11, Dynamic Island quickly grew on me. Dynamic Island never grabs attention wholesale, most commonly displaying timer progress, expandable playback controls, and a briefly ballooning FaceID animation. However, I’m always compelled by the illusion it achieves via the black pixels moving around the camera/sensor array at a high refresh rate. The animations imbue routine operations with a sense of liveliness. Otherwise, I experience outsized joy simply looking or poking at it to see what happens next.
Always-On Display turned out to be more superfluous than useful, but its artful leanings make it hard to turn down. When my phone is locked, I love the clock and row of widgets it displays. I most appreciate revealing a random Mac Calendar Wallpaper from a totally black lock screen. While I’m not yet trained to rely on the information displayed, I appreciate that my phone offers a surreal visual treat when idle.
Standby mode, while similarly niche, trains useful new habits in me. Triggered by charging my iPhone horizontally on a MagSafe charger, the device will display enlarged widgets, a photo album, or a series of fun clocks. I specifically had fun engaging a few live activities with Standby-specific UI, such as timers, audio controls, and FaceTime controls.
While the mode’s low information density limits its usefulness, MagSafe and Standby Mode’s cooperation inadvertently make charging my phone more fun than ever. MagSafe makes charging as simple as placing the phone gently on the magnetic target. Standby Mode offers a charger-specific Lock Screen that’s utility and visual finesse in one. The MagSafe ‘thunk’ sound effect is a tactile cherry on top!
Embarrassment of Riches
iPhone 15 Pro has no shortage of fun, bold features. However, it’s subtle ones like Standby Mode, Always-On Display, and Dynamic Island that subversively offer longevity. Their fluid animations and sophisticated style highlight that an artful, thoughtfully-designed computer experience is the one you form an emotional connection to.