Tag Archives: iPhone 15 Pro Max

Living Caseless: My Experience with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR

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Using a smartphone without a case or screen protector might sound reckless to some, but after years of shielding my devices, I decided to take the plunge with both my iPhone 15 Pro Max and PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR. The result? An unexpectedly liberating experience that brought me closer to appreciating the design and craftsmanship of these high-end devices.

Designer: Apple

Designer: HONOR + Porsche Design

iPhone 15 Pro Max and PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR

For over a decade, I’ve used cases on all my phones. The logic was simple: expensive devices need protection from the inevitable bumps and drops of daily life. However, as technology has advanced, so has the durability of smartphones. The iPhone 15 Pro Max with its Ceramic Shield and the HONOR Porsche Design RSR with its sleek and robust build-inspired confidence. I decided to test the waters, first with the iPhone and then with the HONOR, realizing along the way that perhaps the need for constant protection was more psychological than practical.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a marvel of modern engineering. Its surgical-grade stainless steel frame and Ceramic Shield front and back offer a premium feel that is often masked by a case. Without the added bulk, the iPhone feels incredibly sleek and slim, fitting more comfortably in my hand and sliding effortlessly into my pocket. One of the first things I noticed was the improved grip and tactile pleasure of holding the phone. The smooth, cool surface of the stainless steel and the precisely contoured edges make the iPhone 15 Pro Max a joy to handle. Without a case, the buttons are more responsive and easier to locate by touch, enhancing the overall user experience.

The PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR, on the other hand, brings its own set of pleasures. This phone, inspired by Porsche’s design principles, exudes luxury and precision. The slim and lightweight construction makes it the thinnest and lightest foldable phone in the world, with a suspended water-drop hinge that ensures a seamless and creaseless experience, whether folded or unfolded. The new HONOR Super-Light Titanium Hinge is SCS-certified for reliability, ensuring premium operation with its sleek and dynamic design. The all-new Anti-Scratch Nanocrystal Glass is ten times more wear-resistant and drop-resistant than other phones, providing true peace of mind.

Traveling without a case was initially nerve-wracking. I found myself handling the phones with extra care, especially when using them in crowded places or on rough surfaces. It’s even scarier when I have to hand over my iPhone when using Apple Pay. However, this caution quickly became second nature, and I started to appreciate the benefits of going caseless. Both devices have held up remarkably well. The iPhone’s Ceramic Shield has proven resistant to scratches and minor impacts, while the HONOR’s Anti-Scratch Nanocrystal Glass shows no signs of wear despite daily use.

The aesthetic benefits of going caseless cannot be overstated. Both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR are designed to be seen and felt as their creators intended. The intricate details and finishes of these phones, often hidden by cases, are now on full display. The iPhone’s sleek finish and the HONOR’s dynamic design add a touch of elegance and sophistication that enhances the overall user experience.

Of course, there are practical considerations. Without a case, both phones are more susceptible to damage from accidental drops. However, I found that being more mindful of how and where I placed my devices significantly reduced the risk. The iPhone’s IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and the HONOR’s robust construction also provide peace of mind for daily wear and tear.

Another unexpected benefit of going caseless is improved thermal management. Without the insulating layer of a case, both phones dissipate heat more effectively. I noticed less overheating during intensive tasks such as gaming or streaming, making for a more comfortable user experience.

Going caseless also enhances the phones’ portability. The slim profiles of both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR make them easier to carry in pockets and bags. Without the added bulk of a case, the phones slide in and out more smoothly and are less cumbersome to handle.

While there are definite advantages, going caseless is not without its drawbacks. The primary concern is, of course, the increased risk of damage from drops and impacts. Both phones have shown remarkable resilience, but the risk remains. Additionally, without a screen protector, the display is more vulnerable to scratches and smudges. Regular cleaning and mindful handling are necessary to maintain the pristine condition of the phones.

All in all, using the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR without a case or screen protector has been a surprisingly positive experience. The freedom to fully appreciate the design and craftsmanship of these premium devices, coupled with the practical benefits of improved thermal management and portability, outweigh the potential risks. If you’ve ever felt the urge to go caseless, I encourage you to give it a try. It may be better than you expect, and you might find a new appreciation for your phone’s design and durability.

The post Living Caseless: My Experience with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR first appeared on Yanko Design.

mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 15 revives long-forgotten battery case design

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Power banks might be so common and boring these days, but there was a time when people thought they were more trouble than they were worth. Having to fumble around for a battery pack and cable to quickly plug in a phone may sound like too much of a hassle, so mophie, one of the oldest players in this game, came up with an alternative solution a long, long time ago. The battery case was the answer to that problem, making the iPhone “wear” its extra battery at all times. That design, however, hasn’t been seen for years, making you think battery cases have gone extinct. That was almost the case, pardon the pun, until the recent announcement that the mophie Juice Pack is making a comeback, but apparently only for three out of four iPhone 15 models.

Designer: mophie (ZAGG)

When you first hear about it, battery cases sound like the best of both worlds. You get an extra battery to make sure your phone never runs empty, but you also don’t have to juggle with a separate pack like with a normal power bank. That’s theoretically true until you realize just how much that extra power will cost you in other aspects. Especially when you consider that batteries from five years ago were pretty thick despite having low capacities.

With significant improvements in this area, mophie thought it was time to bring its juice pack back to life, offering a battery case for the current generation of iPhones. The basic concept remains the same, with the battery “hiding” inside the sizable case that wraps around the iPhone like a very thick bumper. Of course, it also functions as a protective case, so that rugged and bulky appearance isn’t without its merits.

Like in previous iterations of the juice pack, there are LED dots on the back to indicate just how much charge the case has left. It also supports passthrough USB-C charging, so you don’t have to worry about having to remove the case just to charge the iPhone itself. That said, given the thickness that the battery adds to the back, it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that it also prevents any sort of MagSafe functionality from working.

The mophie Juice Packs will go for $99.95 for all three iPhone models, though there are different capacities, starting at 2,400 mAh. The iPhone 15 Plus is notably missing from the list, apparently because mophie didn’t want to waste resources on a model that isn’t even selling well. Then again, it remains to be seen how many iPhone users will be willing to bulk up their phones and lose MagSafe compatibility at the same time just for the convenience of not having to plug in a power bank.

The post mophie Juice Pack for iPhone 15 revives long-forgotten battery case design first appeared on Yanko Design.

Apple’s ENTIRE October MacBook Event was Shot On the iPhone 15 Pro Max

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The company may have announced new MacBooks and iMacs at its latest event yesterday… but what it secretly was doing all along was creating an advertisement for their smartphones. In a rare video uploaded to Apple’s YouTube channel, the tech giant revealed that their entire October 30th Keynote was filmed on the iPhone 15 Pro. The video lifts the curtain on how Apple pulled it off, while being perhaps the greatest act of ‘putting their money where their mouth is’ in terms of proving the iPhone’s top-notch video capabilities.

While it’s easy to think that the true star of the event was Apple’s new M3 chip, in reality it was the USB-C port on its newest iPhone 15 Pro. Unveiled just fifty days ago, the new iPhone 15 Pro’s USB-C port is capable of 10Gb/s transfer speeds, allowing you to move ProRes videos in a snap, and even connect external storage, 4K displays, microphones, among other accessories to augment the iPhone 15 Pro’s overall output.

The entire event was quite different from any of Apple’s events, and that seems to be by design. For starters, it premiered in the evening (or at night depending on which coast you live on), marking a massive departure from all of Apple’s morning events. We heard Tim Cook say the words “Good Evening” for the first time, but just before, we got a tour of the Apple Park at night. The camera flew in from up above, battling not just the tricky conditions of flight and navigation, but also incredibly low-light videography.  The Apple Park was practically drenched in the Halloween spirit, with bats flying, ominous music, smoky/foggy pathways, and dimly lit scenes…  all of which were captured brilliantly on the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s massive sensor.

The pre-Halloween keynote, the evening announcement, all seemed like a brilliant setup for the fact that Apple was planning on shooting the entire event on its latest phone. Sure, Apple could have had the event during the day and still boasted a “Shot On iPhone” disclaimer… but to shoot the entire thing in low-light – there’s no way Apple could resist that massive a flex. The event was also entirely edited on a Mac, as Apple’s way of showing how powerful the two devices are on their own as well as put together.

Anyone deeply familiar with Apple’s Shot On iPhone campaign knows that there’s more than just an iPhone involved. Those massive billboards with beautifully composed and edited photos look great, but a regular user holding an iPhone in their hand could never pull off the same visual mastery. The words ‘Shot On iPhone’ are often followed by ‘with a lot of expensive accessories’, but not many people know that. For Apple’s keynote, the company is at least a little more forthcoming by showing exactly what their rigs looked like… and no, it isn’t just a dude holding an iPhone in front of Tim Cook.

Verge reports that the entire Scary Fast event setup would have probably cost tens of thousands of dollars. The iPhone itself is mounted on a massive hand-carried rig that stabilizes the footage. For more consistent camera paths, the team used a dolly cam setup with trolleys and rails, and for the aerial shots, the Apple team literally built their own drones that held the iPhone 15 Pro Max. There are expensive microphones, monitors, battery units, lights, and a tonne of other equipment used in the picture. To be fair, Apple would still use all that extraneous equipment with a high-end camera… so just the fact that the iPhone could replace that camera does count for quite a lot.

The entire video dump was easily transferred out of the phone using the USB-C connector. Company 3, an American post-production company that handled the filming of the event, mentioned how buttery smooth the entire process was to shoot 4K ProRes with all those accessories and have all that raw footage simultaneously transferred onto an external hard disk without any hiccups. The A17 Bionic’s heavy lifting would then be complemented by Apple’s M2 chips, which were used by the Macs that edited the footage.

A quick glimpse at the hand-made drone used by Apple’s team to shoot all the aerial shots of the Scary Fast keynote.

This isn’t the first time the iPhone was used to shoot professional content. In 2015, a film named Tangerine was highlighted at the Sundance Film Festival for being shot entirely on iPhones. Notably, Olivia Rodrigo shot one of her music videos on an iPhone too, and Indian film director Vishal Bharadwaj collaborated with Apple to shoot a short film, Fursat, entirely on an iPhone. This is the first time Apple’s taken that plunge, and it seems to have paid off rather well. If only they had migrated to USB-C sooner…

 

The post Apple’s ENTIRE October MacBook Event was Shot On the iPhone 15 Pro Max first appeared on Yanko Design.