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1 Month Later, the iPhone 15 Is Still an Excellent Upgrade

The iPhone 15’s long battery life and excellent camera make it a top choice for people coming from an older phone.

The iPhone 15 initially won me over with its sleek matte design; convenient USB-C charging; easier multitasking thanks to the Dynamic Island; and much improved camera. Even though some of the iPhone 15’s standout features debuted last year on the iPhone 14 Pro, they still felt fresh and new to someone like me, who was coming from an iPhone 12.

One month later, those opinions still hold true. The iPhone 15 had a somewhat rocky launch, after a wave of news reports and social media posts suggested that some iPhone 15 Pro models were overheating. But I experienced only one instance in which my iPhone 15 felt noticeably warm, leading me to believe this wasn’t a consistent problem. Apple also released a software update to address the issue, so my overall opinion of the phone remains unchanged.

Now that I’ve had more time with the iPhone 15, I’ve also gotten a better understanding of its battery life, charging speeds and overall performance. I also had the chance to try out the new Precision Finding feature for pinpointing a friend’s location, which works only with other iPhone 15 models. 

A closer look at battery life and charging

Apple's iPhone 15

I’ve been using the standard 6.1-inch iPhone 15 for almost a month, and it’s more than capable of getting through a full day on a single charge. I rarely find myself reaching for a charger during the workday, and I’ve never worried that I wouldn’t be able to make it to an after-work event like happy hour with co-workers. 

I recently attended a close friend’s wedding, and it was probably the busiest day I’ve had since switching to the iPhone 15. My day started with hair and makeup at around 9:30 a.m. and ended the following morning, once the after-party wrapped up at about 2:30. Despite charging for only a few minutes before I headed to the venue, the iPhone 15 still lasted the whole day — even after streaming music for several hours as the bridal party was getting ready. 

Still, it’s worth noting that long battery life is typical of new smartphones, since the battery is fresh. As Apple explains on its website, a battery’s capacity decreases as it ages. The battery in the iPhone 15 I’ve been using still has 100% of its maximum capacity, while the one in my 3-year-old iPhone 12 is down to 86%. 

In addition to anecdotal information on battery life, CNET reviewers run two battery tests on smartphones: a 45-minute general usage test and a 3-hour video streaming test. The general test is meant to see how much everyday tasks like scrolling through social media and making a video call drain the battery. The second test shows how video streaming taxes the device’s battery. We measure the phone’s battery life every hour during the streaming test.

Take a look at the results below to see how the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus fared during these tests.

iPhone 15 and 15 Plus Battery Life

iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus
45-minute test From 100% to 95% From 100% to 98%
Video streaming test 1 hr: 97%; 2 hrs: 91%; 3 hrs: 85% (60Hz) 1 hr: 99%; 2 hrs: 94%; 3 hrs: 89% (60Hz)

The iPhone 15 can replenish 50% of its battery in 30 minutes using a 20W adapter, while the 15 Plus can refill the same amount in 35 minutes, according to Apple. The iPhone 15 Plus seems to line up with that, charging from 20% to 67% in 30 minutes. The regular iPhone 15, on the other hand, went from 20% to 73% in the same period of time, also aligning with Apple’s estimates.

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus support 7.5W charging when using a standard Qi wireless charger and 15W when using a MagSafe charger. And the difference is very noticeable. The iPhone 15 Plus refilled only 5% of its battery after charging via a Qi wireless charger for 30 minutes. But when using a Belkin MagSafe wireless charging stand, it went from 65% to 86%. The smaller iPhone 15 charged a bit faster when using a Qi wireless charger, going from 15% to 28% in 30 minutes. But like its larger sibling, it replenished its battery much more quickly when charging via MagSafe. After half an hour, it went from 28% to 50%.  

The iPhone 15 makes it easier to find your friends

A screenshot of Apple's Precision Finding feature on the iPhone 15

You’ve been able to share your location with other iPhone users for years, but Apple took that a step further with the iPhone 15. Apple’s new phones include a feature called Precision Finding for Find My, which literally points you in the right direction of the person you’re trying to find. 

However, this works only if both parties have an iPhone 15, since the feature requires Apple’s new ultra wideband chip. That limits its appeal, since you can’t use it unless your friends and family members also happened to upgrade their phones recently. 

Still, I imagine it’ll become standard in new iPhones moving forward, which means it could become handy over time. It’s Apple’s way of giving iPhone owners yet another reason to stay within the iOS ecosystem instead of switching to Android.

I tried this out with one of the only other people I know who has an iPhone 15: my husband, who also happens to be a tech journalist. To put it to the test, I told him to hide in a random aisle in our local grocery store while I waited outside. It took a few moments for the iPhone to lock onto his location, but it led me to the exact aisle in a matter of minutes. 

Camera, Dynamic Island and other features

Apple's iPhone 15

I covered the new 48-megapixel camera, Dynamic Island, USB-C and general performance in my initial review of the iPhone 15. But I have some additional thoughts to share now that I’ve spent more time with the device.

The Dynamic Island can be helpful for multitasking. Though I don’t use it to keep tabs on my Uber’s ETA as much as I thought I would, I do use it whenever I’m squeezing a workout into my lunch break during the week. It lets me keep Slack open on the screen so I don’t miss anything important while still allowing me to jump to the next track in my Spotify playlist. 

The switch to USB-C has been really convenient, although there are some instances in which I find myself digging for a Lightning charger to power up accessories like my Magic Mouse. But another cool thing I’ve tried since publishing my initial review is hooking up my iPhone to my work monitor using a USB-C to HDMI cable. It’s not as smooth and optimized as Samsung’s Dex mode, since it essentially just mirrors the iPhone’s screen. I can’t imagine why anyone would use this method instead of AirPlay, but it does work. 

The A16 Bionic processor feels quick and snappy, just as you’d expect. I ran two benchmarks on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus: One called Geekbench 6 for measuring everyday performance and another called 3DMark Wild Life Extreme for testing graphics performance. The iPhone 15 scored higher than the iPhone 14 on both tests. 

Geekbench 6

Geekbench 6 (single) 2,618 2,170Geekbench 6 (multi) 6,580 4,530
  • iPhone 15
  • iPhone 14
Note: Higher scores are better.

3DMark Wild Life Extreme overall score

3DMark Wild Life Extreme 3,029 2,777
  • iPhone 15
  • iPhone 14
Note: Higher scores are better.

3DMark Wild Life Extreme frames per second

3DMark Wild Life Extreme 18.1fps 16.6fps
  • iPhone 15
  • iPhone 14
Note: Higher scores are better.

The new 48-megapixel camera is a major upgrade compared with the camera in older phones like the iPhone 12. I shared some camera samples in my initial review, but here’s another one to underscore my point. The photo on the left was taken with the iPhone 15, while the one on the right was shot on the iPhone 12. There’s so much more contrast and detail in the iPhone 15’s image compared with the iPhone 12’s.

Two side-by-side photos of a man with a beard sitting at a cafe.

Overall thoughts

The iPhone 15 is a welcome upgrade for folks with older phones. The Dynamic Island finally helps Apple’s standard iPhone catch up to Android when it comes to multitasking; the camera feels significantly improved; and battery life is long enough to get you through a day and then some. 

My initial criticisms also still stand: I’d love to see the regular iPhone gain an always-on display, since that feature is considered standard across almost every other smartphone in 2023. Precision Finding for Find My would also be much more useful if it worked with more iPhone models. 

But overall the iPhone 15 is a great choice for people who are committed to Apple’s ecosystem, are upgrading from a phone that’s more than two years old, and don’t need all the iPhone 15 Pro’s bells and whistles.

Technologies

McDonald’s Snack Wrap: Is the Viral Food Favorite Returning on July 14?

July 14 could be the release date for the much-longed-for chicken Snack Wraps, but Ronald and crew aren’t talking.

McDonald’s is riding a viral wave. The fast-food chain’s Minecraft Happy Meals and adult Minecraft Meals hit restaurants on April 1 and sold out quickly. Diners ordering a Happy Meal these days will find a Squishmallow theme meal instead. But there’s more viral buzz about another McDonald’s product online. People are eagerly awaiting the return of Snack Wraps, a chicken-tortilla entree that’s been missing from US locations of the Golden Arches since 2020.

Read more: Review: McDonald’s Minecraft Meals Feature The Hottest Nugget Sauce Ever

On April 15, McDonald’s tweeted «snack wraps 0x.14.2025,» hinting the wraps would return on the 14th of an upcoming month. This leaves fans having to check their McDonald’s mobile app or local restaurant menus on the 14th of every month, hoping the wraps will make an appearance. The wraps didn’t appear in restaurants on May 14, so now fans must check again in June, and again in July if the June date does not pan out. 

At least one Reddit users seems to think the McDonald’s Snack Wraps could return on July 14. One user wrote, «It’s July, I work for McDonald’s,they revealed the date on the employee app.»

But another person posted, «It’s not July. I work at McDonald’s corporate and can confirm.»

Neither of those posts can be confirmed.

June 14 is a Saturday, while July 14 is a Monday. Some suggest that McDonald’s would be more likely to launch a new product on a Monday than on a weekend, so if that’s true, July 14 could be the day.

A representative for McDonald’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Snack Wrap fever

Snack Wraps first came out in 2006, and were meant to be a chicken item that would appeal to drive-thru customers. There are different versions, but the basic one includes white-meat chicken strips known as McCrispy Strips wrapped in a flour tortilla with cheese and lettuce with either ranch, honey mustard or salsa. McCrispy Strips are a reworked version of a chicken item formerly known as Chicken Selects.

Zach Ciampa, who regularly covers new food releases under the social-media handle Snach With Zach, said there’s been an intense fanbase out there for the wraps. «Regarding McDonald’s Snack Wrap, it’s by far the most requested item I’ve ever seen my audience ask or demand to come back,» he told CNET. «Not just the most requested in recent memory, but the most requested of all time. And that’s not limited to McDonald’s.» Ciampa said the only similar fast-food items that come close to the same level of interest are Dairy Queen’s S’mores Blizzard and Taco Bell’s Caramel Apple Empanada, both of which also made recent returns.

«I’ve been covering food releases for years, and in that time, I’ve seen countless comments to the tune of ‘We don’t want this. We want the Snack Wrap,’ and, ‘Can you tell us when the Snack Wrap is coming back?'» he said. «A couple years ago, the chances of its return were pretty bleak. However, things escalated pretty quickly in late 2023 when McDonald’s did indeed announce that the Snack Wrap would return in a new form. Since then, details have slowly but surely trickled out, and the hype has steadily grown.»

While Snack Wraps left McDonald’s locations in the US back in 2020, they remained available at Canadian and UK restaurants. The current online McDonald’s Canada menu includes several tortilla-wrapped items, including ones with crispy chicken, grilled chicken, buffalo chicken and chicken with a sweet chili sauce.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for May 21, #240

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 240, for May 21.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.


Connections: Sports Edition tried to fool players today by tossing in four coin words: quarter, dime, nickel and penny. Yet as longtime players know, that’s way too simple for a Connections puzzle — and this was indeed a trick. The four coin words all ended up in different groups. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Watch the clock.

Green group hint: Not offense.

Blue group hint: Nice throw!

Purple group hint: Fancy footwear.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Sections of a game.

Green group: Football defensive terms.

Blue group: Words used to describe a good pass.

Purple group: Eponymous basketball shoes, minus the S

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is sections of a game. The four answers are half, inning, period and quarter.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is football defensive terms. The four answers are 4-3, 46, nickel and prevent.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is words used to describe a good pass. The four answers are apple, assist, dime and dish.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is eponymous basketball shoes, minus the S. The four answers are Chuck, Jordan, LeBron and Penny.

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Technologies

You Can Now Play Fortnite Again on iPhone and iPad

The long wait is over: Fortnite returns to Apple’s App Store in the US.

Fortnite is back on iPhone and iPad, as announced in its post today on X

The game had been in and out of the Apple App Store multiple times over the years as its parent company, Epic Games, and Apple clashed over developer fees. But now, following a court ruling against Apple, the massively popular game can finally be downloaded again on iOS devices.

The US District Court for the Northern District of California ruled on April 30 that Apple’s behavior toward web transactions was in bad faith and anticompetitive. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney posted about the ruling on X on the same day. 

«For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction which issued to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing,» court documents read. «Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.»

Sweeney made the announcement of Fortnite’s return to iPhone and iPad shortly after the April 30 court ruling. 

«We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week,» Sweeney wrote on X. «Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic.»

Read more: The 15 Best PC Games Right Now

What will be new on Fortnite for iPhones?

In celebration of its iOS relaunch, Fortnite is rumored to be bringing back the Tart Tycoon skin. The monochrome cosmetic outfit was first released in 2020 and is meant to be a parody of Apple. Alongside the rare item, the Tart Tycoon Cup event is said to be returning.

Fortnite had been banned from iOS devices since 2020, when the flagship iOS device was the iPhone 11.

Why was Fortnite off the iPhone and why is it back now?

In 2021, Epic Games and Apple went to court. Apple largely won that court battle, but didn’t walk away unscathed. A federal judge also ordered Apple to remove its anti-steering barriers, meaning the company must allow apps downloaded from the App Store to steer customers to third-party means.

From the archives: Apple Scores Legal Win Over Epic in Fortnite Lawsuit

Apple appealed the decision later in 2021, with proceedings continuing through 2022 and into 2023. Apple eventually won the appeal. However, the court upheld its anti-steering ruling from 2021 in the process.

When Epic took Apple back to court in 2025, the company pointed out that Apple hadn’t complied with the original ruling in 2021. The judge agreed and is now forcing Apple to follow the rules to the letter. This includes not charging developers for non-App Store payment methods and allowing developers to tell people that such third-party options and platforms exist. The time frame is simple enough. Apple is to comply with these new rules immediately.  

Epic Games also has lawsuits against Google and Samsung, seeking to achieve the same result for users of Google Play.

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