Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) launched the much-hyped iPhone 15 series with some design and hardware upgrades across models. While some improvements are fresh and tempting, it so happens that many of these features were already present on Android phones, some of them dating back to 12 years ago.
What Happened: Apple's iPhone 15 series not only borrows from the Apple Watch Ultra but also several Android smartphones. Many of these features are highlights of the iPhone 15, and they happen to have been present on Android phones several years ago.
Some of these core features that Apple announced during Tuesday's 'Wonderlust' launch event include the USB-C port, Action button, Spatial Video, and more. Apple has brought them together in one package, but Android phone makers might consider these features to be "inspired", to put it mildly.
iPhone 15 Pro Features Already Present On Android Phones
1. USB-C
The clincher is, of course, the USB-C port. Apple dragged the Lightning port for the longest time - 11 years - even though it might have had its own reasons to do so.
The iPhone 15 now has a USB-C port, thanks to EU regulations. But Apple is neither the first to do it nor is the feature innovative or new. The first smartphone with a USB-C port was the LeEco Le Max, launched back in 2015. Although the company has shut down, the USB-C port itself is now ubiquitous in the Android world, with almost every major smartphone featuring this port in the last few years.
2. Action Button
Apple borrowed a couple of Apple Watch Ultra features for the iPhone 15, but Android phones did it first.
In fact, the customizable button that replaced the mute switch has been present on numerous Android phones for several years now. From HTC to Motorola and industry leader Samsung, many companies have included a customizable button in some way.
3. Periscope Camera
One of the highlights of the top-tier iPhone 15 Pro Max is its periscope camera, which Apple has branded "Tetraprism".
That said, Android phones have had periscope cameras for several years now. While the Sharp 902 launched in 2004 was technically the first phone with a periscope lens, the Huawei P30 Pro launched in 2019 offered up to 5x optical zoom, the same as the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
However, to be fair to Apple, the iPhone 15 Pro Max implementation is quite innovative and saves space. Apple has a three-fold periscope design that saves space and lets in more light, so it should help deliver better results.
4. Spatial Video
The Apple Vision Pro headsets need 3D content, and what better way to do it than to implement these capabilities on the iPhone 15 Pro? It also shows Apple is serious about virtual reality.
But Android phones did it 12 years ago. The first Android phone with 3D video recording support was the HTC Evo 3D, launched back in 2011. It felt gimmicky back then, especially with phones not being as powerful, but the A17 Pro-powered iPhone 15 Pro could just be what the 3D video feature needs to gain momentum.
Apple's track record with pushing existing features into the mainstream is good, but this could fall by the wayside.
5. Titanium Frame
One of the highlights of the iPhone 15 Pro is the titanium frame. It's the same alloy that NASA used on the Mars rover Perseverance, so we know the iPhone 15 Pro's chassis could survive a space flight.
While this design has been borrowed from the Apple Watch Ultra, the Essential Phone did it first in 2017.