Screenshot: Apple/Cult of Mac
The new “Why Upgrade” page on Apple’s website shows users of some older iOS models what features they’d get if they traded up to the latest iPhone 15 series.
The tool says “See what you’re missing“ in hopes of convincing shoppers that it’s time to move on from handsets introduced in 2019 or 2020.
Comparison tool gives ‘reasons to upgrade’ your iPhone
One of the appeals of the iPhone is how long they last. Apple releases iOS upgrades for devices that are 5 years old — the iPhone XR from 2018 can install iOS 17, for example, and run it well.
But as nice as sticking with a tried-and-true model can be, there’s no doubt it means missing out on the latest and greatest features. And Apple’s new “Why Upgrade” tool shows exactly what those are.
It lets users of any model in the iPhone 11 or iPhone 12 series specify their device and the one they are thinking about upgrading to from the iPhone 15 series to see what improvements they’d get.
For example, the tool shows that someone still rocking a basic iPhone 11 moving to an iPhone 15 Pro Max would get a camera with four times the resolution, a GPU that’s twice as fast, a USB-C port, the Dynamic Island and other enhancements.
And to sweeten the deal, the comparison tool includes trade-in values for the older iPhone models. It offers up to $270 off a new iOS handset in exchange for an iPhone 11 Pro Max, for instance.
An old idea wearing a fancy new suit
Actually, there’s nothing really new about Apple’s “Why Upgrade” tool. The company has offered a way to compare all iPhone models for years. There’s even a link to that page from the new one.
The new tool is simpler to use, though. It doesn’t simply present the devices’ specs side by side, then require the user to compare them. It straight up tells them how the newer device is better.
Plus, it emphasizes the handsets that people are most likely to be upgrading from: the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 series. And the information is presented with more glitz.
So if you have an older iOS device and have been thinking of trading up, take a look at Apple’s new iPhone comparison tool.