Is the new iPhone 15 worth it? 3 reasons to consider buying one.

Aside from cooler weather and perhaps leaves changing color, there are three other things you can count on each Fall: pumpkin spice, the start of football season, and new iPhones.

Apple didn’t buck tradition and just took the wraps off the new iPhone 15 family and other devices at its “Wonderlust” event at Apple Park’s Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California.

If you’ve followed along with USA TODAY’s live blog of the festivities, you may know four new iPhone 15 models made their debut on Tuesday, including the standard iPhone 15 (from $799) and iPhone 15 Plus (from $899) at 6.1 and 6.7 inches, respectively, which is the same size as last year’s models, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Same goes for the premium iPhone 15 Pro (6.1 inches; from $999) and iPhone 15 Pro Max (6.7 inches; from $1,199).

So why bother upgrading, you ask?

Yours truly was in attendance and had some hands-on time with the new iPhone 15. here’s what you need to know if you’re itching for a new iPhone.

USB-C is a welcomed addition

As expected, Apple has officially ditched its proprietary Lightning port in favor of the more universal USB-C – now allowing iPhones, iPads, and Macs, and non-Apple devices, to share the same charger and cable.

This likely wasn’t Apple's decision, but rather, the changes were made due to new regulations imposed by the European Union that require consumer electronics to adopt a standardized charging port by next year.

While expected, this is significant as it streamlines the charging process across various devices and brands, helping consumers save money by not requiring the purchase of additional (and exclusive) cables, which should also translate to less e-waste in landfills.

Not gonna lie: It was surreal looking at the bottom of the iPhone 15 and seeing a USB-C port.

Chances are you already have USB-C cables at home, and so this may be appealing to you to repurpose those.

On the flip side, if you have a ton of Lighting cables, you might not be so willing to upgrade to iPhone 15 – but you can buy a USB-C to Lightning Adapter ($29).

Don’t discount the ‘Dynamic Island’

All four models now have a “Dynamic Island,” too, which replaces the notch at the top of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models.

Last year, only the Pro models had this feature.

Why is this a big deal?

Dynamic Island not only frees up a bit more real estate on the screen but cleverly shows information inside this space tied to the app you have open, such as counting down when your Uber driver is arriving, seeing your flight’s gate info at an airport, or what song you’re listening to – and then you can tap for a deeper dive. There are literally hundreds of first- and third-party applications for Dynamic Island.

While more evolutionary than revolutionary, perhaps, new iPhone users will love Dynamic Island.

Better cameras in the Pro models

A third reason to consider upgrading – at least to iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max – is the revamped camera systems that had “shutterbugs” in the audience Tuesday oohing.

These premium iPhone 15 models boast the same 48-megapixel camera as with iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus but with a larger sensor that lets in more light, new “computational” photography wizardry, and a 5x telephoto zoom (on iPhone 15 Pro Max) and 3x telephoto zoom (on iPhone 15 Pro), which means you can take more detailed images from afar and/or crop a photo and zoom in without losing much image fidelity.

There’s also the ability to switch between three popular focal lengths: 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm.

Up close, these photos and videos were remarkable.

iPhone 15 unveiled: Release date, price, features of iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max

What is so special about the iPhone 15?

Easily, the iPhone 15 family is the best Apple has ever created – the same can be said every year when they launch new devices – but a general rule of thumb with the iPhone is you might not notice a huge difference if you upgrade every year.

Because each year they’re marginally better each fall, it often pays to wait a few years to really notice a difference compared to what you’ve already got.

But what about the titanium design, you say?

Yes, switching from stainless steel to titanium is a great move for the Pro models, as it’s more durable than other materials, and it’s a lot lighter, too. Truthfully, I was surprised to feel how light the new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models were.

Is it enough to upgrade? Nah, not really. I’d argue it’s a “nice to have” feature rather than a “need to have.”

That said, Apple impressed with its long list of improvements for all iPhone 15 models, and despite rumors leading up to the event, it won’t be more expensive than last year’s comparable models.

I also liked the replacement of the mute switch on the left side of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max with a multipurpose Action button – handy for quickly launching an app – but summoning Siri to do the task is still probably faster.

If you do upgrade, be sure to take advantage of aggressive trade-in programs from Apple, carriers, or retailers.

Follow Marc on Twitter for his “Tech Tip of the Day” posts: @marc_saltzman. Email him or subscribe to his Tech It Out podcast.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Should I get iPhone 15? Here are 3 reasons to consider buying it.