Gone are the days of Apple announcing simply one, perhaps two new model phones for consumers to choose between. Now, new phone model announcements come with four options to choose from!
Apple has just announced the iPhone 15, Iphone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Plus, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
While I could spread this announcement across multiple posts like other websites, I’ve decided to throw everything here into one post for simple consumption. Why? If you’re like me, and you’re considering upgrading to the latest and greatest, it makes it easier to everything on one page versus bouncing back and forth between multiple posts. (You’re welcome!)
Arrival of USB-C
The big news regarding these phones is that Apple has dropped the lightning port in favor of the widely used USB-C. Last year, Apple officially announced its commitment to adopting USB-C in accordance with forthcoming European Union regulations, but seeing is believing, especially with Apple. The iPhone 15 has now become the inaugural iPhone to implement this transition. (iPads have already been on the USB-C train.)
Every variant of the iPhone 15 will include the Dynamic Island, the distinctive pill-shaped cutout that premiered on last year’s iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models.
The talk of the Camera
The most prominent enhancement in the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, aside from the evident USB-C and Dynamic Island alterations, centers around an upgraded camera system. The primary camera sensor is now upgraded to 48 megapixels, significantly increasing from the 12-megapixel sensor featured in the previous iPhone 14. Additionally, a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens with telephoto capabilities has been introduced, along with enhancements to the portrait mode, eliminating the need for manual mode switching.
Apple has also made notable improvements to the iPhone 15 camera, enhancing night mode, Live Photos, and action mode. For selfie enthusiasts, the front camera now boasts autofocus and portrait lighting capabilities.
Titanium Man
Among the various enhancements, four notable distinctions set the iPhone 15/15 Plus from the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max: materials, displays, processors, and cameras. The more budget-friendly iPhone 15 models are constructed from aluminum, while their pricier counterparts feature a premium grade 5 titanium finish. According to Apple, the shift from stainless steel to titanium in the iPhone 14 Pro results in a lighter frame while maintaining robustness and durability. Additionally, the iPhone 15 Pro series boasts a redesigned chassis that simplifies the replacement of the rear glass panel.
Action Jackson
It’s worth highlighting the new Action button included in the iPhone 15 Pro lineup. This button has replaced the previous single-purpose mute switch, offering users a customizable option for tasks such as launching the camera, recording notes, enabling accessibility features, or executing shortcuts. Meanwhile, the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models retain the traditional mute switch.
Displays
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max boast Pro Motion, offering a refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz. Another noteworthy feature in the “Pro-grade” iPhones is the always-on-display (AOD). In contrast, the standard iPhone 15 models retain 60Hz displays without AOD, though they do share the same screen sizes, resolution, and peak brightness as their higher-priced counterparts.
It’s what’s on the inside that counts
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are driven by the latest A17 Pro SoC, delivering a 10% boost in CPU performance and a 20% increase in GPU performance. Beyond just raw power, this new processor introduces specialized features including a dedicated AV1 encoder, hardware-accelerated ray tracing for immersive gaming experiences, and a USB 3.0 controller for swifter data transfer via the USB-C port (while other iPhone 15 models feature a USB-C 2.0 port).
Cameras Part Deux
Despite the comprehensive camera improvements, the most significant disparity between the iPhone 15/15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max lies in their camera systems. The Pro models feature an additional 12MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom (or 5x in the case of the iPhone 15 Pro Max). They also incorporate a second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, macro photography, and videography capabilities, night mode portraits, and support for Apple ProRAW.
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are also better at video recording: You can record ProRes video at up to 4K 60 fps with external recorder support. There are also Log and ACES support.
When and where to buy
The iPhone 15 series will be available for preorder on the official Apple website on September 15, 2023, with availability beginning September 22, 2023.
All the Deets
You can check out this handy dandy table before for a more digestible and detailed spec comparison including all the colors the phones will be available in.
| iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Plus | iPhone 15 Pro | iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.1″ 2556×1179 2000 nits peak brightness 60Hz Dynamic Island | 6.7″ 2796×1290 2000 nits peak brightness 60Hz Dynamic Island | 6.1″ 2556×1179 2000 nits peak brightness 1-120Hz Dynamic Island Always-on-Display | 6.7″ 2796×1290 2000 nits peak brightness 1-120Hz Dynamic Island Always-on-Display |
| CPU | 6-core A16 Bionic 5-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine | 6-core A17 Bionic 6-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine | ||
| RAM | TBD | 8GB | ||
| Storage | 128GB256GB512GB | 128GB256GB512GB1TB | 256GB512GB1TB | |
| Main Cameras | 48MP Wide + 12MP ultra-widef/1.6 + f/2.4 aperture 0.5x / 1x / 2x optical zoomSensor-shift OIS Adaptive True Tone Flash Photonic Engine Deep Fusion Photographic Styles Smart HDR 5 for photos | 48MP wide + 12MP ultra-wide + 12MP telephoto + LiDARf/1.78 + f/2.2 + f/2.8 aperture 0.5x / 1x / 2x / 5x optical zoom (only in Pro Max)Second-gen sensor-shift OIS Adaptive True Tone Flash Photonic Engine Deep Fusion Smart HDR 5 for photos Photographic Styles Macro Photography Night mode portraits Apple ProRAW | ||
| Front Camera | 12MP f/1.9 aperturePhotonic Engine Deep Fusion Photographic Styles Smart HDR 5 for photos Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control Night Mode4K video recording at up to 60 fps Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps | 12MP f/1.9 aperturePhotonic Engine Deep Fusion Photographic Styles Smart HDR 5 for photos Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control Night Mide4K video recording at up to 60 fps Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps | ||
| Video Recording | Up to 4K video recording at up to 60 fps Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (up to 4K HDR at 30 fps) HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps | Up to 4K video recording at up to 60 fps Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (up to 4K HDR at 30 fps) HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fpsProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording Log video recording Academy Color Encoding System Macro video recording, including slo‑mo and time‑lapse | ||
| Connectivity | GSM/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA+ 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) Wi-Fi 6 Second-gen UWB chip Bluetooth 5.3 Emergency SOS via satellite Crash detection | GSM/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA+ 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave)Wi-Fi 6E Second-gen UWB chip Bluetooth 5.3 Emergency SOS via Satellite Crash Detection Precision dual-frequency GPS Thread networking technology | ||
| SIM | No physical SIM Dual eSIM support | |||
| Battery | TBD mAh 20 h video playback | TBD mAh 26 h video playback | TBD mAh 23 h video playback | TBD mAh 29 h video playback |
| Ports and Charging | USB-C 2.0, MagSafe and Qi2 Up to 50% charge in 35 minutes with a 20W adapter. | USB-C 3.0 (10Gb/s), MagSafe and Qi2 Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter. | ||
| Chassis | Aluminum Pink, Yellow, Green, Blue, Black Mute Switch | Grade 5 Titanium Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium Action Button | ||
| Price | $799 | $899 | $999 | $1199 |
