The most significant event on the Apple calendar is the launch of a new iPhone series, which happens every year. The company’s core product, the iPhone, drives sales of other accessories like the Apple Watch and AirPods.
The iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max were among the four new iPhone models that Apple unveiled during its ‘Wonderlust’ launch event on September 12. We cover all the essential information about the new phones in this post, including their release date, pricing, technical specifications, new design elements, and much more.
What are the new iPhones called?
There were rumors that Apple would create a new ‘Ultra’ branding at the top end, but this was inaccurate. Apple stuck with the same system as last year and went with:
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 release date
The iPhone 15-series handsets were announced at Apple’s Wonderlust event on September 12. You can pre-order from Apple’s website starting at 5:00 a.m. PDT this Friday (September 15), and they will appear in stores on September 22.
iPhone 15 design
The design of the four iPhone 15 devices has changed from the model’s predecessor, but none of the modifications are very significant. For instance, they now feature a tiny curvature on the back corners that should improve their grip slightly.
The Dynamic Island, which was previously available only on the Pro, is now included on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus and is described as “an industry-first color-infused back glass with a beautiful, textured matte finish.”
Here’s what the iPhone 15 looks like:
Apple
As you can see, the iPhone 15 comes in black, blue, green, yellow, and pink.
As usual, the Pro models have a number of additional physical improvements. The mute switch has most visibly been replaced by a pressable Action button that, by default, silences your phone but can be customized to perform a variety of tasks like launching the Camera app, starting Voice Memos, or turning on Accessibility features. When you hit the Action button, you’ll get haptic feedback, and the Dynamic Island will provide you additional visual indications.
The 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are, in essence, the first iPhone models to be made of titanium. This should provide a better strength-to-weight ratio as compared to stainless steel, and sure enough, weights are lower on both Pro models. (For example, the 15 Pro Max weights 221 grams as opposed to the 14 Pro Max’s 240 grams. That represents a loss of only roughly 8%. The 15 Pro is now 9% lighter overall.)
And now for the color options for the iPhone 15 Pro. On Apple’s website, they are referred to as Natural Titanium, Black Titanium, White Titanium, and Blue Titanium. Why don’t the Pro models come in any intriguing colors?
Apple
As with 2022’s iPhone 14 line, the U.S. models all feature dual eSIM support and have no physical SIM slot. U.K. customers do get physical nano-SIM slots, but note that if you’ve got a SIM card in there you’ll only be able to use one eSIM.
iPhone 15 new features
The new phones can perform a few tasks that their forerunners were unable to. For example, the addition of USB-C makes it slightly simpler to utilize a single charger for several Apple products. The Dynamic Island’s features have been increased, and it is now available on all four models (instead of just the Pro handsets last year). The reverse charging feature, though, is arguably the most intriguing change. With it, you can now use your phone to charge an Apple Watch or a pair of 2nd-generation AirPods Pro.
The Pro models include a ton of design improvements in addition to the brand-new, lightning-fast A17 Pro chip. They also have some really unique photography features. Our favorites are included in the article Top features of the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.
The environmental arguments made by Apple are also important to note. The four iPhone 15 devices all make use of more recycled materials than earlier models. While the Pro models feature “100% recycled aluminum substructure and 100% recycled cobalt in the battery-both firsts for Apple,” the standard models boast “100% recycled cobalt in the battery and 100 percent recycled copper in the main logic board, copper wire in the Taptic Engine, and copper foil in the inductive charger in MagSafe,” along with impressive claims related to aluminum, gold, and rare earth materials.
The company further claims numerous achievements related to energy efficiency and the removal or reduction of plastic and harmful chemicals, and has pledged to “no longer use leather in any new Apple products.
Apple
iPhone 15 tech specs
These are the new iPhones’ main technical specifications. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the A16 Bionic from the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max is used in the 15 and 15 Plus, whilst the A17 Pro chip is used in the Pro versions. This is the first Apple chip built utilizing a 3nm process, which results in a far better transistor density and superior power efficiency. Apple even claims it to be an industry first.
iPhone 15
- A16 Bionic processor (6-core CPU, 5-core GPU)
- 6.1-inch 2556×1179 460ppi Super Retina XDR display
- Dual-lens rear camera: 48MP f/1.6 Main, 12MP f/2.4 Ultra Wide; up to 2X optical zoom
- 12MP f/1.9 front camera
- Smart HDR 5
- 128/256/512GB storage
- Estimated battery life: Up to 20 hours video playback
- Fast charge: Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter
- Wi‑Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, 5G
- USB-C charging/data connection
- IP68 dust and water resistance (maximum depth 6m up to 30 minutes)
- 5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm)
- 6.02 ounces (171 grams)
iPhone 15 Plus
- A16 Bionic processor (6-core CPU, 5-core GPU)
- 6.7-inch 2796×1290 460ppi Super Retina XDR display
- Dual-lens rear camera: 48MP f/1.6 Main, 12MP f/2.4 Ultra Wide; up to 2X optical zoom
- 12MP f/1.9 front camera
- Smart HDR 5
- 128/256/512GB storage
- Estimated battery life: Up to 26 hours video playback
- Fast charge: Up to 50% charge in 35 minutes with 20W adapter
- Wi‑Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, 5G
- USB-C charging/data connection
- IP68 dust and water resistance (maximum depth 6m up to 30 minutes)
- 6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 inches (160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8mm)
- 7.09 ounces (201 grams)
iPhone 15 Pro
- A17 Pro processor (6-core CPU, 6-core GPU)
- 6.1-inch 2556×1179 460ppi Super Retina XDR always-on display with ProMotion
- Triple-lens rear camera: 48MP f/1.78 Main, 12MP f/2.2 Ultra Wide, 12MP f/2.8 Telephoto; up to 3X optical zoom
- 12MP f/1.9 front camera
- Smart HDR 5
- 128/256/512GB/1TB storage
- Estimated battery life: Up to 23 hours video playback
- Fast charge: Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter
- Wi‑Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Thread, 5G
- USB-C charging/data connection (supports USB 3)
- IP68 dust and water resistance (maximum depth 6m up to 30 minutes)
- 5.77 x 2.78 x 0.32 inches (146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25mm)
- 6.60 ounces (187 grams)
iPhone 15 Pro Max
- A17 Pro processor (6-core CPU, 6-core GPU)
- 6.7-inch 2796×1290 460ppi Super Retina XDR always-on display with ProMotion
- Triple-lens rear camera: 48MP f/1.78 Main, 12MP f/2.2 Ultra Wide, 12MP f/2.8 Telephoto; up to 5X optical zoom
- 12MP f/1.9 front camera
- Smart HDR 5
- 256/512GB/1TB storage
- Estimated battery life: Up to 29 hours video playback
- Fast charge: Up to 50% charge in 35 minutes with 20W adapter
- Wi‑Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Thread, 5G
- USB-C charging/data connection (supports USB 3)
- IP68 dust and water resistance (maximum depth 6m up to 30 minutes)
- 6.29 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches (159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm)
- 7.81 ounces (221 grams)
The switch from Lightning to USB-C as the charging and data-transfer port, across all four models, is highly significant. (Apple talked this up as a beneficial move, and in many ways it is, but the company was obliged to make the change by looming regulation.) Data transfers will be faster on the Pro models because they support the USB 3 standard.
Apple
iPhone 15 price
Here are the full prices of the new iPhones. You can check further details and (from September 15) pre-order on Apple’s website. Note that the 15 Pro Max starts at 256GB of storage, so it isn’t quite as expensive as it seems.
iPhone 15
- 128GB: $799 / £799
- 256GB: $899 / £899
- 512GB: $1,099 / £1,099
iPhone 15 Plus
- 128GB: $899 / £899
- 256GB: $999 / £999
- 512GB: $1,199 / £1,199
iPhone 15 Pro
- 128GB: $999 / £999
- 256GB: $1,099 / £1,099
- 512GB: $1,299 / £1,299
- 1TB: $1,499 / £1,499
iPhone 15 Pro Max
- 256GB: $1,199 / £1,199
- 512GB: $1,399 / £1,399
- 1TB: $1,599 / £1,599
In some cases these prices are better than the 2022 equivalents. In 2022 the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus cost more, and while the Pro and Pro Max have stayed the same in the U.S., it has been reduced in the U.K., but gone up in Australia.
iPhone 14 was
- 128GB: $829 / £849
- 256GB: $929 / £959
- 512GB: $1,129 / £1,179
iPhone 14 Plus was
- 128GB: $929 / £949
- 256GB: $1,029 / £1,059
- 512GB: $1,229 / £1,279
iPhone 14 Pro was
- 128GB: $999 / £1,099
- 256GB: $1,099 / £1,209
- 512GB: $1,299 / £1,429
- 1TB: $1,499 / £1,649
iPhone 14 Pro Max was
- 128GB: $1,099 / £1,199
- 256GB: $1,199 / £1,309
- 512GB: $1,399 / £1,529
- 1TB: $1,599 / £1,749
