There is now an iPhone 15. At its “Wanderlust” event on Tuesday in Cupertino, California, Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus along with a plethora of other products, including the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
The addition of Dynamic Island, the animated element at the top of the screen that provides context information and made its debut on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max last year, to the iPhone 15 series is one of the major new features. The arrival of USB-C, which has taken the role of the Lightning connection for wired connectivity and charging, was also widely reported.
For as long as you’re activating with a carrier, prices start at $799 (£799, AU$1,499) for the 128GB iPhone 15 and $899 (£899, AU$1,649) for the 128GB iPhone 15 Plus. Preorders start this Friday, and the phones will be on sale the following Friday, September 22.
It looks like the Dynamic Island is the same one that debuted with the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022. It functions as a secondary display that may be used to watch media playing, sports results, ridesharing availability, and other information without switching between applications.
Apple once again released a 6.1-inch iPhone 15 and a bigger 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus; there is no “mini” iPhone 15, similar to the iPhone 14 series from 2022. This year’s panels have brightness levels of up to 2,000 nits.
The new phones come in five colors: pink, yellow, green, blue, and black. The iPhone 15’s primary camera is now 48 megapixels, and in addition to producing images and videos of greater quality, it now features a new 2x telephoto zoom (albeit only at 12 megapixels). That’s a substantial improvement over the 12-megapixel camera system on the iPhone 14, though it’s difficult to say how much of a difference it makes without using it more.
But there are other differences as well. The iPhone 15 from Apple has a unique color-infused back glass that gives it a frosty, transparent appearance. Compared to the glossy iPhone 14, this new matte coating is less susceptible to fingerprint smudges thus far.
The A16 Bionic, which appeared in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max last year, is the processor powering the device. (The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus from last year depended on the A15 Bionic.) Although Apple would not specify battery sizes, the iPhone 15 series has a larger battery.
Several previous iPhone features, such as 5G and satellite communication for emergencies, are still included in the new smartphones. The option to request roadside assistance via satellite is brand-new for this year thanks to Apple’s collaboration with AAA in the US. While Apple claims it will provide satellite connectivity for free for two years with the purchase of an iPhone 15, the roadside service is available with AAA membership.
The next iPhones will be compatible with MagSafe and new accessories that utilize the Qi2 wireless charging standard, which was introduced earlier this year, in addition to USB-C.
Overall, the Dynamic Island, the crisper camera, USB-C charging, and the redesigned design make the iPhone 15 seem like a bigger step forward than the iPhone 14 from a year ago. It seems like the biggest change to the normal iPhone since the iPhone 12—even if it’s still one step below the iPhone 15 Pro.
