iPhone 15 – Everything You Need To Know
At Apple’s much-anticipated launch event in California this week, the focus was very much on the iPhone 15. Yes, Apple did also update the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and new Airpods Pro, and most interestingly announced a new drive to cutting carbon emissions. But it’s the iPhone 15 that stole the show. One example of their sustainability is to use recycled rare material in all new iPhones, making these new models look great, perform well, and help save the planet.
As always, an Apple launch creates excitement, but was the anticipation warranted? We take a closer look at what was announced and what’s changing with Apple’s latest flagship phone range, the iPhone 15.
A new USB-C port
An update that makes all iPhone fans breathe a sigh of relief is that it’s finally ditching its lightning port and replacing it with a USB-C charging port. It makes the wire compatible with plenty of other Apple and other tech products including Macs, iPads, Android devices and PCs. The incompatibility of Apple products with other chargers has always been a bugbear for users, so this is welcome news. You can also use the port to charge Airpods and an Apple Watch directly from the handset.
Design
You won’t notice many design changes when it comes to the new iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. They still have the same glass backs and fronts and the same aluminium sides, though the contoured edges are slightly smoother and feel better in your hand. Where you’ll see a difference is in the camera lens housing. These two models feature a smaller ‘dynamic island’ cut out at the top of the screen for the lenses. This replaces the notch in the previous models and brings the aesthetics of the phone up to date.
It’s a different story for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max – the high-end versions in the range. These phones do gain noticeable upgrades. The frosted black glass and new titanium sides are instantly visible on these two models. The smaller bezels around the screen also make the phones feel different, but part of this is down to the titanium, which creates a lighter phone in your hand.
Inside the phone is 100% recycled aluminium, which makes it easier to repair – another welcome change.
Camera
It’s with the camera that you’ll find the biggest updates to the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus. The main camera is now 48MP and has a 2x optical zoom. Helpfully, the screens on both phones are twice as bright as previous models, which is great for outdoor use and general readability.
At the higher end, both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have improved main and ultrawide cameras with better detail capture and low light performance. But you’ll have to fork out for the iPhone 15 Pro Max to get the new 12MP telephoto camera which features a 5x optical zoom. This new upgraded iPhone camera follows in the footsteps of Samsung and Google with a similar folded lens to those rival models, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max has enhanced stabilisation.
A nifty ‘action button’
iPhones have had the same mute switch since 2007, so this feature was due an upgrade. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have an ‘action button’ instead of the old mute switch. This action button can still mute your phone, but it can also launch the camera and switch focus modes.
An upgraded performance
Perhaps the most noticeable upgrade to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max is in the performance. A new A17 Pro chip makes this phone faster, and the difference will be especially useful for gaming, as this includes a 20% faster GPU.
Cost and availability
The iPhone 15 will set you back £799, while the iPhone 15 Plus comes in at £899. Meanwhile the iPhone 15 Pro comes in at £999 while the iPhone 15 Pro Max is £1,199. All four models will be available to pre-order from Friday 15 September and to buy from Friday 22 September.
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