Apple’s annual fall product launch event brought few surprises, but still delivered big news: There are four new iPhone 15 models, which switch from Apple’s proprietary Lightning charging port to USB-C, two new Apple Watches, and a fresh pair of AirPods Pro that also move to USB-C. Here’s everything Apple announced at its Wonderlust event.
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus
The new 6.1-inch iPhone 15 and 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus are powered by Apple’s A16 processor, which allows for faster performance and better multitasking compared to last year’s models, but the most obvious difference at first glance is the addition of the Dynamic Island display cut-out, which was limited last year to the pricier iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
The Dynamic Island houses the iPhone’s camera and depth sensors. There you’ll also find your active calls, audio playback, and other interactive elements, and the island expands to show relevant information as needed. This is mostly a neat visual feature, rather than a functional one, but we found it useful enough in last year’s premium iPhones.
The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus also get an improved, f/ 1.6 48 MP main camera and a 12 MP telephoto camera with up to 2x optical zoom. Apple is also introducing its tougher Ceramic Shield display to the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, and the screen will feature an increased peak display brightness of up to 2,000 nits.
However, the biggest (and most potentially controversial) change is the iPhones’ charging cable. Say goodbye to the Lightning port and all of your old Lightning cables, because Apple is finally switching to USB-C, bringing the iPhone in line with the rest of its products.
Apple has also partnered with AAA for iPhone-based Roadside Assistance via Satellite, which comes included with each new iPhone for two years. Apple is also continuing to push its sustainability initiatives; the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus’s frames are comprised of 75% recycled aluminum, while the internals use 100% recycled copper, and the battery uses 100% recycled cobalt.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will come in pink, yellow, green, blue, and black color options made of aluminum with color-matched back glass. The lineup starts at $799 for the 128GB iPhone 15 and $899 for the 128GB iPhone 15 Plus, and will be available for pre-order starting on September 15. The phones go on sale September 22.
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max
Apple also took the wraps off the titanium-framed iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. The shift to titanium from stainless steel was designed to make the Pro models lighter, and is also more resistant to fingerprint smudges. The titanium models come in four shades: black, white, blue, and a “natural” finish.
The Pro models also sport thinner bezels, which provide more screen than the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, despite basically identical dimensions of 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively.
The iPhone 15 Pro models reimagine the classic ring/silent switch, turning it into an action button. You can now press and hold the button to turn on the volume or toggle it off, but the button can also trigger customizable actions like launching the camera, starting a voice memo, or further personalizing the action button with the Shortcuts app.
The Pro and Pro Max are powered by Apple’s custom A17 Pro chip, which Apple calls “the fastest chip ever on any smartphone.” It delivers faster USB 3 transfer speeds and hardware-accelerated ray tracing for playing games on your iPhone. This will enable games to come to iPhone 15 Pro that were previously only available on consoles, including newer titles like the upcoming Assassin’s Creed: Mirage.
Many people upgrade to an iPhone Pro model because Apple typically saves its best camera features for the priciest iPhones, and that hasn’t changed with the 15 Pro and Pro Max. The Pro camera lenses have a new coating to reduce lens flare, and you can also choose custom focal length defaults in the Pro Camera app. The Pro Max has a 5x optical zoom in its telephoto lens, up to 120mm focal length, and the ultra-wide camera lens has improved night mode and macro photography.
And, like the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, the Pro and Pro Max are switching from Apple’s proprietary Lightning charging port to the more common USB-C standard.
To make Apple’s forthcoming headset, the Apple Vision Pro, more compelling, Apple is enabling a new video feature that lets you shoot “spatial videos” later this year on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
The 15 Pro will start at $999 and the Pro Max starts at $1,199 with 256GB of storage. That’s a $100 price bump over last year’s base model, but that Pro Max came with 128GB of storage. The iPhone 15 is available to preorder Friday and will go on sale September 22.
Apple Watch Series 9
The Apple Watch Series 9 is powered by the new S9 watch chip, which Apple promises will make animations “super smooth.” Siri requests are also now processed on the watch itself instead of the cloud, which Apple says will result in faster responses. You can also ask Siri for your health stats or input your health info with your voice in a new feature rolling out later this year. Battery life remains unchanged, at 18 hours.
The Series 9 has a second-gen ultra-wideband chip that will help you track down your iPhone when you misplace it (if it’s nearby). This will only work if you have a 2023 Apple Watch and an iPhone 15, however.
The Series 9 also has a much brighter screen that can be made much dimmer — from 1 nit to 2,000 nits. That’s double the brightness of the Series 8. Apple is also introducing a new double tap feature with the Watch Series 9, activated when you tap your thumb and index finger together twice. The gesture triggers actions like answering or ending a phone call. The feature will be available next month, Apple said.
The Series 9 comes in five shades of aluminum, including a new pink, and stainless steel.
Apple also announced it’s phasing out leather in all of its accessories, starting today. The company introduced a new FineWoven material for Apple Watch bands, which is made of 68% recycled materials and has a suede-like feel. Apple is working with Hermès and Nike to make new watch bands of more eco-friendly materials.
The Series 9, which starts at $399 for the Bluetooth/GPS model and $499 for the cellular version, will be available to buy on September 22. You can preorder it today.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Like the Apple Watch Series 9, the newly-announced Apple Watch Ultra 2 gets the advanced S9 chip and Series 9 features like the new double-tap gesture, on-device Siri, and a new ultra-wideband chip for precision finding your iPhone. It also features an even brighter display, up to 3,000 nits. There’s also a new Modular Ultra watch face and new cycling features.
The Ultra 2 has the same battery life as the first-gen model, 36 hours of regular use and 72 hours in low-power mode. The design remains unchanged.
The Ultra 2 starts at $799 and is available to preorder today. The watch goes on sale September 22.
USB-C AirPods Pro
Apple is also introducing a new version of the second generation AirPods Pro with a carrying case that has a USB-C port instead of Lightning. (The AirPods Max and cheapest AirPods will not yet make the jump to USB-C.) Apple is also updating its classic wired earpods so it connects through a USB-C rather than Lightning port.
This article was edited by Jason Chen.
