iPhone 15 is lighter, brighter and $100 more: is it time to swap to or not?
It costs $100 more, finally has a USB-C port and you can drop it in the family pool without fear (for a little while). But is all that worth an upgrade to the iPhone 15?
Apple has finally caved and given users the ability to charge its mobile devices and AirPods with a USB-C cable, succumbing to EU regulation which required it to insert a USB-C port on devices sold by Autumn 2024.
The change, which the US tech giant announced at the launch of its new iPhone range overnight (AEST), will be much welcomed by almost everyone who has a device with a battery as USB-C charging has been the norm for many years and one that is used across the board from laptops, to docks, bicycle lights, power banks and more.
Apple unveiled its latest iPhone range in California on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) which included four new models, two smart watches and new AirPods Pro 2.
The new range includes the iPhone 15, the 15 Plus, the 15 Pro and the 15 Pro Max, with models in each range priced respectively from $1499, $1649, $1849 and $2199. This year’s devices are at least $100 more, which appears to be a similar trend with the same jump added to Samsung’s S23 range.
All four new models arrive in either 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch with a 48-megapixel camera and a 24-megapixel main camera.
Some updates across the whole new range include better precision in using features such as Find My, the company’s geolocation service which allows a user to see the last location of their AirPods, MacBook or iPhone.
Apple has also increased the capability of its dynamic island feature, a small bar situated at the top of the device where the front camera sits, which gives users more control over apps while using features such as navigation.
One of the most exciting new features, which arrives in the US and Canada but not Australia, is called ‘live voicemail’, a feature in which the phone will provide a real-time transcription of a voicemail and allows the user to answer instantly should they choose.
At the higher end of the range, with the 15 Pro and Pro Max, there’s some pretty deep integration with software and the iPhone’s camera which Apple claims is the equivalent of having seven lenses. The 15 Pro has an expansive 3x telephoto camera while Pro Max has the longest optical zoom ever added to an iPhone at 5x at 120mm.
While the specs of the 15 Pro and Pro Max’s cameras are hard to beat, the 15 and 15 Plus are still strong with the option of 2x telephoto and three optical-quality zoom levels of 0.5x, 1x, 2x.
On the 15 Pro and Pro Max, Apple is ditching the sliding mute button in lieu of a what it calls an ‘action button’ which can be used to do the same thing or be used to control the phone’s torch function.
One feature buyers of the 15 Pro and Pro Max will enjoy is the use of a titanium case which has delivered the Pro range’s lightest iPhones yet. The devices have contoured edges and the thinnest border yet on an iPhone.
The 15 and 15 Plus are powered by Apple’s A16 chip which is pretty mighty, using 20 per cent less power, has a faster 6-core CPU than the iPhone 14 and has a better handling of intensive tasks. The 15 and 15 Plus will also display smoother graphics with a 5-core GPU with 50 per cent more memory bandwidth. Apple says the devices’ 16-core neutral engine is capable of nearly 17 trillion operations per second.
The 15 Pro and Pro Max are powered by Apple’s new A17 Pro chip which has a CPU up to 10 per cent faster and a neural engine which is twice as fast. They also arrive with GPU that is 20 per cent faster, smoother graphics and the ability to power immersive AR applications and gaming.
All four new phones are splash, water and dust resistant, built to last in a depth of up to 6m for 30 minutes. However, that resistance does shorten over time and Apple has asked users to never try and charge a wet iPhone – liquid damage is not covered by warranty.
At the launch, Apple also unveiled a new addition to its smartwatch series with the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2.
The watch has increased performance with a new S9 SiP chip, a brighter display, on-device access to the company’s voice assistant Siri and now allows access to health data.
Apple has included some futuristic-type controls with the new watch including one which sees users double tap their thumb and index finger to answer calls, take a picture, stop a timer, play or pause music and snooze an alarm. Other features include covering to mute music and other content.
All four new iPhones are available for pre-order on Friday and will be in stores on September 22.
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