Apple announced the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus during its annual fall keynote. Like last year's Pro, both devices will receive the Dynamic Island, saying a definitive goodbye to the notch. The camera system is also getting a makeover.
Apple claims to have given the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus an all-new design, yet both still look unmistakably like an iPhone. Gone, however, is the heavily dated notch. In its place, even entry-level iPhones now get the updated Dynamic Island.
Behind this cutout, we find the selfie camera and Face ID components. The interface can display notifications and information around this for you to interact with. Furthermore, the angular edges are gone; Apple now applies the more friendly Contour Edge in their place. Apple has also injected the color into the back glass, making it last longer. You can now choose between 5 new shades: Black, Taupe, Mulberry, Pacific Blue, and Evergreen.
New 48MP camera system with 2x zoom
Apple is also finally applying its 48MP camera system to the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. Equipping the main camera with considerably more pixels creates the ability to zoom in on the sensor without hurting quality. With this, even the entry-level iPhone now gets 2x zoom.
The ultra-wide-angle lens remains 12MP in size. And because Apple now stores depth information, you can later shift focus from foreground to background or vice versa.
Recognizable performance
Apple is applying last year's A16 Bionic to make all this possible. We found this chip in last year's Pro models, consisting of 2 high-performance and four efficiency cores. What is entirely new, however, is Ultra Wideband 2 support. It allows you to find Airtags and iPhones that are 3x farther away.
Satellite communications will get an additional feature starting with the iPhone 15. In addition to sending emergency messages and the Find My Satellite app, there is now roadside assistance. Roadside Assistant is helpful for when you get into car trouble in areas without cellular service. For now, this feature works only in the U.S. and with Triple-A. You can use all satellite services for free for two years with the purchase of a new iPhone 15 or 15 Plus.
One More Thing
And, of course, there was One More Thing. Apple is saying goodbye to its Lightning port after years of service. You'll now find a USB-C port in its place—the same port you'll find on many other products. You can use it to charge your phone, send data, listen to audio, and watch videos.
Apple is also equipping the existing Airpods cases with USB C so you can connect them with a cable and charge the case. Wireless charging is also possible with Apple's MagSafe or Qi2-compatible chargers.
Price and availability
Apple is asking $799 for the iPhone 15 with 128GB of memory and $899 for the 15+ with the same amount of storage memory. How much that translates to euros remains to be seen, but expect a reduction. Models are available for preorder starting Friday and will ship on Sept. 22.
