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Apple announced the iPhone 15 series on September 12, 2023. The iPhone 15 series consists of four models – iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. In this article, we’re going to go over everything you need to know about these four phones, and possibly help you decide which of the four you should spend your money on.
Apple iPhone 15 Specs
The new iPhone 15 and 15 Plus specs aren’t really that surprising. But there are some nice changes here. So the iPhone 15 has a 6.1-inch OLED display with 1000 nits brightness, and 2000 nits peak brightness. It weighs in at 171 grams, with dimensions of 147.6 mm x 71.6mm x 7.8mm. That’s just a gram lighter than its predecessor. The iPhone 15 Plus is largely the same, but with a larger 6.7-inch display it also weighs in at 201 grams. With dimensions of 160.9mm x 77.8mm x 7.80mm. That’s two grams lighter than its predecessor.
Otherwise, they both sport the A16 Bionic chipset from the iPhone 14 Pro series last year. Along with IP68 for water and dust resistance. There’s a new camera on these phones this year. With the upgrade to the 48-megapixel sensor that the iPhone 14 Pro models saw last year. This has a f/1.6 aperture, and allows to do up to 2x optical zoom. While the ultrawide is still 12-megapixel and f/2.4 aperture. The front-camera is a 12-megapixel sensor still, with a f/1.9 aperture.
Apple does not release battery capacities, but according to their battery life metric, it’s unchanged this year. The iPhone 15 is rated for 20 hours of video playback, and the iPhone 15 Plus for 26 hours of playback. Don’t forget that they also come with USB-C this year.
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max Specs
Now moving onto the Pro models. They still come in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes. The iPhone 15 Pro measures in at 146.6mm x 70.6mm x 8.25mm and weighs in at 187 grams. That’s nearly 40 grams lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro. While the iPhone 15 Pro Max measures at 159.9mm x 76.7mm x 8.25mm and weighs in at 221 grams. That is also pretty light compared to its predecessor, but only about 19 grams lighter.
Inside, both phones are running the new A17 Pro chipset, which appears to be a pretty hefty upgrade over the A16 Bionic. It’s a 6-core CPU, a 6-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. Pretty similar to the A16 Bionic, though it’s adding another GPU core.
Onto the camera front, things are a bit different for the two devices. Both sport a 48-megapixel main camera, with 12-megapixel ultrawide and 12-megapixel telephoto sensors. However, the telephoto sensor on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is a periscope lens, which is capable of doing up to 5x optical zoom. Matching the Pixel Fold.
As with the regular iPhone 15 models, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max do not have battery capacities listed. But Apple claims up to 23 hours of video playback on the iPhone 15 Pro – the same as the iPhone 14 Pro. And up to 29 hours of video playback on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the same as the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
How much is the iPhone 15 series?
The iPhone 15 series is getting a bit of a price jump this year, but only on one model – iPhone 15 Pro Max. Which, ironically has the most upgrades this year around. Otherwise, prices are mostly staying the same.
iPhone 15 will start out at $799, iPhone 15 Plus at $899, iPhone 15 Pro at $999 and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,199. That’s a $100 jump in price for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. All four models will still start at 128GB. While the Pro models will add a 2TB option.
Now, obviously, the carriers will be offering some pretty incredibly discounts on the iPhone 15 this year. We’re expecting to see some pretty good deals, including getting a phone for free with a trade-in, among other things. You can check out our deals section for the best prices on iPhone 15.
Where can I buy the iPhone 15 series?
You will be able to buy the iPhone 15 series virtually anywhere. Basically, anywhere that sells tech, will offer the iPhone 15 series. That includes Apple, Amazon, AT&T, Best Buy, B&H Photo, Costco, Sam’s Club, T-Mobile, Verizon and many other options. A number of MVNO’s also will sell the iPhone 15, including Visible, Xfinity Mobile and many more.
Keep in mind that over at Apple’s website, you’ll be able to pay in installments using your Apple Card, as well as using the iPhone Upgrade Program. This allows you to upgrade every year without changing how much you’re paying. Now the price is a bit higher here, but that is also because AppleCar is included in the upgrade program.
What carriers will support the iPhone 15?
Every carrier will support the iPhone 15, and all of its features will be available too. That includes AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, as well as the MVNOs that run on their networks.
What colors does the iPhone 15 come in?
The iPhone 15 will have two sets of colors. That’s the colors for the iPhone 15 and then another set for the iPhone 15 Pro models.
Starting with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, it’ll be available in black, starlight, light blue, yellow and pink. This year, Apple is going with a more pastel set of colors for the non-Pro iPhones. Which is an interesting look, but at least you can still get black.
Now over onto the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, we’re looking at four colors. This includes Space Black, Silver Gray, Titanium and Dark Blue. Mostly muted colors this year, which is pretty common for the “Pro” models of any of Apple’s products. These are going to be made of titanium this year, so the Titanium or Titan Gray color will match the Apple Watch Ultra.
What new features will the iPhone 15 Series bring?
The big new feature for the iPhone 15 this year is going to be USB-C. But that’s not the only thing going on this year. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will get the Dynamic Island, as well as an upgrade to the 48-megapixel camera from the iPhone 14 Pro. Meanwhile the Pro models will get a bit more here. Including a Titanium build, and a couple of new camera sensors. The iPhone 15 Pro Max will bring in a periscope zoom lens, which will allow for better zooming capabilities.
USB-C
Thanks to the EU, Apple is adding USB-C to all of the iPhone 15 models this year. All four models are getting USB-C, though it sounds like the non-Pro models might get slower transfer speeds. But charging is jumping up to 30W, which is good to see.
With this move to USB-C, Apple is also updating a lot of its accessories to add in USB-C, over Lightning. This move means that you can use the same cable to charge your MacBook, iPad and now iPhone. So it’s a pretty big deal.
Dynamic Island coming to non-Pro iPhones
Last year, in a sort of last-minute surprise, Apple decided to launch Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models. Basically, Apple took the Notch and made it smaller, giving us a pretty large hole punch setup for the front-facing camera and Face ID sensors. They tossed in some software to make it dynamic and show things like timers, progress, and much more.
Now, this feature is here on the non-Pro iPhone 15 models. So it’ll be available across the entire lineup now.
New titanium build
The iPhone 15 Pro series is getting a new material this year. It had been using stainless steel for quite some time. Which does make it look and feel pretty premium, but the shinny rails makes it look pretty disgusting after a couple of days. Well this year, Stainless Steel is out, and Titanium is in.
Apple has used titanium before on the Apple Watch, and now it’s on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. The main advantages here are that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are lighter this year, and they are also more durable. Two great things to see on the new iPhone.
What updates has iPhone 15 received?
When the iPhone 15 launched, it came with iOS 17 out of the box. But since then, it has received a few updates, which we have outlined below.
- iOS 17.0.1 – September 21, 2023
- iOS 17.0.2 – September 26, 2023
- iOS 17.0.3 – October 4, 2023
- iOS 17.1 – October 25, 2023
What cases are available for the iPhone 15 series?
Finally, what are some good cases that you can pick up for your new iPhone 15 series phone? Well, we have rounded up some of the best options that are currently available.
Nomad Modern Leather case
While Apple has decided to ditch its leather case (and all leather products) in an environmental play, Nomad is keeping theirs around. I’ve actually been using the Nomad Leather Case on my iPhone for the past two years, and absolutely love it. These cases start at $50, and there’s a $70 option for Horween Leather. They come in a number of colors too including Black, Rustic Brown and English Tan.