Everything you need to know about the iPhone 15
The price, the models, and the upgrades – here's everything you need to know about the iPhone 15 phones today.
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
Perhaps the biggest news about the more affordable iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models is the inclusion of Dynamic Island. It's a pill-shaped notch in the screen that was previously exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro models.
Both models boast a new and improved Super Retina display that can handle up to 2,000 nits in direct sunlight, which is double what the iPhone 14 models could manage. Plus, you can watch videos in Dolby Vision with up to 1,600 nits.
Beyond the Dynamic Island and the display, the headline feature is the upgraded main camera with 48 megapixels. That's a significant jump from the lower-res 12-megapixel camera used in the iPhone 14. In addition to the main camera, there's a 12-megapixel portrait camera and a front-facing selfie camera.
Uses last year's A16 Bionic from the iPhone 14 series
Under the hood, there's an Apple A16 Bionic chip. It's the same one used in the iPhone 14 Pro, so if you were hoping for a major performance boost, you might be a tad disappointed. If you want the best that Apple has to offer in a chipset, you'll need to get the iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max with the A17 Bionic instead.
Just like the Watch Series 9, the iPhone 15 phones use the new and improved Ultra-Wideband. This means you can locate your misplaced items much more easily as the second-generation UWB tech works at greater distances.
You can get the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus with storage options of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 1 TB.
Here's what the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will set you back
- iPhone 15 starts at around NZ$1,649
- iPhone 15 Plus starts at around NZ$1,849
Key Details about the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
- Screen Size: 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches
- System Chip: Apple A16 Bionic
- Storage Options: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
- Rear Cameras: Main camera at 48 megapixels, ultra-wide at 12 megapixels, telephoto at 12 megapixels (2x zoom)
- Selfie Camera: 12 megapixels
- Wireless Connections: WiFi 6E, second-generation Ultra-Wideband, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS
- Port: USB-C
- Operating System: iOS 17
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
With the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, you're getting the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer in the new series. These models pack the most powerful hardware, but they also come with a hefty price tag that matches all the innovations you're getting, both inside and out.
Both phones feature a Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion, supporting both the Always-on feature and the new StandBy mode introduced with iOS 17. They also boast the same high brightness level as their more affordable siblings, reaching up to 2,000 nits.
Around the screen, there's an entirely new chassis made of a durable titanium alloy, a step up from the aluminium frame used in previous iPhone models. Inside, there's a new and powerful A17 Pro chip, which Apple claims is the fastest in any mobile phone on the market. It's powerful enough to compete with high-performance gaming PC processors and supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max introduce a brand-new camera system
Apart from the same 48-megapixel main camera as the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, the Pro models have several other camera innovations.
These include larger camera sensors that capture more light, quick switching between three different focal lengths (24, 28, and 35mm) with the main camera, and up to 5x optical zoom (120mm). The new cameras are designed to provide more detail and less noise in low-light conditions and use AI to produce full-resolution HEIF images.
The Lightning port, which has been around since the iPhone 5, has been replaced with USB-C, supporting transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
The phones can be charged via the USB-C port or with MagSafe. Both models support Qi2 wireless charging. For wireless connections, they support 5G, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth, and GPS.
You can get the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max with storage options of 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB.
The iPhone 15 Pro models feature a new quick button
Both Pro models come with a new quick button that can be programmed to perform a range of functions.
For instance, it can be used to activate the camera and flashlight, start recording a voice memo, or activate the focus mode. It can also trigger various accessibility features, the magnifier, and shortcuts.
By default, the quick button toggles between ringtone and silent mode. If you change it to something else, you can find the same functionality in the Control Centre and focus filter.
Here's what the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max will set you back
- iPhone 15 Pro starts at around NZ$2,099
- iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at around NZ$2,499
Key Details about the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Screen Size: 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches
- System Chip: Apple A17 Pro
- Storage Options: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1TB
- Rear Cameras: Main camera at 48 megapixels, ultra-wide at 12 megapixels, telephoto at 12 megapixels (2x zoom), portrait camera at 12 megapixels (5x zoom, only on iPhone 15 Pro Max)
- Selfie Camera: 12 megapixels
- Wireless Connections: WiFi 6E, second-generation Ultra-Wideband, Bluetooth, GPS
- Port: USB-C
- Operating System: iOS 17
More about the iPhone 15 series you need to know
iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max pack 8 GB of RAM
Apple rarely discusses the amount of internal memory their phones have, especially not during their launch events.
However, when the Xcode tool was updated to support the new phones in the iPhone 15 series, it was revealed that the Pro models come with a generous amount of RAM. A whole 8 GB, up from 6 GB in last year's models.
We're not sure about the exact RAM modules being used at the moment, but as soon as the phones are available, they'll be opened up, and their contents will be fully disclosed.
Ray Tracing support with iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max
Big news for gamers: the pricier models support what's known as ray tracing.
Ray tracing is a technique to naturally simulate how light is used in games. The goal is to use advanced calculations to make light sources create as realistic lighting as possible with lifelike shadows.
The technique is very demanding on the hardware, and a powerful graphics chip is required to handle the necessary computations.
PC games coming to iPhone and iOS
Apple is making a big push for gaming with the introduction of AAA PC titles being released with iOS support.
Heavyweight games like Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4, and Death Stranding will be playable on your new mobile phone later in 2023.
And even Assassin's Creed Mirage is coming to iPhone, though that title won't be released until the first half of 2024.
All iPhone 15 models are IP68 rated
With the iPhone 15, Apple retains the same enclosure rating as last year's models. This means all the phones are IP68 rated.
You get complete sealing against small particles, like dust and pollen, and you can submerge the phone in water up to a depth of 1 meter for a maximum of 30 minutes without it getting damaged.
Practically speaking, however, you should never let your iPhone come into contact with water, even for short periods. Avoid using it in the rain and dry off the phone immediately if it gets wet.
Apple releases a USB-C to Lightning adapter
Since all the phones in the iPhone 15 series use USB-C, it becomes a bit tricky to use the Lightning accessories many have at home – unless you use Apple's new USB-C to Lightning adapter, that is.
The adapter is priced at NZ$59 from Apple and works for battery charging, data transfer between two devices, and audio connection with headphones.
You can also purchase a new Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable that works optimally with the adapter and the iPhone 15 series, but it'll set you back a fair bit. Apple is charging NZ$129 for the cable on their website.
Battery Life doesn't improve with the iPhone 15 series
If you were hoping that your new iPhone 15 would have a longer battery life than last year's models, we've got some bad news. It hasn't improved at all.
According to Apple, you can expect the same battery life as with the iPhone 14 series, even though the new models have newer and more energy-efficient hardware.
The reason is that the new tech is balanced so that you get many new features without affecting the battery life, which should last at least a full day.
Here's what you can expect according to Apple:
- iPhone 15: up to 20 hours
- iPhone 15 Plus: up to 26 hours
- iPhone 15 Pro: up to 23 hours
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: up to 29 hours
Text: Daniel Haaf
Published: 13 September 2023
Updated: 13 September 2023
This article is written by PriceSpy's editorial staff. No one else has influenced the content of it. There are no paid links or other types of advertising collaborations.