Mass has been said. Tim Cook, Apple CEO, and his teams presented their new products on September 12: the Apple Watch Series 9 (now 100% carbon neutral), Apple Watch Ultra 2, but also four new iPhones: the 15 and 15 Plus, and the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. Which evolve smoothly and even see their price drop by 50 to 100 euros, after last year’s sharp increase.
iPhone 15s switch to USB-C
It is obviously towards the new smartphones from the Apple brand that all eyes were turned. Constrained by European legislation, Apple has formalized, as expected, the adoption of the USB-C socket. So no more home Lightning sockets and welcome to the new accessories which will be offered by the manufacturer’s partners without delay. Please note, the power adapter will not be provided, to reduce the carbon footprint, but sold separately for 25 euros by Apple. However, other versions are available on the market at half the price.
Respectively available in 6.1 and 6.7 inches, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus run on the A16 Bionic chip, introduced just a year ago with the iPhone 14 Pro. A notable progress, therefore, for the manufacturer’s new “entry-level” iPhones. Their OLED screen is also announced to be up to twice as bright (2,000 nits) as that of their predecessor. At the top of this screen, the small secondary screen called “Dynamic Island” (until now reserved for high-end iPhones) extends its activities. It will allow, for example, to follow the results of your favorite matches live, or, more practical, to know at any time the time and terminal of your boarding when you have to take the plane.
Improved Portrait function
Equipped with 48 megapixel (main camera) and 12 megapixel (telephoto, 52 mm equivalent) photo sensors, the terminals will be able to zoom up to 2x in optical, photo and 4K video. Apple is taking the opportunity to introduce a new version of its Portrait function which can be implemented on its own (thanks to the machine learning), when you get as close as possible to a subject. This feature also promises richer colors and compatibility with pet, dog and cat portraits.
Some small new features also accompany this launch, with the possibility of connecting Apple devices between the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus at a distance three times greater than previously. To be tested in a situation: voice isolation when making a phone call in a noisy environment. Here again, machine learning will be able to perfectly separate the user’s voice from the noise surrounding it so that the interlocutor can hear it perfectly.
No notable progress announced regarding the autonomy of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, unfortunately: the two terminals will offer a day of use.
Apple is therefore offering a nice update for its iPhone 15, sold* from 969 euros in 128 GB for the iPhone 15 and 1,119 euros in 128 GB for the iPhone 15 Plus. And surprise, these prices are slightly decreasing… from 50 to 100 euros. Had Apple pushed the envelope too far with the iPhone 14?
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max boosted for photography and video games
It is, as usual, on the premium iPhone side that the progress is most notable. While the interior structure of the devices is 100% recycled aluminum, the shell of the Phone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max (in 6.1 and 6.7”) is made of titanium (their back is made of textured glass), the same extremely strong and durable material that equips the Mars Rover probe. A huge increase in resistance in perspective and more lightness too. The new borders of the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are also thinner.
The A17 Bionic chip and 10% more performance
Power promises to be there with the introduction of the A17 Bionic chip with its six-core GPU. In 3 nanometers, this new processor contains 19 billion transistors the size of 12 silicon atoms. Doesn’t that tell us much? To us we more. But Apple claims 10% more performance. This will allow photo enthusiasts to express themselves more.
Their 48-megapixel primary wide-angle lens allows you to choose from three apertures (24mm, 28mm and 35mm). It is supported by a 3x 12 megapixel telephoto lens (up to 5x for the iPhone 15 Pro Max which has a periscopic lens, like certain Android smartphones) and a final 12 megapixel ultra wide angle lens.
Up to seven lenses in your pocket
Equipped with three cameras, these vintage iPhones allow photographers to have up to the equivalent of seven lenses in their pocket. And, “one more thing”, the iPhone 15 Pro can film “spatial video”, a sort of 3D capture that can be enjoyed with Apple’s Vision Pro headset. Here again, the autonomy remains stuck at one day of use before recharging.
The players, finally, will not be left out. Apple promises its pros a more immersive experience with better rendering of lighting effects and latency time. Resurgence Division (in 2024), Resident Evil 4, Mirage And Assassin’s Creed should benefit from these advances.
Interesting point: the “Silence” button on the edge of the iPhone 15 Pro disappears for a customizable “Action” button, which will allow you to trigger several actions: switching to Silence mode, triggering a shot, launching a playlist … This is a point which should allow everyone to optimize their use of their smartphone.
Price-wise, the iPhone 15 Pro starts at 100 euros less than the 14 Pro last year, from 1,229 euros. The price of the 15 Pro Max remains unchanged (from 1,479 euros), but its capacity is doubled (256 GB, compared to 128 GB).
Pre-orders for the new iPhones launch on September 13. Their marketing will take place from September 22.
* iPhone 15: 969 euros (128 GB); 1,099 euros (256 GB); 1,349 euros (512 GB).
iPhone 15 Plus: 1,119 euros (128 GB); 1,249 euros (256 GB); 1,499 euros (512 GB).
iPhone 15 Pro: 1,229 euros (128 GB); 1,359 euros (256 GB); 1,609 euros (512 GB); 1,859 euros (1 TB).
iPhone 15 Pro Max: 1,479 euros (256 GB); 1,729 euros (512 GB); 1,979 euros (1 TB).