It’s the day tech fans and Apple enthusiasts have been waiting for – the big announcement of the new generation of iPhone 15 and I can basically feel Steve Jobs smiling down at us from the clouds.
Apple unveiled its new offering of iPhones and Apple Watches during their annual showcase which took place at the Apple headquarters in California in the early hours on Wednesday local time.
The new iPhones – which include the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, the Pro, and Pro Max – are said to be the most powerful phones that the company has ever made with better cameras, screens, and stronger casing. That’s great news if you’re a clumsy asshole like me and drop your phone at least three times a week.
They also come in a range of pretty new pastel colours which is a bigger plus than it should be for me personally.
But okay, aside from the colours, let’s get into the actual changes the tech giants are offering us in the iPhone 15 range.
What’s different about the iPhone 15?
Say goodbye to lightning cables
Lightning cables were introduced by Apple in 2012 as it jumped from the clunky chargers of ye oldé days before the iPhone 4 and moved on to the slim, sexy and zippy lightning chargers from iPhone 5 and beyond. At the time it caused a bit of controversy because people who already had the old chargers had to do a switcheroony if they wanted to update. But we are a resilient bunch and went on with our lives, soon accepting the lightning cable to be a useful part of our everyday tech-filled lives.
Now, thanks to a mandate passed by the European Commission, Apple has to change its chargers again to a USB-C to align with other smartphones and similar devices sold throughout the EU. Although the mandate isn’t singling out Apple, the company has been hit pretty hard by the change and tried its best to fight against it. Since the mandate has been passed, tech companies have until 2024 to impose a plan to make the switch to USB-C.
“Obviously we’ll have to comply, we have no choice,” Apple’s global marketing head Greg Joswiak said at the time, per news.com.au.
While this mandate only directly affects the EU, Apple has made the switch worldwide. From the iPhone 15 generation onwards, it will be sticking to the USB-C connection for iPhone, Mac, iPad and the updated AirPods Pro (second generation).
There’s less of a jump between regular and pro models
In the past, Apple copped some flak for making a huuuge jump in quality between its run-of-the-mill iPhone models and its Pro models. This time around, it seems like they’ve closed the gap a little bit.
All the iPhone 15s will operate on an iOS 17 system and have an A16 chip this time around.
Last time this chip was reserved for the fancy Pro models. And they’ve all got this thing called “Dynamic Island” replacing the “notch”.
Clearly, I’m not a tech gal so let me explain in the clearest way I know how. The Dynamic Island was software introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro last year. It’s a display bit that appears to give you updates on secondary apps running in the background. For example, if you’re on Instagram while you’re in an Uber, a little black pill-shaped thing will drop down on the top of your screen to let you know the ride share status so you don’t have to flick between apps.
It’s something I didn’t know we all needed.
The camera is better than ever
There’s nothing like a good camera. The only time an excellent phone camera bites you in the ass is when your skin looks shit. Otherwise, it’s all groovy baby.
Anyway, the main camera on the iPhone 15 is now 48 megapixels. This means it can take higher-resolution photos and videos and you can zoom in way more. That’s great for when you spot your best friend’s ex from across the bar or something.
The announcement also claims that the new iteration of the iPhone features “sharper detail, more vivid colours and improved low-light performance”.
Plus, you don’t have to switch to Portrait Mode to take a portrait-esque pic, the phone does it automatically. Nice!!!!!
Titanium casing
This is by far my favourite update for the new iPhone 15 generation. Like I said, I drop my phone more than I’d like to admit. I even spent $80 on a drop-proof Castify case out of necessity and it’s an investment that has paid off greatly. But for those who are like me, maybe the iPhone 15 is the way to go.
This generation will be clad in titanium which is stronger and lighter than a heap of other metals. And apparently, it’s better for the environment with Apple boasting “75 per cent recycled aluminium in the enclosure, 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100 per cent recycled gold in the USB‑C connector as well as the gold plating and tin soldering in multiple printed circuit boards.”
Apple is also using colour-infused glass for the iPhone 15s which gives the devices those fun colours and a frosty kind of finish.
CNet reckons this could prevent the device from being prone to oily fingerprints, which again, is great news for my grubby little fingies.
It’s also decided to stop using leather in any new Apple products, accessories included. Love that!
How much does the iPhone 15 cost?
Ah yes, the big question.
The iPhone 15 is going to set you back a pretty penny, that’s for sure. The standard iPhone 15 will start at $1499 AUD. The iPhone 15 Plus starts at $1649 AUD. The iPhone 15 Pro starts at $1849 AUD and the iPhone 15 Pro Max from $2199 AUD.
The new generation of iPhones will be available from September 22, with pre-orders kicking off from September 15 at 10pm AEST.
For a more in-depth explanation of the iPhone 15 generation and the various differences between models, our mates at Gizmodo have got you sorted.
The cheapest iPhone 15 preorder plans (24-month 128GB plans)
The cheapest iPhone 15 Plus preorder plans (24-month 128GB plans)
The cheapest iPhone 15 Pro preorder plans (24-month 128GB plans)
The cheapest iPhone 15 Pro Max preorder plans (24-month 256GB plans)
