On September 12th, Apple announced its 2023 iPhone models: the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro. The announcement was made at their 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event. Apple streamed the event online in a 1 hour and 22-minute video for those who were not there.
From the event, here is the most important information and new features of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro you should know about.
In this article, we will discuss:
When did the iPhone 15, 15 Pro Max come out?
Apple announced their new iPhone 15 models on September 12 at their Wanderlust Event 2023. However, Apple and mobile carriers did not start taking preorders until 5:00 AM PDT on September 15. The iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and Pro Max were released a few days later, on September 22.
That date, September 22, was when the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro officially came out, and people started receiving their preorders. This was also when both phone models became available at the Apple Store and any Apple Authorized Resellers.
What’s new on the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro Max?
As with every new iPhone, the iPhone 15 and its counterpart, the iPhone 15 Pro, came with some notable hardware changes and new features. Here are the significant new features of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 15, and 15 Plus.
List of iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus new features
Compared to the previous iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, these are the new features and hardware changes details introduced in the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:
- The regular iPhone 15 and 15 Plus now have Dynamic Island, a feature previously limited to the iPhone 14 Pro models.
- A16 Bionic chip with 6-core CPU and 5-core integrated GPU, previously limited to the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
- 48MP, ฦ/1.6 aperture Camera
- 4x optical zoom range
- .5x, 1x, 2x optical zoom options
- Smart HDR 5 (front camera)
- USB-C with USB 2 support
- Second-generation UWB chip
- 1600 nits peak brightness (HDR), previously only on iPhone 14 Pro
- 1000 nits max brightness (typical), previously only on iPhone 14 Pro
- 2000 nits peak brightness (outdoor)
- 2556-by-1179-pixel resolution at 460 ppi (iPhone 15)
- 2796-by-1290-pixel resolution at 460 ppi (iPhone 15 Plus)
- Precision Finding for Find My friends
New features of iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max
Like its weaker brothers, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have become more robust than ever! Here are all the new features and what’s new on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.
This list only contains new features exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, as it’s obvious that the Pro also has all the features introduced with the regular iPhone 15.
- It is made of titanium with a harder backglass.
- A17 Pro chip with 6-core CPU and 6-core integrated GPU
- New Action button, which replaces the old Ring/Silent switch.
- Wi-Fi 6E
- New 5x zoom option (iPhone 15 Pro Max only)
- USB-C with 10 Gbps transfer speed (20x faster than iPhone 15/15 Plus)
- Log video recording
- Academy Color Encoding System
- Thread networking technology
- NavIC: iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max can now utilize the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.
As you can see and expect, the vast majority of new features on this new year’s iPhone were added exclusively to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
The iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max received ten new exclusive features, while the regular iPhone 15 and 15 Plus mostly received features introduced in the previous iPhone 14 Pro, which is not bad.
Apple iPhone 15 vs. Apple iPhone 15 Pro specs
Now that we know what’s new on the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro let’s compare the differences between the two devices’ specifications.
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro & 15 Pro Max Specs
- ProMotion technology
- Always-On display
- Made of titanium
- A17 Pro chip
- Pro camera system
- 48MP Main Ultra Wide Telephoto
- .5x, 1x, 2x, 3x, 5x optical zoom options
- 23 hours video playback (15 Pro)
- 29 hours video playback (15 Pro Max)
- 10Gbps USB-C speed transfer
- 1TB storage capacity
- 120Hz refresh rates
- 2556-by-1179-pixel resolution at 460 ppi
- Night mode portraits
- Macro photography
- Apple ProRAW
- ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording
- Log video recording
- Academy Color Encoding System
- Macro video recording, including sloโmo and timeโlapse
- Precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC)
- WiโFi 6E
- Thread networking technology
Same Specs
Same specs on both devices
- Super Retina XDR display (6.1″ & 6.7″)
- HDR display
- 16-core Neural Engine
- Super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP)
- Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
- Emergency SOS
- Emergency SOS via satellite
- Crash Detection
- Roadside Assistance via satellite
- USB-C
- Face ID
- 5G cellular connectivity
- Ceramic Shield front glass (made by Corning)
- IP68 rating (water submersion for up to 6 meters for 30 minutes)
- MagSafe compatible
- 256GB, 512GB, 128GB(Pro Max excluded) storage capacity
- 2796-by-1290-pixel resolution at 460 ppi (iPhone 15 Plus & 15 Pro Max)
- 2556-by-1179-pixel resolution at 460 ppi (iPhone 15 & 15 Pro)
- 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical)
- True Tone display
- Wide color display (P3)
- Haptic Touch
- 1000 nits max brightness (typical)
- 1600 nits peak brightness (HDR)
- 2000 nits peak brightness (outdoor)
- Smart HDR 5 for photos
- Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
- Portrait Lighting with six effects
- Night mode
- Photographic Styles
- 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
- 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
- Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (up to 4K HDR at 30 fps)
- Action mode
- HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps
- Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
- Time-lapse video with stabilization
- Night mode Time-lapse
- QuickTake video
- Second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video
- Audio zoom
- Stereo recording
- Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps
- QuickTake video
- Cinematic video stabilization (4K, 1080p, and 720p)
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 & 15 Plus Specs
- Made of Aluminum
- Ring/Silent switch
- A16 Bionic chip
- Advanced dual-camera system
- 48MP Main Ultra Wide
- .5x, 1x, 2x, 3x optical zoom options
- 20 hours video playback (iPhone 15)
- 26 hours video playback (iPhone 15 Plus)
- 480Mbs USB-C speed transfer
What size is the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro?
Although the iPhone 15 is visually the same size as the iPhone 14, on paper (specs), the iPhone 15 is smaller than the iPhone 14. Here’s the real size of the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max.
| Height | Width | Depth | Weight | |
| iPhone 15 | 5.81 inches (147.6 mm) | 2.82 inches (71.6 mm) | 0.31 inch (7.80 mm) | 6.02 ounces (171 grams) |
| iPhone 15 Plus | 6.33 inches (160.9 mm) | 3.06 inches (77.8 mm) | 0.31 inch (7.80 mm) | 7.09 ounces (201 grams) |
| iPhone 15 Pro | 5.77 inches (146.6 mm) | 2.78 inches (70.6 mm) | 0.32 inch (8.25 mm) | 6.60 ounces (187 grams) |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | 6.29 inches (159.9 mm) | 3.02 inches (76.7 mm) | 0.32 inch (8.25 mm) | 7.81 ounces (221 grams) |
As you can see from the above chart, the iPhone 15 is the lightest iPhone 15 model, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the heaviest iPhone.
What colors do the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro Max come in?
While the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus come in five colors, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max only come in four colors.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are available in pink, yellow, green, blue, and black.
Its bigger brothers, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, come in four colors: Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium.
What is the price of iPhone 15 and 15 Pro Max?
This year, while Apple made significant hardware improvements and changes to the iPhone, the company did not increase its prices from the previous year’s models.
The iPhone 15 has the same pricing scheme as last year’s iPhone 14.
This is what an iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, or 15 Pro Max will cost you depending on the model and storage capacity:
| Storage | iPhone 15 Plus | iPhone 15 Pro | iPhone 15 Pro Max |
| 128GB | $799 | $999 | N/A |
| 256GB | $899 | $1099 | $1199 |
| 512GB | $1099 | $1299 | $1399 |
| 1TB | N/A | $1499 | $1599 |
Who will be your new iPhone 15 or 15 Pro carrier: T-Mobile or Verizon?
Also, evaluate your carrier-offered insurance before choosing it over AppleCare for your new shiny iPhone 15. This is because AppleCare+ is usually better than other insurance offered by third parties or other carriers.