Apple’s iPhone 15 series: Features, specs, price revealed

Pre-orders for the series will commence on September 15, and customers in the UAE can expect the product to be available starting from September 22

by Divsha Bhat

September 12, 2023

Image credit: Apple

Apple has introduced the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The standard and Plus model feature a colour-infused back glass with a textured matte finish, and a new contoured edge on the aluminum enclosure.

Meanwhile the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max feature a sleek design crafted from aerospace-grade titanium. This new design showcases smooth, contoured edges and an Action button that users can customise to tailor their iPhone experience to their preferences.

These new models feature impressive camera enhancements, offering the equivalent of seven professional lenses.

The primary camera system has been upgraded to a more advanced 48MP sensor, now supporting a high-resolution 24MP default mode.

Additionally, they introduce the next generation of portrait photography with enhanced focus and depth control, improvements to night mode and Smart HDR, and an all-new 5x Telephoto camera exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Under the hood, the A17 Pro chip unlocks enhanced gaming experiences and delivers pro-level performance.

The new USB‑C connector provides lightning-fast data transfer speeds, operating up to 20 times faster than USB 2.

Furthermore, the iPhone 15 Pro lineup incorporates Roadside Assistance via satellite, building upon Apple’s innovative satellite infrastructure.

This feature connects users to help in case of car trouble while they are off the grid, enhancing safety and convenience.

Meet iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max! Powered by A17 Pro, which ushers in a new era of Apple Silicon, these products unlock new performance capabilities, amazing photography, next-level gaming, and more. And with an all-new titanium design, they’re our lightest weight Pro models yet! pic.twitter.com/kZxWCPj0Vl

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 12, 2023

Lightweight and durable design

Available in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max feature a lightweight titanium design — a first for iPhone. This premium alloy — the same used in spacecraft — has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any metal, making this Apple’s lightest Pro lineup ever.

Both models feature a new refined brush texture, contoured edges, and the thinnest borders on iPhone.

The Pro lineup is built to last, combining the strength of titanium with the toughest back glass in a smartphone and the industry-leading Ceramic Shield on the front.

Using an industry-first thermo-mechanical process, the titanium bands encase a new substructure made from 100 per cent recycled aluminum, bonding these two metals with incredible strength through solid-state diffusion.

The aluminum frame helps with thermal dissipation and allows the back glass to be easily replaced. This new design highlights the Super Retina XDR display with Always-On and ProMotion technologies for an exceptional viewing experience.

The Action button replaces the single-function switch used to toggle between ring and silent, offering additional options so users can choose between quickly accessing the camera or flashlight; activating voice memos, focus modes, translate and accessibility features like
magnifier or using shortcuts for more options.

A17 Pro: A new generation of Apple silicon for iPhone

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are powered by A17 Pro, the industry’s first 3-nanometer chip. It brings improvements to the entire chip, including the biggest GPU redesign in Apple’s history.

The new CPU is up to 10 per cent faster with microarchitectural and design improvements, and the Neural Engine is now up to 2x faster, powering features like autocorrect and Personal Voice in iOS 17.

Camera capabilities

Through a deep integration of hardware and software, the advanced camera systems on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max both pack the equivalent of seven pro lenses — all enabled by A17 Pro.

With the power of computational photography, the 48MP Main camera, built exclusively for the Pro lineup, gives users even more flexibility with a new 24MP super-high-resolution default, offering incredible image quality at a practical file size ideal for storing and sharing.

The Main camera allows users to switch between three popular focal lengths — 24 mm, 28 mm, and 35 mm — and even choose one as a new default.

In addition to 48MP ProRAW, the Main camera also supports 48MP HEIF images with 4x more resolution.

The iPhone 15 Pro features an expansive 3x Telephoto camera, and iPhone 15 Pro Max provides the longest optical zoom ever on iPhone: 5x at 120 mm.

Wireless performance and connectivity

The iPhone 15 Pro lineup offers convenient new ways to charge. Both models use the USB‑C connector, a universally accepted standard for charging and transferring data, allowing the same cable to charge iPhone, Mac, iPad, and the updated AirPods Pro (2nd generation).

Users can also charge AirPods or Apple Watch directly from iPhone with the USB‑C connector.

Both models support USB 3 for data transfer speeds up to 10 gigabits per second, up to 20x faster than before.

Both models support wi-fi 6E for greater wireless performance, including up to 2x faster speeds, and introduces the first Thread-enabled smartphones, opening up future opportunities for Home app integrations.

Security features

The iPhone 15 lineup offers critical safety capabilities to provide assistance when it matters most, including Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite.

Building on this innovative satellite infrastructure, the smartphones introduce Roadside Assistance via satellite.

Pricing and availability

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be available in five new colours: pink, yellow, green, blue and black in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage capacities, starting at $799 and $899.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will come in a range of titanium finishes, including black, white, blue, and natural titanium. The iPhone 15 Pro maintains its initial price point of $999 and offers storage options of 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199 and is available in storage capacities of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

Customers in the UAE will be able to pre-order iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max beginning Friday, September 15, with availability beginning Friday, September 22.