Apple has announced the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max during its September 12 Wonderlust event. The new smartphones feature the latest A17 Pro chip, a light and durable titanium frame, thinner bezels, a customizable Action button, improved cameras, USB-C connector with USB 3 speeds, and much more.
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max – design, features and availability
Design
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max feature a brand-new titanium exterior with four finishes: black, white, blue, and natural. The titanium design is the same premium alloy material used in spacecraft and has one of the best strength-to-weight ratios of any metal. The interior features 100% recycled aluminum bonded with titanium using a special process. The aluminum frame also allows the back glass to be easily replaced. Unlike previous iPhone models, the titanium exterior gives the new Pro models a brushed finish, giving it a unique look.
For the first time, Apple has replaced the ring/silent switch in iPhone with a new customizable Action button. This button features haptic feedback and can be used to access different features in the smartphone such as quick access to the camera or voice memos, or even the ability to launch third-party apps or run custom Shortcuts instantly. Of course, users can choose to stick to the good old ring and silent switcher option too.
The display used in the new Pro models is exactly the same as last year’s models with the same colors, always-on capabilities, Dynamic Island, ProMotion technology, contrast ratio, and brightness.
Performance
The new A17 Pro chip represents one of the biggest performance improvements for Apple Silicon on a mobile device. It is the first 3nm chip in the industry and features the most powerful GPU in a smartphone. The CPU features 10% performance improvements over the A16 Bionic, while the Neural Engine supports up to 35 trillion operations per second. Not only is the new 6-core GPU up to 20% faster, it also supports hardware ray tracing support. As a result, console games such as Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4, Death Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be making their way to the iPhone. It is unclear what will be the impact of all this performance improvement on thermals and battery life.
Apple has also included a dedicated hardware AV1 decoder in the A17 Pro chip, which will help with efficient video streaming from services like YouTube and Netflix. A USB controller also enables the iPhone 15 Pro to support transfer speeds up to 10GB/s.
Cameras
A new default 24MP super-high-resolution camera mode allows iPhone 15 Pro to capture more detail than before while storing photos in an efficient to save on storage space. The main camera also supports 48MP HEIF images, as well as three focal lengths: 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm. Either one of these can be set as default.
While iPhone 15 Pro supports a 3x Telephoto camera, the iPhone 15 Pro Max also gains support for 5x telephoto at 120mm. Cinematic mode also supports 2x optical-quality zoom for improved focus on subjects.
Updates to the Portrait mode allows all photos to be captured as portraits – the iPhone automatically captures depth information when a person or pet is detected in theframe. Users can use continuous zoom during Portrait mode, as well as shift the focus between subjects after capturing the photo. Low light performance is also twice as better as before, while Night Mode captures more detail thanks to increased dynamic range.
Lastly, iPhone 15 Pro now supports Log encoding, as well as ACES (Academy Color Encoding System). Users can even capture ProRes video at 4K 60fps directly to external storage, thanks to USB 3 transfer speeds.
Connectivity
iPhone 15 Pro features the following improvements to wired and wireless connectivity:
- USB-C port with USB 3 transfer speeds (10Gb/s)
- Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for three times range as before.
- Wi-Fi 6E support with 2x faster speeds
- Thread support
- MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging
- Roadside Assistance via satellite
Availability and Price
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be available for pre-orders starting September 15, while shipping will begin from September 22. The prices are as follows:
- iPhone 15 Pro (128GB): $999
- iPhone 15 Pro Max (256GB): $1,199
Available color options include black titanium, white titanium, blue titanium, and natural titanium.
