New iPhone 15 makes the move we’ve all been waiting for

At Apple’s launch event overnight, the global tech giant revealed its new iPhone 15 models, with the widely tipped move to a USB-C connector finally confirmed.

Many of the predictions made ahead of the announcement came to pass, including the addition of the A16 Bionic Chip, which was previously only seen in the iPhone 14 Pro models. This leap in power does come at a higher cost, however with the iPhone 15 starting at $1,499, a $100 increase from the cheapest iPhone 14 at launch.

Apple’s reveal of the iPhone 15 and iPhone Plus came alongside announcements of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 wearables, and an upgraded version of the AirPods Pro 2nd Gen.

What’s new with the iPhone 15?

An incremental upgrade over its predecessors, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus now wield the pill-shaped Dynamic Island insert at the top of the display. Previously restricted to last year’s Pro models, the Dynamic Island acts as an interactive placeholder for notifications and Live Activities, providing a way of tracking real-time information even via the lock screen. It also means the base level iPhone 15 models pack in a few more pixels, as the Dynamic Display takes up less space than the older front camera array design.

On the inside, the A16 Bionic system on a chip provides faster overall performance and more power for apps, gaming, and many of the iOS 17 features coming on 18 September. It’s also said to be more efficient, which will hopefully equate to better battery life.

Included as part of the iPhone 15 camera array is a main 48MP sensor, which also supports a 24MP super-high-resolution mode designed to capture high-quality photos without chewing through your storage. There’s also now a 2x optical zoom in addition to the standard 1x and 0.5x wide-angle options, which is a first for a dual-camera iPhone.

USB-C and charging

It’s the outside that’s had everyone talking for ages leading up to this announcement. Ditching the Lightning connector used for charging and data transfers on previous iPhones, the 15 uses the widely adopted USB-C standard. This now means you only need one type of cable across your current phones, tablets, laptops and accessories – including the newly updated USB-C compatible AirPods Pro 2nd gen.

This change hasn’t led to an increase in charging speeds, however. The spec listing still mentions up to 50% battery recharging in 30 minutes using a 20W adapter. Apple’s announcement does mention support for both MagSafe and upcoming Qi2 wireless chargers, although 15W still appears to be the wireless charging speed limit.

Display and new design

Retaining last year’s 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display sizes, the iPhone 15 and Plus device are now brighter, too. Both phones reach 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness, which maxes out at 2,000 nits when outdoors, making it easier to see your screen in sunlight. For comparison, last year’s phones peaked at 1,200 nits, which is a sizable difference.

Another design change Apple pointed to is that the iPhone 15 models include a colour-infused glass combined with its aluminium casing designed to sit nicer in the hand.

iPhone 15 price, release date and colours

Out in Australia on 22 September 2023, the iPhone 15 and Plus handsets will be available to pre-order this Friday evening at 10 pm AEST on 15 September. The iPhone 15 starts at $1,499 for the 128GB version, while the Plus starts at $1,649.

There are five colours to choose from this year: black, taupe, mulberry, pacific blue, and evergreen. Apple also discussed sustainability as part of its new devices, with the company aiming to make every product carbon neutral by 2030.

As part of this, the phones use various recycled materials throughout the battery, internals and casing. Additionally, there won’t be any future leather accessories due to the material’s environmental impact, with new FineWoven twill cases that use 68% post-consumer recycled materials.

We’ll have more on the new iPhones and Apple devices soon.

Read more phone news on GadgetGuy

The post New iPhone 15 makes the move we’ve all been waiting for appeared first on GadgetGuy.