Apple’s Wonderlust event is done and dusted and the all new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have been announced. With almost every leak ahead of the event coming true, there are not many surprises. Let’s look at what Apple has in store for this year’s entry level iPhone.
iPhone 15 new and changed features
| USB-C | As expected, Apple has toed the EU’s line and introduced USB-C across its entire line. While Craig Federighi has said this would “stifle innovation”, today’s announcement called it “universally accepted”. It means one cable will be able to charge pretty much every current generation Apple device. One other benefit is that USB-C enables two-way charging. So you’ll be able to use your iPhone to give your Apple Watch or AirPods Pro (a new version with USB-C charing was also announced) a top up. |
| Processor | No surprises here. The iPhone 15 gets the iPhone 14 Pro’s A16 processor with the iPhone 15 Pro getting a speed bump courtesy of the all new A17 processor. I call it ‘last generation’ – Apple calls it proven. |
| Dynamic Island | We all get the Dynamic Island – the small, pill-shaped are that can expand and contract depending on what information is being shown at the top of the screen. |
| Display | While display sizes remain the same, peak brightness has been boosted for better viewing in bright light. It now peaks its 2000 nites – double the iPhone 14. |
| Build | The back is made with colour infused glass. Hopefully, it will be durable. The main body is made of aluminium and the screen is protected with ‘ceramic shield’ which makes it stronger and more dust and water resistant. |
| Shape | The hard edges of the iPhone 14 are gone. The iPhone 15 now has contoured edges which look much smoother and comfortable to hold. The downside is that you’ll need new cases as last year’s won’t fit the iPhone 15. |
| Colours | iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be available in five new colours: pink, yellow, green, blue, and black. |
| Camera | Arguably, this is the biggest change on the iPhone 15. There’s a 48MP Main camera that uses a new 24MP super-high-resolution default. Apple’s continued integration of software and hardware offers an additional 2x Telephoto option gives users three optical-quality zoom levels, 0.5x, 1x, 2x, for the first time on an iPhone dual-camera system. |
| Communications | Emergency SOS, using satellite comms is available along with 5G (actual bands supported will vary between countries as there are two different versions), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC (near field communications). |
| Recycled materials | iFixIt’s teardown will tell us more but for now we know that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus uses a lot of recycled material. Apple says: 100% recycled cobalt in the battery 100% recycled copper in the main logic board, copper wire in the Taptic Engine, and copper foil in the inductive charger in MagSafe 75% recycled aluminium in the enclosure 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets 100% recycled gold in the USB‑C connector as well as the gold plating and tin soldering in multiple printed circuit boards Over 99% of the packaging is fibre-based Free of mercury, PVC, and beryllium |
iPhone 15 Pricing
The iPhone 15 will cost a little more than last year’s model.
| iPhone 14 | iPhone 14 Plus | iPhone 15 | iPhone 15 Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen (inches) | 6.1 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
| Processor | A15 Bionic | A15 Bionic | A16 Bionic | A16 Bionic |
| Capacities (GB/TB) | 128/256/512 | 128/256/512/1 | 128/256/512 | 128/256/512/1 |
| Priced from (AUD) | $1399 | $1599 | $1499 | $1649 |
However, if you’re happy to buy last year’s model, Apple has dropped those prices by $100 so the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are now $1299 and $1499 respectively.
iPhone 15 Availability
Australian customers can pre-order iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus from 10:00PM on Friday, 15 September. Availability will start on Friday, 22 September.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.