iPhone 15 release updates — Apple launch event unveils iPhone 15 with new charger cable and colors

Best time to buy older iPhones

For US and UK Apple customers, the best time to purchase an iPhone that isn't the newest model is usually between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

It is expected that the iPhone 13 will fall at its cheapest price.

The iPhone 14 will also likely see a significant drop in price at this time.

Best time to buy the new iPhone 15 revealed

The latest iPhone model will not be at its cheapest price for quite some time.

It is predicted that the iPhone 15 will be the cheapest at the end of the year in 2025.

This is because iPhones stay in circulation for two years.

THAT'S ALL!

And that’s a wrap.

Apple announced four new iPhone models: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

And the company also offered up an Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

We’ll be bringing you re-caps of the news and more fan reaction shortly.

FULL LINE-UP

Here's what Apple's official iPhone line-up looks like right now, post-announcement...

RELEASE DATE!

The new iPhone 15 Pro with 128GB of storage will retail at $999, the same price as last year.

And the iPhone 15 Pro Max will come in at $1,199 and 256GB of storage.

They’re both available for pre-order this Friday, September 15, and go on sale on Friday, September 22.

PRO VIDEO

Apple has upgraded the iPhone 15 Pro to allow you to create “spatial videos”.

These can be replayed in the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset (which won’t be out until next year).

But it means you can record and watch lifelike videos with 3D depth, so it feels like you’re really there.

ZOOMING IN

The iPhone 15 Pro features a 3x optical zoom camera.

But on iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple has added its longest zoom yet.

This is 5x optical zoom at 120mm focal length, which Apple is calling a “state of the art telephoto camera”.

It means you’ll be able to capture impressive zoom images with better quality than ever before.

And it means you won’t need to rely heavily on “digital” zoom, which is simply increasing the size of an image without adding detail.

There's also improved optical image stabilisation, with "up to 10,000 micro adjustments per second", meaning you're less likely to end up with blurry shots.

SUPER SNAPPER

The new iPhone 15 Pro has an upgraded camera.

Apple has promised better low-light performance for Portraits and Night Mode.

There’s a new default 24-megapixel image size, with 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm focal length shooting.

And Apple said that computational photography and some hardware improvements, the camera is capable of capturing impressive detail even in very dark conditions.

CHIP TOP

Apple has unveiled a new A17 Pro chip that lives inside the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The company said it’s the “fastest mobile CPU” in any smartphone.

And it said that the processor can even challenge desktop PCs.

It’s packed with 19billion transistors, giving it extreme computing power.

NEW BUTTON

Apple has ditched the old Mute Switch on the side of the phone.

There’s now a solid-state phone on the side of the button that can be used to do different actions.

That’s why it’s called the Action Button.

It can still mute your iPhone, but it can also turn on Do Not Disturb, launch the camera, or launch a custom Shortcut.

IT’S PRO TIME

Now Apple is unveiling its most powerful iPhone yet: the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

It's got a new titanium design, replacing the old stainless steel frame.

This is still strong but allows the iPhone frame to be lighter.

Apple has also given the iPhone 15 Pro the thinnest border ever on an iPhone.

It also has the "toughest glass materials in the industry".

New colors include black, white and blue.

PRICED UP

The iPhone 15 starts at $799 with 128GB of storage.

And the slightly larger iPhone 15 Plus begins at $899 with the same amount of storage.

STAYING IN CHARGE-R

Apple has finally abandoned the Lightning port on its iPhone.

The port has now been replaced with USB-C.

If you remember way back to early iPhones, they used a large 30-pin connector for charging.

Then in 2012 Apple switched this out for the Lightning port, which we’ve all been using ever since.

But Lightning cables are only for Apple devices, and much of the rest of the gadget world has switched to USB-C instead.

Even Apple is already using USB-C on iPad and Mac models.

Now the iPhone is finally set to adopt USB-C too.
The bad news is that it means your old Lightning cables won’t work with the new iPhone.

But you’ll find that USB-C is widely popular, and you’ll be able to use the same cable across more of your devices.

WIRELESS!

The iPhone 15 has a new Ultra Wideband chip that lets use find your lost smartphone from further away than before.

And it can also help you find friends with precision.

You’ll get live directions with an arrow to find them in a crowded place.

FRESH CHIPS

The new iPhone 15 is powered by last year’s A16 Bionic chipset.

It’s the chip that was inside the iPhone 14 Pro, and is seriously powerful.

It means the iPhone 15 will offer better performance, graphics and machine learning heft versus the iPhone 14.

And the iPhone 15 “still has all-day battery life”, helped by the new chip.

PICTURE PERFECT

Apple said that Portrait mode now have better bokeh effect and richer colors.

And you don’t have to remember to switch to Portrait mode anymore.

Apple will automatically capture rich depth information when it thinks you’re trying to take a Portrait image, all using machine learning.

This also means you can enjoy focus and depth control

It means you can shift the focus – and even move it from one person to another – after the image has been snapped.

Night Mode has also been improved for better detail when snapping in low-light conditions.

And if you’re shooting on a bright day, the new Smart HDR should handle bright skies and your subject much better.

IT'S POWERFUL

The new iPhone 15 comes in pink, yellow, green, blue and black color options.

And there's a new advanced dual camera system with a 45-megapixel shooter.

Apple said that new software and hardware means the iPhone will perform better in challenging lighting conditions.

WATCH THE PRICE

The watches are available to pre-order today, and will be in stores on September 22.

The new Apple Watch SE is $249, the Apple Watch Series 9 is $399, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is $799.

THE NEW ULTRA

Here's a recap of the new Apple Watch Ultra 2...

TOTAL WATCH

Here's a quick image recap of everything that's new about the Apple Watch Series 9...

LEATHER GONE

Apple confirmed that it would no longer use leather in any product.

That includes Apple Watch bands, where leather is a very popular options.

In its stead, Apple has created a new "sophisticated" material.

It's teamed up with designer Hermes to create some new luxury non-leather bands too.

APPLE 2030

Apple said it plans to be carbon neutral across its entire business by 2030.

It also wants to get the carbon footprint of its products down to zero.

Apple said it will do these by maximizing recycled materials. It noted that it uses 100% recycled aluminium in its Apple Watch cases.

DOUBLE TAP

You can now tap your index finger and thumb together twice to interact with your Apple Watch Series 9.

This means you can simply do a gesture to answer a call or end a call.

It can also launch the Smart Stack from your watch face.

The watch knows that you're making the gesture as long as you do it with the hand you're wearing your Apple Watch on.

Separately, the screen can now reach peak brightness of 2,000 nits.

SIRI-OUS!

You can now use Siri to interact with your health.

This includes logging when you've taken medication, or asking what your average walking heart rate is.

You can also log weight loss.

And it all works using your voice.

Another clever trick lets you locate your iPhone with "hot or cold" style directions that show when you're getting close to it.

This means Apple Watch owners will be able to quickly track an iPhone down if it's fallen behind a sofa cushion.