The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max were this year’s headlining act, with new and improved form factors, updated processors, and the latest advancements in the iPhone camera.
The biggest change, at least on the surface, is the slimmer and lighter design, which has new contoured edges, Grade 5 Titanium, and the thinnest borders ever on an iPhone.
Also: iPhone 15 Pro hands-on: I found a lot of reasons to upgrade and one to wait until next year
The iPhone 15 Pro features the fastest mobile CPU — A17 Pro. The new CPU can run up to 10% faster than the A16 Bionic chip in last year’s iPhone 14 Pro. Compared to Apple’s previous iterations, the neural engine is up to two times faster, and the pro-class GPU is up to 20 times faster, optimizing overall smartphone performance.
As for the cameras, the Pro variants feature a 48MP main camera, which allows users to switch between the 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm focal lengths and supports 48MP HEIF images with up to four times the resolution. The Pro Max also features a 5X telephoto lens, the longest optical zoom ever on iPhone.
Like on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, Portrait Mode now runs in the background, so the iPhone can measure the depth information of a photo’s subject and later give users the ability to adjust the bokeh effect. The quality of photos in low light will also improve, with a night mode that provides sharper detail and more vivid colors.
Also: 4 key features the iPhone 15 Pro is still missing
Besides the cameras, another major selling point is the Action Button, which replaces the traditional alert slider. The Action Button will function as a ring and silent button by default but can be personalized to be a mappable quick key for turning on the camera app, flashlight, Siri, Shortcuts, and more.
In terms of safety, the phones feature Crash Detection, Emergency SOS via satellite, and a new Roadside Assistant that allows customers to comment to AAA when experiencing car troubles.
Also: Apple iPhone 15 Pro mutes side switch for multifunctional Action button
With the EU imposing a law for electronics makers to adopt USB-C by 2024, the new iPhones finally support charging and data transferring via USB-C, becoming Apple’s latest major product to make the switch to the more universal power format.
The phones are available for preorder now in black titanium, white titanium, blue titanium, and natural titanium finishes. The iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199.