The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple’s lightest Pro models yet, were unveiled today. They were built with aerospace-grade titanium for strength and lightness. A customizable Action button and curved edges are other aspects of the new design that let customers customize their iPhone experience. A more sophisticated 48MP Main camera system that now supports the new super-high-resolution 24MP default, the next generation of portraits with Focus and Depth Control, improvements to Night mode and Smart HDR, and an entirely new 5x Telephoto camera that is only available on the iPhone 15 Pro Max are just a few of the impressive camera upgrades that give users the equivalent of seven professional lenses with incredible image quality.
The A17 Pro enables professional performance and next-generation gaming. Together with new video formats, the new USB-C connector’s supercharged USB 3 speeds—up to 20 times quicker than USB 2—allow for sophisticated pro processes that were previously impossible. The iPhone 15 Pro series also expands on Apple’s ground-breaking satellite infrastructure with the provision of Roadside Assistance via satellite, connecting users to assistance if they experience automotive difficulties while off the grid.
There will be four striking new finishes for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, including black titanium, white titanium, blue titanium, and natural titanium. Pre-orders open on Friday, September 15, and the product will be available starting on Friday, September 22.
Greg Joswiak, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, declared that this was the most professional lineup the company had ever produced. “This is the most pro lineup we have ever created, with a state-of-the-art titanium design, the best iPhone camera system yet that enables game-changing new workflows, and the A17 Pro chip, which ushers in a new chapter of performance and games never before seen on iPhone,” he added. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max “represent the pinnacle of Apple design and industry-first innovations to help enrich our users’ daily lives while empowering them to unleash their creativity.”
A Beautiful, Durable, and Lightweight Design
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, which come in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes, have a sturdy and lightweight titanium construction, a first for iPhone. Apple’s lightest Pro lineup ever is made possible by the premium alloy, which is also used in spacecraft and has one of the highest strengths-to-weight ratios of any metal. Both models have the narrowest boundaries on iPhone, a new refined brush texture, and curved corners. The Pro series is made to last thanks to the industry-leading Ceramic Shield on the front, the strongest back glass found in a smartphone, and the strength of titanium.
The titanium rings encapsulate a new substructure created from 100% recycled aluminum using an industry-first thermo-mechanical technique, which solidifies diffusion between the two metals to create an incredibly strong link. The metal frame aids in thermal dissipation and makes it simple to change the rear glass. With Always-On and ProMotion technology for an unparalleled viewing experience, this new design showcases the Super Retina XDR display.
The brand-new Action button takes the place of the single-function switch that was used to switch between ring and silent. It offers more options so users can select between quickly accessing the camera or flashlight, turning on Voice Memos, Focus modes, Translate, and accessibility features like Magnifier, or using Shortcuts for more options. The new button ensures that the intended action is launched with a press-and-hold motion, customized haptic feedback, and visual clues in the Dynamic Island.
A New Generation of Apple Silicon for the iPhone, the A17 Pro
The A17 Pro, the first 3-nanometer chip in the market, powers the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, bringing professional performance and capabilities. The A17 Pro improves every aspect of the processor, including the largest GPU redesign in Apple history, maintaining its position as the industry leader in smartphone silicon. The Neural Engine is now up to 2x quicker, powering features like autocorrect and Personal Voice in iOS 17, while the new CPU is up to 10% faster thanks to microarchitectural and design enhancements.
With a revolutionary 6-core design that boosts peak performance and energy efficiency, the pro-class GPU is up to 20% quicker and opens completely new experiences. The iPhone 15 Pro now offers smoother graphics, more immersive AR applications, and gaming experiences thanks to hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which is 4x quicker than software-based ray tracing. With console games like Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4, Death Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage that have never been seen on a smartphone before, the iPhone 15 Pro puts realistic gaming in the palm of users’ hands.
A17 Pro comes with a specialized AV1 decoder, allowing for more effective, high-quality video streaming experiences. Additionally, a new USB controller makes it possible for iPhone to handle USB 3 speeds for the first time, enabling substantially faster transfer rates as well as video output up to 4K at 60 fps HDR.
A Pro Camera System with Power for Greater Creative Control
The powerful camera systems on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max both pack the equivalent of seven professional lenses thanks to a close integration of hardware and software, which is made possible by the A17 Pro. The 48MP Main camera, created just for the Pro series, allows customers even more versatility with a new 24MP super-high-resolution default, giving outstanding image quality at a practical file size appropriate for keeping and sharing. This is made possible by the power of computational photography. Users of the Main camera can set one as their new default or alternate between the three widely used focal lengths of 24 mm, 28 mm, and 35 mm. The Main camera offers 48MP HEIF photos with a 4x higher resolution in addition to 48MP ProRAW images.
The 3x Telephoto camera on the iPhone 15 Pro is a sizable feature, and the 5x optical zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the longest ever offered by an iPhone. The new telephoto camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a revolutionary tetraprism design and a combined optical image stabilization and autofocus 3D sensor-shift module, Apple’s most powerful stabilization system to date. It is great for close-ups, wildlife photography, and capturing the action from a distance.
Sharper detail, more vibrant colors, and improved low-light performance are all features of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max’s next-generation portraiture. Users can now capture portrait photos without first switching to Portrait mode. iPhone automatically records depth information when a person, dog, or cat is in the frame or when the user taps to concentrate, allowing them to later create amazing photographs in the Photos app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Users can also change the focal point after the photo has been taken for more artistic freedom.
On the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, additional capabilities that benefit all cameras include:
- Night mode, which is now powered by the Photonic Engine and includes Night mode portraits made possible by the LiDAR scanner, gets better with clearer details and more vibrant colors.
- New Smart HDR ensures that images have brighter highlights, richer midtones, and deeper shadows when viewed in the images app, while capturing subjects and the backdrop with more realistic representations of skin tones. Third-party apps can also use this cutting-edge HDR rendering, making shared web photographs even more appealing.
- With enhancements in low-light video and Action mode, the A17 Pro has updated the greatest video quality available in a smartphone.
With enhanced professional workflows, the go-to smartphone for filmmakers and creative professionals gets even better. With an extra USB 3 cable, users can now experience up to 20x quicker transfer rates. Photographers may also set up a professional studio with the aid of the iPhone and third-party applications like Capture One, which enable them to shoot and instantaneously upload 48MP ProRAW photographs from the iPhone to the Mac. When using an iPhone as the primary camera, ProRes video can be directly saved to external storage, providing higher recording possibilities up to 4K at 60 fps and more flexibility on set. The iPhone 15 Pro is the first smartphone in the world to utilize ACES, the Academy Color Encoding System, a universal standard for color operations, and it also adds a new option for Log encoding.
With the ability to shoot spatial video for Apple Vision Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro will later this year provide a new level to video capture. When Apple Vision Pro launches in the U.S. early next year, users will be able to capture priceless moments in three dimensions and relive those memories with stunning depth.
Next-Generation Wireless Connectivity and Performance
The iPhone 15 Pro series provides easy-to-use new methods for charging, locating friends in congested areas, and maintaining connectivity while traveling. The new AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and updated iPhone, Mac, and iPad can all be charged using the same connection because both models utilize the USB-C connector, a widely established standard for charging and data transfer. Additionally, users can use the USB-C connector on their iPhone to directly charge their AirPods or Apple Watch. Data transfer rates up to 10 gigabits per second, up to 20 times quicker than before, are supported by the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max when using USB 3.
The second-generation Ultra Wideband processor is present in both models, allowing two iPhone devices to connect at a distance that is three times greater than previously. As a result, users of the iPhone 15 may now share their locations and locate one another even in crowded places by using Precision Finding for Find My Friends in a new method. The same privacy safeguards that users have grown to rely on with Find My are included into Precision Finding.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are the first Thread-enabled handsets, enabling Home app integrations in the future and supporting Wi-Fi 6E for improved wireless performance, including up to 2x faster rates.
Including iOS 17
With iOS 17, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are even more personalized and intuitive.
- The Phone app receives significant changes, including Live Voicemail, which makes use of the A17 Pro’s capabilities to display real-time on-device transcription as voicemails are received, and Contact Posters, which let users customize how they seem to their contacts. Even while the caller is leaving a message, users can answer the call.
- A new sticker experience, more robust search capabilities, transcription of audio messages, and Check In—which enables users to instantly notify friends and family when they have arrived at their location safely—are all added to Messages.
- By merely bringing two iPhone devices together, NameDrop offers customers a new option to use AirDrop to more easily transfer contact information. Users may now move apart from one another and complete transmitting huge files over the internet with the same gesture that can be used to AirDrop material and more.When the iPhone is on its side and charging,
- StandBy offers customers a configurable full-screen experience with glanceable information made to be viewed from a distance. StandBy continues to offer vital information thanks to the Always-On display on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, making it ideal for a desk, bedside, or kitchen counter.
- Users can perform a to-do or play or stop a song directly from interactive widgets on the Home Screen, Lock Screen, and in StandBy by just tapping them.
- Safari helps users segregate their surfing for themes like work and personal by enhancing Private surfing security and introducing profiles.
Numerous other updates are included in iOS 17, such as Password and Passkey Sharing with iCloud Keychain, Password and Passkey Sharing with Dictation, and much more. Journal is a new app that enables iPhone users to reflect and practice gratitude through journaling.
